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Mario Party 9: Difference between revisions

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{{game infobox
{{Infobox
|image=[[File:MP9Boxart.jpg|250px]]<br>North American box cover
|image=[[File:MP9Boxart.jpg|250px]]<br>'''North American box cover'''.
|developer=[[NDcube]]<br>[[CAProduction]]<br>[[Nintendo Software Planning & Development#Group No. 4|Nintendo SPD Group No.4]]
|developer=[[Nd Cube]]<br>[[Nintendo SPD Group No.4]]
|publisher=[[Nintendo]]
|publisher=[[Nintendo]]
|released={{releasedate|Europe|March 2, 2012|Australia|March 8, 2012|USA|March 11, 2012|Japan|April 26, 2012<ref>[http://www.inside-games.jp/article/2012/01/12/53855.html]</ref>|ROC|June 29, 2012<ref>[http://www.nintendo.tw/pressrelease_mp9.htm]</ref>|HK|June 29, 2012<ref>[http://www.nintendo.com.hk/pressrelease_ssqj.htm]</ref>|South Korea|April 11, 2013<ref>http://mariopartylegacy.com/2013/03/south-korea-gets-release-dates-for-mario-party-9-and-mario-tennis-open/</ref><ref>http://www.nintendo.co.kr/Wii/software/marioparty9/index.html/</ref>|}}
|release='''Original release:'''<br>{{release|Europe|March 2, 2012|Australia|March 8, 2012|Mexico|March 10, 2012<ref>[https://www.levelup.com/Wii/juegos/42745/Mario-Party-9 Mario Party 9 para Wii]. ''LevelUp''.</ref>|USA|March 11, 2012|Japan|April 26, 2012<ref>[http://www.inside-games.jp/article/2012/01/12/53855.html]</ref>|ROC|June 29, 2012<ref>[http://www.nintendo.tw/pressrelease_mp9.htm]</ref>|HK|June 29, 2012<ref>[http://www.nintendo.com.hk/pressrelease_ssqj.htm]</ref>|South Korea|April 11, 2013<ref>http://mariopartylegacy.com/2013/03/south-korea-gets-release-dates-for-mario-party-9-and-mario-tennis-open/</ref><ref>http://www.nintendo.co.kr/Wii/software/marioparty9/index.html/</ref>}}'''[[Nintendo Selects#Wii|Nintendo Selects]]:'''<br>{{release|Europe|November 6, 2014}}
|genre=[[Mario Party (series)|Party]]
|languages={{languages|en_gb=y|en_us=y|es_es=y|es_latam=y|fr_fr=y|fr_ca=y|de=y|it=y|jp=y|kr=y|zh_trad=y}}
|modes=Single, Multiplayer
|genre=[[Genre#Party|Party]]
|ratings={{ratings|esrb=E|cero=A|pegi=3|usk=6|acb=G}}
|modes=Single-player, multiplayer
|ratings={{ratings|esrb=E|cero=A|pegi=3|usk=6|acb=G|dejus=l|grac=all}}
|platforms=[[Wii]]
|platforms=[[Wii]]
|media={{container|wii=1}}
|media={{media|wii=1}}
|input={{input|wiimote=1}}
|input={{input|wiimote=1}}
}}
}}
'''''Mario Party 9''''' is the ninth home console installment of the [[Mario Party (series)|''Mario Party'' series]], the second and final installment for the [[Wii]]. The game was the first in the series to be developed by [[Nd Cube]] instead of [[Hudson Soft]]. It is also the eleventh in the main series (fifteenth in Japan). The host of the game is [[Yellow Toad (character)|Yellow Toad]] for the boards while [[Blue Toad (character)|Blue Toad]] is the host for minigames, and Green Toad appears near the end of Boards to initiate an event similar to the [[Last Five Turns Event]] from past ''Mario Party'' games. This is also the twenty-fifth and the final ''Mario'' series' installment overall to be released for the Wii console.
'''''Mario Party 9''''' is the ninth home console installment of the [[Mario Party (series)|''Mario Party'' series]] and the second and final installment for the [[Wii]]. The game was the first in the series to be developed by [[NDcube]] instead of [[Hudson Soft]], as a result of the latter's acquisition by [[Konami]]. It is also the sixteenth in the series overall. The game was released on March 2, 2012 in Europe, in Australia on March 8, 2012, in North America on March 11, 2012, and in Japan on April 26, 2012. The host of the game is a yellow [[Toad (species)|Toad]] for the boards while a blue Toad is the host for minigames, and a green Toad appears near the end of boards to initiate an event similar to the [[Last Five Turns Event]] from past ''Mario Party'' games. This is also the twenty-fifth and final installment of the ''Super Mario'' franchise overall to be released for the Wii console. Unlike ''[[Mario Party 8]]'', the game features widescreen support.


==Story==
==Story==
On a night outside of [[Princess Peach's Castle]], [[Mario]] and his friends are gathered to watch the [[Mini Star]]s glitter in the sky. As Mario peers though the telescope, he is shocked as he notices that the stars are suddenly being sucked through a vortex. It is then revealed to be [[Bowser]] and [[Bowser Jr.]] on a spacecraft, who are using a vacuum-like machine to suck the stars out of the sky and into containers. Upon witnessing this, Mario and the gang set out to defeat them and save the Mini Stars. After they start their journey, [[Shy Guy]] and [[Magikoopa]] are seen coming out of the woods and start following them, as part of Bowser's plan.
[[File:MP9 Bowser Stealing Mini Stars.png|left|thumb|200px|Bowser stealing the Mini Stars using a vacuum machine]]
On a night outside of [[Peach's Castle]], [[Mario]] and his friends are gathered to watch the [[Mini Star]]s glitter in the sky. As Mario peers though the telescope, he is shocked as he notices that the stars are suddenly being sucked through a vortex. It is then revealed to be [[Bowser]] and [[Bowser Jr.]] on a spacecraft, who are using a vacuum-like machine to suck the Mini Stars out of the sky and into containers. Witnessing this, the player's character rallies everyone into setting out to defeat Bowser and save the Mini Stars. As they start their journey, [[Shy Guy]] and [[Magikoopa]] appear from the woods and infiltrate their group as part of Bowser's plan.


Before each board, there is a cutscene that features Bowser admiring his collection of Mini Stars. Bowser Jr. then runs over to him to show his father the progression of Mario's group. Bowser is enraged, but summons two of his minions to stop the group before they can take all the Mini Stars. Eventually, however, the group reach Bowser's location, [[Bowser Station]], and must face Bowser Jr. before they can reach his father.
Before each board, there is a cutscene that features Bowser admiring his collection of Mini Stars (or fuming in the last two). Bowser Jr. then runs over to inform his father the progression of the player's group. Bowser is enraged, but confidently summons two of his minions to stop the group before they can take all the Mini Stars. Eventually, however, the group reaches Bowser's space lair, [[Bowser Station]], and face Bowser Jr. before battling his father.


After the final battle with Bowser, the player looks out from the stadium at Bowser's other platform, where the canisters containing all the Mini Stars burst and release them back to where they once were. As this happens, Bowser and Bowser Jr. are flying off. Bowser is mourning over the failure of his plan, which he reveals was to decorate his castle using the Mini Stars. However, upon seeing the released Mini Stars, Bowser is enraged and chases off the ones that fly near him. However, this only results in him falling out of his car; Bowser Jr. flies down to save him. Back at Peach's Castle, Mario and friends are once again gathered around the telescope to admire the Mini Stars as they glisten in the night sky.
After the final battle with Bowser, the player looks out from the stadium at Bowser's other platform, where the canisters containing all the Mini Stars burst and release them back to where they once were. As this happens, Bowser and Bowser Jr. are flying off. Bowser is mourning over the failure of his plan, which he reveals was to decorate his castle using the Mini Stars. However, upon seeing the released Mini Stars, Bowser is enraged and chases off the ones that fly near him. However, this only results in him falling out of his Koopa Clown Car; Bowser Jr. flies down to save him. Back at Peach's Castle, Mario and friends are once again gathered around the telescope to admire the Mini Stars as they glisten in the night sky.


==Gameplay==
==Gameplay==
[[File:MP9 Bob-omb explosion.jpg|thumb|200px|right|[[Waluigi]], about to lose half of his Mini Stars at [[Bob-omb Factory]].]]
[[File:MP9 Bob-omb explosion.jpg|thumb|200px|left|[[Waluigi]], about to lose half of his Mini Stars at [[Bob-omb Factory]].]]
In ''Mario Party 9'', a new form of gameplay was introduced in this game, retiring the old format seen in the prior eight titles: players move all at once through the board in a vehicle (a car in Toad Road, a magic carpet in Boo's Horror Castle and a legged machine in Bob-omb Factory, for example), still taking turns rolling, moving from a starting point to to an ending point. Instead of rolling a dice with a 1-10 on it like in the previous games, players can only roll a dice block with a 1-6 on it; however, there are other dice blocks that can be collected, which includes a dice block that allows a 1-10 roll. Instead of trying to collect coins to buy stars, players receive [[Mini Star]]s if they pass by them. While doing so, players must also try to avoid [[Mini Ztar]]s, which deduct their current amount of Mini Stars. The player who collects the most Mini Stars by the end of the game is declared the winner.
In ''Mario Party 9'', a new form of gameplay was introduced in this game, retiring the old format seen in the prior eight titles: players move all at once through the board in a vehicle (a car in Toad Road, a magic carpet in Boo's Horror Castle and a legged machine in Bob-omb Factory, for example), still taking turns rolling, moving from a starting point to an ending point. Instead of rolling a die with a 1-10 on it like in the previous games, players can only roll a dice block with a 1-6 on it; however, there are other dice blocks that can be collected, which includes a dice block that allows a 1-10 roll. Instead of trying to collect coins to buy stars, players receive [[Mini Star]]s if they pass by them. While doing so, players must also try to avoid [[Mini Ztar]]s, which deduct their current amount of Mini Stars. The player who collects the most Mini Stars by the end of the game is declared the winner.


New minigame types are introduced in the ''[[Mario Party (series)|Mario Party]]'' series, one example being 1 vs. 2 minigames against [[Bowser Jr.]] In this game, the minigames don't appear after every player has moved, but only when a player ends up on any of the spaces that triggers a minigame. Also, when receiving dice blocks, a minigame might pop up after as well. Unlike previous ''Mario Party'' games, where often only the winner(s) of a minigame receives a reward, all [[minigames]] are ranked from first to last place and generally all players receive Mini Stars, players that earn a higher position earn more Mini Stars.
New minigame types are introduced in the ''[[Mario Party (series)|Mario Party]]'' series, one example being 1 vs. 2 minigames against [[Bowser Jr.]] Unlike in previous games, players do not compete in minigames after every player has moved, instead only when a minigame is triggered from the space that is landed upon. Also, when receiving dice blocks, a minigame may pop up afterwards. Unlike previous ''Mario Party'' games, where often only the winner(s) of a minigame receives a reward, all [[minigames]] are ranked from first to last place and generally all players receive Mini Stars, with players in a higher position earning more Mini Stars.


During a party, there are two board events that are required to occur before advancing: Captain Events and Boss Battles. The former occurs whenever a player lands on a Captain Event Space. The event differs for each board, but they all allow the players to earn more Mini Stars, though the player that lands on the space always has some form of control over the event. As for Boss Battles, there are two Boss Battle Spaces on every board, one near a fortress and one at the end. During the Boss Battle minigames, players must work together to defeat a boss while attempting to increase their own individual scores, as the player with the highest score wins the minigame.
During a party, there are two board events that are required to occur before advancing: Captain Events and Boss Battles. The former occurs whenever a player arrives on a Captain Event Space. The event differs for each board, but they all allow the players to earn more Mini Stars, though the player that has started the event always has some form of control over the event, putting him or her in an advantage state. As for Boss Battles, there are two Boss Battle Spaces on every board, one near a fortress and one at the end. During the Boss Battle minigames, players must work together to defeat a boss while attempting to increase their own individual scores, as the player with the highest score wins the minigame, which gives more Mini Stars than normal.


===Modes===
===Modes===
[[File:MainMenu-MP9.png|thumb|right|The Main Menu.]]
[[File:MP9 Main Menu.png|thumb|The Main Menu]]
This ''Mario Party'' installment has 5 modes in all. They are:
 
*Party Mode
*Solo Mode
*Minigame Mode
*Museum
*Extras
 
====Party mode====
====Party mode====
Once again returning from previous ''Mario Party'' games, Party Mode involves the players going around the board like with the previous games, but changed due to the new gameplay mechanics of ''Mario Party 9''. The amount of party points that the players will earn is determined by how many Mini Stars they have at the end of the game. However, if handicaps are used, the handicap amount will not count towards the party point total; for example, if a player has a 50 Mini Star handicap, and finishes with 100 Mini Stars, they will only earn 50 party points.
Once again returning from previous ''Mario Party'' games, Party Mode involves the players going around the board like with the previous games, but changed due to the new gameplay mechanics of ''Mario Party 9''. The amount of Party Points that the players earns is determined by how many Mini Stars they have at the end of the game. However, if handicaps are used, the handicap amount does not count towards the Party Point total; for example, if a player has a 50 Mini Star handicap, and finishes with 100 Mini Stars, they only earn 50 Party Points. Notably, should a player end a game with less than 10 Mini Stars, 10 Party Points are added regardless of how low their Mini Star count is. This is independent for each player that ends with under 10 Mini Stars (for example, a 4-player game that ends with Mini Star counts of 105, 67, 60 and 3 without any handicaps gives a total of 242 Party Points although the Mini Star total is only 235).


====Solo mode====
====Solo mode====
The game's story mode, Solo Mode involves the players traveling across all six boards to defeat Bowser and save the Mini Stars. Completing Solo Mode will award the player 500 party points, and the Mini Star grand total will also be added onto the player's party point amount; for example, finishing Solo Mode with a grand total of 500 Mini Stars will award the player 1000 party points.
The game's story mode, Solo Mode, involves the players traveling across all six boards to defeat Bowser, Bowser Jr., Magikoopa, and Shy Guy and save the Mini Stars. Completing Solo Mode awards the player 500 Party Points, and the Mini Star grand total is also be added onto the player's Party Point amount; for example, finishing Solo Mode with a grand total of 500 Mini Stars awards the player 1000 Party Points. Shy Guy and Magikoopa or both appear in all six boards as CPU players competing against the player.
 
Also, instead of always playing against three other computer players in a four-player match on each board, sometimes, the player plays a three-player match against two computers, or a two-player duel match against one computer (either Magikoopa or Shy Guy). The minigames for the three-player matches are Free-for-all minigames and 1 vs 2 minigames, and all minigames in two-player matches are Free-for-all minigames, adapted for duels. The award system for minigames in a three-player match is five stars for first place, three stars for second place, and one star for third place, and the award system for minigames in a two-player duel match is five stars for first place and one star for second place. The player often has at least one ally on four boards; if they win instead of the player, then they can still continue to the next board regardless of their final position. If Magikoopa or Shy Guy wins, then they take all the Mini Stars from the other players and the player must replay the board. If Magikoopa or Shy Guy ties with the player or an ally, the player still continues to the next stage.


====Minigame mode====
====Minigame mode====
[[File:FreePlay-MP9.png|thumb|right|Free Play mode.]]
[[File:MP9 Free Play Mode.png|thumb|Free Play mode]]
[[Blue Toad (character)|Blue Toad]] is the host of Minigame Mode.
In the minigame mode, players can play various different game modes involving minigames. A blue [[Toad (species)|Toad]] is the host of Minigame Mode. When finished, all game modes award 10 Party Points, except for Free Play, which awards just 1 Party Point per finished minigame.
*'''Free Play''': In the Free Play mode, the players can play unlocked minigames freely. Each minigame rewards players "1" party point when played.
 
