Mario Party (series): Difference between revisions

|The original ''Mario Party'', upon its release for the Nintendo 64 in 1998/1999, introduced an aspect to multiplayer capabilities in the ''Mario'' franchise, of which most games before that point mainly featured a two-player versus mode, with the exceptions of a few sports spinoffs. Six characters are playable in the game: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, and Wario, with Toad being the [[guide]] of the game. Each character has one board named and modeled after them (e.g., [[Mario's Rainbow Castle]]), in addition to two other boards in the game—one dedicated to Bowser, and another, [[Eternal Star]], unlockable after the player collects 100 Stars.

|In 1999/2000, a sequel was released on the Nintendo 64, ''Mario Party 2''. The plot centers around the characters deciding to create their own world, which is named [[Mario Land (Mario Party 2)|Mario Land]], but soon arguing over a good name for the world, only to have the area invaded by Bowser, who partially seizes it for himself. As the characters go through the boards to take back their world, they dress in costumes unique to the board that is being played on (ex. pirate, astronaut, etc.), and after they have finished playing through the board, the winner gets to confront Bowser (in a board-appropriate alter ego) one-on-one and then thwart him. This was the game that introduced items to the series.

The game was rereleased for the [[Wii]] through [[Virtual Console]] in 2010, for the [[Wii U]] through Virtual Console in 2016, and for Nintendo 64 - Nintendo Switch Online in 2022.

|''Mario Party 3'', released in 2000/2001 as the final ''Mario'' entry for the Nintendo 64, centers around a scenario where the [[Millennium Star]], a star reborn once every thousand years, crashes into the grounds of [[Peach's Castle]]; Mario and his friends argue over who gets to keep it; and a nearby [[Lakitu]] transports everybody into a toy box that they have to navigate to save the star. This game added Daisy and Waluigi as playable characters and was the only entry in the ''Mario Party'' series to contain duels where two characters can battle each other using some of the staple enemies of the ''Mario'' franchise, such as [[Goomba]]s and [[Koopa Troopa]]s.

|''Mario Party 4'', released in 2002, transitioned the series to the new Nintendo GameCube console. The game centers around a mysterious object called the [[Party Cube]], which grants the wishes of its users; Mario and his friends enter this cube when Toad, Koopa, and several other characters invite them inside to celebrate birthday parties for them. As the player characters progress through boards, they are awarded presents; the story's climax comes in the form of Bowser, who wishes to disrupt the party with a board of his own. This was the last ''Mario Party'' game to have Donkey Kong as a playable character until ''Mario Party 10'', and it was also the first entry in the series to grant players the ability to team up. Although this game does not introduce any fully playable characters, Daisy and Waluigi are both playable in Story Mode (unlike in ''Mario Party 3''). Also, there are characters exclusively playable in the minigame [[Beach Volley Folly]]: Toad, Koopa, [[Shy Guy]], Boo, [[Koopa Kid]], and Bowser.

|''Mario Party 5'', released in 2003 for the GameCube, is set in the world of the [[Dream Depot]], where everybody's dreams come together. The [[Star Spirits]] from ''[[Paper Mario]]'', who serve as guardians to the dreams there, invite Mario and his friends to the depot, where they try to prevent Bowser and his Koopa Kids from conquering and ruining the place. Toad, Boo, and one of the Koopa Kids take on roles as playable characters for the first time here (in all modes except Story Mode), and Donkey Kong is now restricted to being featured in the special [[DK Space]], which initiates an event granting the possibility of a Star or coins whenever landed on. Also introduced are [[capsule machine]]s, which dispense containers called [[orb|capsules]] that hold items for the player characters to use to their advantage.

|''Mario Party 6'', released in 2004, was the first game to make use of the GameCube's microphone peripheral, packaged with the game. Every three turns, the sun periodically sets or rises, producing different effects, including spaces moving, different characters appearing, and changes to minigames. The game features as its hosts the sun-and-moon duo of [[Brighton]] and [[Twila]], who are arguing over who is more popular, which Mario and his friends hope to stop by collecting Stars and completing the [[Miracle Book]]. This game marks the first time that [[Toadette]] is playable in the series; here, she is an unlockable character, the first player character in the series to be unlockable. Also, Toad, Boo, and Koopa Kid are fully playable for the first time in the series.

