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{{Infobox|title=[[Image:MP4LOGO.png|250px]]
{{italic title}}
|image=[[Image:Mpp4.JPG|250px|Mario Party 4's cover art]]
{{game infobox
|developer=[[Hudson Soft]]
|image=[[File:Mario Party 4 Cover.jpg|250px|Mario Party 4's cover art]]
|developer=[[Hudson Soft]] <br> [[CAProduction]]
|publisher=[[Nintendo]]
|publisher=[[Nintendo]]
|designer=
|release='''Original release:'''<br>{{flag list|USA|October 21, 2002|Mexico|October 21, 2002<ref>{{cite|archive=web.archive.org/web/20021201231801/http://www.nintendo.com.mx/Juegos/game_cube/marioparty.html|title=Nintendo-Juegos-NGC-Mario Party 4|publisher=www.nintendo.com.mx|accessdate=November 28, 2022}}</ref>|Japan|November 8, 2002|Europe|November 29, 2002|Australia|November 29, 2002|South Korea|2002<ref>{{cite|url=scanlines16.com/blog-3/retro-gaming/game-cube/gamecube-korean-master-list|title=Gamecube : Korean Master-List !|publisher=Scanlines16.com|accessdate=April 19, 2018}}</ref>}} '''[[Player's Choice|Player's Choice Release]]:'''<br>{{flag list|Europe|October 10, 2003}}
|released={{releasedate|USA|October 21, 2002|Japan|November 8, 2002|Europe|November 21, 2002}}
|languages={{languages|en_us=y|es_es=y|fr_fr=y|de=y|it=y|jp=y}}
|genre=Party Game
|genre=[[Genre#Party|Party]]
|modes=1-4 players
|modes=1-4 players
|ratings=[[ESRB]]: Everyone (E)
|ratings={{ratings|acb=g8+|esrb=e|elspa=3+|pegi=3|usk=0|sell=all}}
|platforms=[[Nintendo GameCube|GameCube]]
|platforms=[[Nintendo GameCube]]
|media=  
|format={{format|gcn=1}}
|requirements=
|input={{input|gcn=1}}
|input=[[Nintendo GameCube Controller]]
|serials={{flag list|USA|DOL-GMPE-USA}}
}}
}}
'''''Mario Party 4''''' is the fourth game in the ''[[Mario Party (series)|Mario Party]]'' series, and the first for the [[Nintendo GameCube]]. It follows the original style of board-game-esque gameplay, as well as the use of many [[items]] and [[mini-games]]. The game's goal, as with most of the others, is to collect [[stars]]. It is also the first ''Mario Party'' game to allow players to team up.
'''''Mario Party 4''''' is the fourth main installment in the ''[[Mario Party (series)|Mario Party]]'' series and the first for the [[Nintendo GameCube]]. Developed by [[Hudson Soft]] and published by [[Nintendo]], the game was initially released in North America on October 21, 2002, making it the first ''Mario Party'' game to be released first outside of Japan.  


==Playable Characters==
It retains the basic gameplay aspects from previous ''Mario Party'' titles, where up to four players roll dice to move around a board, earning coins from landing on [[Space (Mario Party series)|Space]]s, events, or winning [[minigame|mini-game]]s played at the end of every turn to buy [[Star (Mario Party series)|stars]]. Features introduced in previous ''Mario Party'' games such as the introduction of the usage of [[List of items|items]] from ''[[Mario Party 2]]'' to assist players against their opponents and the ability to carry up to three items from ''[[Mario Party 3]]'' return. New elements introduced in ''Mario Party 4'' include the ability for players to team up in pairs in Party Mode, creating a custom mini-game pack selected entirely by players of the game, and the first ''Mario Party'' game to introduce side-collectibles in the form of presents. It is also the only ''Mario Party'' game so far to have pre-rendered cutscenes. The game is notable for introducing boards fully rendered in 3D, though the navigational board space layout remains flat until ''Mario Party 5''. ''Mario Party 4'' requires two blocks to save on the memory card, and it contains up to three save files.
*[[Mario]] - <b><span style="color:#FF0000">Red</span></b>
 
