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68-492: Mario Party is a party video game series featuring characters from the Mario franchise in which up to four local players or computer-controlled characters (called " CPUs ") compete in a board game interspersed with minigames . Designed by Shigeru Miyamoto ,and directed by Kenji Kikuchi, the games are currently developed by Nintendo Cube and published by Nintendo , being previously developed by Hudson Soft . The series

136-424: A die (Dice Block) and progresses on the board, which usually has branching paths. Coins are primarily earned by performing well in a minigame played at the end of each turn. On most boards, players earn stars by reaching a star space and purchasing a star for 20 coins(traditionally). The star space appears randomly on one of several pre-determined locations and moves every time a star is purchased, usually occupying

204-615: A better ending. The Sonic the Hedgehog series has a recurring side goal being the collection of the Chaos Emeralds . Often in adventure games there are many puzzles that need to be completed in order for the player to advance through the dungeons or levels. Usually, this can be done through the use of specific items gathered while exploring the dungeon. This is a very common element in the Legend of Zelda series , where items like

272-703: A blue space. On some boards, the star location is fixed. Every Mario Party game contains at least 50 to 112 minigames with a few different types. Four-player games are a free-for-all in which players compete individually. In 2-vs-2 and 1-vs-3 minigames, players compete as two groups, cooperating to win, even though they are still competing individually in the main game. Some minigames in Mario Party are 4-player co-op, even though it doesn't say it. In most situations, winners earn ten coins each. Battle minigames first appeared in Mario Party 2 . These games are like

340-456: A capsule machine, a talking robot vending machine that gives the player passing it a random capsule at no charge of coins, on the board. In addition to giving the player who uses it an advantage over the other players, capsules can also allow the player to set up traps for other players by throwing them at a space in front of them. These traps include forcing the player who lands on the capsule space to only be able to roll numbers from one to five on

408-634: A hit counter such as the Kirby games, medicine, food or energy containers are found, which give the player extra health or defensive ability. These are normally very rare, so as to make the player watch their hit counter carefully. In some games, such as the Sonic series, the treasure items (rings) double as a method of enabling extra hits. Quest items (also known as plot items or key items) are required to complete several games or stages. In platformers, these are not always required, but may be optional goals to get

476-544: A limited number of "uses" before the item breaks. In the Super Smash Bros. series, items play an important role in the combat, and the timely arrival of a certain item, like invincibility or the hammer, can completely alter the course of the fight. Popular sports games generally convey their items in a similar form to trading cards , with the items composing of players, staff (managers/medical specialists/skill coaches), consumable items and stadiums . One example

544-753: A minigame mode in which minigames are played without the board game. Minigame modes vary from game to game, but later games have many different variations. In one such example from Mario Party 5 , each player tries to fill a board with as many spaces as possible in their colour by winning minigames in Mini-Game Wars. In Mario Party 6 and onward, there is one game in Minigame mode intended for single player. The following characters appear in all twelve console Mario Party games and, except where noted, all five handheld instalments: The first four games also add Donkey Kong to this roster. In Mario Party 5 , he

612-420: A minigame to battle him. If they successfully defeat him, both players will receive five Mini Stars. If not, then Bowser Jr. will take five from each player. Mario Party 9 also introduced a car mechanic. In Mario Party 9 and Mario Party 10 , every player navigates the board in a car rather than move independently of one another. Mario Party 9 has a lesser focus on strategy, and its minigames do not impact

680-470: A new feature called “Jamboree Buddy”, where players can earn that character from winning a Showdown Minigame. Each character has a different ability like buying Stars and items at half price. In addition, players can earn double the benefits or penalties with the Jamboree Buddy. Super Mario Party Jamboree features the most minigames in Mario Party history with 112. In most Mario Party games, at

748-474: A place in the game where one player can trade stars for prizes and other valuables, including new difficulty levels and rare minigames. Mario Party 6 features two new characters as its hosts: Brighton and Twila, who depict the sun and the moon, respectively. It also featured 82 new minigames. This marked the last appearance of the "autoplay" function where the game plays itself in Party Mode. Mario Party 6

