Summary
- Super Mario Party Jamboree introduces a Buddy system with passive abilities for 10 characters on the roster.
- The game features 22 playable heroes and villains, including recurring favorites like Mario, Luigi, Peach, and new additions like Ninji.
- Super Mario Party Jamboree expands on the established formula of the series, offering a variety of game boards and potential for DLC characters.
The famous Mario spin-off franchise has returned with Super Mario Party Jamboree for the Nintendo Switch, sporting the largest roster of characters seen yet in the series. With 22 playable heroes and villains, and possibly more to come via DLC, Super Mario Party Jamboree takes the formula that was established in Super Mario Party and pushes it further.
Super Mario Party Jamboree: All Game Boards, Ranked
Super Mario Party Jamboree comes with a variety of game boards for fans to play on. Here's how they stack up.
Many characters featured in Super Mario Party Jamboree are recurring, with some having made appearances in every single Mario Party game since the first entry. However, the newest game not only features newer characters but also introduces the Jamboree Buddy system, with 10 characters on the roster able to join as an ally and provide passive abilities to exploit.
1 Mario
It's Not A Mario Party Without Mario
- Buddy Ability: Mario adds 3-8 to the dice roll
It wouldn't be Super Mario Party Jamboree without the titular hero of the entire franchise. Though he originated as Jumpman in the original Donkey Kong arcade game, Mario evolved and was redesigned into everyone's favorite plumber with Super Mario Bros., which rocketed into one of the biggest video game franchises ever with many sequels and spin-offs.
The red-clad plumber has become an icon, not only with the games but also with a blockbuster animated movie and an entire section of Universal Studios dedicated to his universe. Not only is Mario a playable character, but also, with Super Mario Party Jamboree introducing the Buddy mechanic, Mario is one of many characters that assist a player on the board and in minigames.
2 Luigi
The Scaredy Cat Younger Brother With A Heart Of Gold
- Buddy Ability: Luigi makes it easier to roll high numbers
Though he is often the sidekick to his older brother, Luigi is just as iconic as Mario ever since his debut in the original Mario Bros. Arcade. Donning green and blue, Luigi has since gained many fans who appreciate the younger brother, always willing to overcome those fears to save his brother or the Mushroom Kingdom.
Luigi has managed to stand out on his own, getting his own games, such as Super Luigi U and, most famously, the Luigi's Mansion trilogy, which had him fighting boos and other ghosts to save his brother and friends. In a way, Luigi shows more character than his older brother, but that's not a detriment to Mario.
3 Princess Peach
Fearless Princess Of The Mushroom Kingdom
- Buddy Ability: Peach cuts the price of Stars in half
Often the damsel in distress in mainline games, Princess Peach has been a playable character in the Mario universe since the classic Super Mario Bros. 2 for the NES. Since then, she has been featured in nearly every spin-off title for fans to control, including Mario Kart and even the Mario + Rabbids games.
Despite being such a pivotal part of the Mario universe, Peach has rarely been more than a supporting character. However, fans were blessed with Peach getting her own game with Princess Peach: Showtime!, which gave her a gameplay style unlike any other Mario game.
4 Princess Daisy
Hyper Princess From The Handheld Games
- Buddy Ability: Daisy cuts the prices of items at shops in half
While Peach was the princess that needed saving in the mainline console games, Princess Daisy was in the handheld titles on the Game Boy, such as Super Mario Land, and its sequel. However, Daisy became more of a household name thanks to her inclusion in Mario Kart and Mario Party games.
Daisy is known for having a more bombastic personality compared to Peach's more demure one. She's very energetic and full of life, often screaming everything she says with joy. Daisy didn't even make it to the mainline games until she was a playable character in Super Mario Bros. Wonder for the Switch.