*[[Luigi]] - <b><span style="color:#0000FF">Blue</span></b>
The game furthers a revamp in the 3D art direction of the ''Super Mario'' franchise that started with ''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'' and continued with ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]''. This game finalized the designs used for much of its cast that would continue to be used throughout the GameCube era and beyond; many 3D character models from games released over a decade afterward can be traced back to this one. The revamp would continue through ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'' and ''[[Super Mario 64 DS]]'' to include minor species and enemies.
*[[Yoshi]] - <b><span style="color:#00FF00">Green</span></b>
*[[Princess Peach|Peach]] - <b><span style="color:#FF00FF">Pink</span></b>
*[[Wario]] - <b><span style="color:purple">Purple</span></b>
*[[Donkey Kong]] - <b><span style="color:brown">Brown</span></b>
*[[Princess Daisy|Daisy]] - <b><span style="color:gold">Yellow</span></b>
*[[Waluigi]] - <b>Black</b>


==Plot==
==Plot==
[[Toad]], [[Koopa Troopa]], [[Goomba]], [[Boo]] and [[Shy Guy]] all found the odd, mystical [[Party Cube]]. According to the instruction booklet, they have invited all of the game characters to celebrate the birthday of a character (the character is chosen by the [[player]]). However, instead of just giving the character the presents, they make the characters win the presents themselves. Eventually, [[Bowser]] enters to ruin things with his own board, hosted by [[Koopa Kid]] (known in PAL regions as Mini-Bowser).
<blockquote>
''"[[Toad]], [[Koopa Troopa (Mario Party 4)|Koopa]], and a whole host of party patrons have arrived on the mysterious [[Party Cube]] to celebrate your Birthday Party!"<br>
<br>
''"But giving you presents would be way too easy, so you're going to have to win the presents by playing a game or two!"<br>
<br>
''"Now let's get this party started!"</blockquote>
Mario and company are enjoying the outdoors when a mysterious cloud forms in the distance. As the cloud moves closer, a giant bag appears to be floating in the sky. The bag opens up to reveal Toad, Koopa, [[Goomba (Mario Party 4)|Goomba]], [[Shy Guy (Mario Party 4)|Shy Guy]], and [[Boo (Mario Party 4)|Boo]], who invite Mario and the gang to party in the Party Cube.
 
It is the player character's birthday and each host wants to give a present, but the character must play in each host's board and win a special mini-game to get the present. The player character manages to get every single present from each host, but [[Bowser]] shows up and threatens to steal every present the player has, unless the player agrees to go to [[Bowser's Gnarly Party|Bowser's board]] and win, and the player accepts Bowser's challenge.
 
The player manages to win and [[Koopa Kid]] congratulates the player for winning, but Bowser tricks the player into believing that he took all of the player's presents and the two fight in a [[The Final Battle! (minigame)|final battle]]. The player manages to beat Bowser and he runs away and leaves one present behind. Koopa Kid explains that Bowser never took the player's presents.
 
Toad then appears and said that there is still someone who did not give their gift to the player. The lights suddenly turn off, cueing a spotlight, then Toad points to the sky and a Star is seen, zipping across the sky and revealing a constellation of the character's winning pose.
 
The epilogue shows the five hosts without their costumes, following after the moving Party Cube. After a few seconds, the Party Cube blasts off into space, never to be seen again.
 
