Super Mario Party Jamboree Review: Is It the BEST Mario Party EVER? New Boards, Minigames & HUGE Problems!

Super Mario Party Jamboree: Why Those Broken 3v1 MiniGames NEED to Go!

Super Mario Party Jamboree: A Mostly Amazing Party Game Marred by One Key Issue

Super Mario Party Jamboree has been a total hit! Critics and fans are praising it as one of the best, if not the best, Mario Party Games ever. It's bursting with content– boards, modes, tons of replayability –and its success is especially impressive, seeing as it dropped towards the end of the Nintendo Switch's life cycle. However, Jamboree has some problems; these are inconsequential personal grievances against certain design choices, although one particularly prominent problem shows how problematic the 3v1 Minigames really are for this franchise. Those unbalanced minigames have been a thorn in Mario Party’s side forever. And shockingly; these continued issues with 3v1 minigames even persist throughout Jamboree.

Let's be clear – this whole article analyzes problems involving the design, which doesn't impact the core gameplay mechanics! Overall, Jamboree remAIns fun; however this article explores reasons why Nintendo has never managed to make something which appears relatively simple, work consistently across the years.

Also Read: Super Mario Party Jamboree Review: Is it Better Than Superstars?

Why 3v1 Minigames Are So Consistently Broken (And Why Jamboree Didn't Fix Them)

Super Mario Party Jamboree Proves Its Broken 3 v 1 Minigames Need To Disappear For The Next Game In The Series Image

Unbalanced 3v1 minigames plague nearly every Mario Party game— even the very best and early games included them, showing that this issue might actually be far older than even this particular article mentions! This makes for incredibly problematic encounters; completely obvious unbalanced scenarios; often favoring either the team or that solo player to an insane extent! A key point here that shows this game fAIls; yet that failure was clearly established in other games across the years; and the failure points to some deeply entrenched development practices, demonstrating that this has actually been an enduring issue; one easily observable within the game’s designs, showing a long history.

For example, “Piranha’s Pursuit” is universally hated! The solo player almost never loses. The team just keeps ground pounding; and it barely affects the plant’s speed! It’s completely down to the solo player messing up! And this never really happens– they almost always easily avoid obstacles.

“Dart Gallery” gives the solo player way too little space. In “Block and Load,” the solo player’s cannon is ridiculously overpowered. “Tackle Takedown” gives them just one attempt! “Skewer Scurry” gives the three-person team loads of time! It’s incredibly inconsistent: It makes one-sided advantages incredibly often in 3v1 Minigames; almost every scenario; even if the overall amount of games made means a larger percentage would simply be balanced; many retain these extremely broken mechanics. This whole lack of consideration completely makes 3v1 scenarios largely unplayable for many.

Also Read: Super Mario Party Jamboree Review: Fun Multiplayer, But Single-Player Fails

Jamboree’s Attempts and AI Failings

The Nintendo Switch’s Last Mario Party Game Is a Surefire Hit Image

Sadly, Jamboree still has unbalanced 3v1s. “Sunset Standoff” lets the team dodge way too easily. “On-Again Off-Again” gives the solo player a ridiculously overpowered ability. And in “Blame it On the Crane,” it’s ridiculously easy due to how straightforward and obvious this minigame mechanic actually is; there’s little difficulty! While Jamboree has better balanced 3v1s (due to having fewer remakes!), way too many favor one side, especially when using the AI. The AI in Jamboree is better overall (board game play) than that in Superstars, and can more smartly utilize items! However; it's absolutely atrocious in the minigames! They are either ridiculously easy or almost impossible; which, when paired with those other imbalances already in the minigame design alone make these kind of scenarios utterly broken and unenjoyable.

Also Read: Super Mario Party Jamboree: Boards, Minigames, Release Date, Revealed Characters

The Path Forward for Mario Party: A Better Approach to 3v1s

No. 6 Miami plays host to rival Florida State, with lots of numbers in the Hurricanes' favor Image

Fixing 3v1 Minigames requires many important decisions on Nintendo’s part and is far from trivial; however there are possibilities!

Improve that atrocious AI! The AI’s actions shouldn't make everything absurdly easy or stupidly difficult! This changes how much fun some games could possibly be, changing a very key aspect: whether these games could remain enjoyable even across many different opponents.
Give both sides the same goal! That alone could significantly alleviate existing imbalance, improving consistency in encounters; many possible scenarios with various challenges and unique situations are now immediately more feasible. Many unique situations are easily more achievable.
Give solo players advantages– like head starts or extra lives! The Showdown minigames in Jamboree already do this! And while not necessarily something explicitly highlighted across the articles today; the implications of applying similar methodologies throughout all other unbalanced game designs are actually possible, demonstrating just how feasible and relatively straightforward that solutions would really be, thus adding that much greater chance for enjoyment across these problematic game modes.

Yes, there are fun 3v1s with different team objectives— but those objectives often lack the careful consideration of design; which becomes easily evident when people who play notice those issues already pointed out here; it’s possible that other games might avoid similar flaws but would need a deeper assessment. It's highly necessary for Nintendo to pay attention.

Also Read: Super Mario Party Jamboree Review: Pro Rules Change Everything!

Conclusion: It's Time for a Better Party

Super Mario Party Jamboree is pretty great despite a key failing: 3v1 minigames are still a major mess. The series can and should improve the next installment. That improved AI and giving teams the same objectives (plus those helpful solo player bonuses), this alone might just fix those key issues which would improve game-quality for the future and even this already successful game. The fact that some 3v1 games exist that already get it right, showcasing consistent skill-based games–that’s proof enough that consistent improvements are quite possible! Nintendo just has to stop those questionable design choices to create that genuinely awesome, perfectly balanced Mario Party experience that could deliver consistent enjoyment that this awesome series and this extremely valuable fanbase fully deserves. The sheer longevity of the series demonstrates that the interest isn’t simply that retro element; a new level of balanced 3v1 minigames; and better AI—those things would actually improve things greatly and attract more players for many years to come, continuing that success that only Nintendo could truly hope for!