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816-595: A series of individually-selectable minigames. In 1995, You Don't Know Jack was released, the first of the You Don't Know Jack franchise and the precursor to the Jackbox Party Pack collection in 2014. In 1998, Mario Party was released on the Nintendo 64 . Its launch eventually brought about the rest of the Mario Party franchise , in wake of the game's success across markets. Mario Party 2

884-523: A total of 44 different parts that can be used to customize a vehicle. To unlock all the parts, the player must play all the tournaments and beat certain opponents. IGN praised the multiplayer elements of the game, as usual, but criticized its "spotty" single-player mode. It called it "the perfect drinking game for college dorms ... and at the same time a great game for kids to enjoy with their siblings." It called Mario Party 5 "likely as good as mini-game party games get." GameSpot criticized how

952-477: A year before Mario Party 4 . Game Revolution also noted the game's improved visuals while explaining that they were not representative of what the GameCube can achieve and criticized the game's textures, noting that they were not greatly detailed. Game Revolution did, however, praise its "happy" music but criticized the minigames, saying, "none really stand out". IGN , however, praised the improved visuals of

1020-617: Is famous for its introduction of a day–night cycle system implemented for boards and minigames. This is a concept that had previously only been seen in Horror Land, a board in Mario Party 2 . Mario Party 6 is the first and only game in the series to feature a day–night cycle system for all boards and minigames. IGN noted that the graphics, sound, and minigames of the game are "just good enough", further explaining, "But when put together, Mario Party 6 still manages to generate that glee of unexpectedly trouncing your opponent because you're

1088-446: Is hosted by Toad, who guides the characters on their journeys throughout each board. In addition to the standard Party Mode, the game also features a single-player mode called Mini-Game Island, where the player's goal is to navigate an island and beat all 50 minigames as supplied. The player starts with four lives and loses a life every time they fail at a minigame. Winning a minigame gives the player coins, and collecting 100 coins grants

1156-412: Is known for its party game elements, including the often unpredictable multiplayer game modes that allow play with up to four, and sometimes eight, human players or CPUs. After the development of Mario Party 8 , several of Hudson Soft's key designers left to work for Nintendo subsidiary NDcube, developers of Wii Party . Starting in 2012 with Mario Party 9 , NDcube has taken over development of

1224-671: Is relegated to the Super Duel Mode, and he was omitted from subsequent games as a playable character until Mario Party 10 . The default sorting is by first appearance, then by number of appearances. For alphabetical order, click on "Character". A yellow tick ( [REDACTED] Y ) means that the character is an unlockable character and is not available from the start. These characters were included or excluded in home console releases, starting with Mario Party 4 . These characters were included or excluded in portable console releases, starting with Mario Party DS . Mario Party

1292-476: Is the first in the series. It was released in 1998 and 1999 for the Nintendo 64 . Its roster of playable characters includes Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Donkey Kong (referred to as DK in-game), Yoshi, and Wario. It features 50 minigames, ten of which are single-player -only. Mario Party ' s standard game mode, Party Mode, lets up to four players play on a board interspersed with minigames. The game features eight different boards with varying difficulties. It

1360-457: Is the sequel to Mario Party and was released in 1999 and 2000 for the Nintendo 64. While Mario Party 2 is similar to the original game, it introduced a variety of new gameplay elements, such as collectible items that players can buy from item shops and three new minigame types: "Battle", "Item", and "Duel". Toad returns as the host in Mario Party 2 . The game also has 15 more minigames than

1428-438: The Mario Party franchise. Over the course of the Mario Party series, gameplay has changed to suit the technology of the hardware. There are several game modes available in each of the games, each of which provides its own rules and challenges. Every game in the main series has a standard Party Mode in which up to four players play through a board, trying to collect as many stars as possible. In every turn, each player rolls

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1496-611: The hookshot are necessary to pass specific obstacles, or games like the Metroid series, where items like the gravity suit or power bombs are required to pass to another area. Other important items for navigating puzzles are bombs, which can open new paths, and the boomerang, which can retrieve items from a great distance. In Minecraft , items range from weapons to tools to miscellaneous things like music discs or spawn eggs. While no items are required for completion of puzzles or to access certain areas, they are mandatory for progression in

