There are games that we love to hate, but we have to hate them for the right reasons. The Mario Party franchise has always been considered an excellent way to entertain your guests, while destroying friendships with each stolen star. Unfortunately, this sadistic video game pleasure has long since lost its charm. It must be said that after eighteen episodes, it is not easy to breathe new life into gameplay as simple as a board game. The many attempts at modernization have not always worked, and yet it is not for lack of trying. In Mario Party 9, Nintendo even dared to touch the movement mechanic, but nothing works. From one edition to the next, the fun is more or less present, without ever giving rise to a truly memorable party game.
On Switch, Super Mario Party and Mario Party Superstars have kept us entertained for a while, notably thanks to the ease with which it is possible to share joycons and start a game. However, none of these titles have established themselves as a must-have for game nights. Rather than moving on, the Kyoto firm has decided to produce a final opus for its current console. But Super Mario Party Jamboree is not a stopgap title aimed at occupying the last months of the Switch's life, far from it. As if motivated by the idea of a grand finale, the developers have finally managed to find the recipe for a fun party game from A to Z.
Discover Super Mario Party Jamboree
Start on a good footing
Super Mario Party Jamboree is intended to be as accessible and intuitive as a physical board game. This iteration frees itself from unnecessary gimmicks to get us straight to the heart of the matter without further ado. No unnecessary storyline or forced staging in this game: the introduction gets straight to the point to dive into the festivities as quickly as possible. Players know what they expect from a Mario Party and there is no point in setting the scene. A few minutes of setup are enough to set off to discover a first board and understand that this opus does not do things by halves.
No matter which level you choose from the selection of seven boards, the first part will provide the same feeling of satisfaction, because everything in this Mario Party exudes goodwill and effort. The title does not drown us in useless explanations, hostilities do not take long to begin and we enjoy the experience in a comfort of play hitherto unequaled for the franchise. The interface is clear and makes it easier to approach the game than before. At a glance, it is possible to visualize what awaits us (the rotation of the players, the number of turns before the next mini-game or the “final stretch” of the game…) and the controls are indicated at all times in an interface that is both discreet and understandable.
In addition to this simplicity and comfort, there are also notable improvements in terms of gameplay. The automatic save function at the end of each turn – therefore after the mini-game – finally removes the pressure caused by the length of the games. No more need to force yourself to go to the end of a 4-player game: the group is free to stop and resume later, or even during another evening. As for the mini-games, the gameplay variations are numerous and almost reminiscent of the galvanizing recipe of Wario Ware. With or without motion gaming, each round leverages collaboration and rivalry between players with the help of truly well-thought-out and well-crafted challenges. With over 110 different mini-games, Mario Party Jamboree breaks the feeling of redundancy that its predecessors suffered from for better replayability. Even after several sessions, the discovery and fun do not fade.
Balancing finally mastered
It's been a long time since Mario Party was this much fun, and that's also thanks to the balancing efforts applied to this installment. The one-on-one or duo mini-games are among the best mastered in the franchise, and finally generate more fun than frustration. It's no longer a question of the group of three players having a significant advantage: the single player has just as much chance of winning the round. And finally, whether you lose or win the round, the pleasure provided by the challenges takes over as they know how to be effective. The distribution of rewards is also fairer, with the more regular implementation of modifiers and other special rounds to spice things up.
The balancing also concerns the structure of the boards. The distribution of the squares seems to have been perfectly studied to offer multiple twists and turns as well as many ways to reverse the course of the game. Never will a player feel so far behind that they want to give up on the game halfway through. No need to rely on luck to hope to climb back to the top of the rankings: good coin management and a trip to the shop are now enough to get out of trouble. During the final stretch of the game – that moment when a few rules change as the last round approaches – certain powerful objects like the golden pipe make it easier to pick up a star. It also seemed easier to put obstacles in the way of your opponents, thanks in particular to the possibility of placing trapped squares, or even more opportunities to steal stars and coins.
The rivalry specific to Mario Party, as well as the laughs and funny situations that result from it, are still there, but the title manages to perfectly balance the frustration to avoid reaching anger. The overhaul of the companion system of Super Mario Party is one of the best additions to achieve this near-perfect balance. Now, each player is able to win the AI companion encountered on the board, provided they win a special mini-game. Each character offers their own challenge, some of which are truly atypical for Mario Party (special mention for Waluigi's pinball machine). This support only lasts a few turns but can really change the trend.
When there is no more: there is still more
In addition to the Mario Party mode, which is already excellent, this opus offers a bunch of other modes that complete an already perfect experience. Solo players will be delighted to discover a scenario similar to what Nintendo offered on Gameboy Advance in 2005. The free exploration of the game boards allows you to complete quests to help the different characters by completing mini-games. This mode is not as charming as a game between friends, but allows you to extend the experience even when there is no one at home. The inclusion of different online modes also goes in this direction and also allows you to approach Mario Party from new angles. A sort of 20-player battle royale offers a new sense of grandeur to the party game and even benefits from new mini-games.
And if you don't want to spend too much time on a tray during an evening with friends or family. Don't panic. Super Mario Jamboree has thought of everything! Four other modes allow you to entertain your guests. In addition to the classic mini-game mode allowing you to chain the challenges as you wish, three other options offer experiences never before seen in the franchise. The rhythm cooking mode is damn effective and never fails to make you laugh, especially when you discover who has no sense of rhythm in the group. The flight mode is fun and makes good use of motion gaming, but remains classic for a party game. The third and final mode is a puzzle game requiring coordination to lead a marble to the end of increasingly complicated courses. Here too, the motion gaming is perfectly mastered and a source of good humor. Finally, this Mario Party reminds us of the great days of the Wii, while bringing a good dose of freshness to a genre that could no longer reinvent itself.
0 Comments