The Best Mario Party Just Got A So-So Switch 2 Upgrade
Should you pay the cover charge?
Super Mario Party Jamboree may have arrived late in the Nintendo Switch lifecycle, but the franchise’s swansong on the aging handheld was well worth the price. With a strong collection of minigames and some fun new modes, it was one of the best Mario Party games to be released during a generation chock-full of them.
With Jamboree coming out so close to the Switch 2’s launch, it’s no surprise that it’s the latest game to get a paid upgrade for the new console. Unlike the examples we’ve seen since launch, like The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom’s Nintendo app integration and vastly improved performance, paying the $20 nets Jamboree owners access to exclusive new minigames that take advantage of the Switch 2’s features, as well as a handful of new ways to play via Jamboree TV mode. The upgrade will likely be mandatory for the biggest Mario Party fans, even if some of its more unique additions fall flat for casual players.
As I outlined in my review, Mario Party Jamboree is an excellent installment. It doesn’t stray too far from what the series is known for, but it does complement that winning formula with 112 mostly fun minigames. If you’re considering picking up the game, know that there’s a lot of variety on offer, whether you’re playing with friends at home or venturing online into the 20-player battle-royale-style modes like the Koopathon.
For returning players weighing whether the $20 upgrade is worth it, I’d say the answer varies, as it doesn’t do much to build on the original’s already solid foundation. Unless you’re looking to bolster the minigame library with an additional 20 minigames, Jamboree TV’s additions are pretty negligible.
The 20 new minigames use either the Joy-Con Mouse controls, the Switch 2 microphone, or the camera. The clear winner of the bunch are the mouse-based minigames, as they fit seamlessly into the kinds of games you’d expect from the series. Activities like Shell Hockey (table hockey with a dash of chaos) and the Operation-style obstacle course called Toad-ally Electric Escape are genuinely fun additions that my partner and I got a kick out of.
Microphone minigames don’t fare as well. There are just three, two of which involve yelling the right command at the right time, while the other takes the form of a rudimentary rhythm game without any compelling music to back up the shenanigans. The camera games, which are cordoned off to the Bowser Live portion of the expansion, are initially fun, but lose their novelty after a few subsequent sessions. Inserting yourself into minigames to balance Goombas on your head or punch blocks should be a hit with kids and parents, but it’s tough to say these additions are worth the price of the upgrade and the $60 camera for casual players.
The modes in which you play these don’t add a whole lot either. Bowser Live mode is shockingly short, and I found that Mario Party’s signature “anyone can win in the end” shtick was particularly egregious here. During some sections, I could win the first two minigames, only to lose the entire session because I didn’t yell loud enough to curry favor with Mario’s archnemesis in the third. Again, the novelty is great, but it’s not a mode I’d return to with friends more than a handful of times.
There’s also Carnival Coaster, which combines Mario Party with an on-rails shooter. You sit through a ride, zapping enemies on screen using mouse controls and stopping every few moments to do a minigame. This mode is also pretty short, even with five courses to choose from.
The novelty of inserting yourself directly into minigames is cute, but it soon loses its charm thanks to a thin selection of relevant games.
Outside of how it integrates into the already stellar main game, the expansion pack’s major selling point is underwhelming. It is a much more vibrant showcase for the Switch 2’s weirdest features than the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, but at $80, that’s a tough pill to swallow if you’re not all in on Mario Party.
Ironically, the best part of the upgrade is the standard, passive ways the Switch 2 camera folds into the game. Being able to see you’re opponents' faces is a neat addition that adds more personality to online matches, and the addition of Frenzy Rules, which reduces the 90-minute slog of default matches to just five critical turns, offers a great solution to players who don’t want to spend the entire night circling a virtual board.
For the technical sickos, the upgrade also includes a smoother gameplay experience. Better frame rates and up to 1440p resolution will make things pop a bit more than they did on the original Switch, but when the game is casual and turn-based, it seems a bit pointless to be worried about the performance boost.
All in all, the Switch 2 upgrade for Mario Party Jamboree isn’t the value add that it was for both the open-world Zelda games. The majority of the new minigames are fun, and the novelty of a first-party release that uses all of the new console’s bells and whistles will provide you with some fleeting entertainment. But spending an additional $20 for a few tricks and half-baked modes doesn’t make this party any better than it was the first time around.