*[[Step It Up]]: In this mode, players must win minigames to climb stairs. The player who reaches on the top first wins.
=====Free Play=====
*[[Garden Battle]]: The players must get puzzle pieces to fill their gardens winning minigames. The player who completes it first wins.
In the Free Play mode, the players can freely play any minigames they already unlocked in Party Mode.
*[[Choice Challenge]]: All the players choose three minigames from a group of five that they would like to play. These minigames are played and the player who get more points wins.
 
*[[High Rollers]]: In this mode, the players must win minigames to roll a [[Dice Block]] to pass through a panel floor. The player who gets 500 points first wins.
=====Step It Up=====
*[[Time Attack (Mario Party 9)|Time Attack]]: The player must try to win 10 minigames as fast as he or she can.
{{quote2|Be the first player to win a certain number of minigames to become the champion!|In-game description|Mario Party 9}}
*[[Boss Rush]]: The players must defeat a series of bosses to win, similar to Boss Bash in ''[[Mario Party DS]]''.
[[File:MP9 Step It Up.png|thumb|[[Birdo]] playing Step It Up]]
Step It Up is a returning game mode from ''[[Mario Party DS]]''. As before, players must climb to the top of a staircase by winning minigames; however, in ''Mario Party 9'', this mode can be played by two or three players, players advance up to four steps when winning a minigame as opposed to one, and the last place player selects a random minigame from a roulette wheel. Some minigames, such as [[Logger Heads]], [[10 to Win]], [[Snow Go]] and [[Pizza Me, Mario]], have unique versions in this mode. In these minigames, once a player completes the goal, the minigame ends; in other modes, other players are still active even after the goal is completed. If everyone wins, everyone gets to climb the stairs. If a minigame ends in a draw, no one climbs up any stairs. Players can select whether they want 3, 5, or 7 minigame wins required for victory. Whoever gets to the top first wins and is greeted by a number of celebrating [[Whittle]]s if they get first to 3 wins. If the player gets first to 5 wins, a large silver statue of the winning character is seen. If the player gets first to 7 wins, the statue is gold.
 
The background of Step It Up resembles [[Tall Trunk Galaxy]] from ''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]'', with more Whittles clapping in the background.
 
=====Garden Battle=====
[[File:MP9 Garden Battle Mode.png|thumb|200px|Garden Battle]]
Garden Battle is a mode that can be played by up to four players. The objective in this mode is the players must fill up their garden with groups of colored plant blocks. The plant groups are randomly chosen from a large cart, and the player who places in first in the previous minigame chooses their plant groups first, followed by second place, then third, then last. If everyone is tied for either first or last place, no one puts any plant blocks. A minigame starts when a player chooses one in the minigame wheel. The player who picks the minigame is at first chosen at random, and then the succeeding choices are made by the player who places in last at the preceding minigame.
 
The plant groups must be able to fit in their garden, or the player does not have a chance to place one in the patch. The game is won when a player completely fills their garden with plants.
 
The winner has their flowers bloom with the middle one being the biggest. They then do their victory animation and the losers, as well as the yellow and blue Toad, applaud the winner. If the game is played with fewer than four players, the green Toad applauds the winner too.
;Names in other languages
{{foreign names
|Fre=Bataille de pousses
|FreM=Sprouts battle, pun on "Bataille de pouces" (thumb war)
|Spa=Batalla de jardines
|SpaM=Gardens battle
}}
 
=====Choice Challenge=====
{{quote2|Players choose three out of five minigames. Points are awarded based on the results of each minigame. The player with the highest total at the end is the champion!|In-game description|Mario Party 9}}
[[File:MP9 Choice Challenge Scoring.jpg|thumb|Choice Challenge]]
Choice Challenge is a game mode that can be played by up to four players. Five free-for-all minigames are randomly chosen, and each player selects three that they would like to play by pressing a corresponding button on the [[Wii#Wii Remote|Wii remote]]. One minigame is announced before the players make their selection as the Chance Minigame; this minigame is worth extra points for the first place player, but normal points for other players.
 
The players hide in [[Warp Pipe]]s and emerge only when a minigame they are playing is announced, so it is not clear who is competing in each until then.
 
The minigames are played in the order of how many players selected it, starting at the least and working up to the most. If only one player selects a minigame, that player is automatically awarded first place points without competing. Sometimes, a character appears out of a pipe when they are not participating in the minigame. If that happens, the blue Toad apologizes for his error and corrects the mistake.
 
Points are awarded for place in minigames, and standings are announced after each minigame. The players with the most points at the end win. The most points a player can score is 350, while the least is 30. It is possible for all four players to win. The losing players emerge out of their pipes in the order of their point totals (from lowest to highest) and perform their losing animation as their points are displayed. The winning players jump out of the golden pipe and perform their victory animation.
;Names in other languages
{{foreign names
|SpaE=Triple elección
|SpaEM=Triple choice
|Fre=Le bon choix
|FreM=The right choice
}}
 
=====High Rollers=====
{{quote2|Play minigames to determine the order in which players roll around the board to pick up points. The first player to reach 500 points is the champion!|In-game description|Mario Party 9}}
[[File:MP9 High Rollers Mode.png|thumb|200px|High Rollers]]
High Rollers is a game mode that can be played with up to four players. In this mode, players compete in a series of minigames to gain up to 500 points by rolling their cube over the panels worth 30, 20 or 10 points. The board is composed of 20 panels and the [[POW Space]] in the center. When a player rolls over a number panel, the amount of points it gives a player decreases by 10. When a panel reaches zero, after everyone moves, the blue Toad resets the panel's value to 30.
 
The number of spaces the player can move depends on what place they get in the previous minigame. First place is allowed to move four spaces, second place moves three, third place moves two, and last place only moves one. The selected player chooses a minigame by stopping the Minigame Wheel. The player who picks first is selected at random, then the succeeding choices are made by the player who finished last place in the last minigame. Any ties are settled by rolls via [[Dice Block]]s. When there are four players, if there are ties for both first place and last place, the first place players roll first and the players in last place roll next. However, if everyone finished first or last in a minigame, no one moves any spaces.
 
When a player rolls over the POW Space in the center of the board, every panel's point value is decreased by 10. If a block is at zero, then its value resets to 30. The POW Space can only be used by one player per turn, and is first active when everyone has taken their first turn.
 
Finally, when there is a 100-point gap in between players, the losing players gain a Boost item, which allows them to dash across the board, rolling over number panels and pushing off other players in their way, without using up a space to move. Players who are knocked off the board are unable to take their turn. When they do get a turn again, they land on the POW Space, activating it if it hasn't already been. If a player is blocked by other players and cannot move, they are teleported to the POW Space.
 
The game ends when one player gets 500 points or more.
 
The winner gets to go in the hot-air balloon with the blue, yellow, and green Toads while the others hang on to the string underneath the balloon.
;Names in other languages
{{foreign names
|SpaE=Bloques rodantes
|SpaEM=Rolling blocks
|Fre=Jeu de cubes
|FreM=Cube game
}}
 
=====Time Attack=====
{{main|Time Attack (Mario Party 9)}}
Time Attack is a single player mode. The objective of this mode is to beat the ten given minigames in the quickest amount of time, while earning Challenge Bonuses from completing the Bonus Objectives in each minigame. Earning a Challenge Bonus cuts three seconds off the player's completion time for that minigame.
 
=====Boss Rush=====
{{quote2|Compete for Points in a series of six or twelve Boss Battles. The Player with the most points at the end is the champion.|In-game description|Mario Party 9}}
[[File:MP9 Boss Rush Mode.png|thumb|200px|The hub of the Boss Rush game mode]]
Boss Rush is a game mode that can be unlocked by purchasing it for 500 Party Points in the museum after the player beats Solo mode, and allows up to four players. In this mode, players compete against each other in six or twelve boss minigames to see who can receive the most points at the end of the game. If the player finishes first in a minigame, they receive five points; finishing second gives them three points; third gives the player two, and fourth gives the player one.


Note: With the exception of Free Play mode, all game modes will award the players "10" party points when finished.
The player has the option to play against either the mid-bosses, the stage bosses, or all bosses. The bosses are fought in the same order as Solo Mode. [[Diddy's Banana Blast]] and [[DK's Banana Bonus]] are not fought in Boss Rush, due to the fact that despite being categorized as boss minigames, they are just bonus minigames, and Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are not faced during them. The player with the most points at the end is the winner.
;Names in other languages
{{foreign names
|SpaE=La guarida de los jefes
|SpaEM=Bosses hideout
|Fre=Galerie des boss
|FreM=Bosses gallery
}}


====Museum====
====Museum====
[[File:Constellations-MP9.png|thumb|right|Players can purchase constellations at the Museum, and then view them in the sky.]]
[[File:MP9 Constellations in the Sky.png|thumb|left|Players can purchase constellations at the Museum, and then view them in the sky.]]
The Museum is where the players can spend Party Points on various things such as [[List of constellations in Mario Party 9|Mini Star constellations]], game sounds, vehicles, extra game modes, or watch the credits. Once they return a constellation into the sky, the players can go back and see it in the sky.
The Museum is where the players can spend Party Points to buy various things such as [[List of constellations in Mario Party 9|Mini Star constellations]], game sounds, vehicles or extra game modes. They can also watch the credits from here. Once they return a constellation into the sky, the players can go to  see it in the sky.


====Extras====
====Extras====
In Extras, the player can play through various extra minigames such as an extended version of [[Goomba Bowling]], [[Castle Clearout]], or [[Shell Soccer]]. There is also a mode called [[Perspective Mode]], in which the player plays through ten minigames with a changed camera angle.
In Extras, the player can play through various extra minigames such as [[Castle Clearout]], [[Shell Soccer]] or an extended version of [[Goomba Bowling]]. There is also a mode called [[Perspective Mode]], in which the player plays through ten minigames that have a modified camera angle, making them harder to win.
{{br}}
{{br}}


==Characters==
==Characters==
{{multiple image
{{multiple image
|align = center
|align=center
|direction =horizontal
|direction=horizontal
|footer = The character selection and boss matchup screens.  
|footer=The character selection and boss matchup screens.  
|width = 200
|width=200
|image1=MP9 Character Selection.png
|alt1=The character selection screen
|image2=MP9 VS Lakitu.png
|alt2=The boss match-up screen
}}


| image1 = MP9 Character Selection.png
===Playable characters===
| alt1 = The character selection screen.
There are a total of 12 playable characters in ''Mario Party 9'', consisting of ten default characters and two unlockable characters, [[Shy Guy]] and [[Kamek|Magikoopa]], who must be unlocked by completing Solo Mode. [[Koopa Troopa|Koopa]] is fully playable for the first time in the series, while Magikoopa also makes his playable ''Mario Party'' debut. Due to their roles as opponents in Solo Mode, neither [[Shy Guy]] nor Magikoopa are playable in that mode. Shy Guy, previously playable in ''[[Mario Party 4]]'''s [[Beach Volley Folly]] minigame, is also considered a new playable character.


| image2 = VSBoss-Lakitu-MP9.png
{|class="wikitable"cellpadding="0"style="margin: 0 auto;text-align: center"
| alt2 = The boss match-up screen.}}
![[File:MP9 Mario Icon.png|24px]][[Mario]]
 
![[File:MP9 Luigi Icon.png|24px]][[Luigi]]
===Playable characters===
![[File:MP9 Peach Icon.png|24px]][[Princess Peach|Peach]]
{| class="wikitable" cellpadding="0" style="margin: 0 auto;text-align: center"
![[File:MP9 Daisy Icon.png|24px]][[Princess Daisy|Daisy]]
![[File:MP9 Mario Icon.png|24px]] [[Mario]]
![[File:MP9 Wario Icon.png|24px]][[Wario]]
![[File:MP9 Luigi Icon.png|24px]] [[Luigi]]
![[File:MP9 Waluigi Icon.png|24px]][[Waluigi]]
![[File:MP9 Peach Icon.png|24px]] [[Peach]]
![[File:MP9 Daisy Icon.png|24px]] [[Daisy]]
![[File:MP9 Wario Icon.png|24px]] [[Wario]]
![[File:MP9 Waluigi Icon.png|24px]] [[Waluigi]]
|-
|-
|[[File:MP9 Select Mario.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Mario Character Select Sprite 1.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Select Luigi.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Luigi Character Select Sprite 1.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Select Peach.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Peach Character Select Sprite 1.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Select Daisy.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Daisy Character Select Sprite 1.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Select Wario.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Wario Character Select Sprite 1.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Select Waluigi.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Waluigi Character Select Sprite 1.png|75px]]
|-
|-
![[File:MP9 Yoshi Icon.png|24px]] [[Yoshi]]
![[File:MP9 Yoshi Icon.png|24px]][[Yoshi]]
![[File:MP9 Birdo Icon.png|24px]] [[Birdo]]
![[File:MP9 Birdo Icon.png|24px]][[Birdo]]
![[File:MP9 Toad Icon.png|24px]] [[Toad]]
![[File:MP9 Toad Icon.png|24px]][[Toad]]
![[File:MP9 Koopa Icon.png|24px]] [[Koopa]]*
![[File:MP9 Koopa Icon.png|24px]][[Koopa Troopa|Koopa]]*
![[File:MP9 Shy Icon.png|24px]] [[Shy Guy]]**
![[File:MP9 Shy Guy Icon.png|24px]][[Shy Guy]]*
![[File:MP9 Kamek Icon.png|24px]] [[Magikoopa]]**
![[File:MP9 Magikoopa Icon.png|24px]][[Kamek|Magikoopa]]*
|-
|-
|[[File:MP9 Select Yoshi.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Yoshi Character Select Sprite 1.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Select Birdo.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Birdo Character Select Sprite 1.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Select Toad.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Toad Character Select Sprite 1.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Select Koopa.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Koopa Troopa Character Select Sprite 1.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Select Shy.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Shy Guy Character Select Sprite 1.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Select Kamek.png|75px]]
|[[File:MP9 Magikoopa Character Select Sprite 1.png|75px]]
|-
|colspan="6" style="text-align: center;"|*Newcomer<br>**Newcomer that must be unlocked through Solo Mode<br>'''Note:''''' [[Magikoopa]] is named [[Kamek]] in the PAL version.''
|-
|-
|colspan="6"style="text-align: center;"|*Newcomer<br>'''Note:''''' [[Magikoopa]] is named [[Kamek]] in the British English version.''
|}
|}


