Card Smarts
| Card Smarts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Appears in | Mario Party 9 | ||
| Type | Free-for-All minigame | ||
| Time limit | 5 seconds per round | ||
| Music track | Think About It | ||
| |||
Card Smarts is a partially luck-based Free-for-All minigame in Mario Party 9.
Overview[edit]
During the introduction, the players stand around a table. The camera goes to the captain, who is dealt cards. The screen splits to show all players.
In their hand, each player has one "5" card, two "4" cards, two "3" cards, two "2" cards, and one "1" card. The players have five seconds to select a card. Players move their cursors back and forth until the timer reaches zero, at which they play their selected cards. The player who picks the card with the highest number earns one point. If more than one player picks the same card that is the highest, each player who does this earns one point. However, if everybody chooses a card of the same kind, nobody earns a point. Once a card is used, it is gone for the rest of the minigame. The first player(s) to earn three points from having the highest card win(s).
If one card remains, the minigame ends, and the remaining players are ranked by how many points they have earned. If the remaining players' last cards are the same as each other's, nobody earns a point. If all the players do not reach three points by their last cards, they all lose and are ranked fourth place.
Toad, Koopa Troopa, Shy Guy, and Kamek stand on stools during this minigame due to their height, just like in Don't Look. Toad and Shy Guy also stand on stools in Pizza Me, Mario and Launch Break.
In-game text[edit]
- Rules – "Choose a card from your hand. Whoever plays the card with the highest number earns one point. Be the first player to earn three points to win!"
- Controls – "Hold the Wii Remote sideways. Press
to select a card and 
to confirm. You can change your card as often as you want before the timer runs out."
Naming[edit]
"Card Smarts" is a play on "card sharks", a term for players who use skill or cheats to win a card game.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | かけひきカードバトル Kakehiki kādo batoru | Strategy Card Battle | [1] | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 卡牌比大小 Kǎ pái bǐ dàxiǎo | Card Sizes | [1] | |
| French (Canada) | À la carte | Pun with carte ("card") and à la carte | [1] | |
| French (Europe) | [1] | |||
| German | Hoher Einsatz | High Stakes | [1] | |
| Italian | Carta più alta vince! | The highest card wins! | [1] | |
| Korean | 눈치코치 카드 배틀 Nunchikochi Kadeu Baeteul | Room Reading Card Battle | [1] | |
| Spanish (Latin America) | Cartácticas | Cardactics; portmanteau of carta ("card") and tácticas ("tactics") | [1] | |
| Spanish (Europe) | [1] |
