TheMario franchiseis almost 40 years old, so it’s no surprise that most games, even if we’re talking about spin-offs, contain references to other installments in the long history of the plumber’s adventures. That’s especially true with Mario Party, which turned 25 in 2024 with the release ofSuper Mario Party Jamboree, the last entry for theNintendo Switch.
With the largest cast of playable characters in any Mario Party game, Jamboree also packs many Easter eggs and references to well-known and obscure games throughout Mario’s history. With the most popularNintendocharacter in the title, the game also has some Easter eggs that reference the company’s systems in some way or another. Did you catch them all?
10Mario Galaxy Starbits And Mechanics
Round And Round
Rosalina has been featured in every Mario Party game starting with Mario Party 10, but Super Mario Party Jamboree doubles down by including a couple of minigames that take you back to the Mario Galaxy saga. Rosalina’s Buddy minigame features a snowboard track where players can see Starbits at the sides of the track.
However, to go back to the feeling of playing Mario Galaxy, players can jump into the Snag the Flag minigame. Here, you have to walk around a big metal sphere collecting flags before your opponents do.
9Joy-Con Appreciation
Your Special Edition Matters
Super Mario Party Jamboree is the last Mario Party you’ll be able to play on the Nintendo Switch, so the developers tried to show some love to the bestselling console in every way they could. The first time you jump into the game, you’ll see the Rhythm Kitchen and Toad’s Item Factory islands shaped like Joy-Con.
But that’s not all, as you’ll notice the game also shows the exact color of your Joy-Con during different minigames. So, if you have a special edition Joy-Con, like the Splatoon or Animal Crossing ones, you’ll see them in the game and feel special.
8Two Mario Party Debuts From Non-Mario Games
An Ever-Expanding Roster
Super Mario Party Jamboree features two very special debuts. After Super Mario Odyssey, Pauline has guest-starred in other Mario spin-offs like Mario Tennis Aces and Mario Kart 8. If she wins a minigame in Super Mario Party Jamboree, she’ll dance mimicking her movement in the original Donkey Kong.
On the other hand, Ninji is a character that originally debuted in the Japan-exclusive game called Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic as a minor enemy. This means that bothhidden charactersin Super Mario Party Jamboree aren’t originally from the Mario franchise.
7Different Dialogue For Different Characters
Your Shellness
The single-player mode Party-Planner Trek invites you to explore the boards differently, walking freely and helping different NPCs with tasks that usually involve minigames and missing items. You’ll talk to a lot of Toads, Goombas, and Shy Guys in your adventure, but depending on what character you pick, you’ll get different dialogue.
The prime example is when you pick Bowser as your main character. Goombas will be afraid of asking you to do mundane tasks and Koopas will thank you for your generosity, saying you’re not as bad as everyone says.
6Kamek’s Look-alikes
Like Looking At Yourself In The Mirror
During the Party-Planner Trek, you’ll find other characters who will help you defeat the board’s boss if you aid them with their task. However, if you picked one of those characters at the start, you won’t be able to see them normally.
Instead, Toad will tell you Kamek made a look-alike of your character to take your place on the board. This way, you can continue going to different venues to plan the big party instead of staying in one spot as a mindless NPC.
5Mario Party 2’s Space Land Reference
Speeding Tickets Galore
All boards in Super Mario Party Jamboreehave their own unique mechanics and special events you may trigger when you reach a space with a “!” sign. In the Roll ‘em Raceway board, one of the special events will spawn a Broozer driving a truck at full speed that can send you to the beginning of the board.
However, sometimes you might see a Thwomp speeding and being chased by a Snifit Patrol, originally seen in the Space Land board of Mario Party 2 and later in Mario Party Superstars.
4Returning Minigames With A Twist
Remakes And Remasters
Even if you’re a hardcore Mario Party fan, you might not notice there are many returning minigames in Super Mario Party Jamboree. Many came back only with visual improvements, especially those from the first Mario Party, originally on Nintendo 64, but you can also find others that add a new twist to the classic formula.
To get Mario as Jamboree Buddy, you need to play three minigames from Mario Party 2 and 5 that were enlarged to support five players, adding a bit of chaos and fun to the equation.
3Ztars Are Back
Get Some Zs
The evil or rather useless version of the classic Star makes a comeback in Super Mario Party Jamboree. The item was last featured in Mario Party DS, although Mario Party 9 and 10 also featured Mini Ztars.
The item can only be seen in two instances in Super Mario Party Jamboree. The first one is in the Party-Planner Trek mode, where a Shy Guy on the Rainbow Galleria board reveals it’s made of cardboard. You can also get a Ztar while playing in Mario’s Rainbow Castle board, where Impostor Bowser sells it for 20 coins.
2Waluigi Pinball Is Real
Warning: Very Entertaining
Waluigi Pinballis a racetrack that first debuted in Mario Kart DS, featuring elements from different arcade games. After appearing in more Mario Kart installments, including the mobile Mario Kart Tour, the fan-favorite stage became a reality in Super Mario Party Jamboree.
To party with Waluigi as your Jamboree Buddy, you’ll need to beat your opponents in Waluigi Pinball, which is real now and not a racetrack. You’ll have three minutes to get a score that beats your rivals, so make them count.
1Donkey Konga Returns
Move To The Rhythm
Donkey Kong can also appear as Jamboree Buddy during your playtime, and to get him to help you, you’ll need to win the DK’s Konga Line minigame. This is a clear reference to the Donkey Konga franchise for the Nintendo GameCube, and those who played the rhythm games will feel at home.
Sadly, there’s no way to use the iconic DK Bongos to play Super Mario Party Jamboree, but you can play the minigame as much as you want by heading to the Minigame Bay.