==Gameplay==
[[File:Toad'sMidwayMadness6.png|thumb|Gameplay with [[Waluigi]] under the influence of a [[Mega Mushroom]] in [[Toad's Midway Madness]].]]
''Mario Party 4'' retains the board gameplay from previous ''Mario Party'' installments. Four players take turns to navigate around a digital game board using a [[Dice Block]] that randomly rolls numbers 1-10, within a set number of turns. Prior to starting out on a selected board, the four players need to roll a Dice Block that determines the order they will play in. Players who roll higher numbers in the beginning will start out earlier, and their HUD displayed on the corners of the screen are corresponding to what order they roll in. The overarching goal of the game is to purchase as much [[Star (Mario Party series)|Stars]] with collected [[coin]]s as possible, within the limit of turns; players first earn 10 coins to start out with. These stars cost 20 coins to purchase, and they are found in various, set locations on the board. Once a star is purchased, the star migrates to another location on the board, where players then need to navigate there to purchase again. Once all players have moved, a turn is passed and a mini-game is randomly selected from a roulette of mini-games and played; initially mini-game names are blocked out with question marks until they have been played at least once. These mini-games involve players doing actions with very specific rules under a short time limit to outperform their competition. If the players are successful by beating their opponents, they earn 10 coins as a reward, though mini-games classified as Coin mini-games (mini-games that have their text colored yellow) has the potential of players earning more coins, and they keep those coins regardless if they collected the most or not.
 
[[Space (Mario Party series)|Spaces]] of various types are scattered across the board and give several effects when landed on. The most common space, the [[Blue Space]], gives players out 3 coins if they landed on it. On the other hand, landing on a [[Red Space]] deducts 3 coins if landed on. Other spaces include [[Happening Space]]s, [[Warp Space]]s, [[Mushroom Space]]s, etc. that all have their own special effect. When a space is landed on, the player panel turns to whatever color the space they landed on was. The color of the player panel dictates the type of mini-game that will be played at the end of the turn. For example, if all players land on a Blue Space, a 4-Player type mini-game will be played. If two players land on a Blue Space and two land on a Red Space, they will play a 2-vs-2 mini-game, being paired with the character who has the same color as their player panel as each other. 1-vs-3 mini-games are played if three players land on the same-colored space and one player lands on a different-colored space. If players land on a green-colored space, their player panel color will change to either blue or red randomly. Other types of mini-games are played under only special occasions; for example, Battle mini-games can be played only if players land a [[Battle Space]] and Bowser mini-games can be played if players land on a [[Bowser Space]] and [[Bowser]] decides to play the mini-game.
 
[[File:LotteryBallGame1.png|thumb|left|[[Donkey Kong]] accessing Toad's Lottery Shop]]
Other board features that can be accessed in all boards include [[Item Shop (Mario Party series)|Item Shops]], [[Ghost House#Mario Party series|Boo House]]s, and [[Lottery Shop]]s. Players can choose to enter these when they pass their space, though some of these are locked away through [[tiny pipe]]s. Some boards feature board-specific features that players that function in a similar manner to these shops such as the [[Mystery Train]] from [[Boo's Haunted Bash]] or [[Klepto]] from [[Shy Guy's Jungle Jam]]. Players earn a [[Lucky Party Ticket]] when they enter the Lottery Shop for the first time, which does not have an effect until the [[Last Five Turns Event]].
 
Items can be earned when players purchase them from Item Shops, obtain them from landing on Mushroom Spaces, win them in Mini Mini-games, or through other means. Players can stash up to three items; if they carry more, they need to discard items. These items can be used to give players advantages over their opponents. A prominent feature of ''Mario Party 4'' is the replacement of regular Mushrooms through the use of Mega and Mini Mushrooms, which can be routinely earned throughout the game. Mega Mushrooms cause the player to grow large, roll two sets of Dice Blocks, and squash opponent players for their coins. However, this causes them to ignore most board features, which includes passing by [[Star Space]]s. Mini Mushrooms shrink players and make them roll a Dice Block numbered only 1-5, but they can travel through tiny pipes to access areas of the map that cannot be accessed otherwise and play Mini Mini-games, which gives them the chance to earn free coins and items. In [[Bowser's Gnarly Party]], Bowser reacts differently to characters depending on their current size. Players can earn more powerful variants of them with the Super Mega Mushroom and the Super Mini Mushroom, both of which let them roll an extra Dice Block. When players roll doubles or triples, they earn bonus coins, with 7's earning a greater number of coins, where the greatest number, rolling three 7's, rewards players with 50 coins.
 