1564-436: The 2002 GameCube game Super Mario Sunshine , is the host of Mario Party 7 . The game also features 88 new minigames. Former IGN author Matt Casamassina wrote in a review for Mario Party 7 , " Mario Party 7 is still entertaining, but I'd be a liar if I wrote that I'm not growing bored with new iterations of the same old formula." He further noted, "To its credit, the title delivers some fun new boards and mini-games, and

1632-531: The Dice Block or forcing them to move ten spaces forward on the board. Mario Party 5 also introduces a new mode, Super Duel Mode. This mode is a one-versus-one battle mode where two players face off against each other using custom-assembled vehicles (called "machines" in-game). In this mode, players buy machine parts using points—awarded by playing minigames in either Party Mode or Minigame Mode—and build battle machines to use in different tournaments. There are

1700-493: The GameCube. It was the series' last instalment on the GameCube. The microphone integration returns from the previous game, and the game introduces a new mode that allows up to eight players to play together. It features the same roster of playable characters with the exclusion of Koopa Kid and the addition of Birdo and Dry Bones as unlockable characters. Toadette is now unlocked from the start. Rather than Mario Party 6 ' s Brighton and Twila, Toadsworth , who first appeared in

1768-475: The Mario Party world, Hudson's dedication to solid, addictive puzzle gaming that makes for a wholly enjoyable multiplayer experience is apparent." HonestGamers criticized the game's boards, noting, "They're just not much fun." It further explained, "Some of them are, to be fair." It also criticized the game's options and menus, stating that it is difficult to even begin a new game. Additionally, it censured

1836-422: The board designs, noting, "While the board designs are new, they're no more inventive in design than what we've seen before, and they certainly don't look any better." It further criticized the game and its developer, noting, "... we can't shake the feeling that Hudson will continue riding the same graphical technology for as long as it can still sell copies." Mario Party 7 was released in 2005 and 2006 for

1904-452: The board game in ways that the previous Mario Party games did. Critics heavily censured the car mechanic; Destructoid noted, "An over-reliance on random chance over strategy can quickly derail the experience when things go awry at the worst possible time ..." The car mechanic was kept in Mario Party 10 , although Super Mario Party finally lets players move individually on the board again. Super Mario Party Jamboree introduced

1972-410: The buyer considers themselves a "Mario Party fanatic". IGN rated the game a 7.9 out of 10, further noting that the sequel was better than the original but that it did not "offer enough new to warrant a higher score". It recommended the game only to those who did not own the original. Mario Party 3 was released in 2000 and 2001 for the Nintendo 64. It features the same cast of playable characters as

2040-468: The completion of quests or to advance through the story. Sometimes certain items may be unique, and only appear once at a specific location, often after completing a particular task. Other items may appear frequently, and not give a big bonus alone, but when many are collected. Games may differ on how the player uses an item. In some games, many in the Mario and Sonic series, an item is automatically used when

2108-427: The end of a board game, bonus stars can be awarded to players. Three specific stars are awarded in the first six games. All later games have six possible bonus stars, but up to three of those stars are awarded per game. These stars add to the player's overall total. If there’s a tie in coins and stars, then a Dice Block tiebreaker will determine the game's final ranking. In addition to Party Mode, every Mario Party has

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2176-624: The exclusion of Donkey Kong and addition of Toad , Boo , and Koopa Kid. Rather than Mario Party 4 ' s large number of hosts, Mario Party 5 features the Star Spirits, known as the Star Guards in this game, who first appeared in the 2000 Paper Mario for the Nintendo 64. The game also features 78 new minigames. One of the most major changes that Mario Party 5 made to the series was replacing collectible items with "capsules" (called "orbs" in later games), which players receive from

2244-555: The first two Bumper Ball Mazes. Mario Party received praise for its unique party and social elements; however, IGN criticized the slow pacing of the game and the lack of enjoyment when played alone. GameSpot said, "The games that are enjoyable to play in multi-player are nowhere near as good in the single player mode. Really, it's that multi-player competitive spark of screaming at and/or cheering for your friends that injects life into these often-simple little games, and without it, they're just simple little games." Mario Party 2

