All New Boards In Super Mario Party Jamboree, Ranked

Super Mario Party Jamboree has prided itself on being the biggest Mario Party entry to date. The game's multiple modes and gameplay styles make for a diverse entry that provides players more than one way to party. This ambitious scale extends to the classic modes included in Jamboree too. Mario Party's signature Party Mode returns with a staggering seven boards available to play through, five of which are entirely new, showing just how big of a game Jamboree really is.

As the Party Mode is often the main attraction for every Mario Party title, the quality of the boards included is incredibly important. The best Mario Party boards work to shake up the typical gameplay to make each party feel fresh, preventing the Party Mode from growing repetitive or stale. The multitude of unique layouts and mechanics added to each board in Jamboree helps to make each one feel distinct, while balancing elements of strategy and luck that are at the core of the Mario Party series as a whole.

5 Mega Wiggler's Tree Party Is Incredibly Simplistic

One Of The Easier Boards In Jamboree

Mega Wiggler's Tree Party is labeled as one of the easier boards in Jamboree, and it's not difficult to see why. It's clear that the main purpose of this board is to ease new players into the basics of Mario Party gameplay and what they can come to expect from Party Mode. The board's central mechanic comes with the Mega Wiggler sleeping peacefully in the center. Players can choose to move along Wiggler's back as a shortcut to another area of the board, while Wiggler Bells situated along the outskirts can be used to encourage the caterpillar to switch positions.

Mega Wiggler serves as a great introduction to the kind of strategy that is often required from the player in Party Mode. Depending on the star's placement, players may want to take advantage of the shorter path available to them, or have the Wiggler move across to sabotage their opponent's path to the star. Tree Party also does a great job at showcasing the risk-reward system that's core to Mario Party, with Mega Wiggler's occasional temper tantrums making the shortcut a far more dangerous path to take, preventing players from abusing this mechanic.

Beyond Mega Wiggler's inclusion, the rest of the board is incredibly simplistic, serving as a mere loop with few diversions. The only other notable board features, including a honey pot that provides a coin reward and piranha plants that can take coins from the player, are few and far between. These events are also spaced out in a way that makes them easy to avoid. It doesn't take many turns for players to see everything Tree Party has to offer, making it one of Jamboree's more underwhelming boards.

4 Goomba Lagoon Can Sometimes Be Frustrating

There Are Few Opportunities To Traverse Islands During High Tide

In comparison, Goomba Lagoon has a lot more going for it. Despite the setting of a relaxing tropical getaway, this competition remains just as fierce as players would come to expect from Mario Party. Whether it's joining a Goomba for a little fishing, or participating in a treasure chest game on top of a shipwreck, the player has plenty of opportunities to gain rewards and items to assist them on their quest to become the Superstar. Goomba Lagoon prides itself on its variety of events, which makes for one of Jamboree's more eventful boards.

Goomba Lagoon's main attraction is the large volcano that towers over the island. Passing the volcano causes an eruption to occur, where the Lagoon becomes filled with either Golden Goombas that give players five coins for passing them, or fierce fireballs that cause the player to lose five coins. The eruption serves as a perfect risk-reward mechanic, as either scenario has the potential to completely upend the player's progress and affect the leaderboard. It's a fantastic mix of tension and excitement that's core to the Mario Party series.

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Goomba Lagoon's variety of content is unfortunately hindered by the board's other main addition. The changing tides that occur every two turns constantly alter the player's available pathways granted to them. Players can easily get stranded on one of the lagoon's many islands, running in circles as they wait for their opportunity to escape. Goomba Lagoon offers few chances to traverse islands during high tide, causing players to become easily frustrated at their inability to move forward, making for a board that's more cruel than someone might expect from a tropical resort.

3 King Bowser's Keep Plays By The Koopa King's Rules

Players Are Given Much More Difficult Decisions To Make

As another addition to Bowser's infamous collection of Mario Party boards, it's safe to assume that King Bowser's Keep throws any semblance of fairness out the window. Jamboree's most difficult board is also the least linear, with a multitude of diverging pathways where the star could be placed. Players are suddenly given much more difficult decisions to make. As they traverse back and forth across the board, the player must consider how far they are from the star and whether they can reach the reward before someone else, or if another route may be more suitable.

