I've been playing Super Mario Party Jamboree since the holidays - there are four of us in the group, we keep motion mini-games off, house rules dictate no star stealing (we've had the arguments and moved past it - Bowser Revolution is acceptable), and bonus stars are firmly off the cards. I wish we had waited for this deal at Walmart before splashing out on all four copies.
Last year's latest iteration of this mini-game madness is now available for just $44.99 at the big box store, down $15 from its original $59.99 MSRP. That beats Black Friday's $47.99 rate (and even that was impressive considering this was such a new release at the time) by an additional $3. It's the cheapest I've ever seen Mario Party Jamboree, and I'm now telling the rest of my friends to get in on the action.
Should you buy Super Mario Party Jamboree?
There are two groups of people who should buy Super Mario Party Jamboree - those who have already enjoyed previous entries in the series, and those craving some mini-game competition. Of course, this is a game best enjoyed with friends and while there is a good supply of single-player content, there's not enough to warrant the price tag if you're only playing in front of one set of eyeballs.
If, however, you've got a crew ready to play in co-op mode (or, even better, they have their own copies as well) Jamboree is an excellent pickup. New boards, minigames, and game modes help the newest release stand out against titles like Mario Party Superstars with extra characters thrown in for good measure. There's an important note here for those who haven't yet played Superstars. Both games are fantastic - but I would recommend Superstars to those who played back in the day. This is a collection of revamped minigames from previous Mario Party entries. Nostalgia reigns supreme if you long for the days of Tug o' War, Paths of Peril, and Quicksand Cache - it's well worth getting reacquainted with the classics before diving into the new stuff.
Done Superstars to death? You'll be relieved to hear that Super Mario Party Jamboree's collection of button mashers are just as slick as the classics. Between slower logic games like Hot Cross Blocks and classic scrambles like Scare-ousel there's a good variety and plenty of competitive spirit in play here. Five new game boards keep those eyes firmly glued to the map and new Jamboree Buddies can turn the tide in particularly infuriating ways (yes, I've lost in a particularly close matchup due to one of these pals).
Those who wish to play online with friends will also need a Nintendo Switch Online membership, so it's worth factoring that smaller cost into your plans if you're yet to subscribe.
We're also rounding up all the best Nintendo Switch games on the market, as well as the best Nintendo Switch accessories and best Nintendo Switch controllers for more.
