Super Mario Party Jamboree was a huge surprise at the most recent Nintendo Direct presentation. For the next installment in a huge Mario spin-off series to debut a trailer in the middle of a showcase is indicative of just how strong the showcase was, but that doesn’t mean that the new game is to be underestimated. After all, Nintendo insists that the party game is set to be the very best yet.

As Super Mario Party returned the spin-off series to its former glory after major gameplay shifts to vehicles in Mario Party 10, the future of the series seemed bright once again, and now, as the recent trailer for Jamboree revealed a fresh 20-player Koopathlon mode and iconic returning boards, it’s clear that the new game stands as a fresh start. Super Mario Party Jamboree might be about to be the grandest in the series yet, too, as it comes packed with plenty of new boards.

6

Rainbow Galleria Returns Fans To The Mall

Flash Sales and Escalator Scrambles Galore

The first board revealed by the announcement trailer for Super Mario Party Jamboree is Rainbow Galleria, a gorgeous new retail hub for the residents of the mushroom kingdom. The pink and blue mall is a bright and lively shopping center for Toads and Goombas alike, doused in sunlight from the sunroof that hangs above. The board is detailed with palm trees on the ground floor and escalators to take players to their nearest star.

The board is home to the new Flash Sale feature, an in-game event that lowers the cost of new stars to half-price. This means there’s likely to be a scramble to get to the stars peppered around, so time is of the essence. Looking at the pastel elevators, though, it looks like there’s a chance that your route could be disrupted by their changing directions.

The area is home to Shy Guys waiting on benches, pop-up shops, and inflatable displays hanging from the ceiling. Don’t be fooled by the charming interiors, though, because the scramble for stars is still likely to be chaotic. Mario loves a mall, and though Rainbow Galleria isn’t a shopping hall of the Coconut variety, it’ll certainly do nicely.

5

Roll ’em Raceway Takes To The Track

It’s Not Mario Kart, But It’s Not Not Mario Kart

Mario Party as a series caught some flak when it introduced cars as its main means of getting around, but it seems to have learned the right lessons about motors with Roll ’em Raceway. The board has an F1 raceway theme, a board set on a track that sees characters get into their own streamlined cars. It’s a board that invokes the atmosphere of a Mario Kart track, and even though cars in Mario Party are controversial, this aesthetic suits the game very nicely.

The board features the fresh gimmick of the Turbo Dice item, a powerful chance for players to activate their car’s nitrous and fire up to 40 spaces. It seems like the board stretches for a while, too, so the chance to move so far will certainly be welcome. Speed seems to be the aim of the game on Roll ’em Raceway.

The board is adorned with Koopas waving flags and Toads cheering from the barricades as they hope to see their favorite racer take away the most stars. Of all the boards so far, even though it’s simply, Roll ’em Raceway seems to be the most dynamic. Mario Party has introduced the perfect board for speed demons.

4

Goomba Lagoon Is An Exotic Island Walkabout

A Charming Holiday (Full Of Floods And Eruptions) Await

Perhaps the closest Wii owners will get to revisiting Wii Party‘s Board Game Island, Goomba Lagoon is the most exotic of Super Mario Party Jamboree‘s play areas. Taking place on a gorgeous sunny island, players will have to take precarious steps to avoid pushing the Goomba-shaped volcano to eruption. the board is extensive — but it has changes tucked up its sleeve.

The play area of the board will change frequently as the tide does, waterlogging portions of the beach and forcing characters to find new and creative routes. Players will have to navigate a broken Pirate ship, grassy mounds, and sandy beaches before reaching the dreaded volcano. It’s here that the real purpose of the board kicks into gear.

Reaching the top of the volcano will cause it to erupt, scattering golden Goombas around the area. It isn’t known yet what these Goombas will do, but it seems as though they could be hugely useful to players looking to earn some more coins to purchase stars with. It looks like Goomba Lagoon might not be the peaceful getaway that Mario and co. were hoping for.

3

Mega Wiggler’s Tree Party Evokes Classic Forest Maps

Mega Wiggler Can Be A Quick Ride, Or An Irritating Obstacle

Mega Wiggler’s Tree Party is the first of two boards that have had an incredibly minor reveal, showing only a single frame of its playable area. It’s not a lot to go on, but that doesn’t mean that Mega Wiggler’s Tree Party doesn’t look incredibly fascinating. What makes the board especially interesting is how it uses the Mega Wiggler itself not as a character in its own right but more as an obstacle.

The image that we see in the trailer for Mega Wiggler’s Tree Party is one of the Mega Wiggler standing in a giant open circle surrounded by playable spaces, with spots on its back for players to traverse. This implies that players are going to have the opportunity to ride Mega Wiggler, using its traversal around the board to get around quickly. It seems, too, that the giant crawler could end up being something of a roadblock for Mario and his pals.

It’s a fascinating way to approach developing a board, helping to differentiate it from other playable areas with shaded woods as a location – especially Woody Woods from Mario Party 3. Mega Wiggler’s Tree Party bears a lot of similarities to other boards, so the introduction of the Wiggler as a rideable set of spaces is an interesting means of keeping the new areas fresh. Here’s hoping that Mega Wiggler doesn’t get too in the way.

2

King Bowser’s Keep Is A Return To Fiery Fortresses

Bowser’s Castle Seems Like A Cakewalk Now

King Bowser’s Keep is another board that has kept its cards close to its chest, leading to some mystery surrounding Super Mario Party Jamboree‘s new areas. It does, however, echo classic maps that could give us some indication as to how it’ll work. Especially with a giant Bowser ruling the roost.

The map stars the king of the Koopas in the center, looking ready to dive on passers-by — meaning that players could be in for some big chases across the board as he comes for players’ stars and coins. As expected, too, the area is swamped in lava, meaning that there could be some other fiery obstacles to overcome in the pursuit of the all-important win. The map’s area looks to be small, but there’s also a good chance that there could be areas on the board that are as yet unseen.

Given that the board is called King Bowser’s Keep, it is implied to be a dominion that belongs to the big bad of the Mario series — which implies there could be an inside area to explore. Even so, the map echoes a lot of classic boards drenched in lava, so at least it has something familiar to work with. Even if the return of Bowser chases could be an unwelcome flashback to Mario Party 10 for some.

1

The Koopathlon Is A Brand New Experience

Race Up To 20 Players Across The New Cityscape

There are five new headlining boards to play on, of course, but many have discounted the fact that the game’s offerings don’t end there. There are two returning maps in the form of Mario Party‘s Mario’s Rainbow Castle and Mario Party 2‘s Western Land – but there’s more yet to see, thanks to Nintendo’s innovations. The game has introduced a new Koopathlon mode, and it has introduced a new area to explore.

The Koopathlon is a heavily populated edition of the Mario Party formula, seeing up to twenty players jump in a race to complete minigames to cross the finish line. Players will dart through a seaside city landscape populated by homes, parks, and fountains in a bid to run five laps. The mode is certainly new ground for the Mario Party series to tread, so it’s exciting to see the Koopathlon come to life, especially in its new format.

The board is a long stretch that, naturally, doubles back on itself in perhaps the most straightforward playable area that the series has seen. It’s a real first for the party franchise, and it’s an exciting hint that more innovations are yet to come to Super Mario Party Jamboree. The boards in this edition of the game are looking fantastic — but the Koopathlon might be the most fascinating of all.