===Bosses===
===Bosses===
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 75%; margin: 0 auto;text-align:center"
{|class="wikitable"style="width: 75%; margin: 0 auto;text-align:center"
!style="width: 5%; background-color: #ddd;"|Toad Road
!style="width: 5%; background-color: #ddd;"|Toad Road
!style="width: 5%; background-color: #ddd;"|Bob-omb Factory
!style="width: 5%; background-color: #ddd;"|Bob-omb Factory
Line 124: Line 194:
!style="width: 5%; background-color: #ddd;"|DK's Jungle Ruins
!style="width: 5%; background-color: #ddd;"|DK's Jungle Ruins
|-
|-
!colspan="7" style="background-color: #e5e5e5;"|Mid-Bosses
!colspan="7"style="background-color: #e5e5e5;"|Mid-bosses
|-
|-
![[File:MP9 Lakitu Icon.png|16px]] [[Lakitu]]
![[File:MP9 Lakitu Icon.png|16px]][[Lakitu]]
![[File:MP9 Whomp Icon.png|16px]] [[Whomp]]
![[File:MP9 Whomp Icon.png|16px]][[Whomp]]
![[File:MP9 Dry Bones Icon.png|16px]] [[Dry Bones]]
![[File:MP9 Dry Bones Icon.png|16px]][[Dry Bones]]
![[File:MP9 Cheep Icon.png|16px]] [[Cheep-Cheep]]
![[File:MP9 Cheep Cheep Icon.png|16px]][[Cheep Cheep]]
![[File:MP9 Spike Icon.png|16px]] [[Spike]]
![[File:MP9 Spike Icon.png|16px]][[Spike]]
![[File:MP9 Bowser Jr. Icon.png|16px]] [[Bowser Jr.]]
![[File:MP9 Bowser Jr Icon.png|16px]][[Bowser Jr.]]
![[File:DiddyKong-Icon-MP9.png|x16px]] [[Diddy Kong]]
![[File:MP9 Diddy Kong Icon.png|x16px]][[Diddy Kong]]
|-
|-
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Lakitu Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Lakitu Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Whomp Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Whomp Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Dry Bones Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Dry Bones Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Cheep Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Cheep Cheep Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Spike Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Spike Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Bowser Jr. Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Bowser Jr Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:DiddyKong-Boss-MP9.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Diddy Kong Render.png|75px]]
|-
|-
!colspan="7" style="background-color: #e5e5e5;"|Stage Bosses
!colspan="7"style="background-color: #e5e5e5;"|Stage bosses
|-
|-
![[File:MP9 Wiggler Icon.png|16px]] [[Wiggler]]
![[File:MP9 Wiggler Icon.png|16px]][[Wiggler]]
![[File:MP9 Big Bob-omb Icon.png|16px]] [[Big Bob-omb|King Bob-omb]]
![[File:MP9 King Bob-omb Icon.png|16px]][[King Bob-omb]]
![[File:MP9 King Boo Icon.png|16px]] [[King Boo]]
![[File:MP9 King Boo Icon.png|16px]][[King Boo]]
![[File:MP9 Blooper Icon.png|16px]] [[Blooper]]
![[File:MP9 Blooper Icon.png|16px]][[Blooper]]
![[File:MP9 Chain Chomp Icon.png|16px]] [[Chain Chomp]]
![[File:MP9 Chain Chomp Icon.png|16px]][[Chain Chomp]]
![[File:MP9 Bowser Icon.png|16px]] [[Bowser]]
![[File:MP9 Bowser Icon.png|16px]][[Bowser]]
![[File:DonkeyKong-Icon-MP9.png|x16px]] [[Donkey Kong]]
![[File:MP9 Donkey Kong Icon.png|x16px]][[Donkey Kong]]
|-
|-
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Wiggler Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Wiggler Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Big Bob-omb Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 King Bob-omb Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 King Boo Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 King Boo Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Blooper Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Blooper Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Chain Chomp Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Chain Chomp Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Bowser Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Bowser Bust.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:DonkeyKong-Boss-MP9.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Donkey Kong Render.png|75px]]
|-
|colspan="7" style="text-align: center;"|'''Note #1:''''' [[Big Bob-omb|King Bob-omb]] is called Big Bob-omb in the European version.''<br>'''Note #2:''''' In the case of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, they are not featured in the Boss Rush and are not actual bosses, but their respective minigames (DK's Banana Bonus and Diddy's Banana Blast) are considered to be Boss Minigames for the respective board.''
|-
|-
|colspan="7"style="text-align: center;"|'''Note #1:''''' [[King Bob-omb]] is called Big Bob-omb in the British English version.''<br>'''Note #2:''''' In the case of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, they are not featured in the Boss Rush because they are not actual bosses, but their respective minigames (DK's Banana Bonus and Diddy's Banana Blast) are considered to be Boss Minigames for the respective board.''
|}
|}


Line 167: Line 236:
{|
{|
|
|
*[[Yellow Toad (character)|Yellow Toad]]
*[[Toad (species)|Toad]]s
*[[Toad (species)|Green Toad]]
*[[Blue Toad (character)|Blue Toad]]
*[[Goomba]]s
*[[Goomba]]s
*[[Dry Bones]]
*[[Dry Bones]]
*[[Whittle]]s
*[[Whittle]]s
*[[Pianta]]s
*[[Pianta]]s
*[[Cheep-Cheep]]s
*[[Cheep Cheep]]s
*[[Bob-omb]]s
|
|
*[[Bob-omb]]s
*[[Urchin]]s
*[[Urchin]]s
*[[Boo]]s
*[[Boo]]s
Line 187: Line 254:
*[[Sushi]]
*[[Sushi]]
*[[Huckit Crab]]s
*[[Huckit Crab]]s
*[[Gull|Seagull]]s
*[[Swoop]]ers
*[[Swooper]]s
*[[Monty Mole]]s
*[[Monty Mole]]s
*[[Hammer Bro]]s.
*[[Hammer Bro]]s.
Line 197: Line 263:
*[[Spike]]s
*[[Spike]]s
*[[Mr. Blizzard]]s
*[[Mr. Blizzard]]s
*[[Fishbone]]s
*[[Fish Bone]]s
*[[Deep-Cheep]]s
*[[Deep Cheep|Deep-Cheep]]s
*[[Thwomp]]s
*[[Thwomp]]s
*[[Scaredy Rat]]
*[[Scaredy Rat]]s
|}
|}


==Stages==
==Boards==
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 100%;"
'''Note:''' There are three different exclusive vehicles for each board, one available from the start and the other two purchasable from the Museum for 200 Party Points each. They all function identically, but their type depends on the board (for example, cars are used throughout Toad Road). The third vehicle is  based off of the stage boss.
{|class="wikitable"style="width: 100%;"
!Stage
!Stage
!Description
!Description
!width=10%|Captain Event(s)
!width=10%|Captain Event(s)
|-
|[[File:MP9 Toad Road.png|200px]]
|rowspan="2"|{{anchor|Toad Mobile}}{{anchor|Rickety Ride}}{{anchor|Wiggler Wagon}}'''Toad Road''' is the first stage in the game, and thus it is a simple stage with almost no gimmicks. It is designed after [[World 1 (New Super Mario Bros. Wii)|World 1]] from ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'', and features lush grassland, flowers and windmills. A broken bridge prevents players from moving forward, and if the players fail to roll a certain total number, they fall to a lower route filled with [[Mini Ztar Space]]s.
{|align=center
|align=center colspan=3|Vehicles (cars)
|-
|[[File:MP9ToadMobile.png|100px]]
|[[File:MP9Rickety Ride.png|100px]]
|[[File:MP9Wiggler Wagon.png|100px]]
|-
!align=center|<small>Toad Mobile
!align=center|<small>Rickety Ride
!align=center|<small>Wiggler Wagon
|}
|rowspan="2"|[[Toad Road#9 Island|9 Island]]
|-
|-
|style="text-align: center; background-color: #eee;"|[[Toad Road]]
|style="text-align: center; background-color: #eee;"|[[Toad Road]]
|rowspan="2"|'''Toad Road''' is the first stage in the game, and thus it is a simple stage with almost no gimmicks. It is designed after ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'', and features lush grassland, flowers and windmills. A broken bridge prevents players from moving forward, and if the Energy Meter does not add up, the players will fall to a lower route with [[Mini Ztar Space]]s.
|rowspan="2"|[[Toad Road#9 Island|9 Island]]
|-
|-
|[[File:MP9 Toad Road.png|200px]]
|[[File:MP9 Bob-omb Factory.png|200px]]
|rowspan="2"|{{anchor|Factory Walker}}{{anchor|Gear Shifter}}{{anchor|King Bob-omb Bus}}'''Bob-omb Factory''' is the second stage in ''Mario Party 9''. Players move around a room full of conveyor belts, and if the Captain lands on an Event Space, the conveyor belts move the group of players around, but also the various spaces. [[Bob-omb]]s occasionally intrude the players' game. Whenever a Bob-omb explodes, the Captain loses half of their Mini Stars.
{|align=center
|align=center colspan=3|Vehicles (quadruped vehicles)
|-
|[[File:MP9FactoryWalker.png|100px]]
|[[File:MP9GearShifter.png|100px]]
|[[File:MP9BigBob-ombBus.png|100px]]
|-
!align=center|<small>Factory Walker
!align=center|<small>Gear Shifter
!align=center|<small>King Bob-omb Bus
|}
|rowspan="2"|[[Bob-omb Factory#Side-by-Side Zone|Side-by-Side Zone]]
|-
|-
|style="text-align: center; background-color: #eee;"|[[Bob-omb Factory]]
|style="text-align: center; background-color: #eee;"|[[Bob-omb Factory]]
|rowspan="2"|'''Bob-omb Factory''' is the second stage in ''Mario Party 9''. Players move around a room full of conveyor belts, and if the Captain lands on an Event Space, the conveyor belts will move the group of players around, including spaces. [[Bob-omb]]s will occasionally intrude a player's game. Whatever the Captain happens to stop the Bob-omb's countdown, half of the Captain's Mini Stars are lost.
|rowspan="2"|[[Bob-omb Factory#Side-by-Side Zone|Side-by-Side Zone]]
|-
|-
|[[File:MP9 Bob-omb Factory.png|200px]]
|[[File:MP9 Boo's Horror Castle.png|200px]]
|rowspan="2"|{{anchor|Flying Carpet}}{{anchor|Float Mattress}}{{anchor|Boo Blanket}}'''Boo's Horror Castle''' is the third stage in ''Mario Party 9''. Players move throughout a big castle, which is haunted with [[Boo]]s. After a Captain passes a Boo Portrait, a Boo comes out of it. If a Captain is caught by a Boo, the Boo will steal half of their Mini Stars. Boos follow the players until they leave the current hallway, or enter an alternative room with lights. Before the players can face the boss, the Captain must roll a higher number than the specified numeral on the gate.
{|align=center
|align=center colspan=3|Vehicles (floating carriers)
|-
|[[File:MP9FlyingCarpet.png|100px]]
|[[File:MP9FloatMattress.png|100px]]
|[[File:MP9BooBlanket.png|100px]]
|-
!align=center|<small>Flying Carpet
!align=center|<small>Float Mattress
!align=center|<small>Boo Blanket
|}
|rowspan="2"|[[Boo's Horror Castle#Scaredy Rat Race|Scaredy Rat Race]]
|-
|-
|style="text-align: center; background-color: #eee;"|[[Boo's Horror Castle]]
|style="text-align: center; background-color: #eee;"|[[Boo's Horror Castle]]
|rowspan="2"|'''Boo's Horror Castle''' is the third stage in ''Mario Party 9''. Players move throughout a big castle, which is haunted with [[Boo]]s. After a Captain passes a Boo Portrait, a Boo will come out of it. If a Captain is caught by a Boo, then a Boo will take away half of their Mini Stars. Boos will follow the players until they leave the current hallway, or enter an alternative room with lights. Before the players can face the boss, the Captain must roll a number higher than the specified numeral on the gate.
|rowspan="2"|[[Boo's Horror Castle#Scaredy Rat Race|Scaredy Rat Race]]
|-
|-
|[[File:MP9 Boo's Horror Castle.png|200px]]
|[[File:MP9 Blooper Beach.png|200px]]
|rowspan="2"|{{anchor|Sub Baleen}}{{anchor|Coral Explorer}}{{anchor|Blooper Boat}}'''Blooper Beach''' is the fourth stage in ''Mario Party 9''. Players travel along an ocean to reach the end goal. If a Captain passes by a [[Dolphin]], they get five Mini Stars. However, a [[Sushi]] takes away half of the Captain's Mini Stars. [[Huckit Crab]]s turn all the Mini Stars on the stage into Mini Ztars if a Captain lands on an [[Happening Space|Event Space]], and vice versa if they land on it again.
{|align=center
|align=center colspan=3|Vehicles (boats)
|-
|[[File:MP9SubBaleen.png|100px]]
|[[File:MP9CoralExplorer.png|100px]]
|[[File:MP9BlooperBoat.png|100px]]
|-
!align=center|<small>Sub Baleen</small>{{footnote|main|1}}
!align=center|<small>Coral Explorer
!align=center|<small>Blooper Boat
|}
|rowspan="2"|[[Blooper Beach#Sunken Treasure|Sunken Treasure]]
|-
|-
|style="text-align: center; background-color: #eee;"|[[Blooper Beach]]
|style="text-align: center; background-color: #eee;"|[[Blooper Beach]]
|rowspan="2"|'''Blooper Beach''' is the fourth stage in ''Mario Party 9''. Players travel along an ocean to reach the end goal. If a Captain passes by a [[Dolphin]], he or she will get five Mini Stars. However, [[Sushi]]s will take away half of the Captain's Mini Stars. [[Huckit Crab]]s will turn all the Mini Stars on the stage into Mini Ztars if a Captain lands on an [[Happening Space|Event Space]], and vice versa if they land on it again.
|rowspan="2"|[[Blooper Beach#Sunken Treasure|Sunken Treasure]]
|-
|-
|[[File:MP9 Blooper Beach.png|200px]]
|[[File:MP9 Magma Mine Start.png|200px]]
|rowspan="2"|{{anchor|Shaky Mine Cart}}{{anchor|Bone Barrow}}{{anchor|Chain Chomp Coupe}}'''Magma Mine''' is the fifth stage in ''Mario Party 9''. This stage takes place in an active volcano where players mainly travel up and out of the vent. Players must escape rising magma that rises two spaces each turn, and is increased further if a Captain lands on a Magma Space. The Captain must avoid getting hit by magma, or they lose half of their Mini Stars. In Solo Mode, both [[Kamek|Magikoopa]] and [[Shy Guy]] will appear; if they are the only opponents, this ensures the player will have to be the Superstar to move on.
{|align=center
|align=center colspan=3|Vehicles (wagons)
|-
|[[File:MP9ShakyMineCart.png|100px]]
|[[File:MP9BoneBarrow.png|100px]]
|[[File:MP9ChainChompCoupe.png|100px]]
|-
!align=center|<small>Shaky Mine Cart
!align=center|<small>Bone Barrow</small>{{footnote|main|2}}
!align=center|<small>Chain Chomp Coupe
|}
|rowspan="2"|[[Magma Mine#Dice Block Chicken|Dice Block Chicken]]
|-
|-
|style="text-align: center; background-color: #eee;"|[[Magma Mine]]
|style="text-align: center; background-color: #eee;"|[[Magma Mine]]
|rowspan="2"|'''Magma Mine''' is the fifth stage in ''Mario Party 9''. This stage takes place in an active volcano where players mainly travel up and out of the vent. Players must escape rising magma that rises two spaces each turn, and is increased further if a Captain lands on a Magma Space. The Captain must avoid getting hit by magma, or the Captain will lose half their Mini Stars.
|rowspan="2"|[[Magma Mine#Dice Block Chicken|Dice Block Chicken]]
|-
|-
|[[File:MP9 Magma Mine.png|200px]]
|[[File:MP9 Bowser Station.png|200px]]
|rowspan="2"|{{anchor|Space Scuttle}}{{anchor|Shiny Saucer}}{{anchor|Starship Bowser}}'''Bowser Station''' is the sixth stage in ''Mario Party 9''. [[Bowser Jr.]] and [[Bowser]] are the stage's mid-boss and boss, respectively. A Jackpot Machine here increases in Mini Stars if a Captain lands on a Jackpot+ Space. If the Jackpot Machine happens to have 20 or more Mini Stars, a Jackpot Minigame commences, with the total prize being the Mini Stars in the machine. Oddly enough, this stage has no actual hazards. In Solo Mode, both [[Kamek|Magikoopa]] and [[Shy Guy]] appear; if they are the only opponents, this ensures the player will have to be the Superstar to move on.
{|align=center
|align=center colspan=3|Vehicles (spaceships)
|-
|[[File:MP9SpaceScuttle.png|100px]]
|[[File:MP9ShinySaucer.png|100px]]
|[[File:MP9StarshipBowser.png|100px]]
|-
|-
|style="text-align: center; background-color: #eee;"|[[Bowser Station]]
!align=center|<small>Space Scuttle</small>{{footnote|main|3}}
|rowspan="2"|'''Bowser Station''' is the sixth stage in ''Mario Party 9''. [[Bowser Jr.]] and [[Bowser]] are the stage's mid-boss and boss, respectively. A Jackpot Machine here will increase in Mini Stars if a Captain lands on a Jackpot+ Space. If the Jackpot Machine happens to have 20 or more Mini Stars, a Jackpot Minigame will commence. Oddly enough, this stage has no actual hazards.
!align=center|<small>Shiny Saucer
!align=center|<small>Starship Bowser
|}
|rowspan="2"|[[Bowser Station#Heart Star Colony|Heart Star Colony]]<br>[[Bowser Station#Bingo Colony|Bingo Colony]]<br>[[Bowser Station#Speed Star Colony|Speed Star Colony]]
|rowspan="2"|[[Bowser Station#Heart Star Colony|Heart Star Colony]]<br>[[Bowser Station#Bingo Colony|Bingo Colony]]<br>[[Bowser Station#Speed Star Colony|Speed Star Colony]]
|-
|-
|[[File:MP9 Bowser Station.png|200px]]
|style="text-align: center; background-color: #eee;"|[[Bowser Station]] (unlockable)
|-
|[[File:MP9 DK's Jungle Ruins.png|200px]]
|rowspan="2"|{{anchor|Barrel Roller}}{{anchor|Jungle Junker}}{{anchor|DK's Banana Slider}}'''DK's Jungle Ruins''' is the seventh stage in ''Mario Party 9'', which can be purchased from the Museum for 500 Party Points. Instead of collecting Mini Stars, players collect [[Banana]]s while trying to avoid [[Z-Banana]]s. Players must make two laps around the stage to complete a game. Bananas and Z-Bananas are placed on each space rather than between them. The actual Boss Minigames in this stage are done in form of a bonus minigame to collect Bananas. These games are hosted by [[Diddy Kong]] and [[Donkey Kong]] respectively.
{|align=center
|align=center colspan=3|Vehicles (four-wheel drive)
|-
|[[File:MP9BarrelRoller.png|100px]]
|[[File:MP9JungleJunker.png|100px]]
|[[File:MP9DK'sBananaSlider.png|100px]]
|-
|-
|style="text-align: center; background-color: #eee;"|[[DK's Jungle Ruins]]
!align=center|<small>Barrel Roller
|rowspan="2"|'''DK's Jungle Ruins''' is the seventh stage in ''Mario Party 9'', which can be purchased from the Museum for 500 Party Points. Instead of collecting Mini Stars, players collect [[Banana]]s while trying to avoid [[Z-Banana]]s. Players make two laps around the stage before completing the whole set. Bananas and Z-Bananas are placed on each space rather than inbetween. The actual Boss Minigames in this stage are done in form of a bonus minigame to collect Bananas. These games are supported by [[Diddy Kong]] and [[Donkey Kong]] respectively.
!align=center|<small>Jungle Junker
!align=center|<small>DK's Banana Slider
|}
|rowspan="2"|[[DK's Jungle Ruins#Barrel Choice|Barrel Choice]]
|rowspan="2"|[[DK's Jungle Ruins#Barrel Choice|Barrel Choice]]
|-
|-
|[[File:MP9 DK's Jungle Ruins.png|200px]]
|style="text-align: center; background-color: #eee;"|[[DK's Jungle Ruins]] (unlockable)
|-
|}
|}
{{footnote|note|1|Pun on "{{wp|submarine}}" and "{{wp|baleen}}"}}
{{footnote|note|2|Pun on "{{wp|bone marrow}}" and "{{wp|Wheelbarrow|barrow}}"}}
{{footnote|note|3|Pun on "{{wp|space shuttle}}" and "{{wp|scuttle}}"}}


