TheMario Partygames are often criticized for being light on content, but the most recent addition to the series,Super Mario Party Jamboree, aims to address this issue. This title, which is the third installment in theMPfranchise on Nintendo Switch, was recently released on June 28, 2025.Super Mario Party Jamboreehas been billed by Nintendo as the “biggest Mario Party game to date,” and judging from the amount of features that have been packed into it, this statement may very well be true. The game has, for instance, a roster of 22 playable characters, which is the most that any entry in the series has ever had so far. In addition to this,Jamboreeincludes more than 110 minigames, around 37 items, and over 10 modes.
In the world of video games, bigger doesn’t always mean better, but in the case ofSuper Mario Party Jamboree, it seemingly does. Thelatest entry in theMario Partyfranchise has garnered glowing reviewsfrom several outlets. At the time of writing, the game is currently sitting at an 81 on OpenCritic, with approximately 85% of critics recommending it. Meanwhile, on Metacritic, it boasts a commendable score of 82 based on 63 critic reviews. These ratings may not makeSuper Mario Party Jamboreea forerunner for Game of the Year, but they’re still impressive nonetheless, especially when compared to previous mainline entries in the long-runningMario Partyseries.
Super Mario Party Jamboree is Getting Great Reviews, Especially Compared to Previous Entries in the Series
Nintendo has released 18Mario Partygames since 1998, so the franchise has unsurprisingly had a lot of ups and downs over the years. The first installment in the series, simply titledMario Party, was developed by the now-defunct studio Hudson Soft and received a score of 79 on Metacritic, in addition to a 78% rating on GameRankings, when it released on the Nintendo 64 back in the day.Mario Party 2and3, which alsodebuted on the N64, garnered similarly decent reviews at the time of their respective launches; the former got a 76 on Metacritic, while the latter got a 74.
Hudson Soft continued to churn outMario Partygameson a near-annual basis during the sixth console generation.Mario Party 4,5,6, and7were all released in quick succession for the Nintendo GameCube from 2002 to 2005. Most of these games are well regarded nowadays, but their aggregate rankings at the time weren’t much to write home about.Mario Party 4received a 70 rating on Metacritic, whileMario Party 5,6, and7received 69, 71, and 64 ratings respectively.
TheMario Partyseries entered a bit of a slump during the Wii and Wii U generations.Mario Party 8, the last home consoleMPtitle helmed by Hudson Soft, garnered a measly 62 on Metacritic. Its NDCube-developed successor,Mario Party 9, fared a bit better critically, as it got a 74 rating on the site. However,Mario Party 10, which is the onlyWii U-exclusive entryin the franchise, was panned by both reviewers and fans in 2015, receiving an underwhelming score of 67 on Metacritic and a 65 on OpenCritic, with a mere 16% of outlets recommending it.
% of Critics Recommend on OpenCritic
1998
79
1999
76
2000
74
2002
70
2003
69
2004
71
2005
54
64
2007
62
72
2012
2013
58
3%
57
2015
65
16%
67
2016
18%
68
2017
59
2018
77
60%
2021
77%
80
2024
81
86%
82
Super Mario Party Jamboree is the Highest-Rated Mario Party Game of All Time
Nintendo’s flagship party game series has performed significantly better on the Switch compared to previous console generations, both critically and commercially. Out of the three installments that have been released on the platform, 2018’sSuper Mario Partywas the worst-reviewed of them all, garnering a 77 rating on OpenCritic and a 76 on Metacritic.The 2021 compilation titleMario Party Superstars, meanwhile, has a top critic average of 79 with 77% of outlets recommending it, according to OpenCritic.Super Mario Party Jamboreehas a higher OpenCritic score than either of these two titles, which not only makes it the best-ratedMario Partygame of its generation, but also the best-rated entry in the franchise of all time, handheld spin-offs included.
Super Mario Party Jamboree
Join the latest Mario Party™, a jamboree of seven boards and over 110 minigamesFrom running through merry-go-rounds to motion-control minigolf, this jamboree is jam-packed with more minigames than any Mario Party game to date. With seven boards in all, you can go with the flow in Goomba Lagoon, search the mall for stars in Rainbow Galleria, or revisit the classics of Western Land and Mario’s Rainbow Castle.Check out all kinds of additional modes, like the 20-player online* KoopathlonRace across the party board in Koopathlon, a series-first 20-player online* competition to see who can rack up the highest scores in minigames like the fast-paced Lane Change. The higher your score in each round, the faster you’ll get to the goal.Koopathlon is just one of a slew of additional modes**—there’s something for every kind of Mario Party enjoyer!
