STACK #249 July 2025

FEATURE GAMING

Sharing is caring! If you have a Nintendo Switch 2 and Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV game , then up to four people who have a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 can play the Mega Wiggler’s Tree Party board, using GameShare. The Mario Party franchise holds the record for the longest running minigame series ever. DYK?

reach by rolling a dice and moving the same number of spaces. Sounds familiar? Yep, classic board game! It can be great friend and family fun, and it’s easy to pick up, even by those who aren’t particularly video game savvy.

Boards Get ready to take on seven different game boards in

With the arrival of the Switch 2, Mario and pals are in serious party mode, and they’re upping the fun with Super Mario Party Jamboree - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + JamboreeTV . So, let’s have a look at some of what to expect from it, shall we? Words Amy Flower THE MARIO PARTY COMES TO SWITCH 2!

Jamboree. Past favourites Mario’s Rainbow Castle (from Mario Party)

and Western Land (Mario Party 2) make a return in updated form, alongside five all-new settings, which are Goomba Lagoon, Rainbow Galleria, King Bowser’s Keep, Roll ’em Raceway, and Mega Wiggler’s Tree Party. Minigames! There are over 110 minigames to get busy with – the largest selection ever in a Mario Party game. These include outings that use standard controls, while others take advantage of the Switch 2’s motion abilities. Who’s invited? All up, 22 characters are ready to play in Jamboree. These include those who haven’t missed a party yet in Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi, plus fairly regular guests Daisy, Toad, Toadette, Wario, and Waluigi. Less frequent guests include Boo, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Koopa Troopa, and Rosalina, while Birdo, Bowser Jr., Goomba, Monty Mole, Shy Guy, and Spike are also back in favour. Receiving their first ever invites this time are Ninji, an enemy that first appeared back in Super Mario Bros.2 , and the original Donkey Kong’s Pauline, Mario’s ex.

First things first – what’s new for Switch 2? The added power of the Switch 2 has been used to great effect in this update of the super-popular Switch game, including new ways to play! Modes have been added or tweaked to support the new mouse controls, the built-in microphone, and the separately available USB camera. With the latter, players can appear in-game via CameraPlay, so you can see your friends’ faces when you beat them!

Jamboree TV This is an entirely new addition to the party, which is all about audience participation. After being scanned into the game via a USB camera, players will join Mario and friends in taking on a variety of challenges inside the game. It’s presented at the microphone one minute, before jumping around like a mad thing the next. It’s certainly not for the bashful! Take on Bowser Live, or brave the Carnival Coaster, which takes advantage of the new mouse abilities of Switch 2. New to the Mario Party? Welcome! To quickly summarise, where the Mario Party games shine is that they bring classic board game-like play, with all of the many advantages – and yes, sometimes disadvantages, especially if you get an unlucky roll – that being a video game can deliver, such as changing paths around for added fun. in a style akin to a TV game show and may have you screaming

PARTY ON, MARIO!

We first partied with Mario and friends in Mario Party , which was released in Australia in 1999 on the Nintendo 64. It established the board game and minigame formula that’s continued to this day. Two more Mario Party games hit the Nintendo 64, before four were released for the GameCube. The series then continued with two Wii iterations, then one on the Wii U. After three outings on the original Switch, this update of Super Mario Jamboree marks the first Switch 2 release, while other portable versions over the years have included one on Game Boy Advance, one for Nintendo DS, and three on 3DS.

The game has also been tweaked visually to take advantage of the Switch 2’s higher resolution capabilities, meaning 1080p in both tabletop and handheld modes, and even better 1440p resolution in TV mode, providing your telly supports it.

• Super Mario Party Jamboree - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV is out Jul 24

In the main competitive mode, you play on a board with areas that you

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