==Minigames==
==Minigames==
[[File:MP9 4-Player Logger Heads.png|thumb|[[Logger Heads]], one of the minigames in ''Mario Party 9''|260px]]
{{main|List of Mario Party 9 minigames}}
{{main|List of Mario Party 9 minigames}}
''Mario Party 9'' has a total of 78 main minigames, as well as [[Castle Clearout]], [[Shell Soccer]] and an extended version of [[Goomba Bowling]] playable only in Extra Mode. There are 44 Free-for-all minigames, 10 1-vs-Rivals minigames, 14 Boss Minigames (Including [[Diddy's Banana Blast]] and [[DK's Banana Bonus]]), and 10 newly-introduced Bowser Jr. minigames, in which two players team up against [[Bowser Jr.]] All of the minigames, apart from the extra ones, are playable during various events in the parties, in the various modes of Minigame Mode and a select ten with a single player in the new [[Perspective Mode]], which uses a different camera angle from the one normally seen when playing the minigames.
{{br}}


==Items==
==Items==
Instead of more traditional items, ''Mario Party 9''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s items consist entirely of [[Dice Block]]s, allowing the user to roll a specific number more easily from a specific range of values. These can be obtained by landing on a [[Dice Block Space]].
Instead of more traditional items, ''Mario Party 9''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s items consist entirely of [[Dice Block]]s, allowing the user to roll a specific number more easily from a specific range of values. These can be obtained by landing on a [[Special Dice Block Space|Dice Block Space]].
 
{|class="wikitable"style="width: 75%; margin: 0 auto;text-align:center"
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 75%; margin: 0 auto;text-align:center"
!Item
!Item
!Image
!Image
Line 265: Line 413:
|-
|-
|[[Dice Block]]
|[[Dice Block]]
|[[File:Diceblock MP9.png|100px]]
|[[File:MP9 Dice Block Artwork.png|100px]]
|Dice Block numbered 1 to 6.
|Dice Block numbered 1 to 6. The dice rolled if no items are used. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
|-
|-
|[[Slow Dice Block]]
|[[Slow Dice Block]]
|[[File:MP9 Slow Dice Block.png|100px]]
|[[File:MP9 Slow Dice Block.png|100px]]
|Dice Block numbered 1 to 6 that rolls slowly to allow for ease of rolling a specific number.
|Dice Block numbered 1 to 6 that rolls slowly to allow for ease of rolling a specific number. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
|-
|-
|[[0-1 Dice Block]]
|[[0-1 Dice Block]]
|[[File:0-1 DiceBlock.png|100px]]
|[[File:0-1 DiceBlock.png|100px]]
|Dice Block numbered 0 to 1.
|Dice Block numbered 0 to 1. (0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1)
|-
|-
|[[1-2-3 Dice Block]]
|[[1-2-3 Dice Block]]
|[[File:Mp9123die.png|100px]]
|[[File:MP9 1-2-3 Dice Block Artwork.png|100px]]
|Dice Block numbered 1 to 3.
|Dice Block numbered 1 to 3. (1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3)
|-
|-
|[[4-5-6 Dice Block]]
|[[4-5-6 Dice Block]]
|[[File:4-5-6 DiceBlock.png|100px]]
|[[File:4-5-6 DiceBlock.png|100px]]
|Dice Block numbered 4 to 6.
|Dice Block numbered 4 to 6. (4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6)
|-
|-
|[[1-10 Dice Block]]
|[[1-10 Dice Block]]
|[[File:Tendiceblock.png]]
|[[File:MP9 1-10 Dice Block Artwork.png]]
|Dice Block numbered 1 to 10.
|Dice Block numbered 1 to 10. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
|}
|}


==Spaces==
==Spaces==
[[File:Mp9febtrailer37.png|thumb|200px|[[Magma Mine]]]]
[[File:MP9 Prerelease Magma Mine.png|thumb|200px|[[Magma Mine]]]]
When a player lands on a space, something is going to happen. Each space has its own effect, but like in previous ''Mario Party'' games, every space is colour-coded. The colour of the space will tell what kind of event is going to happen.
When a player lands on a space, something is going to happen. Each space has its own effect, but like in previous ''Mario Party'' games, every space is color-coded. The color of the space tells what kind of event is going to happen.
*Normal Spaces
*Normal Spaces
**'''Blue Spaces''' - Triggers good events and will help the player who landed on it.
**'''Blue Spaces''' - Triggers good events and helps the player who landed on it.
**'''Red Spaces''' - Trigger bad events and will hinder the player who landed on it.
**'''Red Spaces''' - Trigger bad events and hinders the player who landed on it.
**'''Green Spaces''' - Neutral spaces that often lets one or all players attend an event that can either help or hinder the player.
**'''Green Spaces''' - Neutral spaces that often lets one or all players attend an event that can either help or hinder the player.
**'''Yellow Spaces''' - Trigger minigames when landed on.
**'''Yellow Spaces''' - Trigger minigames when landed on.
**'''White Spaces''' - Adds Mini Stars to the Jackpot on the ''Bowser Station'' board.
**'''White Spaces''' - Adds Mini Stars to the Jackpot on the Bowser Station board.
*Star Spaces
*Star Spaces
**'''Mini Star Spaces''' - Gives Mini Stars to the player who landed on it.
**'''Mini Star Spaces''' - Gives Mini Stars to the player who landed on it.
**'''Mini Ztar Spaces''' - Takes Mini Stars from the player who landed on it.
**'''Mini Ztar Spaces''' - Takes Mini Stars from the player who landed on it.
If the player moves over a space with a half cross on it, he or she automatically stops at that space and an event starts. The only two spaces of this kind are the Boss Space and the Captain Event Space.
If the player moves over a space with a prohibitory sign on it, they automatically stops at that space and an event starts. The only two spaces of this kind are the Boss Space and the Captain Event Space.


Because of the new rules in ''Mario Party 9'', there are many new spaces introduced. Some old spaces returned as well, but some have a different effect (for example the [[Blue Space]]). With a total of 21 different kind of spaces, ''Mario Party 9'' has the most spaces of the series. Also for the first time in the ''Mario Party'' series, some spaces are unique for a specific board.  Here is a list of all the spaces in the game, with what kind of effect they have.
Because of the new rules in ''Mario Party 9'', there are many new spaces introduced. Some old spaces returned as well, but some have a different effect (for example the [[Blue Space]]). With a total of 21 different kind of spaces, ''Mario Party 9'' has the most spaces of the series. Also for the first time in the ''Mario Party'' series, some spaces are unique for a specific board.  Here is a list of all the spaces in the game, with what kind of effect they have.
 
{|class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan="2"|Space
!colspan="2"|Space
!Effect
!Effect
Line 312: Line 459:
!colspan="4"|Appears on all boards  
!colspan="4"|Appears on all boards  
|-
|-
|[[Green Space (Nd Cube)|Green Space]]
|[[Green Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Green Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Green Space.png|30px]]
|Nothing happens when you land here.
|Nothing happens when the player lands here.
|Common
|Common
|-
|-
|[[Dice Block Space]]
|[[Special Dice Block Space|Dice Block Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Dice Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Special Dice Block Space.png|30px]]
|Land here to receive a Special [[Dice Block]].
|The player landing here receives a special [[Dice Block]].
|Common
|Common
|-
|-
|[[Lucky Space]]
|[[Lucky Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Lucky Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Lucky Space.png|30px]]
|If you land here, something good will happen.
|Something good happens to the player landing here.
|Semi-Common
|Semi-Common
|-
|-
|[[Unlucky Space]]
|[[Unlucky Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Unlucky Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Unlucky Space.png|30px]]
|If you land here, something bad will happen.
|Something bad happens if the player lands here.
|Rare
|Rare
|-
|-
|[[Event Space]]
|[[Event Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Happening Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Happening Space.png|30px]]
|If you land here, a special event will occur.
|As the player lands here, a special event occurs.
|Uncommon
|Uncommon
|-
|-
|[[Shuffle Space]]
|[[Change Space|Shuffle Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Alternate Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Shuffle Space.png|30px]]
|The orders of Captains change.
|The players' order to become Captain changes.
|Semi-Common (None when playing with 2 players)
|Semi-Common (None when playing with 2 players)
|-
|-
|[[Dash Space]]
|[[Dash Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Forward Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Dash Space.png|30px]]
|If you land here, you will have to hit a Dice Block to go forward.
|The player landing here can move again by hitting another Dice Block.
|Uncommon
|Uncommon
|-
|-
|[[Back Space]]
|[[Back Space (random)|Back Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Reverse Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Back Space.png|30px]]
|If you land here, you will have to hit a Dice Block to go backward.
|The player landing here has to move backwards by hitting a Dice Block again.
|Uncommon
|Uncommon
|-
|-
|[[Miracle Space|Spin Space]]
|[[Spin Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Random Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Spin Space.png|30px]]
|If you land here, something special will happen!
|Something special happens to the player landing here, helping them.
|Uncommon
|Uncommon
|-
|-
Line 360: Line 507:
|[[Bowser Space]]
|[[Bowser Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Bowser Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Bowser Space.png|30px]]
|If you land here...
|If the player lands here, they summon Bowser to hinder them.
|Uncommon (Common near the end of stages)
|Uncommon (Common near the end of stages)
|-
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Mini Star Space]]
|rowspan="4"|[[Mini Star Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 +1MiniStar Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Plus 1 Mini Star Space.png|30px]]
|If you land here, you'll get Mini Stars.
|The player landing here receives the number of Mini Stars over the space.
|rowspan="4"|Rare
|rowspan="4"|Rare
|-
|-
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 +2MiniStar Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Plus 2 Mini Stars Space.png|30px]]
|If you land here, you'll get Mini Stars.
|If the player lands here, they get 2 Mini Stars.
|-
|-
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 +3MiniStars Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Plus 3 Mini Stars Space.png|30px]]
|If you land here, you'll get Mini Stars.
|If the player lands here, they get 3 Mini Stars.
|-
|-
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 +5MiniStars Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Plus 5 Mini Stars Space.png|30px]]
|If you land here, you'll get Mini Stars.
|If the player lands here, they get 5 Mini Stars.
|-
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Mini Ztar Space]]
|rowspan="4"|[[Mini Ztar Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 +1MiniZtars Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Plus 1 Mini Ztar Space.png|30px]]
|If you land here, you'll lose Mini Stars.
|If the player lands here, they lose Mini Stars.
|rowspan="4"|Rare
|rowspan="4"|Rare
|-
|-
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 +2MiniZtars Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Plus 2 Mini Ztars Space.png|30px]]
|If you land here, you'll lose Mini Stars.
|If the player lands here, they lose 2 Mini Stars.
|-
|-
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 +3MiniZtars Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Plus 3 Mini Ztars Space.png|30px]]
|If you land here, you'll lose Mini Stars.
|If the player lands here, they lose 3 Mini Stars.
|-
|-
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 +5MiniZtars Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Plus 5 Mini Ztars Space.png|30px]]
|If you land here, you'll lose Mini Stars.
|If the player lands here, they lose 5 Mini Stars.
|-
|-
|[[Captain Event Space]]
|[[Captain Event Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Captain Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Captain Space.png|30px]]
|Land here to start a Captain Event. This space cannot be skipped.
|Arriving at or landing on this space triggers a Captain Event and will automatically end the Captain's turn on this space.
|1 on each stage. 2 on [[Blooper Beach]] and [[Magma Mine]]. 3 on [[Bowser Station]].
|1 on each stage except for [[Blooper Beach]] and [[Magma Mine]], which have 2, and [[Bowser Station]], which has 3.
|-
|-
|[[Boss Battle Space]]
|[[Boss Battle Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Boss Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Boss Space.png|30px]]
|You will automatically stop here and fight in a Boss Battle.
|Arriving at or landing on this space triggers a Boss Battle and will automatically end the Captain's turn on this space.
|2 on each stage
|2 on each stage
|-
|-
|[[Free-for-All Space]]
|[[Free-for-All Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 VS Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 VS Space.png|30px]]
|If you land here, everybody will compete in a minigame against each other.
|If the player lands here, everyone competes in a minigame.
|Semi-Common
|Semi-Common
|-
|-
|[[1-Vs-3 Space|1-vs-Rival Space]]
|[[1-Vs-3 Space|1-vs-Rival Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 1vs3.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 1-Vs-3 Space Sprite.png|30px]]
|If you land here, a 1-vs-Rival minigame with 3 players will be triggered. The Captain is the solo player.
|If the player lands here, they trigger a 1-vs-Rival minigame with them being the solo player.
|Uncommon (None when playing with 2 players)
|Uncommon (None when playing with 2 players)
|-
|-
|[[Bowser Jr. Space]]
|[[Bowser Jr. Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Bowser Jr Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Bowser Jr Space.png|30px]]
|Triggers a Bowser Jr. minigame where the Captain and a randomly-chosen ally must defeat him.
|If the player lands here, they and another randomly-chosen player take part in a Bowser Jr. minigame.
|Uncommon (None when playing with 2 players)
|Uncommon (None when playing with 2 players)
|-
|-
|[[Battle Space]]
|[[Battle Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Competition Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Battle Space.png|30px]]
|A minigame will commence in which all players must participate. Mini Stars are distributed differently from regular minigames.
|A minigame commences in which all players must participate. Mini Stars are distributed differently from regular minigames.
|Semi-Common (None when playing with 2 players)
|Semi-Common (None when playing with 2 players)
|-
|-
Line 424: Line 571:
|-
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Magma Space]]
|rowspan="3"|[[Magma Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 +2 Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Plus 2 Magma Space.png|30px]]
|Raises the lava level by 2 on the [[Magma Mine]] board.
|Raises the lava level by 2 on the [[Magma Mine]] board.
|Common
|Common
|-
|-
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 +3 Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Plus 3 Magma Space.png|30px]]
|Raises the lava level by 3 on the [[Magma Mine]] board.
|Raises the lava level by 3 on the [[Magma Mine]] board.
|Semi-Common
|Semi-Common
|-
|-
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 +4 Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Plus 4 Magma Space.png|30px]]
|Raises the lava level by 4 on the [[Magma Mine]] board.
|Raises the lava level by 4 on the [[Magma Mine]] board.
|Uncommon
|Uncommon
Line 446: Line 593:
|[[DK Space]]
|[[DK Space]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 DK Space.png|30px]]
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 DK Space.png|30px]]
|If you land here, DK will start an activity where you try to collect the most Bananas spinning in a circle around the board.
|If the player lands here, DK starts an activity where they try to collect the most Bananas spinning in a circle around the board.
|Common
|Common
|-
|-
|Jackpot Space
|[[Jackpot+ Space|Jackpot Space]]
|align="center"|''No Image''
|align="center"|[[File:MP9 Lucky Space.png|30px]]
|Gives the Captain all the Mini Stars stored on the Jackpot Machine.
|Gives the Captain all the Mini Stars stored on the Jackpot Machine.
|Rare
|Rare
|-
|}
|}


