Mario Party isn’t subtle. The popular Mario spin-off enchants players young and old with dozens of wacky mini-games strung together through chaotic multiplayer board game competition. Super Mario Party Jamboree for the Nintendo Switch ($59.99) takes the concept even further with multiple experimental side activities to complement the content-rich main fiesta. It's the best Mario Party yet, but some familiar annoyances remind you that Mario Party’s entertainment value ultimately has a hard ceiling.

Mario Party to the Max

An interactive multiplayer board game, Mario Party sees four players roll dice and take turns trying to collect stars. Turns are broken up by mini-games, including bumping each other off the stage, avoiding giant boulders, and answering pop quizzes. Do well (or get lucky) and you earn coins to buy stars. Whoever amasses the most stars wins.

(Credit: Nintendo/PCMag)

Super Mario Party Jamboree mashes up ideas from the previous two Nintendo Switch Mario Party games: Super Mario Party and Mario Party Superstars. Like Super Mario Party, Jamboree is a largely new game with original boards and novel gameplay gimmicks (one board has you traveling around a mall with flash sales on useful power-up items). The Jamboree buddy mechanic lets you recruit helpers with powerful perks like the ability to buy multiple stars at once. Like Mario Party Superstars, Jamboree remakes several classic boards, including Western Land.

The result is a generous game that feels like the Mario Party equivalent of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Super Smash Bros Ultimate. With seven boards, more than 100 mini-games, and 22 characters, Nintendo is factual in stating that this is the biggest Mario Party yet. The mini-games feature a mix of motion and button controls, and you can turn off motion games to play in the Switch's portable mode (or if you own a Switch Lite).

That said, Super Mario Party Jamboree does little to convince players who don’t already enjoy this particular brand of fleeting fun. The pacing still drags. Mini-game quality is inconsistent. Random chance destroys skillful play.

You can toggle on a less random, more competitive ruleset, which exposes how shallow the experience is without the chaos. This is unsurprising; chaos makes Mario Party such a polarizing Nintendo series. Jamboree’s legitimate improvements can’t fix this core, albeit subjective, issue.

(Credit: Nintendo/PCMag)

Beyond the Boards

If you need a break from the main event, distract yourself with Super Mario Party Jamboree’s numerous side modes, presented as a series of islands. Although Jamboree can't touch WarioWare's raw, breakneck creativity, these bonus activities contain the game’s coolest ideas.

Some extra modes are experiences too big to be mini-games, but too slight to be full games. One has you flap your arms like wings to fly around the stage and collect prizes. Another is a rhythm-based cooking game. These keep your attention longer than the average mini-game, but you’ll still quickly get your fill.

The more substantial modes see you tackle mini-games in a different context. In Bowser’s Kaboom Squad, you and your partners complete games to power yourselves up while strategically battling a giant Bowser. It reminded me of Kirby Air Raid's City Trial mode. The Koopathalon has 20 players competing to gather coins in a virtual race. Super Mario Party Jamboree even has a nifty campaign mode where solo players explore an island map, finishing mini-games to help NPCs, similar to campaigns in recent Mario golf and tennis titles.

I enjoyed these modes, but they feel secondary. Even collectively, there’s not enough extra to warrant picking up the game if you don’t enjoy traditional Mario Party. These days, you'll consistently find more inventive multiplayer party shenanigans in the Jackbox Party Pack games.

(Credit: Nintendo/PCMag)

A Modern Mario Party

Mario Party has never been a graphical showcase, but Super Mario Party Jamboree looks clean and colorful. The new boards have clever aesthetic twists, like a racetrack-themed stage. Moreover, slick menus and streamlined interfaces make navigation a breeze.

Mario Party requires friends to be fun. On that note, Jamboree includes online play for the main modes, side modes, and daily challenges where you compete directly for mini-game high scores without touching the board game.

Jamboree takes surprising inspiration from other modern online games. It lacks DLC or microtransactions, but you earn achievements that make battle pass progress by simply playing. The battle pass unlocks new content, such as emotes, music, and cosmetic items. These daily hooks and rewards encourage you to Mario party every day.

Verdict: Jamboree Is as Good as Mario Party Gets 

It feels strange to claim a game is the best in its franchise while still trying to temper expectations. Objectively, Super Mario Party Jamboree makes impressive improvements with its bevy of boards and bonus modes. However, the Mario Party formula is often more boring and frustrating than fun, and even the most polished and packed Mario Party can’t change that. If you're a Mario Party fan, there's plenty to enjoy here. Otherwise, consider one of the many Jackbox Party Pack collections for a party that might be more your speed.

Want more in-depth video game discussion? Visit PCMag's Pop-Off YouTube Channel.