5 Wario
Villain And Anti-Hero Antithesis Of Mario
- Buddy Ability: Before hitting the dice, Wario gives the player 3-8 coins
Every hero often meets a villainous double and Mario is no different, getting his own evil clone in the form of Wario, who first debuted as the main villain of Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins. Since then, Wario has made appearances in the spin-off titles but is one of the few side characters to lead his own series of games in the Mario universe.
The Wario Land games are one of the better attempts at a spin-off franchise for Nintendo, showing that even the most unlikely characters can lead a series. However, most gamers are more likely to know Wario as a character in Mario Kart, Mario Party, or the many sports games in the Mario universe.
6 Waluigi
Wario's Longtime Partner And Champion Of Tennis
- Buddy Ability: If the player moves past another player during a turn, Waluigi steals 3-8 coins
Since Mario had his evil clone, Luigi received the same treatment in Mario Tennis with the introduction of Waluigi. The tall and lanky partner of Wario has not had the same luck as his partner, seeing how Waluigi has only been featured in the party spin-off titles, not even in the Wario games.
Fans all around seem indifferent about the character, with most just accepting whenever he's included, while a small fanbase relishes him. Waluigi has appeared in nearly every Mario Party title since he was first introduced in Mario Party 3 for the N64.
7 Yoshi
Nintendo's Cutest Dinosaurs Who Got Their Own Games
- Buddy Ability: If the player moves past another player during a turn, Yoshi copies their items
Yoshi is an adorable dinosaur who first appeared in Super Mario World as a mount for Mario and Luigi. Since then, the Yoshis have become an integral part of Mario's lore with certain games explaining that Yoshis protected the brothers as babies before bringing them to their parents.
After Super Mario World, Yoshis became a fan-favorite who continued to be a mount in Mario games, but quickly received their own spin-off games, from Yoshi's Cookie to the now-beloved Yoshi's Island series. Yoshi is also one of several characters who has appeared in every single Mario Party and Mario Kart game, with later entries allowing gamers to pick colors.
8 Toadette
Often Overlooked Addition To The Mushroom Kingdom
- No Buddy Ability
There is not much to say about Toadette as she has always been an out-of-nowhere addition since she debuted in Mario Kart: Double Dash, one of the more iconic titles for the GameCube. Ever since, Toadette has appeared off and on again in both Mario Party and Mario Kart games; in Mario Party Superstars, she was the provider of stars.
Toadette did spark a legion of online fan art when Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe was released, featuring Toadette as a playable character who could turn into a human clone of Peach upon wearing the Super Crown. Toadette most recently joined the mainline games again with Super Mario Bros. Wonder alongside other versions of Toad.
9 Toad
The Epitome Of The Sidekick Character
- No Buddy Ability
The mushroom people of Peach's kingdom, Toads have been there since the original Super Mario Bros., tormenting players by teasing that the princess is in another castle. However, much like Peach, Toad became a playable character in Super Mario Bros. 2 and his perk was that he was the fastest character on the roster, but with the shortest jump.
Over the decades, Toad has swapped between playable and non-playable in the mainline games, but there was Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, which gave the character a start to his own spin-off franchise. In some, he is the guide, like in Super Mario 64 or several Mario Party games, or he and other Toads are sidekicks to Mario and Luigi on an adventure.
10 Rosalina
The Most Complex Character In Super Mario Bros. History
- Buddy Ability: Before hitting the dice, Rosalina gives the player one cheap item
Mysterious yet graceful, Rosalina quickly had fans fall in love with her when she first appeared as Mario's guide in Super Mario Galaxy. There hadn't been a new princess-like character in years so Rosalina was a breath of fresh air due to her ethereal presence, intriguing backstory, and the fact that she always hovers off the ground, almost ghost-like.
Given that Rosalina had far more development than most characters in the Mario universe, she became a treasured female Mario character by Nintendo fans, which led to her joining Mario Party and other party-based spin-off titles. The only time Rosalina was playable in the mainline games was as a secret unlockable in Super Mario 3D World.