==Critical reception==
==Differences from previous ''Mario Party'' games==
Reviews for ''Mario Party 9'', similar to most ''Mario Party'' games, have been mixed to positive. IGN gave it a 7/10 explaining that the graphics are good but the music is repetitive and the luck plays a big role in determining a player's fate in the game. GameSpot gave it a 6.0 explaining that it is too familiar and that Solo mode is tedious and required for unlocks.
This is the first ''Mario Party'' in the series:
*to not be developed by [[Hudson Soft]].
*to have [[Mini Star]]s instead of [[coin]]s and [[Star (Mario Party series)|Power Stars]].
*to change the core board gameplay by having all the players together in one vehicle.
*to not have [[Red Space]]s, replacing them with Mini Ztar Spaces.
*to not include Advice or Hints in the Minigame Rules Screen.
*to not include a category of 2-vs-2-Minigames, and the first since ''[[Mario Party 2]]'' to not include a category of Duel Minigames (if the 1-vs.-1 Story Minigames and/or the etc. Minigames from ''Mario Party 4'' are counted as Duel Minigames). Additionally, it does not have the team battle mode first introduced in ''Mario Party 4''.
*since ''Mario Party 2'' to have only one save file instead of three.
*since ''Mario Party 6'' to not feature [[Toadette]] in any capacity.
*to not use the usual ''Mario Party'' font for the in-game text in any way.
*to use the modern font for the in-game text, first used in ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]''.
*to not save game progress after every turn, instead saving after the game is over.
*to not start out with a 1-10 Dice Block.
*to have fewer playable characters than its numbered predecessor.
*since ''Mario Party 3'' to have a unique Superstar animation.
*to allow the player to progress in the Solo Mode without winning on a board (as the player can still progress when tying).
*to have a separate win screen after a minigame ends, instead of the traditional minigame endings.


''Mario Party 9'' is the 21st best selling game for the [[Wii]], having sold 2.73 million copies worldwide, as of March 31, 2014.{{refneeded}}
==Reception==
Reviews for ''Mario Party 9'' have been generally mixed to positive. It has received a 73 from Metacritic based on 45 reviews.<ref>[http://www.metacritic.com/game/wii/mario-party-9 Metacritic score for ''Mario Party 9''.] ''Metacritic''. Retrieved June 10, 2017.</ref> and a 75.05% from GameRankings based on 30 reviews.<ref>[http://www.gamerankings.com/wii/632974-mario-party-9/index.html GameRankings score for ''Mario Party 9''.] ''GameRankings''. Retrieved June 10, 2017.</ref> IGN gave it a 7/10 explaining that the graphics are good but the music is repetitive and the luck plays a big role in determining a player's fate in the game. GameSpot gave it a 6.0 explaining that it is too familiar and that Solo mode is tedious and required for unlocks. Game Informer gave the game a 5.75/10, explaining that the game relies far too heavily on luck and can make for a "disheartening experience."<ref>[http://www.gameinformer.com/games/mario_party_9/b/wii/archive/2012/03/09/mario-party-9-review-a-small-step-towards-positive-change.aspx Game Informer Score for ''Mario Party 9''.] ''Game Informer''. Retrieved June 29, 2017.</ref> Destructoid gave the game a 7.5/10, praising the reduction of motion-control minigames, and saying that many of the minigames feel like true ''Super Mario'' experiences and not ''Super Mario'' versions of party games, and that the influence of ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' and ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'', and to a lesser extent, ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'', is "pretty much the game's central theme," and that it feels more like an "honest-to-god" ''Super Mario'' game than the other entries, but complained that the game is still determined a lot by chance.<ref>[https://www.destructoid.com/review-mario-party-9-224500.phtml Destructiod score for ''Mario Party 9''.] ''Destructoid''. Retrieved June 29, 2017.</ref>
{| class="wikitable reviews"
!colspan="4"style="font-size:120%; text-align: center; background-color:silver"|Reviews
|-style="background-color:#E6E6E6"
|Release
|Reviewer, Publication
|Score
|Comment
|-
|[[Wii]]
|Samuel Claiborn, [http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/03/10/mario-party-9-review IGN]
|7.0/10
|align="left"|"''The Mario Party games are meant to be played with a room of friends (and the total lack of online play reflects this). But every party will always be subverted by this entry's reliance on randomness to "shake things up," as Bowser puts it when he is about to do something awful to you. This is especially irksome for me because I can envision what Mario Party 9 could be -- a clever, strategic board game with mini-games interspersed would be truly awesome.''"
|-
|Wii
|Ashton Raze, [https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mario-party-9-review/1900-6365698/ GameSpot]
|6/10
|align="left"|"''Overall, Mario Party 9 is a decent package with a lot of content, even if the Story mode is something you'll wish you could avoid. It's colorful, good looking, and fun with others, but after so many games, the appeal just isn't going to last for many people. There's no denying that what Mario Party 9 does, it largely does well; it's just that it's largely been doing it well for nine console games and two handheld games. Once you've spent a few hours with mates, seen all the different boards, and played all the minigames, there's very little incentive to return. Much like that high school reunion, it is fun for a night, but you won't have any hesitation about moving on.''"
|-
|Wii
|Jonathan Holmes, [https://www.destructoid.com/review-mario-party-9-224500.phtml Destructoid]
|7.5/10
|align="left"|"''Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.''"
|-
|Wii
|Kyle Hilliard, [http://www.gameinformer.com/games/mario_party_9/b/wii/archive/2012/03/09/mario-party-9-review-a-small-step-towards-positive-change.aspx Game Informer]
|5.75/10
|align="left"|"''There are things about Mario Party 9 that make it a better experience than previous entries, but overall it's still a disheartening experience. The best times I experienced with the game were the times when co-workers and I were laughing at each other’s stupid mistakes while playing, but you really don't need a video game to fuel stupid mistakes worth laughing at.''"
|-
|Wii
|Tom Orry, [https://www.videogamer.com/reviews/mario-party-9-review VideoGamer.com]
|7/10
|align="left"|"''The Wii has always been about bringing people together to play, and Mario Party 9 does that considerably better than I thought it would.''"
|-
!colspan="4"style="background-color:silver; font-size:120%; text-align: center;"|Aggregators
|-style="background-color:#E6E6E6"
|colspan=2|Compiler
|colspan=2|Platform / Score
|-
|colspan=2|Metacritic
|colspan=2 style="background-color:gold"|[http://www.metacritic.com/game/wii/mario-party-9/critic-reviews 73]
|-
|colspan=2|GameRankings
|colspan=2|[http://www.gamerankings.com/wii/632974-mario-party-9/index.html 75.05%]
|}
{{br}}


==Beta elements==
===Sales===
{{main|List of Mario Party 9 beta elements}}
''Mario Party 9'' is the 26th best-selling game for the Wii, having sold 2.24 million copies worldwide, as of September 2012.<ref>[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2012/121025e.pdf#page=7 Financial Results Briefing for the Six Month Period Ended September 2012 (Briefing Date: 2012/10/25)]. ''Nintendo.co.jp''. Retrieved June 28, 2022.</ref>


The design of the Toad Road board for the build presented during the E3 trailer had a somewhat simpler design. While the beta version features the same layout and many of the same features, the "9 Island" seen in the final game is not present, featuring a circular island in its place. The circle island on the final board also replaces a mountain with a waterfall in the beta.
==Pre-release and unused content==
{{main|List of Mario Party 9 pre-release and unused content}}
The design of the Toad Road board for the build presented during the E3 trailer had a somewhat simpler design. While an early version features the same layout and many of the same features, the "9 Island" seen in the final game is not present, featuring a circular island in its place. The circle island on the final board also replaces a mountain with a waterfall in an early version. The in-game font for the E3 build was based off the ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'' in-game font, but was changed to the font used in the newer games on the final version.


== Gallery ==
==Gallery==
{{morepic|Mario Party 9}}
{{main-gallery|Mario Party 9}}
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:MP9MarioArt.png|Mario with a Star.
MP9 Group Artwork.png|[[Mario]], [[Princess Peach]], [[Yoshi]], and [[Wario]]
File:Toad and Yoshi - Mario Party 9.png|Yoshi and Toad ground-pounding.
MP9 Waluigi Artwork.png|[[Waluigi]]
File:Big Bob-omb - Mario Party 9.png|Big Bob-omb, about to toss a Bob-omb, with Toad and Koopa Troopa.
MP9 Koopa Troopa Artwork.png|[[Koopa Troopa]]
File:Mp9 c.jpg|Wario hitting a Dice Block on Toad Road.
MP9 Shy Guy Artwork.png|[[Shy Guy]]
File:SockIttoLakitu1-MP9.png|The Boss Minigame Sock it to Lakitu.
MP9 Magikoopa Artwork.png|[[Kamek|Magikoopa]]
MP9 Bowser Jr Artwork.png|[[Bowser Jr.]]
</gallery>
</gallery>


==Staff==
==Staff==
{{main|List of Mario Party 9 staff}}
{{main|List of Mario Party 9 staff}}
''Mario Party 9'' is developed by Nd. Cube, the same company that has developed ''Wii Party''. Nd. Cube consists of former employees of [[Hudson]], a company involved in the previous ''Mario Party'' titles. Shuichiro Nishiya and Tatsumitsu Watanabe are the main directors of this game. The programming director is Shinji Shibasaki. The sound director is Hiroyuki Tsuboguchi while the music director is Chamy. Ishi. Meanwhile, NOA Product Testing has been involved in debugging the game.
''Mario Party 9'' is developed by Nd. Cube, the same company that has developed ''Wii Party''. Nd. Cube consists of former employees of [[Hudson]], a company involved in the previous ''Mario Party'' titles. Shuichiro Nishiya and Tatsumitsu Watanabe are the main directors of this game. The programming director is Shinji Shibasaki. The sound director is Hiroyuki Tsuboguchi while the music director is Chamy. Ishi. Meanwhile, NOA Product Testing has been involved in debugging the game.


==Media==
==Media==
{{media
{{main-media}}
|type1=video
{{media table
|name1=MP9 Trailer
|file1=MP9 Trailer.ogv
|pipe1=Mario Party 9
|title1=''Mario Party 9''
|description1=The game's trailer.
|description1=The game's trailer.
|length1=1:21
|length1=1:21
 
|file3=MP9 Theme.oga
|type2=audio
|title3=''Mario Party 9'' Main Theme
|name2=MP9 Theme
|description3=The game's main theme, as heard in both the Title Screen and the E3 2011 trailer.
|pipe2=Mario Party 9
|length3=0:30
|description2=The game's main theme, as heard in both the Title Screen and the E3 2011 trailer.
|file4=MP9 Fluff.oga
|length2=1:19
|title4=Fluff
 
|description4=The theme that plays in the minigames [[Buddy Bounce]] and [[Bumper Bubbles]].
|type3=audio
|length4=0:30
|name3=Bowser Jr Breakdown
|file5=Bowser Jr Breakdown.oga
|pipe3=Battle with Bowser Jr.!
|title5=Battle with Bowser Jr.!
|description3=The music for [[Bowser Jr. Breakdown]] first half.
|description5=The music for [[Bowser Jr. Breakdown]] first half.
|length3=3:44
|length5=0:30
 
|file6=Bowser Jr's Mad.oga
|type4=audio
|title6=Bowser Jr.'s Mad!
|name4=Bowser Jr's Mad
|description6=The music for Bowser Jr. Breakdown, second half.
|pipe4=Bowser Jr.'s Mad!
|length6=0:30
|description4=The music for Bowser Jr. Breakdown, second half.
|file7=Mario Party 9 Results Screen.oga
|length4=2:18
|title7=Results Screen
|description7=The music for the results screen.
|length7=0:30
}}
}}