[[File:Marioparty4extra34.png|thumb|Boo performing a lottery drawing in the Last Five Turns Event]]
A [[Last Five Turns Event]] commences when there are only five more turns in the board. The current host of the board then tallies the results of the players up and then uses a roulette to match the character mugshots on a Lucky Party Ticket, if there are any received at all. Whoever has all the matching Lucky Party Ticket character mugshots earns a free Star, though this happens very rarely. After that, the host gives the last place player a chance to stop a roulette, which affects the board's rules for the rest of the game. These include doubling the number of coins Blue Spaces give and Red Spaces take away, all Red Spaces becoming Bowser Spaces, all Red Spaces becoming Fortune Spaces, or all Stars becoming free. The game then actively notifies players of the number of turns left.
 
Once the final mini-game has been played, the host of the board does a final tally and announces who has the most stars and coins. If bonuses are turned on prior to starting the game, the host can additionally give out extra stars depending on if the player has fulfilled the requirements of being the best of that requirement. After the final countdown, the first place player gets rewarded as the Party Star and thus wins the game. Coins are the tiebreaker if a tie with Stars occurs, and if there is a coin tie as well, the winner is determined through a Dice Block roll. Past this, players can view statistics and results to see the overall performance, such as how many Spaces of a certain type were landed on and how many accumulated coins they won through mini-games.
 
===Game modes===
[[File:Main Menu MP4.png|thumb|The Party Cube screen]]
''Mario Party 4'' comes with six game modes. Three of the game modes are hosted by one of the five character hosts, though [[Toad]] mostly guides the player in Party Mode prior to selecting a map while [[Boo (Mario Party 4)|Boo]] does not host any of the modes, unless his board is selected in Party and Story Mode. The main menu is called the "Party Cube screen", where players can pick a ticket representing the mode before entering the Party Cube.
 
====Party Mode====
[[File:Welcome to Party Mode MP4.png|thumb|Party Mode]]
The primary mode of ''Mario Party 4'', who is hosted by Toad prior to board selection. This mode uses the default rules for game boards, where the goal is to amass the most Stars. Up to four players can participate in this mode, and there are always four players in the board; CPU players fill up slots of vacant human players. Players can select from a roster of 8 playable characters, and then adjust the difficulty of the CPU players from Easy, Normal, Hard, to the unlockable Expert. After the characters are selected, players pick a board to play on. Once a board is selected, the owner of the board becomes the overall host of the game. Players can then adjust the following settings:
*'''Rules''': Players can either select Battle Royale, the traditional way with four players competing against each other or Team Match, a feature introduced in ''Mario Party 4'', where players can form two teams of two. However, unlike later entries in the series, players still have their own player panel and do not share coins, though they do share items. 1-vs-3 mini-games are not played, and 2-vs-2 mini-games are always divided by the team set.
*'''Number of Turns''': Players can adjust the number of terms the game will last. Players can set from 10 to 50 turns, in increments of 5.
*'''Mini-games''': Players can set which types of mini-games will appear. Mini-games set to "All" have no restrictions, mini-games set to "Easy" will have only mini-games in the easy category appear, while "Custom" players only with the players' created set of mini-games.
*'''Bonus Settings''': If turned on, players can find [[Hidden Block]]s when a space is landed on that awards players coins or a Star. At the end of the game, bonus Stars are also rewarded to players based on their performance.
**'''Mini-Game Star''': Awarded to players who have won the most coins from mini-games.
**'''Coin Star''': Awarded to players who had the highest coin count at any point in the game.
**'''Happening Star''': Awarded to players who have landed on the most Happening Spaces.
*'''Handicap''': Players can adjust the number of Stars each player starts out with in the beginning of the game. Up to 9 Stars can be given to any individual character.
When these settings are confirmed, the game starts. Players have access to more options when they pause the game with {{button|gcn|start}}. In the pause screen, players additionally can see the numbers of turns they have left.
*'''Changing Control''': Players can adjust control settings for each character. They can adjust the difficulty of a CPU player, turn a human character to a CPU, or turn a CPU into a human player. Through this menu, it is possible for the game to have only CPUs playing.
*'''Playing Mini-Games''': Players can toggle the Mini-Game Explanation Screen to SHOW or DON'T SHOW. SHOW is the default setting. If DON'T SHOW is toggled, the screen is skipped and the mini-game starts immediately.
*'''COM Mini-Games''': Players can either watch or skip mini-games with only CPU players involved.
*'''Mini-Game Pack''': Players can set which mini-game pack to use when the Mini-Game Roulette is displayed at the end of turns and when commencing a Battle mini-game.
*'''Rumble Settings''': Players can toggle the controller rumble feature on or off.
*'''Message Speed''': Players can adjust the speed in which messages display, from Slow, Normal, and Fast.
*'''Save''': There are three save settings. Players can opt not to save the game, save the game only once at the end of the current turn, or save the game at the end of every turn (the default option).
*'''Quit''': Players quit the game and return to the Party Cube screen.
{{br}}
 
