Super Mario Party Jamboree: All Jamboree Buddy Abilities, Explained

There are a handful of features from Super Mario Party that have endured into Super Mario Party Jamboree, and one of them is the ability to obtain a buddy to help you as you roll around your game board. But this time around, buddies in Super Mario Party Jamboree work a bit differently.

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Not only will you need to battle all the other players to earn the right to have said buddy, but you’ll also only have them for three turns. They can be stolen by any opponent who passes you, though, so be careful about where your foes are!

How To Get Jamboree Buddies

Potential Buddies Spawn Randomly Throughout The Game

Though it works differently from other games at its core, the buddy mechanic is a returning feature from Super Mario Party, the first Mario Party title for the Nintendo Switch. This time, instead of getting a buddy when you land on a set space and keeping them for the whole game, things have changed quite a bit.

To get a buddy in Super Mario Party Jamboree, you’ll need to wait until someone shows up on the game board, which is shown at the beginning of the turn on which it happens. This will be a random character that spawns someplace on your map every few turns, and when this happens, you have three turns to get to their location before they disappear for the rest of the game.

Play Minigames To Earn Your Jamboree Buddy

Once you reach a buddy in Super Mario Party Jamboree, don’t think you get that friend just because you got there first, though! When one player reaches where the buddy is on the game board, everyone will need to compete in a four-player minigame to earn the right to have said buddy. Every character in Super Mario Party Jamboree has a unique minigame you’ll need to win to claim them as your board partner.

The player who reaches the buddy’s space gets an advantage at the beginning of the buddy minigame, which is often extra points added to their total, a special item that helps them get ahead somehow, or a speed boost if you’re playing a racing buddy minigame. That said, having the advantage doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to win – you’ll still need to fend off all your opponents first!

When the minigame ends, the buddy goes with whoever won their minigame, no matter who first triggered said game. The buddy remains on the board following that characterfor three turns, disappearing at the beginning of the fourth turn after their minigame. This count of three turns begins when the buddy minigame is played, not when the buddy first appears on the game map.

But just because you won the buddy minigame and claimed this specific Super Mario Party Jamboree buddy doesn’t mean they’re yours to keep for the full three turns! Opponents steal your buddy when they walk past you on the game board, so it’s best to keep an eye out for who’s around when making moves with a buddy!

Landing on the same space as a player who has a buddy does not steal their buddy. You need to pass them to pilfer the pal!

What Do Buddies Do In Super Mario Party Jamboree?

Like their minigames, each character in Super Mario Party Jamboree has a unique buddy ability to help the player they’re following get ahead in some way. This can be by gifting you free coins or items, cutting the prices of items at shops, helping you roll higher numbers, and more. You’ll receive some kind of buddy perk at the start of your turn for the entire duration your buddy is by your side, which we will detail more below.

Not only do you get the unique perk for each of the ten characters available as buddies in the game, but you’ll also have the option to buy two items when you have a buddy with you. This includes things like stars, items from stores around the game board, and requests for Boo to steal from your opponents, so it’s helpful to pop by one of these locations when you have a buddy with you.

The list of things that double when you have a Jamboree Buddy in Super Mario Party Jamboree are:

• Blue and Red Spaces, meaning you'll receive six coins or lose six coins total on that turn.
• Lucky and Unlucky Spaces, which make you stop that space's spinner twice.
• Item Shops will sell you a second item when you stop by with a Jamboree Buddy.
• Star Spaces will sell you two stars instead of one, provided you've got the money to afford both.
• Boo will steal from your opponents twice in one stop by any given Boo space.

For the most part, it definitely pays to have Jamboree Buddy with you as you play Super Mario Party Jamboree! You'll not only be able to do most things twice, but you'll find there are plenty of buddies that offer perks on these specific spaces, too. For example, Peach halves the price of stars when she's with you, while Daisy allows you to get any item at half-price. These bonuses stack, too, so grab Jamboree Buddies whenever you can!

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All Jamboree Buddies And Their Abilities

In the table below, you’ll find a complete overview of every character in Super Mario Party Jamboree and what their buddy ability is when they join you in the game.

Every Buddy Ability In Super Mario Party Jamboree

Character

Jamboree Buddy Ability

Minigame

Starting Player Bonus

Bowser Jr.

Set a half-coin steal trap on any space you land on.

Jr.'s Jauntlet

+3 points

Daisy

Everything at any store is half-off.

Daisy's Field Day

Given 3 red coins immediately.

Donkey Kong

Moves to you a random spot on the board before each turn.

Dk's Konga Line

Easier time matching the rhythm.

Luigi

Easier time rolling higher numbers, replacing lower rolls with higher ones.

Luigi Rescue Operation

The first puzzle is already solved.

Mario

Adds 3–8 to your dice roll on each turn.

Mario Three-Peat

+3 points

Peach

Stars are half-off.

Peach's Day Out

+10 points (via a golden gift in the first game)

Rosalina

Get a random cheap item at the start of each turn.

Rosalina's Radical Race

Immediate speed boost at the start of the race.

Waluigi

Steal 3–8 coins from any opponent you pass.

Waluigi's Pinball Arcade

Medals at the start.

Wario

Get 3–8 coins at the start of each turn.

Wario's Buzzer Beater

+5 points.

Yoshi

Copy an item from any opponent you pass.

Yoshi's Mountain Race

3 apples in front of you at the start of the race.

Though you’re definitely able to win Super Mario Party Jamboree without the use of a buddy throughout, they make your path to victory a heck of a lot clearer!

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