Item Shop (Mario Party series)

Item Shops are a type of shop that appears in the Mario Party series, first appearing in Mario Party 2. They sell items to the player in exchange for coins, and are located in one or more locations on each board in the games they appear in. When passed by, they may be entered by the player, and generally allow the player to purchase a single item from a limited selection.

Item Shops do not appear in Mario Party 5, where they are replaced with paying coins to use Capsules, Mario Party 6 and Mario Party 7, where they are replaced by Orb Huts, and Mario Party 8, where they are replaced by Candy Shops.

Mario Party 2
In Mario Party 2, there is one Item Shop run by a red-shelled Koopa Troopa on each board. These shops have between two and five items for sale at a time, depending on the player's placement (between 1st and 4th place) and how many turns are left in the game, divided between the first 5 turns, the mid-game, and the last 5 turns. Generally, the lower-placed the player is and the later in the game the current turn is, the more valuable and greater in number the offered items will be. All items sold at the Item Shop cost at least 10 coins, and if the player does not have at least 10 coins when they pass by, or if they are already carrying an item, they will not be allowed to enter the shop. Additionally, the Item Shop closes on the last turn of the game, preventing any more items from being purchased.

Koopa Troopa's shops offer the following items depending on the player's placement and the number of turns remaining:

On the board Bowser Land, there is also a secondary Item Shop managed by a red Baby Bowser. When a player passes by this shop, the Baby Bowser will forcibly sell them a random item for more than its usual selling price – for example, a Warp Block for 17 coins. The sale will be made even if the player does not have enough coins, in which case the Baby Bowser will take all of the player's coins in exchange for the item, or if it is the last turn. However, the Baby Bowser will not force the player to buy an item if they are already carrying one.

Neither type of Item Shop ever sells Boo Bells or Bowser Suits. Bowser Bombs are not sold at Koopa Troopa's shops, but they may be sold by Baby Bowser's shop.

Mario Party 3
In Mario Party 3, there are two Item Shops on each board, and each time a player passes by one, it will randomly be run by Toad, whose shop is called Toad's Trading Post, or Baby Bowser, whose shop is called Baby Bowser's Joint. The two shopkeepers each have a different selection of items: Toad mainly sells items that directly benefit the player, while Baby Bowser mainly sells items that can be used to hinder opponents. Either shopkeeper is capable of selling Skeleton Keys and Item Bags (although Item Bags may only contain items sold by the shopkeeper that is offering the Item Bag, as well as rare items at Toad's Trading Post). Item Shops offer between six and seven items at a time, and the player is allowed to purchase up to one item per visit.

Like in Mario Party 2, the particular selection of items available depends on the player's placement and the number of turns left in the game, once a shopkeeper is selected. Similarly to the previous game, more valuable items in greater numbers are generally offered to players in lower places, and as the game progresses. The player will be denied entry to an Item Shop if they have fewer than 5 coins, are already carrying the capacity of 3 items, or if it is the last turn.

Toad's Trading Post offers the following items depending on the player's placement and the number of turns remaining, in addition to Skeleton Keys and Item Bags (which are always sold):

Baby Bowser's Joint offers the following items depending on the player's placement and the number of turns remaining, in addition to Skeleton Keys and Item Bags (which are always sold):

In addition to visiting the Item Shops on the board, Mario Party 3 also introduced a new way to access the shop system: the Cellular Shopper. When used, this item allows players to visit an Item Shop in the same way as usual from their current position on the board, while also allowing the player to choose between buying items from Toad's Trading Post or Baby Bowser's Joint.

Wacky Watches, Barter Boxes, Koopa Kards, and Lucky Charms are never sold by either Toad's Trading Post or Baby Bowser's Joint, but any of them may be obtained from Item Bags bought at Toad's Trading Post.

Mario Party 4
Mario Party 4 once again features two Item Shops on each board. In this game, they are run by the host of the board being played, and each shopkeeper has unique dialogue, but they are otherwise identical. Unlike in Mario Party 2 and Mario Party 3, the items offered by Item Shops are no longer determined by the player's placement or the number of turns remaining, but instead are largely random. Shops always have exactly five different items for sale, at least one of which the player can afford (for example, if the player has between 5 and 9 coins, a Mega Mushroom or Mini Mushroom will be offered, since these items cost 5 coins). Much like in Mario Party 3, the player will be denied entry to an Item Shop if they have fewer than 5 coins, are already carrying the capacity of 3 items, or if it is the last turn.

On the Extra Room boards, Mega Board Mayhem and Mini Board Mad-Dash, Item Shops work differently from normal. While they still offer a "selection" of five items, all five of these items are always of the same type, chosen from Warp Pipes, Sparky Stickers, Super Mega Mushrooms, and Super Mini Mushrooms. If the player visits an Item Shop on one of these boards while carrying between 5 and 9 coins, five Warp Pipes will be offered, but the player will not be able to purchase any of them as they cost 10 coins.

Bowser Suits are never sold in Item Shops.

Mario Party DS
In Mario Party DS, there are two Item Shops on each board, run by a Monty Mole. Four items are sold at a time, and more valuable items generally become available as the game progresses. This is linked to the turn number (regardless of how many turns are remaining), as certain items such as Block Sensors and Grab Bags are only sold on the later turns of a 20, 25 or 30-turn game. Like in Mario Party 4, at least one item that the player can afford is always sold (for example, if the player has only 1 coin, a Halfway Dice Block will be offered, since it costs 1 coin). Unlike in any previous Mario Party title, any number of items may be purchased during a single visit to an Item Shop, and shops may be entered and purchased from even if the player is carrying the capacity of three items. If the player purchases an item in excess of the three-item limit, they will be forced to throw away one of their items. Item Shops may not be entered if the player does not have any coins or if it is the last turn.

Super Mario Party
In Super Mario Party, there are two Item Shops on each board run by a Flutter, except for Kamek's Tantalizing Tower, which only has one. These Item Shops always offer three items, and the player can purchase up to one item per visit. Unlike in previous Mario Party titles, Item Shops always offer the same selection of items, and different Item Shops on the same board have different selections available.

On the board Kamek's Tantalizing Tower, there is a secondary Item Shop run by a Toady called the Shady Shop. When this shop is visited, the Toady will forcibly sell the player a Dash Mushroom, Poison Mushroom, or Custom Dice Block for 6 coins. Whenever an item is bought from Toady, it will disappear from the stock until each item has been bought once, then the shop is refilled again.

Mario Party Superstars
In Mario Party Superstars, Item Shops are run by Yellow Toad. There are now item shops in the original Mario Party boards (Peach's Birthday Cake and Yoshi's Tropical Island) and more than one item shop in the Mario Party 2 boards (Space Land and Horror Land). They have been shown to have from as little as two or three items to as many as six items for sale, and up to one item can be purchased per visit.

Mario Party 2

 * Wii Virtual Console manual: "You can purchase an item when you pass in front of a shop. If you already have an item, you won't be able to buy an item."