==‎References to other games==
==References to other games==
*''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'': An extract of the overworld theme is in the song "Freshen Up!" (played in the minigame [[Speeding Bullets]]), also the song "Super-Duper Mario Bros." features the complete theme (played in [[Castle Clearout]] and [[Shell Soccer]]), plus the music in the Minigame mode Choice Challenge is a remix of the underworld theme, also a remix of the overworld theme can be heard in the Museum.. The bridge tiles during [[Goomba Bowling]] are very similar to the stones in the overworld levels, and a portrait in Boo's Horror Castle features Mario from this game jumping out of a warp pipe.
*''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'': An extract of the [[Ground Theme (Super Mario Bros.)|Ground Theme]] is incorporated into the song "Freshen Up!" (played in the minigame [[Speeding Bullets]]), while the song "Super-Duper Mario Bros." features the complete theme (played in [[Castle Clearout]] and [[Shell Soccer]]). Another arrangement of the Ground Theme plays in the Museum. The title theme features the Ground Theme's first six notes halfway through. The music in the minigame mode Choice Challenge is an arrangement of the [[Underground Theme]]. The bridge tiles during [[Goomba Bowling]] are very similar to the stones in the overworld levels, and a portrait in Boo's Horror Castle features Mario from this game jumping out of a warp pipe.
*''[[Super Mario World]]'': An extract from the music of the Results screen of the boards is a remix of the overworld theme. Also Bowser appears with his [[Koopa Clown Car]].
*''[[Super Mario World]]'': An extract from the music of the Results screen of the boards is an arrangement of the [[Ground Theme (Super Mario World)|Ground Theme]]. Also, Bowser appears with his [[Koopa Clown Car]]. [[Fortress]]es self-destruct once the mid-boss is defeated.
*''[[Mario Kart (series)]]'': A lightning bolt appears in [[King Boo's Puzzle Attack]]  
*[[Mario Kart (series)|''Mario Kart'' series]]: [[Lightning]] appears in [[King Boo's Puzzle Attack]]  
*''[[Super Mario 64]]'': The music when [[Bowser]] appears to initiate a Boss Battle is the beginning of the Koopa's Road theme.
*''[[Super Mario 64]]'': The music when [[Bowser]] appears to initiate a Boss Battle is the beginning of the Koopa's Road theme. The constellation for the [[Bob-omb]] references [[Bob-omb Buddy|Bob-omb Buddies]]. The concept of underwater shell riding (used in the [[Cheep Cheep]] Boss Battle) is taken from this game.
*''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'': [[King Boo]] is a boss. Also, [[Boo's Horror Castle]] resembles [[Luigi's Mansion (place)|the mansion]].
*''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'': [[King Boo]] is a boss. Also, [[Boo's Horror Castle]] resembles [[Luigi's Mansion (location)|the mansion]].
*''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'': A [[Pianta]] appears in the minigame [[Pianta Pool]].
*''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'': A [[Pianta]] appears in the minigame [[Pianta Pool]].
*''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'': The vehicle from [[DK's Jungle Ruins]] resembles the [[DK Jumbo]]. Also, some voice clips are recycled.
*''[[Mario Party 4]]'': Some voice clips are reused.
*''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'': The Barrel Roller from [[DK's Jungle Ruins]] resembles the [[DK Jumbo]]. Also, some voice clips are recycled.
*''[[Mario Party 6]]'': Some voice clips are reused.
*''[[Mario Party Advance]]'': The game uses a vehicle to move on the board. Also, Toad Mobile, the default vehicle from Toad Road resembles the car from this game.
*''[[Mario Party Advance]]'': The game uses a vehicle to move on the board. Also, Toad Mobile, the default vehicle from Toad Road resembles the car from this game.
*''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'': The [[Ground-Pound Switch]] icon appears on Wiggler's body segments and on Whomp's back. Also the music of some [[Bowser Jr.]] minigames is a remix of Bowser Jr.'s theme of the game. Voice clips reused from this game include [[Boo|Boo's]]. The concept of underwater shell riding (used in the [[Cheep Cheep]] Boss Battle) is taken from this game and its sequel.
*''[[Mario Party 8]]'': Some voice clips are reused.
*''[[Mario Party DS]]'': [[Step It Up]] is a minigame mode, and it was also in DS.
*''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'': The [[ground-pound switch]] icon appears on Wiggler's body segments and on Whomp's back. Also, the music of some [[Bowser Jr.]] Minigames is an arrangement of Bowser Jr.'s theme of the game. Voice clips reused from this game include [[Boo]]'s.
*''[[Mario Party DS]]'': The [[Mario Party DS#Step It Up|Step It Up]] minigame mode and boss minigames return, the latter of which would become a series staple and reappear in future installments of the series. Some voice clips from the game are reused in this game.
*''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'': Some voice clips are recycled.
*''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'': Some voice clips are recycled.
*''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'': Many of the environments and minigames in the game are based on the worlds of this game, including the background of the minigame [[Upward Mobility]]. [[Yellow Toad (character)|Yellow Toad]] and [[Blue Toad (character)|Blue Toad]] also reappear as the hosts of the game. The design of the [[Ice Flower]] of this game appears in [[King Boo's Puzzle Attack]]. Bowser Jr. appears in his Koopa Clown Car. Also some of the Bowser Jr. Minigames music is a remix of Bowser Jr.'s battle music in this game. Toad houses also appear, in the style that they did in this game. The character stances are also from this game. Also, the jumping noise is the same from this game.
*''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'': Many of the environments and minigames in the game are based on the worlds of this game, including the background of the minigame [[Upward Mobility]]. The design of the [[Ice Flower]] of this game appears in [[King Boo's Puzzle Attack]]. Bowser Jr. appears in his [[Junior Clown Car]]. Also, some of the Bowser Jr. Minigame music is an arrangement of Bowser Jr.'s battle music in this game. Toad Houses also appear, in the same style as those in this game. The character stances are also from this game. Also, the jumping noise is the same from this game.
*''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]'': In the minigame [[Logger Heads]], a group of [[Whittle]]s appear. They also appear in the [[Step It Up]] minigame mode in the background of the tree, and they congratulate the winner when they reach the top of the tree. The setting of the boss minigame [[Bowser's Block Battle]] is similar to the areas where Mario would meet Bowser in the game. The hammers Bowser Jr. uses in [[Bowser Jr. Breakdown]] are similar to the ones used by [[Megahammer]]. The concept of underwater shell riding used in a boss batlle is from this game and its prequel.
*''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]'': In the minigame [[Logger Heads]], a group of [[Whittle]]s appear. They also appear in the [[#Step It Up|Step It Up]] minigame mode in the background of the tree, and they congratulate the winner when they reach the top of the tree. The setting of the boss minigame [[Bowser's Block Battle]] is similar to the areas where Mario would meet Bowser in the game. The hammers Bowser Jr. uses in [[Bowser Jr. Breakdown]] are similar to the ones used by [[Megahammer]].
*''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'': In the minigame [[Goomba Spotting]], the [[Goomba Tower]] enemy returns and the binoculars interface resembles the one used when Mario or Luigi looks through the [[binoculars]]. Graphics and a few elements are borrowed as well.
*''[[miiwiki:Wii Party|Wii Party]]'': Many minigames in ''Mario Party 9'' have similar gameplay to those of this game, which was also developed by [[NDcube]]. The rules and control screens of ''Mario Party 9'' also resemble those of this game.
*''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'': In the minigame [[Goomba Spotting]], the [[Goomba Tower]] enemy returns and the binoculars interface resembles the one used when Mario or Luigi looks through the [[binoculars]]. Graphics and a few elements, as well as the font used in this game are borrowed as well.


==Differences from other ''Mario Party'' games==
==References in later games==
*This is the first ''Mario Party'' in the series not to be developed by [[Hudson Soft]].
*''[[Mario Party 10]]'': A rearranged version of ''Mario Party 9''{{'}}s minigame victory music is used.
*This is the first ''Mario Party'' to have [[Mini Star]]s instead of [[coin]]s and [[Star (Mario Party series)|Power Stars]].
*''[[Mario Party: The Top 100]]'': Ten minigames and rearrangements of their respective music return.
*This is the first ''Mario Party'' to have everyone together in one vehicle.
*''[[Mario Party Superstars]]'': Four minigames and rearrangements of their respective music return. [[Birdo]]'s 2nd and 4th place animations are reused as her "neutral" and losing animations respectively, and her artwork is reused from this game. [[Bowser]] and the [[Koopa Clown Car]]'s artwork is an updated version of their artwork from the game's boxart.
*This is the first ''Mario Party'' to not have [[Red Space]]s.
*This is the first ''Mario Party'' to not include Advice or Hints in the Minigame Rules Screen.
**This is also the first ''Mario Party'' game to not include a category of 2-vs-2-Minigames, and the first since ''[[Mario Party 2]]'' to not include a category of Duel Minigames (if the 1-vs.-1 Story Minigames and/or the etc. Minigames from ''Mario Party 4'' are counted as Duel Minigames).
*This is the first ''Mario Party'' since ''Mario Party 2'' not to have three separate files (excluding ''[[Mario Party DS]]'', which has two).


==Names in other languages==
==Names in other languages==
{{foreignname
{{foreign names
|Jap=マリオパーティ9
|Jap=マリオパーティ9
|JapR=Mario pāti 9
|JapR=Mario Pāti 9
|JapM=Mario Party 9
|JapM=''Mario Party 9
|Spa=Mario Party 9
|Chi=瑪利歐派對9
|SpaM=-
|ChiR=Mǎlìōu Pàiduì Jiǔ
|Fra=Mario Party 9
|ChiM=''Mario Party 9
|FraM=-
|Ger=Mario Party 9
|GerM=-
|Ita=Mario Party 9
|ItaM=-
|Chi=瑪利歐派對9 (Traditional)
|ChiR=Mǎlìōu pàiduì jiǔ
|ChiM=Mario Party 9
|Kor=마리오 파티 9
|Kor=마리오 파티 9
|KorR=Mario Pati 9
|KorR=Mario Pati 9
|KorM=Mario Party 9}}
|KorM=''Mario Party 9
}}


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*[[Toadette]] is the only playable ''Mario Party 8'' character to not appear in this game, as [[Mario]], [[Luigi]], [[Peach]], [[Daisy]], [[Yoshi]], [[Birdo]], [[Wario]], [[Waluigi]] and [[Toad]] are playable, [[Blooper]] and [[Dry Bones]] appear as [[boss]]es, [[Hammer Bro]] appears for battle minigames and [[Boo]] appears in [[Boo's Horror Castle]].
*This is the only ''Super Mario'' game on the [[Wii]] to use [[:File:MP9ResultsScreen.PNG|the modern ''Super Mario'' font]] for the in-game text, including [[Mini Star]] counts.
*The time ''[[Mario Party 8]]'' was released and when ''Mario Party 9'' was released was nearly five years, the longest between two ''Mario Party'' installments.
*This is the only Traditional Chinese Wii game that does not mention iQue in its credits. All Chinese localization was done by Nintendo Hong Kong and Taiwan personnel.
*This is the first and currently only ''Mario Party'' to have fewer characters than its numbered predecessor.
*When playing Party Mode, when Toad or Shy Guy are the captain, they stand on a circle stand due to their height.
*If the player shakes the Wii Remote on the title screen, the stars with the characters on them move faster and their voice clips play.
*This is the last ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' game to support the {{wp|Dolby Pro Logic|Dolby Pro Logic II}} standard, which allows home console video games to output {{wp|5.1 surround sound}} when fed through an appropriate decoder. Nintendo had included Pro Logic II encoding in numerous ''Mario'' titles since ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'' in 2002.


==References==
==References==
Line 562: Line 769:


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://marioparty9.nintendo.com/ Official American Website]
{{NIWA|StrategyWiki=1}}
*[http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/games/wii/mario_party_9_47293.html Official European Site]  
*[https://marioparty9.nintendo.com/ Official American website]
*[http://gamesites.nintendo.com.au/mario-party-9/en_AU/ Official Australian website]
*[https://marioparty9.nintendo.com/es/ Official Mexican website]
*[http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/ssqj/index.html Official Japanese website]
*[https://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/games/wii/mario_party_9_47293.html Official European website]  
*[http://www.nintendo.co.kr/Wii/software/marioparty9/index.html Official Korean website]
*[https://gamesites.nintendo.com.au/mario-party-9/en_AU/ Official Oceanian website]
*[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/ssqj/index.html Official Japanese website]
*[https://www.nintendo.co.kr/Wii/software/marioparty9/index.html Official Korean website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com.hk/ssqj/index.html Official Hong Kong website]
*[https://www.nintendo.tw/mp9/index.html Official Taiwan website]


{{BoxTop}}
{{MP9}}
{{MP9}}
{{Mariogames}}
{{Super Mario games}}
{{Wii}}
{{Wii}}
[[de:Mario Party 9]]
[[de:Mario Party 9]]
[[it:Mario Party 9]]
[[it:Mario Party 9]]
[[Category:Mario Party 9|*]]
[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Mario Party Series]]
[[Category:Wii games]]
[[Category:Wii Games]]
[[Category:2012 games]]
[[Category:2012 games]]
[[Category:2013 games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Selects]]

Latest revision as of 20:08, April 14, 2024

Mario Party 9
MP9Boxart.jpg
North American box cover
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer NDcube
CAProduction
Nintendo SPD Group No.4
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) Wii
Release date Original release:
Europe March 2, 2012
Australia March 8, 2012
Mexico March 10, 2012[1]
USA March 11, 2012
Japan April 26, 2012[2]
ROC June 29, 2012[3]
HK June 29, 2012[4]
South Korea April 11, 2013[5][6]
Nintendo Selects:
Europe November 6, 2014
Language(s) Deutsch
English (United Kingdom)
English (United States)
Español (España)
Español (Latinoamérica)
Français (Canada)
Français (France)
Italiano
한국어
日本語
繁體中文
Genre Party
Rating(s)
ESRB:E - Everyone
PEGI:3 - Three years and older
CERO:A - All ages
ACB:G - General
USK:6 - Six years and older
DEJUS:L - General audience
GRAC:All - All ages
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
Media
Wii:
Optical disc
Input
Wii:

Mario Party 9 is the ninth home console installment of the Mario Party series and the second and final installment for the Wii. The game was the first in the series to be developed by NDcube instead of Hudson Soft, as a result of the latter's acquisition by Konami. It is also the sixteenth in the series overall. The game was released on March 2, 2012 in Europe, in Australia on March 8, 2012, in North America on March 11, 2012, and in Japan on April 26, 2012. The host of the game is a yellow Toad for the boards while a blue Toad is the host for minigames, and a green Toad appears near the end of boards to initiate an event similar to the Last Five Turns Event from past Mario Party games. This is also the twenty-fifth and final installment of the Super Mario franchise overall to be released for the Wii console. Unlike Mario Party 8, the game features widescreen support.

Story[edit]

Bowser and Bowser Jr. stealing the Mini Stars
Bowser stealing the Mini Stars using a vacuum machine

On a night outside of Peach's Castle, Mario and his friends are gathered to watch the Mini Stars glitter in the sky. As Mario peers though the telescope, he is shocked as he notices that the stars are suddenly being sucked through a vortex. It is then revealed to be Bowser and Bowser Jr. on a spacecraft, who are using a vacuum-like machine to suck the Mini Stars out of the sky and into containers. Witnessing this, the player's character rallies everyone into setting out to defeat Bowser and save the Mini Stars. As they start their journey, Shy Guy and Magikoopa appear from the woods and infiltrate their group as part of Bowser's plan.

Before each board, there is a cutscene that features Bowser admiring his collection of Mini Stars (or fuming in the last two). Bowser Jr. then runs over to inform his father the progression of the player's group. Bowser is enraged, but confidently summons two of his minions to stop the group before they can take all the Mini Stars. Eventually, however, the group reaches Bowser's space lair, Bowser Station, and face Bowser Jr. before battling his father.

After the final battle with Bowser, the player looks out from the stadium at Bowser's other platform, where the canisters containing all the Mini Stars burst and release them back to where they once were. As this happens, Bowser and Bowser Jr. are flying off. Bowser is mourning over the failure of his plan, which he reveals was to decorate his castle using the Mini Stars. However, upon seeing the released Mini Stars, Bowser is enraged and chases off the ones that fly near him. However, this only results in him falling out of his Koopa Clown Car; Bowser Jr. flies down to save him. Back at Peach's Castle, Mario and friends are once again gathered around the telescope to admire the Mini Stars as they glisten in the night sky.

Gameplay[edit]

Waluigi, about to lose half of his Mini Stars at Bob-omb Factory.

In Mario Party 9, a new form of gameplay was introduced in this game, retiring the old format seen in the prior eight titles: players move all at once through the board in a vehicle (a car in Toad Road, a magic carpet in Boo's Horror Castle and a legged machine in Bob-omb Factory, for example), still taking turns rolling, moving from a starting point to an ending point. Instead of rolling a die with a 1-10 on it like in the previous games, players can only roll a dice block with a 1-6 on it; however, there are other dice blocks that can be collected, which includes a dice block that allows a 1-10 roll. Instead of trying to collect coins to buy stars, players receive Mini Stars if they pass by them. While doing so, players must also try to avoid Mini Ztars, which deduct their current amount of Mini Stars. The player who collects the most Mini Stars by the end of the game is declared the winner.

New minigame types are introduced in the Mario Party series, one example being 1 vs. 2 minigames against Bowser Jr. Unlike in previous games, players do not compete in minigames after every player has moved, instead only when a minigame is triggered from the space that is landed upon. Also, when receiving dice blocks, a minigame may pop up afterwards. Unlike previous Mario Party games, where often only the winner(s) of a minigame receives a reward, all minigames are ranked from first to last place and generally all players receive Mini Stars, with players in a higher position earning more Mini Stars.

During a party, there are two board events that are required to occur before advancing: Captain Events and Boss Battles. The former occurs whenever a player arrives on a Captain Event Space. The event differs for each board, but they all allow the players to earn more Mini Stars, though the player that has started the event always has some form of control over the event, putting him or her in an advantage state. As for Boss Battles, there are two Boss Battle Spaces on every board, one near a fortress and one at the end. During the Boss Battle minigames, players must work together to defeat a boss while attempting to increase their own individual scores, as the player with the highest score wins the minigame, which gives more Mini Stars than normal.