2312-453: The form of minigames . These experiences may be played singularly or in a group, and usually feature several players competing simultaneously. The first party video game is thought to be Olympic Decathlon , releasing in 1980. In 1983, Party Mix was released for the Atari, and consisted of an anthology of five multiplayer games, which began the format of party video games releasing as

2380-465: The four-player games, but instead of winners earning ten coins each, each player contributes a randomly selected number of coins (or all coins if the player falls short of the pot amount). The winner of the minigame receives approximately 70% of the pot, the second-place winner receives the other 30%, and a random player occasionally gets coins left over from rounding. Duel minigames debuted in Mario Party 2 , and were omitted in Mario Party 4 (although

2448-407: The game a "mixed bag", criticizing its music, slow pace, and lack of originality. It noted that the game "can be a laugh" if "played with the right group" but also noted, "there are far better things to do with your time, your GameCube, and such marvelously entertaining friends", saying, "Western gamers are quite right to ignore this." Gaming Trend praised the replay value of the game but criticized

2516-399: The game and for defeating the bosses. Another generic item needed to progress through dungeons in adventure games is the key . Sometimes there can be several keys within a dungeon, or just one skeleton key which is good enough to open all locked doors. Items in shooter games are not as common as in other genres, but they still play a major role in the gameplay. The most common items are

2584-406: The game and noted, " Mario Party 4 is exactly how you would envision it on GameCube: all-new mini-games and better visuals". IGN also called the game "an absolute must-rent if you have a few friends over for the weekend" and "definitely an 'everybody' title". Mario Party 5 was released in 2003 for the GameCube. It features the same playable character roster as the previous two instalments with

2652-420: The game", being "largely recycled from Mario Party 4 ." It also criticized its music that it noted was "almost painfully cheery tunes that are basically riffs from a few classic [ Super ] Mario Bros. themes." GameSpot said that it was "hard to recommend" the game to owners of the previous game in the series but recommended it to casual fans who had not already played a Mario Party game. Eurogamer called

2720-511: The game's setting . Generally, more powerful weapons (such as the aforementioned rocket launchers and flamethrowers ) tend to be found later in the game. In some games that cross genres, like Twisted Metal , the weapons come in the form of power-ups that have very limited duration. In fighting games , items are far less common, however they still appear in many titles. In wrestling games, things like folding chairs and other innocuous items are often used as makeshift weapons, sometimes with

2788-406: The game's "down-to-the-wire games", stating, "it's almost impossible to keep stars you win unless you're guarding them very carefully." It further explained that mostly, a player's threat is not their human opponents but rather the computer-controlled players, describing how computer-controlled opponents will quickly steal the player's stars after they get them. Mario Party 4 is the first game in

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2856-403: The game's graphics had not been improved from the previous game in the series and said, "the boards are looking a little bland, with some inconsistent texture quality". It further noted, "The minigames, while not terribly visually enticing, tend to do their jobs well enough, without slowdown or glaring visual faults." It also criticized the voice work for, "while generally fitting the cheery tone of

2924-426: The game's new story mode, noting that the player was forced to watch computer-controlled opponents for too long and too often, even while they were playing minigames on their own. It also noted that moving around the board in this mode quickly became tedious and boring. The review author further asserted, "I think it'd be better be classified as a tutorial mode." GameSpot noted, "While pure innovation may not be king in

2992-558: The health pack, similar to a potion in RPGs, and the ammunition pack, a generic box of ammo that will work with whatever gun the player character has equipped at that time. Sometimes, in games with large amounts of different weapons, there will also be specialized ammo packs, like napalm canisters or rockets / grenades for rocket and grenade launchers, respectively. In most games, new weapons can be obtained, normally from defeated enemy soldiers but also from machines or robots depending on

