Nintendo Switch 2 lets players carry over a growing number of original Nintendo Switch titles to the new platform, with several receiving upgrade treatment. Games like Pokémon Scarlet, Pokémon Violet and Super Mario Odyssey have performance updates free-of-charge.
Simply load the base Nintendo Switch game, apply a patch and away you go. Neat. Other titles have seen studios take upgrades further, with additional content and controls optimised for Nintendo Switch 2 to justify the price of entry. These games have a swanky “Nintendo Switch 2 Edition” badge, like the slightly lengthy title The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.
One of the upgraded Switch 2 games that’s a contender for the longest game title is Super Mario Party Jamboree Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV.
In a nutshell, it’s a compilation that includes both the Super Mario Party Jamboree base game and additional Jamboree TV modes that are exclusive to the newer Nintendo system. Those who own the original game can purchase an upgrade pack, rather than shelling out for a full-priced Switch 2 copy. It allows for a more cost-effective upgrade path.
For those who haven’t rolled with the original Nintendo Switch release: is the Switch 2 edition the definitive edition? For those that have, is it worth considering the upgrade pack?
Booting the game presents a slightly odd decision: The Switch 2 edition of Super Mario Party Jamboree splits the content into three distinct sections: the original Jamboree, Jamboree TV, and GameShare.
That’s right, at time of release, the game includes the entire original Jamboree as a standalone game, completely untouched. No visual tweaks, no performance updates. The additional Jamboree TV includes the new headline modes, visual improvements and all content unlocked. However it lacks some of the key features from the original: Pro rules, Koopathlon, minigame records and more. With that in mind, this review will primarily focus on the Jamboree TV content, with the core experience left to the original Super Mario Party Jamboree Review.
Praised for its return to classic chaos, scrambling for coins and stars, the original Super Mario Party Jamboree truly captured Mario Party’s essence. Jamboree TV aims to bring on the after-party with additional modes and rules to take advantage of the Switch 2 peripherals. Yes, there’ll be flailing about on camera and wiggling the Joy-Con mouse until wrists start to ache.
Launching Jamboree TV, it’s immediately clear that Nintendo designed this to feel like a separate release. The host, a spritely Toad, introduces players into a swanky TV game show menu (hence the name), complete with upgraded character models and a willing audience.
In the core party mode, mini-games and boards from the original make a return. They’re all unlocked and ready to roll (yes, pun intended). The update does benefit from improved framerates and greater resolution (1440p on the big screen and full HD 1080p in handheld). The original release wasn’t a bad looking game, though, but the boost in performance in the Jamboree TV portion does look shinier overall.
So far, it’s sounding good. Unfortunately, the previously mentioned Pro rules, collectables and extra modes aren’t available in Jamboree TV. It’s an oddly split experience, requiring you to trawl through the cumbersome process of exiting Jamboree TV and loading up the standalone vanilla Jamboree.
Despite the bizarre split, the new content does invite some incentives beyond the cosmetic spruce-up. Following on from Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, there are a handful of mouse minigames that take advantage of the new Switch 2 Joy-Con. These range from sorting letters to a game of air hockey, stacking dominoes to scooping ice-cream. These do make good use of the mouse motion and precision, but aren’t particularly ground-breaking.
These mouse minigames are wrapped up within a mode called Carnival Coaster. Up to four players ride a rollercoaster through different themes to try and make it to the end… alive. To earn more time on the ride, grab a high rank in the minigames and blast away baddies during the intermissions. These have a fun arcade feel, with the shooting sections perhaps more engaging than the regular mouse minigames.
From mouse controls to webcam and microphone support. It’s time for the devious bowser to take the stage, inviting players to a handful of minigames, working in teams to win over a crowd. Think Xbox Kinect meets PlayStation EyeToy. Competitors will be bashing coin-blocks on camera, listening to commands from a talking flower and helping out the cheeky Bowser Jr. The mode does make good use of the tech, but with a limited selection of just six mini-games, it’s likely a one-and-done. It is a shame this feature wasn’t fleshed out further – plenty of opportunity, but a lukewarm execution.
Where players will find more time with the camera is, however, in the party mode itself. Each player’s face shows live reactions throughout the minigames and on the board. It works well on a single-switch, with on-screen circles tracking each player’s reactions. It’s a surprisingly enjoyable little feature, adopting cues from games like Nintendo Land on the Nintendo Wii U and Mario Kart Arcade GP.
Finally, after a lengthy hiatus, team play returns to the Mario Party series. Its omission was a gripe of the original Switch release, but it makes a welcome return in Jamboree TV. Players compete in a 2 vs 2 setup, sharing coins, items and stars to be crowned the team winner. It’s not a feature that everyone would make use of, but for co-op fans, it’s an essential Mario Party tradition. In addition, there’s also a nifty Frenzy Mode that spans just five turns. 50 coins, a star and double dice – absolute Mario Party cinema. Both extra rulesets do well to mix up the pace from the standard party fare, but really should have been part of a free game-update across all Switch systems, instead of platform-exclusive, paid DLC.