Modes[edit]

Main Menu
The Main Menu

Party mode[edit]

Once again returning from previous Mario Party games, Party Mode involves the players going around the board like with the previous games, but changed due to the new gameplay mechanics of Mario Party 9. The amount of Party Points that the players earns is determined by how many Mini Stars they have at the end of the game. However, if handicaps are used, the handicap amount does not count towards the Party Point total; for example, if a player has a 50 Mini Star handicap, and finishes with 100 Mini Stars, they only earn 50 Party Points. Notably, should a player end a game with less than 10 Mini Stars, 10 Party Points are added regardless of how low their Mini Star count is. This is independent for each player that ends with under 10 Mini Stars (for example, a 4-player game that ends with Mini Star counts of 105, 67, 60 and 3 without any handicaps gives a total of 242 Party Points although the Mini Star total is only 235).

Solo mode[edit]

The game's story mode, Solo Mode, involves the players traveling across all six boards to defeat Bowser, Bowser Jr., Magikoopa, and Shy Guy and save the Mini Stars. Completing Solo Mode awards the player 500 Party Points, and the Mini Star grand total is also be added onto the player's Party Point amount; for example, finishing Solo Mode with a grand total of 500 Mini Stars awards the player 1000 Party Points. Shy Guy and Magikoopa or both appear in all six boards as CPU players competing against the player.

Also, instead of always playing against three other computer players in a four-player match on each board, sometimes, the player plays a three-player match against two computers, or a two-player duel match against one computer (either Magikoopa or Shy Guy). The minigames for the three-player matches are Free-for-all minigames and 1 vs 2 minigames, and all minigames in two-player matches are Free-for-all minigames, adapted for duels. The award system for minigames in a three-player match is five stars for first place, three stars for second place, and one star for third place, and the award system for minigames in a two-player duel match is five stars for first place and one star for second place. The player often has at least one ally on four boards; if they win instead of the player, then they can still continue to the next board regardless of their final position. If Magikoopa or Shy Guy wins, then they take all the Mini Stars from the other players and the player must replay the board. If Magikoopa or Shy Guy ties with the player or an ally, the player still continues to the next stage.

Minigame mode[edit]

Free Play
Free Play mode

In the minigame mode, players can play various different game modes involving minigames. A blue Toad is the host of Minigame Mode. When finished, all game modes award 10 Party Points, except for Free Play, which awards just 1 Party Point per finished minigame.

Free Play[edit]

In the Free Play mode, the players can freely play any minigames they already unlocked in Party Mode.

Step It Up[edit]
“Be the first player to win a certain number of minigames to become the champion!”
In-game description, Mario Party 9
Step It Up
Birdo playing Step It Up

Step It Up is a returning game mode from Mario Party DS. As before, players must climb to the top of a staircase by winning minigames; however, in Mario Party 9, this mode can be played by two or three players, players advance up to four steps when winning a minigame as opposed to one, and the last place player selects a random minigame from a roulette wheel. Some minigames, such as Logger Heads, 10 to Win, Snow Go and Pizza Me, Mario, have unique versions in this mode. In these minigames, once a player completes the goal, the minigame ends; in other modes, other players are still active even after the goal is completed. If everyone wins, everyone gets to climb the stairs. If a minigame ends in a draw, no one climbs up any stairs. Players can select whether they want 3, 5, or 7 minigame wins required for victory. Whoever gets to the top first wins and is greeted by a number of celebrating Whittles if they get first to 3 wins. If the player gets first to 5 wins, a large silver statue of the winning character is seen. If the player gets first to 7 wins, the statue is gold.

The background of Step It Up resembles Tall Trunk Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy 2, with more Whittles clapping in the background.

Garden Battle[edit]
Garden Battle

Garden Battle is a mode that can be played by up to four players. The objective in this mode is the players must fill up their garden with groups of colored plant blocks. The plant groups are randomly chosen from a large cart, and the player who places in first in the previous minigame chooses their plant groups first, followed by second place, then third, then last. If everyone is tied for either first or last place, no one puts any plant blocks. A minigame starts when a player chooses one in the minigame wheel. The player who picks the minigame is at first chosen at random, and then the succeeding choices are made by the player who places in last at the preceding minigame.

The plant groups must be able to fit in their garden, or the player does not have a chance to place one in the patch. The game is won when a player completely fills their garden with plants.

The winner has their flowers bloom with the middle one being the biggest. They then do their victory animation and the losers, as well as the yellow and blue Toad, applaud the winner. If the game is played with fewer than four players, the green Toad applauds the winner too.

Names in other languages
Language Name Meaning
French Bataille de pousses
Sprouts battle, pun on "Bataille de pouces" (thumb war)
Spanish Batalla de jardines
Gardens battle
Choice Challenge[edit]
“Players choose three out of five minigames. Points are awarded based on the results of each minigame. The player with the highest total at the end is the champion!”
In-game description, Mario Party 9
Choice Challenge

Choice Challenge is a game mode that can be played by up to four players. Five free-for-all minigames are randomly chosen, and each player selects three that they would like to play by pressing a corresponding button on the Wii remote. One minigame is announced before the players make their selection as the Chance Minigame; this minigame is worth extra points for the first place player, but normal points for other players.

The players hide in Warp Pipes and emerge only when a minigame they are playing is announced, so it is not clear who is competing in each until then.

The minigames are played in the order of how many players selected it, starting at the least and working up to the most. If only one player selects a minigame, that player is automatically awarded first place points without competing. Sometimes, a character appears out of a pipe when they are not participating in the minigame. If that happens, the blue Toad apologizes for his error and corrects the mistake.

Points are awarded for place in minigames, and standings are announced after each minigame. The players with the most points at the end win. The most points a player can score is 350, while the least is 30. It is possible for all four players to win. The losing players emerge out of their pipes in the order of their point totals (from lowest to highest) and perform their losing animation as their points are displayed. The winning players jump out of the golden pipe and perform their victory animation.

Names in other languages
Language Name Meaning
French Le bon choix
The right choice
Spanish (NOE) Triple elección
Triple choice
High Rollers[edit]
“Play minigames to determine the order in which players roll around the board to pick up points. The first player to reach 500 points is the champion!”
In-game description, Mario Party 9
High Rollers

High Rollers is a game mode that can be played with up to four players. In this mode, players compete in a series of minigames to gain up to 500 points by rolling their cube over the panels worth 30, 20 or 10 points. The board is composed of 20 panels and the POW Space in the center. When a player rolls over a number panel, the amount of points it gives a player decreases by 10. When a panel reaches zero, after everyone moves, the blue Toad resets the panel's value to 30.

The number of spaces the player can move depends on what place they get in the previous minigame. First place is allowed to move four spaces, second place moves three, third place moves two, and last place only moves one. The selected player chooses a minigame by stopping the Minigame Wheel. The player who picks first is selected at random, then the succeeding choices are made by the player who finished last place in the last minigame. Any ties are settled by rolls via Dice Blocks. When there are four players, if there are ties for both first place and last place, the first place players roll first and the players in last place roll next. However, if everyone finished first or last in a minigame, no one moves any spaces.

When a player rolls over the POW Space in the center of the board, every panel's point value is decreased by 10. If a block is at zero, then its value resets to 30. The POW Space can only be used by one player per turn, and is first active when everyone has taken their first turn.

Finally, when there is a 100-point gap in between players, the losing players gain a Boost item, which allows them to dash across the board, rolling over number panels and pushing off other players in their way, without using up a space to move. Players who are knocked off the board are unable to take their turn. When they do get a turn again, they land on the POW Space, activating it if it hasn't already been. If a player is blocked by other players and cannot move, they are teleported to the POW Space.

The game ends when one player gets 500 points or more.

The winner gets to go in the hot-air balloon with the blue, yellow, and green Toads while the others hang on to the string underneath the balloon.

Names in other languages
Language Name Meaning
French Jeu de cubes
Cube game
Spanish (NOE) Bloques rodantes
Rolling blocks
Time Attack[edit]
Main article: Time Attack (Mario Party 9)

Time Attack is a single player mode. The objective of this mode is to beat the ten given minigames in the quickest amount of time, while earning Challenge Bonuses from completing the Bonus Objectives in each minigame. Earning a Challenge Bonus cuts three seconds off the player's completion time for that minigame.

Boss Rush[edit]
“Compete for Points in a series of six or twelve Boss Battles. The Player with the most points at the end is the champion.”
In-game description, Mario Party 9
The hub of the minigame mode, Boss Rush.
The hub of the Boss Rush game mode

Boss Rush is a game mode that can be unlocked by purchasing it for 500 Party Points in the museum after the player beats Solo mode, and allows up to four players. In this mode, players compete against each other in six or twelve boss minigames to see who can receive the most points at the end of the game. If the player finishes first in a minigame, they receive five points; finishing second gives them three points; third gives the player two, and fourth gives the player one.

The player has the option to play against either the mid-bosses, the stage bosses, or all bosses. The bosses are fought in the same order as Solo Mode. Diddy's Banana Blast and DK's Banana Bonus are not fought in Boss Rush, due to the fact that despite being categorized as boss minigames, they are just bonus minigames, and Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are not faced during them. The player with the most points at the end is the winner.

Names in other languages
Language Name Meaning
French Galerie des boss
Bosses gallery
Spanish (NOE) La guarida de los jefes
Bosses hideout

Museum[edit]

Players can purchase constellations to view in the sky.
Players can purchase constellations at the Museum, and then view them in the sky.

The Museum is where the players can spend Party Points to buy various things such as Mini Star constellations, game sounds, vehicles or extra game modes. They can also watch the credits from here. Once they return a constellation into the sky, the players can go to see it in the sky.

Extras[edit]

In Extras, the player can play through various extra minigames such as Castle Clearout, Shell Soccer or an extended version of Goomba Bowling. There is also a mode called Perspective Mode, in which the player plays through ten minigames that have a modified camera angle, making them harder to win.

Characters[edit]

The character selection screen
The boss match-up screen
The character selection and boss matchup screens.

Playable characters[edit]

There are a total of 12 playable characters in Mario Party 9, consisting of ten default characters and two unlockable characters, Shy Guy and Magikoopa, who must be unlocked by completing Solo Mode. Koopa is fully playable for the first time in the series, while Magikoopa also makes his playable Mario Party debut. Due to their roles as opponents in Solo Mode, neither Shy Guy nor Magikoopa are playable in that mode. Shy Guy, previously playable in Mario Party 4's Beach Volley Folly minigame, is also considered a new playable character.

Mario's face icon.Mario Luigi's face icon.Luigi Princess Peach's face icon.Peach Daisy's face icon.Daisy Wario's face icon.Wario Waluigi's face icon.Waluigi
MP9 Mario Character Select Sprite 1.png MP9 Luigi Character Select Sprite 1.png MP9 Peach Character Select Sprite 1.png MP9 Daisy Character Select Sprite 1.png MP9 Wario Character Select Sprite 1.png MP9 Waluigi Character Select Sprite 1.png
Yoshi's face icon.Yoshi Birdo's face icon.Birdo Toad's face icon.Toad Koopa Troopa's face icon.Koopa* Shy Guy's face icon.Shy Guy* Magikoopa's face icon.Magikoopa*
MP9 Yoshi Character Select Sprite 1.png MP9 Birdo Character Select Sprite 1.png MP9 Toad Character Select Sprite 1.png MP9 Koopa Troopa Character Select Sprite 1.png MP9 Shy Guy Character Select Sprite 1.png MP9 Magikoopa Character Select Sprite 1.png
*Newcomer
Note: Magikoopa is named Kamek in the British English version.

Bosses[edit]

Toad Road Bob-omb Factory Boo's Horror Castle Blooper Beach Magma Mine Bowser Station DK's Jungle Ruins
Mid-bosses
LakituLakitu WhompWhomp Dry BonesDry Bones MP9 Cheep Cheep Icon.pngCheep Cheep SpikeSpike Bowser Jr.Bowser Jr. Diddy KongDiddy Kong
MP9 Lakitu Bust.png MP9 Whomp Bust.png MP9 Dry Bones Bust.png MP9 Cheep Cheep Bust.png MP9 Spike Bust.png MP9 Bowser Jr Bust.png Diddy Kong
Stage bosses
WigglerWiggler King Bob-ombKing Bob-omb King BooKing Boo BlooperBlooper Chain ChompChain Chomp Bowser's face icon.Bowser Donkey KongDonkey Kong
MP9 Wiggler Bust.png King Bob-omb's sprite in the pre-battle screen in Mario Party 9 MP9 King Boo Bust.png MP9 Blooper Bust.png MP9 Chain Chomp Bust.png MP9 Bowser Bust.png Donkey Kong
Note #1: King Bob-omb is called Big Bob-omb in the British English version.
Note #2: In the case of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, they are not featured in the Boss Rush because they are not actual bosses, but their respective minigames (DK's Banana Bonus and Diddy's Banana Blast) are considered to be Boss Minigames for the respective board.

Other characters[edit]

Boards[edit]

Note: There are three different exclusive vehicles for each board, one available from the start and the other two purchasable from the Museum for 200 Party Points each. They all function identically, but their type depends on the board (for example, cars are used throughout Toad Road). The third vehicle is based off of the stage boss.

Stage Description Captain Event(s)
Toad Road Toad Road is the first stage in the game, and thus it is a simple stage with almost no gimmicks. It is designed after World 1 from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and features lush grassland, flowers and windmills. A broken bridge prevents players from moving forward, and if the players fail to roll a certain total number, they fall to a lower route filled with Mini Ztar Spaces.
Vehicles (cars)
MP9ToadMobile.png MP9Rickety Ride.png MP9Wiggler Wagon.png
Toad Mobile Rickety Ride Wiggler Wagon
9 Island
Toad Road
Bob-omb Factory Bob-omb Factory is the second stage in Mario Party 9. Players move around a room full of conveyor belts, and if the Captain lands on an Event Space, the conveyor belts move the group of players around, but also the various spaces. Bob-ombs occasionally intrude the players' game. Whenever a Bob-omb explodes, the Captain loses half of their Mini Stars.
Vehicles (quadruped vehicles)
MP9FactoryWalker.png MP9GearShifter.png MP9BigBob-ombBus.png
Factory Walker Gear Shifter King Bob-omb Bus
Side-by-Side Zone
Bob-omb Factory
Boo's Horror Castle Boo's Horror Castle is the third stage in Mario Party 9. Players move throughout a big castle, which is haunted with Boos. After a Captain passes a Boo Portrait, a Boo comes out of it. If a Captain is caught by a Boo, the Boo will steal half of their Mini Stars. Boos follow the players until they leave the current hallway, or enter an alternative room with lights. Before the players can face the boss, the Captain must roll a higher number than the specified numeral on the gate.
Vehicles (floating carriers)
MP9FlyingCarpet.png MP9FloatMattress.png MP9BooBlanket.png
Flying Carpet Float Mattress Boo Blanket
Scaredy Rat Race
Boo's Horror Castle
Blooper Beach Blooper Beach is the fourth stage in Mario Party 9. Players travel along an ocean to reach the end goal. If a Captain passes by a Dolphin, they get five Mini Stars. However, a Sushi takes away half of the Captain's Mini Stars. Huckit Crabs turn all the Mini Stars on the stage into Mini Ztars if a Captain lands on an Event Space, and vice versa if they land on it again.
Vehicles (boats)
MP9SubBaleen.png MP9CoralExplorer.png MP9BlooperBoat.png
Sub Baleen1 Coral Explorer Blooper Boat
Sunken Treasure
Blooper Beach
Magma Mine Magma Mine is the fifth stage in Mario Party 9. This stage takes place in an active volcano where players mainly travel up and out of the vent. Players must escape rising magma that rises two spaces each turn, and is increased further if a Captain lands on a Magma Space. The Captain must avoid getting hit by magma, or they lose half of their Mini Stars. In Solo Mode, both Magikoopa and Shy Guy will appear; if they are the only opponents, this ensures the player will have to be the Superstar to move on.
Vehicles (wagons)
MP9ShakyMineCart.png MP9BoneBarrow.png MP9ChainChompCoupe.png
Shaky Mine Cart Bone Barrow2 Chain Chomp Coupe
Dice Block Chicken
Magma Mine
Bowser Station Bowser Station is the sixth stage in Mario Party 9. Bowser Jr. and Bowser are the stage's mid-boss and boss, respectively. A Jackpot Machine here increases in Mini Stars if a Captain lands on a Jackpot+ Space. If the Jackpot Machine happens to have 20 or more Mini Stars, a Jackpot Minigame commences, with the total prize being the Mini Stars in the machine. Oddly enough, this stage has no actual hazards. In Solo Mode, both Magikoopa and Shy Guy appear; if they are the only opponents, this ensures the player will have to be the Superstar to move on.
Vehicles (spaceships)
MP9SpaceScuttle.png MP9ShinySaucer.png MP9StarshipBowser.png
Space Scuttle3 Shiny Saucer Starship Bowser
Heart Star Colony
Bingo Colony
Speed Star Colony
Bowser Station (unlockable)
DK's Jungle Ruins DK's Jungle Ruins is the seventh stage in Mario Party 9, which can be purchased from the Museum for 500 Party Points. Instead of collecting Mini Stars, players collect Bananas while trying to avoid Z-Bananas. Players must make two laps around the stage to complete a game. Bananas and Z-Bananas are placed on each space rather than between them. The actual Boss Minigames in this stage are done in form of a bonus minigame to collect Bananas. These games are hosted by Diddy Kong and Donkey Kong respectively.
Vehicles (four-wheel drive)
MP9BarrelRoller.png MP9JungleJunker.png MP9DK'sBananaSlider.png
Barrel Roller Jungle Junker DK's Banana Slider
Barrel Choice
DK's Jungle Ruins (unlockable)