3060-505: The host. Like Mario Party 2 , the game features all new boards, with some boards referencing the boards of the previous game and reusing their gimmicks. Mario Party 3 is also the first game in the series to feature a single-player story campaign . The game's story mode features " battle royal " boards and "duel" boards, where players fight one another for items called "Star Stamps". Like Mario Party 2 , IGN criticized Mario Party 3 for not having enough new content. It also criticized

3128-459: The item can be carried around and used manually either straight away if they wish or at a later time when the player needs it. Items often come in various types and in most games where items are collected, they are sorted by these types. In RPGs, an item inventory is a common UI feature where one can view all the items that have been collected thus far. Often, these are sorted by categories, such as "equipment" or "potions". In other game genres ,

3196-403: The items may take effect as soon as they are obtained. In many platformers , like Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario Bros , items are scattered throughout the level in item boxes or on their own. Many video game items are common to all games. 1-ups or continues give the player character "extra lives" and allow them to continue after being killed. 1-ups usually come in the form of

3264-524: The main character's face (or the text "1UP", though this is less common in modern games). In some games, they can also be obtained in special stages and by collecting a large number of minor treasure items (i.e., collect 100 rings in Sonic games to gain one extra life), by finishing levels in a certain amount of time, or by getting a certain number of points. Treasure such as coins, rings, gems or jewelry are another common item. These are often used to determine

3332-446: The most accomplished entry in the series yet", while further noting, "While more accomplished gamers may find some of the minigames too simplistic, this accessibility ensures that Mario's party is one that just about anyone can enjoy." It also mentioned the improved graphics of the game while further noting that the character models of the game were more simplified compared to their counterparts in Super Smash Bros. Melee , released about

3400-590: The multiplayer experience is as robust and enjoyable as ever." He then went on to criticize the game's single-player mode: "But it in contrast dishes out a worthless single-player mode marred by tediously slow computer-controlled character interactions. And the overall presentation of the story, cut-scenes and real-time achievements is only passable." He called the game "a decent sequel to an aging franchise", noting, "the only people that should truly be interested in it are those dedicated to multiplayer parties. Everybody else can either make due with last year's version or avoid

3468-404: The new boards. Mario Party 2 features a mode called Mini-Game Land, where players can buy minigames that the player can play freely from a tree character called Woody. GameSpot praised Mario Party 2 ' s minigames, noting that they were a lot more fun than those of the first game. IGN noted that the game is "more of the same" and said that the game might not be worth its price unless

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3536-430: The only one who knew that you used more capsules and thus deserve another star." GameSpot noted, "The fundamental formula isn't so different, but it's different enough that even if you've played all five previous Mario Party games, there's still something new for you." It further criticized the game's graphics, comparing it to Mario Power Tennis , which was released a month before Mario Party 6 . It further criticized

3604-474: The original game, with a total of 65 minigames (or 88 if one counts the different courses in some of the minigames). Mario Party 2 features the same characters as the original game with no additions; however, each character dresses according to the theme of the board. Mario Party 2 is the only Mario Party game where this occurs. Mario Party 2 does not reuse any of the original game's boards but does have references to them and reuses some of their gimmicks in

3672-598: The player character comes into contact with it. There are also games, such as those in the Streets of Rage series, and the first Prince of Persia games where the player character may walk over an item without collecting it, if they do not need it yet, and the player must push a particular button for the character to collect it, but it still used immediately, when the button is pressed. Other times, some games, like many role playing games, an item can be collected either automatically or manually, but will not be used immediately,

3740-405: The player character. Some games contain detrimental items, such as cursed pieces of armor that confers a negative bonus to the wearer and cannot be removed until the curse itself is lifted; the means to do this may be costly or require a special item. Some items may also be of absolutely no value to the player. Items are especially prevalent in role-playing games , as they are usually necessary for

3808-544: The player one additional life. Mario Party also features Rumble Pak support, which lets players know when their turn has started. Upon completing Mini-Game Island, a Bumper Ball Maze is awarded, a single-player minigame playable in the Mini-Game House. The player can unlock two additional Bumper Ball Mazes by completing all 50 minigames in Mini-Game Island and, respectively, setting new time records in

