Summary
Nintendo has graced fans withSuper Mario Party Jamboree, the latest entry in theMario Partyfranchise. Not only does it feature the largest roster of characters seen yet in the spin-off franchise, but it also boasts seven boards. Five of them are new and original boards, while Mario’s Rainbow Castle and Western Land are remastered maps from olderMario Partytitles.
BothSuper Mario Party JamboreeandMario Party Superstarsshowcase the potential of bringing back classic board maps with modern visuals and gameplay elements. With DLC, the game could delve even more into the past and bring back boards from across all eras ofMario Party, from the Nintendo 64 to the Wii.
10King Boo’s Haunted Hideaway
Players Easily Get Lost Due To Randomization
It’s not often thatMario Partygames have boardscentered around the Boo charactersand haunted mansions, so King Boo’s Haunted Hideaway fromMario Party 8stood out. The gimmick of this board was that the layout was randomized each time it was played, making the trek to find King Boo a challenge in itself, especially when King Boo changes the map again upon giving a player a star.
With Boo being a playable character inSuper Mario Party Jamboree, they should be allowed to visit their home turf. King Boo’s Haunted Hideaway is also eerie with tight corridors and paths, which adds to the frustration. With the better minigames and Buddy system ofSuper Mario Party Jamboree, the board could be an improvement from the original.
9Snowflake Lake
Day And Night Allowed A Lot To Happen On This Serene Mountain
Pleasant is the best word for Snowflake Lake, which first appeared inMario Party 6, giving the players a more serene adventure through the evergreen forests and mountains covered with snow. It’s a nice contrast from other Mario games,where snow and ice-themed levelsare typically the bane of gamers' existence.
With a day and night system similar to Woody Woods and Horror Land, Snowflake Lake stands out for not having any star spaces to purchase stars. Instead, players are given stars at the start and steal from each other to try to get that higher number or rely on bonus stars to win. Add in ski lifts, Chain Chomps, and far more Duel spaces, this map would likely be a fan-favorite again today.
8Shy Guy’s Perplex Express
Mario Characters Going On A Deceptively Simple Train Ride
A board that is one straight line is unlike any other board in the entire franchise, but Shy Guy’s Perplex Express still managed to challenge players inMario Party 8. The objectiveis to simply traverse a trainfrom the caboose to the engine, where the conductor hands out a star, which gives the map a deceptively simple facade.
The board can change on the fly, with events causing cars to switch around, and someone who was about to see the conductor can be sent back to the beginning. Also, sinceSuper Mario Party Jamboreehas mechanics based around passing other players, the layout would make traversing the train even more challenging than before.
7Towering Treetop
Branching Paths And Time Changes Added Layers
Very fittingly, there are many branching paths to explore in Towering Treetop fromMario Party 6with different shortcuts to take up and down the giant tree and obstacles to contend with. It’s all enhanced by the day and night cycle, which drastically changes things, much like Snowflake Lake, with the nighttime being more dangerous.
There is nothing overly complex in Towering Treetop, but that’s part of its charm as a board that is not too hard or too easy but has enough extra layers to keep players on their toes. For example, the wrong move can cause the tree to sneeze and send every player back to the start,
6DK’s Jungle Adventure
The First Every Mario Party Board
Featuring an earworm of a theme song and warm jungle visuals, DK’s Jungle Adventure was the first board ever seen in the originalMario Party,allowing gamers to explore a jungle. It has all the jungle setting tropes, from mysterious temple ruins to trees to being chased by a boulder straight out of anIndiana Jonesadventure.
Fans were disappointed that this map did not return toMario Party Superstars, which was meant to be the celebration of the golden era ofMario Party.Super Mario Party Jamboreecould easily fix that by adding it as DLC, especially with the visuals today, to make the jungle feel like a level from one of the Donkey Kong games and update the mechanics to fit the current gameplay style.
5Waluigi’s Island
Players Are Always On Edge Because Of Traps And Changing Paths
Typically, whenMario Partygames go to an island for a board, it’s depicted as a paradise a la Yoshi’s Tropical Island in the originalMario Party. However, Waluigi’s Island fromMario Party 3is anything but a paradise, with a lot of industrial elements mixed into the greenery and oceanic views.
Waluigi’s Island has always been a more taxing board due to its traps and constantly changing paths. Its large size and complex pathways made it difficult, which could pair well with the new Buddy system and modern item system to make traversing through it even more fun inSuper Mario Party Jamboree.
4Koopa’s Tycoon Town
Property Management And Mario Party Results In Ultimate Friendship Ender
Paying homage toMonopoly, Koopa’s Tycoon Town fromMario Party 8implements property management. Across a city, there are hotels in which players can invest money and the higher-ranked hotels give the investor more stars. It adds more strategy to playing the board, particularly when entire hotels, including their stars, can be stolen by other players.
Friendships are already tested a lot byMario Partyand Koopa’s Tycoon Town has become known for being a prime example of that.Super Mario Party Jamboreecould remaster the board with the Buddy system to create even more drama than inMario Party 8.
3Goomba’s Greedy Gala
Traveling Through A Casino Is A Gamble In Itself
Neon lights and gambling are the theme of thisMario Party 4board, with four sections that can be accessed via the roulette wheel in the middle. Chance is usually a problem withMario Partygames, but it is implemented well into Goomba’s Greedy Gala with gambling on the chance that players will end up on the side of the board they want or the complete opposite.
There is a large focus on gathering large amounts of coins to progress, because the higher the amount spent, the better chances with the roulette wheel are. Risk and reward are the focus,which fits the casino themeof the board and, as a result, the flow of the game can change so drastically every single turn if played correctly.
2Luigi’s Engine Room
A Steampunk Maze Would Benefit From Modern Mechanics
If Mario’s board fromMario Partycan make a return, so can Luigi’s board, which had a focus on red and blue doors opening after every turn or if an event space was hit. It helped turn Luigi’s Engine Room into a maze for players to get stuck or lost in and is a prime example of a map that would benefit from the items featured in modern games likeSuper Mario Party Jamboree.
Similar to Goomba’s Greedy Gala, there is a lot of luck at play which could have ruined the board, but there is enough skill involved in using manual switches and timing to maneuver through the confusing layout. Luigi’s Engine Room is almost unlike most boards in the whole series,with steampunk-inspired industrial visualsand a soundtrack that is easy to dance to.