|''Mario Party 7'', released in 2005, was the series' last entry on the GameCube. The game again incorporates the microphone mechanic and mic-exclusive minigame format from the previous installment, and it also introduces an eight-player joystick-only game in which up to eight players can party, with two players sharing one controller. In the game's story, [[Toadsworth]], Peach's longtime steward, has invited his missus, Mario, and all of their friends to go on a luxury cruise around the world as a reward for their hard work. Bowser is not invited, however, and furiously vows to take revenge by turning their vacation paradise into a stress-filled place of pandemonium, so it is up to the passengers to end this. [[Birdo]] and [[Dry Bones]] are introduced as unlockable playable characters in this game.

|''Mario Party 8'', released in 2007, launched the ''Mario Party'' series to the Wii. A [[Blooper]] and one of the [[Hammer Bro]]s. are added as unlockable playable characters. Hosted by [[MC Ballyhoo]], the self-proclaimed "master of catastrophes" with a talking top hat called [[Big Top]], the game has an assortment of minigames utilizing the capabilities of the new console's remote. It centers around the [[Star Carnival]], which comprises five areas: the Party Tent, where players can have a classic game of ''Mario Party''; the Minigame Tent, an arcade where minigames are played; the Extras Zone, where players can play extra minigames with either the main characters or their [[Mii]] avatars; the Fun Bazaar, where players can buy minigames, items, and various other things; and the Star Battle Arena, which acts as the game's story mode. Mario and his friends have been invited to the Star Carnival to party, and the winner of their game gets a year's supply of [[Candy (Mario Party 8)|Candy]]. However, just as one of the players is crowned the Superstar, Bowser steals the [[Star Rod (Mario Party 8)|Star Rod]] they were to receive, and Mario and his friends must defeat Bowser and get it back.

|''Mario Party 9'', released in 2012, was the first iteration in the series to be developed by [[NDcube]]. Gameplay uses a mechanic new to the main branch of the series, in which players move around in a vehicle. Players take turns as the captain, rolling the dice to move the vehicle. Instead of attempting to collect coins to buy Stars, the players attempt to earn the most Mini Stars on each board by collecting them from the board, winning minigames, and beating bosses. They must also avoid Mini Ztars, which decrease the player's current total of Mini Stars. The game also has two boss battles integrated into each board; the players try to take down a boss together, while also trying their best to increase their individual scores. The game's plot has Mario and his friends looking at the night sky, when suddenly, Bowser and his son are sucking Mini Stars into a vortex, so Mario and his friends head off to save the Mini Stars. A Koopa Troopa is added as a default playable character (being fully playable for the first time in the series), and [[Shy Guy]] and the [[Magikoopa]] [[Kamek]] are introduced as unlockable playable characters (although neither is playable in Story Mode).

|''Mario Party 10'' is the only ''Mario Party'' game for the Wii U, released in 2015. The game reuses the vehicle mechanic, and players once again have the goal of collecting Mini Stars. However, in addition to the traditional Party Mode, two new modes have been added: Bowser Party, where a player using the GamePad plays as Bowser and tries to make the heroes lose all their hearts, and amiibo Party, where players collect Stars with coins using [[amiibo]] figures from the ''[[Super Mario (series)|Super Mario]]'' line. Bowser's playability in his special mode and amiibo Party aside, the game also adds Rosalina as a default playable character and [[Spike]] as an unlockable playable character. In addition, Donkey Kong returns as a fully playable character for the first time since ''Mario Party 4''.