3876-410: The player's score . In some games, particularly those with an overworld map, players can take these items to a shop-like place and exchange them for new abilities or equipment. Usually, such treasure items are found in small quantities as one progresses through a level, but by exploring, players can often find secret areas containing a large number of them. In some platformers, particularly those with

3944-411: The previous game also return, such as the ability for players to team up in Party Mode and the ability to hold up to three items at a time. Mario Party 4 is also the first game in the series to feature boards fully rendered in 3D , although the navigational board space layout remained 2D until Mario Party 5 . As usual, GameSpot praised the minigames of Mario Party 4 . It called the game "arguably

4012-477: The previous two games with the addition of Princess Daisy and Waluigi . The most notable difference in this game compared to the previous two games in the series is that each player can hold up to three items instead of only one. It also has 71 minigames, compared to Mario Party 2 ' s 65. Mario Party 3 ' s story revolves around a new character called the Millennium Star, who replaces Toad as

4080-463: The repetitive nature of the game. Mario Party 6 was released in 2004 and 2005 for the GameCube. It is the first game in the series to make use of the GameCube's microphone peripheral that was packaged with the game. It features the same cast of playable characters as the previous game with the addition of Toadette , although she has to be unlocked by buying her for thirty stars in the Star Bank,

4148-439: The same old Mario Party all over again." He further declared, "this compulsive level of sameness is counterbalanced by the fact that (besides the Mario Party series) there are not a lot of other games like this on the GameCube these days—or anywhere else, for that matter." Party video game Party video games generally consist of short-term experiences which may be played in succession, and are sometimes characterized in

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4216-407: The series altogether." Former GameSpot writer Ryan Davis criticized the game's lack of originality, as he usually does when reviewing Mario Party games, but he commended the game's new eight-player multiplayer mode, noting, "The addition of eight-player minigames is really the only new feature worth considering buying the game for, as the rest of the changes are token gestures. So it's otherwise

4284-618: The series from Hudson Soft. The first instalment in the series on the Nintendo Switch , Super Mario Party , was released on October 5, 2018. The series received generally favourable reception in the beginning, but as the series has progressed, the reception has become more mixed until the Switch era, where it became improved. The series holds the record for the longest-running minigame series. As of September 2024, Nintendo reported cumulative worldwide sales of 77.9 million game copies in

4352-460: The series to appear on a console other than the Nintendo 64. Mario Party 4 was released for the GameCube in 2002. Mario Party 4 features the same roster of playable characters as Mario Party 3 and does not feature any new playable characters. It does, however, feature a new team battle system that allows players to team up in pairs in Party Mode, the standard game mode of the series. This game

4420-409: The story minigames are all duels) but return again in Mario Party 5 . Duel games pit two players against each other. In Party Mode, one player initiates the duel, wagering coins or even a star against another player. The winner of the duel receives all coins or stars wagered. Starting with Mario Party 7 , the player no longer chooses the wager in a duel, rather, the duel takes place and the prize to

4488-493: The winner, if any, is randomly determined. Bowser minigames are introduced in Mario Party 4 in which players try to avoid being burned by Bowser's fire breath if they lose. When this happens, players must give up coins, stars, or items . In Mario Party 7 , a single-player version of the games was introduced and only one person can play. Mario Party 9 introduced a new set of Bowser Jr. -related minigames. In these minigames, Bowser Jr. challenges two players to compete in

4556-602: Was released in 1999, and Mario Party 3 was released in 2000. The launch of the Wii in 2006 led to the creation of Wii Play , a minigame collection that was bundled with certain copies of the Wii console. Item (gaming) In pen and paper games and computer and video games , an item is an object within the game world that can be collected by a player or, occasionally, a non-player character . These items are sometimes called pick-ups . Items are most often beneficial to

4624-482: Was the last game to feature Donkey Kong as a playable character up until Mario Party 10 for the Wii U . Instead of the Millennium Star, Mario Party 4 features multiple hosts, including Toad and a Koopa Troopa . The game also featured 60 new minigames. Mario Party 4 is the first Mario Party game to include side-collectibles, which are in the form of presents. It also introduces the ability for players to create their own custom minigame packs. Elements introduced in

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