1 - Pun on "submarine" and "baleen"
2 - Pun on "bone marrow" and "barrow"
3 - Pun on "space shuttle" and "scuttle"

Minigames[edit]

Logger Heads, one of the minigames in Mario Party 9
Main article: List of Mario Party 9 minigames

Mario Party 9 has a total of 78 main minigames, as well as Castle Clearout, Shell Soccer and an extended version of Goomba Bowling playable only in Extra Mode. There are 44 Free-for-all minigames, 10 1-vs-Rivals minigames, 14 Boss Minigames (Including Diddy's Banana Blast and DK's Banana Bonus), and 10 newly-introduced Bowser Jr. minigames, in which two players team up against Bowser Jr. All of the minigames, apart from the extra ones, are playable during various events in the parties, in the various modes of Minigame Mode and a select ten with a single player in the new Perspective Mode, which uses a different camera angle from the one normally seen when playing the minigames.

Items[edit]

Instead of more traditional items, Mario Party 9's items consist entirely of Dice Blocks, allowing the user to roll a specific number more easily from a specific range of values. These can be obtained by landing on a Dice Block Space.

Item Image Description
Dice Block Dice Block Dice Block numbered 1 to 6. The dice rolled if no items are used. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Slow Dice Block A Slow Dice Block from Mario Party 9. Dice Block numbered 1 to 6 that rolls slowly to allow for ease of rolling a specific number. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
0-1 Dice Block 0-1 Dice Block. Dice Block numbered 0 to 1. (0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1)
1-2-3 Dice Block 1-2-3 Dice Block Dice Block numbered 1 to 3. (1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3)
4-5-6 Dice Block 4-5-6 Dice Block. Dice Block numbered 4 to 6. (4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6)
1-10 Dice Block 1-10 Dice Block Dice Block numbered 1 to 10. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

Spaces[edit]

When a player lands on a space, something is going to happen. Each space has its own effect, but like in previous Mario Party games, every space is color-coded. The color of the space tells what kind of event is going to happen.

  • Normal Spaces
    • Blue Spaces - Triggers good events and helps the player who landed on it.
    • Red Spaces - Trigger bad events and hinders the player who landed on it.
    • Green Spaces - Neutral spaces that often lets one or all players attend an event that can either help or hinder the player.
    • Yellow Spaces - Trigger minigames when landed on.
    • White Spaces - Adds Mini Stars to the Jackpot on the Bowser Station board.
  • Star Spaces
    • Mini Star Spaces - Gives Mini Stars to the player who landed on it.
    • Mini Ztar Spaces - Takes Mini Stars from the player who landed on it.

If the player moves over a space with a prohibitory sign on it, they automatically stops at that space and an event starts. The only two spaces of this kind are the Boss Space and the Captain Event Space.

Because of the new rules in Mario Party 9, there are many new spaces introduced. Some old spaces returned as well, but some have a different effect (for example the Blue Space). With a total of 21 different kind of spaces, Mario Party 9 has the most spaces of the series. Also for the first time in the Mario Party series, some spaces are unique for a specific board. Here is a list of all the spaces in the game, with what kind of effect they have.

Space Effect Rarity
Appears on all boards
Green Space Green Space Nothing happens when the player lands here. Common
Dice Block Space Dice Space The player landing here receives a special Dice Block. Common
Lucky Space Lucky Space Something good happens to the player landing here. Semi-Common
Unlucky Space Unlucky Space Something bad happens if the player lands here. Rare
Event Space Happening Space As the player lands here, a special event occurs. Uncommon
Shuffle Space Shuffle Space The players' order to become Captain changes. Semi-Common (None when playing with 2 players)
Dash Space Forward Space The player landing here can move again by hitting another Dice Block. Uncommon
Back Space Back Space The player landing here has to move backwards by hitting a Dice Block again. Uncommon
Spin Space Spin Space Something special happens to the player landing here, helping them. Uncommon
Bowser Space Bowser Space If the player lands here, they summon Bowser to hinder them. Uncommon (Common near the end of stages)
Mini Star Space MP9 Plus 1 Mini Star Space.png The player landing here receives the number of Mini Stars over the space. Rare
MP9 Plus 2 Mini Stars Space.png If the player lands here, they get 2 Mini Stars.
MP9 Plus 3 Mini Stars Space.png If the player lands here, they get 3 Mini Stars.
MP9 Plus 5 Mini Stars Space.png If the player lands here, they get 5 Mini Stars.
Mini Ztar Space MP9 Plus 1 Mini Ztar Space.png If the player lands here, they lose Mini Stars. Rare
MP9 Plus 2 Mini Ztars Space.png If the player lands here, they lose 2 Mini Stars.
MP9 Plus 3 Mini Ztars Space.png If the player lands here, they lose 3 Mini Stars.
MP9 Plus 5 Mini Ztars Space.png If the player lands here, they lose 5 Mini Stars.
Captain Event Space Captain Event Space Arriving at or landing on this space triggers a Captain Event and will automatically end the Captain's turn on this space. 1 on each stage except for Blooper Beach and Magma Mine, which have 2, and Bowser Station, which has 3.
Boss Battle Space Boss Space Arriving at or landing on this space triggers a Boss Battle and will automatically end the Captain's turn on this space. 2 on each stage
Free-for-All Space Free-for-All Space If the player lands here, everyone competes in a minigame. Semi-Common
1-vs-Rival Space 1-Vs-3 Space If the player lands here, they trigger a 1-vs-Rival minigame with them being the solo player. Uncommon (None when playing with 2 players)
Bowser Jr. Space Bowser Jr. Space If the player lands here, they and another randomly-chosen player take part in a Bowser Jr. minigame. Uncommon (None when playing with 2 players)
Battle Space Competition Space A minigame commences in which all players must participate. Mini Stars are distributed differently from regular minigames. Semi-Common (None when playing with 2 players)
Board-specific Spaces
Magma Space MP9 Plus 2 Magma Space.png Raises the lava level by 2 on the Magma Mine board. Common
MP9 Plus 3 Magma Space.png Raises the lava level by 3 on the Magma Mine board. Semi-Common
MP9 Plus 4 Magma Space.png Raises the lava level by 4 on the Magma Mine board. Uncommon
Jackpot+ Space MP9 Jackpot5 Space.png Adds 5 Mini Stars to the Jackpot Machine on Bowser Station. Common
MP9 Jackpot8 Space.png Adds 8 Mini Stars to the Jackpot Machine on Bowser Station.
DK Space MP9 DK Space.png If the player lands here, DK starts an activity where they try to collect the most Bananas spinning in a circle around the board. Common
Jackpot Space Lucky Space Gives the Captain all the Mini Stars stored on the Jackpot Machine. Rare

Differences from previous Mario Party games[edit]

This is the first Mario Party in the series:

  • to not be developed by Hudson Soft.
  • to have Mini Stars instead of coins and Power Stars.
  • to change the core board gameplay by having all the players together in one vehicle.
  • to not have Red Spaces, replacing them with Mini Ztar Spaces.
  • to not include Advice or Hints in the Minigame Rules Screen.
  • to not include a category of 2-vs-2-Minigames, and the first since Mario Party 2 to not include a category of Duel Minigames (if the 1-vs.-1 Story Minigames and/or the etc. Minigames from Mario Party 4 are counted as Duel Minigames). Additionally, it does not have the team battle mode first introduced in Mario Party 4.
  • since Mario Party 2 to have only one save file instead of three.
  • since Mario Party 6 to not feature Toadette in any capacity.
  • to not use the usual Mario Party font for the in-game text in any way.
  • to use the modern font for the in-game text, first used in Super Mario 3D Land.
  • to not save game progress after every turn, instead saving after the game is over.
  • to not start out with a 1-10 Dice Block.
  • to have fewer playable characters than its numbered predecessor.
  • since Mario Party 3 to have a unique Superstar animation.
  • to allow the player to progress in the Solo Mode without winning on a board (as the player can still progress when tying).
  • to have a separate win screen after a minigame ends, instead of the traditional minigame endings.

Reception[edit]

Reviews for Mario Party 9 have been generally mixed to positive. It has received a 73 from Metacritic based on 45 reviews.[7] and a 75.05% from GameRankings based on 30 reviews.[8] IGN gave it a 7/10 explaining that the graphics are good but the music is repetitive and the luck plays a big role in determining a player's fate in the game. GameSpot gave it a 6.0 explaining that it is too familiar and that Solo mode is tedious and required for unlocks. Game Informer gave the game a 5.75/10, explaining that the game relies far too heavily on luck and can make for a "disheartening experience."[9] Destructoid gave the game a 7.5/10, praising the reduction of motion-control minigames, and saying that many of the minigames feel like true Super Mario experiences and not Super Mario versions of party games, and that the influence of New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Super Mario Galaxy, and to a lesser extent, Super Mario Sunshine, is "pretty much the game's central theme," and that it feels more like an "honest-to-god" Super Mario game than the other entries, but complained that the game is still determined a lot by chance.[10]

Reviews
Release Reviewer, Publication Score Comment
Wii Samuel Claiborn, IGN 7.0/10 "The Mario Party games are meant to be played with a room of friends (and the total lack of online play reflects this). But every party will always be subverted by this entry's reliance on randomness to "shake things up," as Bowser puts it when he is about to do something awful to you. This is especially irksome for me because I can envision what Mario Party 9 could be -- a clever, strategic board game with mini-games interspersed would be truly awesome."
Wii Ashton Raze, GameSpot 6/10 "Overall, Mario Party 9 is a decent package with a lot of content, even if the Story mode is something you'll wish you could avoid. It's colorful, good looking, and fun with others, but after so many games, the appeal just isn't going to last for many people. There's no denying that what Mario Party 9 does, it largely does well; it's just that it's largely been doing it well for nine console games and two handheld games. Once you've spent a few hours with mates, seen all the different boards, and played all the minigames, there's very little incentive to return. Much like that high school reunion, it is fun for a night, but you won't have any hesitation about moving on."
Wii Jonathan Holmes, Destructoid 7.5/10 "Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun."
Wii Kyle Hilliard, Game Informer 5.75/10 "There are things about Mario Party 9 that make it a better experience than previous entries, but overall it's still a disheartening experience. The best times I experienced with the game were the times when co-workers and I were laughing at each other’s stupid mistakes while playing, but you really don't need a video game to fuel stupid mistakes worth laughing at."
Wii Tom Orry, VideoGamer.com 7/10 "The Wii has always been about bringing people together to play, and Mario Party 9 does that considerably better than I thought it would."
Aggregators
Compiler Platform / Score
Metacritic 73
GameRankings 75.05%

Sales[edit]

Mario Party 9 is the 26th best-selling game for the Wii, having sold 2.24 million copies worldwide, as of September 2012.[11]

Pre-release and unused content[edit]

Main article: List of Mario Party 9 pre-release and unused content

The design of the Toad Road board for the build presented during the E3 trailer had a somewhat simpler design. While an early version features the same layout and many of the same features, the "9 Island" seen in the final game is not present, featuring a circular island in its place. The circle island on the final board also replaces a mountain with a waterfall in an early version. The in-game font for the E3 build was based off the Mario Kart: Double Dash!! in-game font, but was changed to the font used in the newer games on the final version.

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Mario Party 9.

Staff[edit]

Main article: List of Mario Party 9 staff

Mario Party 9 is developed by Nd. Cube, the same company that has developed Wii Party. Nd. Cube consists of former employees of Hudson, a company involved in the previous Mario Party titles. Shuichiro Nishiya and Tatsumitsu Watanabe are the main directors of this game. The programming director is Shinji Shibasaki. The sound director is Hiroyuki Tsuboguchi while the music director is Chamy. Ishi. Meanwhile, NOA Product Testing has been involved in debugging the game.

Media[edit]

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Mario Party 9 media. For a list of in-game music, see List of Mario Party 9 in-game music.
Video.svg Mario Party 9 - The game's trailer.
File infoMedia:MP9 Trailer.ogv
1:21
Audio.svg Mario Party 9 Main Theme - The game's main theme, as heard in both the Title Screen and the E3 2011 trailer.
File infoMedia:MP9 Theme.oga
0:30
Audio.svg Fluff - The theme that plays in the minigames Buddy Bounce and Bumper Bubbles.
File infoMedia:MP9 Fluff.oga
0:30
Audio.svg Battle with Bowser Jr.! - The music for Bowser Jr. Breakdown first half.
File infoMedia:Bowser Jr Breakdown.oga
0:30
Audio.svg Bowser Jr.'s Mad! - The music for Bowser Jr. Breakdown, second half.
File infoMedia:Bowser Jr's Mad.oga
0:30
Audio.svg Results Screen - The music for the results screen.
File infoMedia:Mario Party 9 Results Screen.oga
0:30
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

References to other games[edit]

References in later games[edit]

  • Mario Party 10: A rearranged version of Mario Party 9's minigame victory music is used.
  • Mario Party: The Top 100: Ten minigames and rearrangements of their respective music return.
  • Mario Party Superstars: Four minigames and rearrangements of their respective music return. Birdo's 2nd and 4th place animations are reused as her "neutral" and losing animations respectively, and her artwork is reused from this game. Bowser and the Koopa Clown Car's artwork is an updated version of their artwork from the game's boxart.

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese マリオパーティ9
Mario Pāti 9
Mario Party 9

Chinese 瑪利歐派對9
Mǎlìōu Pàiduì Jiǔ
Mario Party 9

Korean 마리오 파티 9
Mario Pati 9
Mario Party 9

Trivia[edit]

  • This is the only Super Mario game on the Wii to use the modern Super Mario font for the in-game text, including Mini Star counts.
  • This is the only Traditional Chinese Wii game that does not mention iQue in its credits. All Chinese localization was done by Nintendo Hong Kong and Taiwan personnel.
  • When playing Party Mode, when Toad or Shy Guy are the captain, they stand on a circle stand due to their height.
  • If the player shakes the Wii Remote on the title screen, the stars with the characters on them move faster and their voice clips play.
  • This is the last Super Mario game to support the Dolby Pro Logic II standard, which allows home console video games to output 5.1 surround sound when fed through an appropriate decoder. Nintendo had included Pro Logic II encoding in numerous Mario titles since Super Mario Sunshine in 2002.

References[edit]

External links[edit]