Before the player can even make this decision, they must first tread carefully across the board's center, where Impostor Bowser watches over. The center box of King Bowser's Keep is the most intimidating aspect of this board, as players must do their best to avoid multiple hazards that could ruin their run, including Bob-ombs, Mecha Koopas, and a large heaping of Bowser spaces. Impostor Bowser's own interference by adding even more Bowser spaces every few turns only adds to the fear and tension that oozes out of every part of this board.

King Bowser's Keep's only drawback comes with Impostor Bowser's vault. All stars and coins that players lose to Bowser are added to said vault, and players that pass by the vault get an opportunity to guess the passcode and win the contents within. It's a perfect feature to cause a major upset that veteran Mario Party players are probably accustomed to. Yet, the slim chance of this ever occurring means the vault never really adds to the nerve-wracking tension King Bowser's Keep is trying to convey, making it feel more like an afterthought.

2 Roll 'Em Raceway Is Deceptive In Its Layout

Encourages The Player To Concentrate On Speed

When first approaching the board, it can feel like Roll 'em Raceway is similar to Mega Wiggler's Tree Party due to its simplistic layout. The board is designed as a racetrack, with a few separate paths and players often making the same laps over and over. Yet, Roll 'em Raceway is deceptive in its design. Every aspect of the board's construction, from the set star positions to the multitude of special dice on offer, is designed to encourage the player to move as many spaces as possible at every turn of the party.

Players' dice rolls directly correlate with how well they progress through the party, more than any other board in Jamboree. Roll 'em Raceway is constantly enticing the player to focus on speed. From jump pads that launch the player across the board, to turbo dice that give the player incredible mileage at the cost of not being able to stop for a star, Roll 'em Raceway makes effective use of Mario Party's signature risk-reward system.

All of these elements come together to make Jamboree's most strategy-focused board. Players are forced to take more consideration of their position and the items at their disposal. Every space counts in Roll 'em Raceway, making for a party that elicits the same thrill players might find in Mario Kart.

1 Rainbow Galleria Captures The Essence Of Mario Party

A Quintessential Mario Party Board

Set in the midst of a bustling mall, Rainbow Galleria is constructed in a way that makes the player feel like they're in the middle of a mad shopping spree. All three floors are home to a range of different stores that have a number of conditions applied to them. Players can grab an item for a bargain at the one-coin shop, or they can exchange items at the Thwomp's thrift store in exchange for coins to use for stars. The many raffle games and stamp stations that offer a variety of rewards mean the player never moves very far before encountering something new on offer.

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Rainbow Galleria's single purpose is to encourage every player to spend, spend, spend. The board's fairly compact layout means it's never long until someone reaches a star, forcing the player to utilize every opportunity available to buy items and collect stars to get ahead of everyone else. This is only intensified by the Galleria's flash sales that occur every five turns, causing players to go into a mad dash to stock up on everything they can to gain an advantage.

Rainbow Galleria captures the true essence of Mario Party in every aspect. There's a calculated chaos when playing on this board that exceeds all other boards available in Jamboree, as players are constantly gaining items, stars, or coins at every turn. Rainbow Galleria maintains a high level of tension and stress even during longer games, as a player's position is never truly guaranteed. It's this balance of strategy and chaos that Mario Party is known for, and makes for the best and most exciting board in Super Mario Party Jamboree.

Mario and friends head to a sprawling island resort, competing across seven vibrant game boards, including the fan-favorite Western Land. Packed with over 110 minigames, the action ranges from wild races to motion-controlled challenges. Players can team up or face off online, with up to 20 participants battling in Koopathlon mode.

Platform(s) Switch

Released October 17, 2024

Developer(s) Nintendo

Publisher(s) Nintendo

Multiplayer Local Multiplayer , Online Multiplayer

Engine NintendoWare Bezel

ESRB E For Everyone