|''Super Mario Party'' is a ''Mario Party'' game for the Nintendo Switch, released in 2018. The game goes back to the series' roots, with the return of the turn-based, linear, individually moving style gameplay from the first eight home console installments. This game brings back the ally system from ''Mario Party: Star Rush'', as well as some boards using the nonlinear style of said game in the Partner Party mode, albeit with individual turns. In addition to this, there are two other featured modes, these being River Survival and Sound Stage. Both of these modes feature unique minigames that are exclusive to these modes, and both modes feature different gameplay from the basic Mario Party mode. The game also introduces [[Goomba]], [[Monty Mole]], and [[Pom Pom]] as playable characters. Later in 2018, a browser game on the [[Play Nintendo]] website called ''[[Super Mario Party Fun Trivia Quiz]]'' appeared.

|''Mario Party Superstars'' is the second ''Mario Party'' game for the Nintendo Switch, released on October 29, 2021. The game follows the gameplay style of ''Super Mario Party'' and earlier installments in the series. It features 100 minigames from past titles, similarly to ''Mario Party: The Top 100'', as well as five boards originally from the first three titles.

|''Mario Party-e'' is a card game released in 2003 that makes optional use of the [[e-Reader|Nintendo e-Reader]]. Many of these cards contain "dot-codes" that, when scanned into the e-Reader, allow players to play minigames similar to those found in the regular ''Mario Party'' series. The ''Mario Party-e'' package contains a play mat, an instruction book, and a pre-constructed deck consisting of 64 cards. An extra card was included as a promotion in an issue of the magazine ''{{wp|GamePro}}''.

|''Mario Party Advance'', released on the Game Boy Advance in 2005, was the first full ''Mario Party'' release on a handheld gaming system. Instead of the multiplayer Party Mode that is traditional to the series, ''Advance'' features a new mode called Shroom City, where players must collect all the minigames and [[Gaddget]]s that were scattered around the city by Bowser, completing quests assigned by the various inhabitants of Shroom City. Unlike other installments of the ''Mario Party'' series, this game is almost exclusively single-player. This game introduces the mechanic of having players move around in a vehicle, which was later used in ''Mario Party 9'' and ''Mario Party 10''.

The game was rereleased for the Wii U through Virtual Console, initially in 2014.

|''Mario Party DS'', released for the Nintendo DS in 2007, was the last iteration in the series to be developed by [[Hudson Soft|Hudson]]. It features many minigames that utilize the capabilities of the DS's touchscreen and microphone, in addition to traditional minigames using the directional pad and control buttons. The story revolves around five meteorites called [[Sky Crystal]]s, which fall onto the earth one day. While Mario and the gang are discussing this, Kamek drops them party invitations from Bowser, who has invited them to [[Bowser's Castle|his castle]] for a banquet; however, once they arrive, they are all captured, shrunk to a microscopic size, and thrown outside. The player characters must return to Bowser's Castle to be restored to their normal height.

The game was rereleased for the Wii U through Virtual Console in 2016.

|''Mario Party: Island Tour'', released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013, was the second ''Mario Party'' installment to be developed by [[NDcube]]. The game returns to the traditional individual player movement of the ''Mario Party'' series, but each board has its own unique style of gameplay. Many minigames are designed to utilize the Touch Screen and other unique features of the system. [[Bowser Jr.]] is playable for the first time in the series in this game.

|''Mario Party: Star Rush'', released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2016, deviates from the normal format in its removal of turn-based gameplay in favor of the ability to move at will, simultaneous with other players, and without set paths on the game board. The main mode in this installment is Toad Scramble, where all players play as Toad in one of his various color schemes and can recruit other characters to play with them on their teams. ''Mario Party: Star Rush'' is the first handheld release in the series to be amiibo-compatible. It is also the first game in the series to have [[Diddy Kong]] as a playable character, after he had non-playable roles in ''Mario Party DS'' and ''Mario Party 9''.

|''Mario Party: The Top 100'', released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2017, compiles 100 minigames from past home console ''Mario Party'' games with altered graphics and controls. These minigames can be played in a variety of ways through the game's modes, such as through the single-player Minigame Island mode.