We were completely amused at the reveal of the Switch 2 Camera. It felt like a very Nintendo thing to couple with the new GameChat button on the Switch 2 Joy-Con, but also something that’s 20 years too late. The EyeToy and Kinect have been and gone over the past two decades with mixed results. So what will make Nintendo’s camera worth it, aside from video calls? Super Mario Party Jamboree! Nintendo Switch Edition + Jamboree TV.
This enhanced release of what we think is already the best Mario Party game ever has leaned into the daftness and stupidity of Mario Party with its new Switch 2 peripheral and the new Mouse Mode in the Joy-Con. We’re back to the microphone of Mario Party 6 days, except things work a lot better here. It’s also surprisingly really fun.
The camera is used exclusively in the new Switch 2 Jamboree TV addition, which adds a couple of new ways to play the game. With the camera, we got to play Bowser Live, a game show that puts you directly into the game. If you ever played EyeToy: Play on PS2 back in the day, it’s basically exactly like that. Just with a Mario flair, which all kicks off with your own image being sucked into a warp pipe and paired off with another player.
It’s delightfully loud and stupid, and the minigames have you jumping up and down to hit blocks for coins, a Simon Says type game, and one where you have to scream and make as much noise as possible. It’s safe to say, our voices hurt already, and this didn’t help, but it was funny to let loose and scream out our frustrations.
In the Simon Says game, each team dons one Mario and one Luigi cap, and must either squat or stand depending on which character name is called out. But you know it’s not that simple – “Dooooon’t crouch, Mario” or the text will change or tease one option and present another. It starts off pretty slow but gradually speeds up until you look like a complete idiot trying to replicate the movements of a frog.
The camera does require you to be closer than you expect, especially if you’re a little short like this writer. Plus, in the Coin Block game, you need to keep your fist as straight as possible or it won’t read your jumping inputs. Seems like we’re still not totally there with video game cameras, yet!
Moving into the other half of the new Jamboree content, the Mouse Mode minigames. We got to try six different ones, all (again) relatively simple but all extremely fun. Again, you’re put into teams based on Joy-Con colour (if you have four) and have to compete against the others in various motion-based games. Spray painting Bob-Ombs is deceptively chaotic as pink and blue cans clash and you try to get into every nook and cranny of the bombs. Not sure we thought we’d ever say that. And you have to shake the cans too, magnified by the full magic of the new HD Rumble.
One other game saw you winding up cars by pulling back the mouse and lifting it up from the table to send it careening across a narrow bridge. The problem is that your opponents are on the other side. So we spent far too much time playing the most dangerous game of bumper cars, slamming into each other multiple times.
We also spent time sorting through Bowser’s mail, dragging and dropping my different types of emails into different folders, or even a trash bin, a game of air hockey, and a reversal of those buzz wire games, where instead of a little shock, you’ve got to stop Toad from getting electrocuted. Eep.
Of everything we played on Switch 2, Mario Party Jamboree delivered the best showcase of the mouse, in our eyes. Simple but silly, and sometimes even a little creative. And, importantly, none of the minigames felt uncomfortable to play. Drag x Drive might be more impressive, and Prime 4 will be a hit with FPS fans, but the silliness of Mario Party with the mouse showcases what the Switch 2 needs – stupid, silly fun.
If you’re not convinced by Mario Party, or aren’t a fan of the extra peripheral silliness that added features bring, then the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition isn’t going to change your mind. But we have more minigames to be revealed in both new modes, and if you already own Jamboree, this should be a worthwhile upgrade, particularly if you’ve got kids or a group of friends willing to get really stupid and loud for a bit.