====Story Mode====
[[File:Welcome to Story Mode MP4.png|thumb|Story Mode]]
Story Mode serves as the game's single player mode. Here, players have to clear board maps against opponent characters and beat the hosts of the maps in their special mini-games in order to win a present from them. Presents earned through this mode are stored in the [[Present Room]]. Prior to playing, players can set the difficulty of the mode from Easy, Normal, Hard, and Auto. If the game is on the Auto setting, CPU players get progressively more difficult every time a board is completed. Additionally, players can select which type of mini-games will appear, from All, to Easy, to the Custom set the player has created. Unlike Party Mode, CPU characters are picked automatically, and the static settings are Battle Royale, 15 turns, Bonuses on, and Handicap off. If there is a save file in the Story Mode, it is represented by the player character's icon on the save file screen. If players lose to the host in their respective story mini-game, they continuously try again before winning. If they beat all host characters of the starter maps, [[Koopa Kid]] shows up and takes the player to [[Bowser's Gnarly Party]], a board that is unlocked once players beat [[Bowser]] in [[The Final Battle! (minigame)|The Final Battle!]], take back the stolen presents, and earn his present from his defeat.
{{br}}
 
====Mini-Game Mode====
[[File:Welcome to Mini-Game Mode MP4.png|thumb|Mini-Game Mode]]
This mode is hosted by [[Goomba (Mario Party 4)|Goomba]], and the primary focus of the mode are the mini-games. Mini-games are unlocked whenever they are played for the first time in the game's Party and Story Modes. Up to four players can participate in this mode, and any vacant slots are filled with CPU characters with adjustable difficulties. There are four ways to play this mode:
*'''Play''': Players have four ways of playing mini-games through this mode:
**'''Free Play''': Players can play any mini-game they have unlocked.
**'''Team Play''': Players split into teams and play mini-games.
**'''Battle Mode''': Players decide how many victories in mini-games are required for a win, from 3-Match, 5-Match, to 7-Match. Players can additionally split into teams and select which types of mini-games appear in the roulette, from All, Easy, to Custom.
**'''Tic-Tac-Toe Mode''': Players split into teams and play on a 3-by-3 board of Tic-Tac-Toe. Players put their coin on a slot they want, and win the slot when they win in the mini-game selected via roulette. Players win the game when a row or diagonal of 3 coins is made.
*'''List''': Players view all mini-games they have unlocked.
*'''Custom''': Players can build a custom set of mini-games for use in a variety of modes. Players need to unlock 4 4-Player mini-games, 3 2-vs-2 mini-games, 3 1-vs-3 mini-games, and 2 Battle mini-games in order to create a custom pack.
*'''Records''': Players can view best times or high scores from mini-games that set records.
{{br}}
 
====Option Room====
[[File:Welcome to Option Room MP4.png|thumb|Option Room]]
This mode is hosted by [[Koopa Troopa (Mario Party 4)|Koopa Troopa]], where players can adjust various settings, listen to the game's sounds, or view records.
*'''Rumble Settings''': Players can turn the controller rumble feature on or off.
*'''Listen to Music''': Players can adjust the sound settings from either stereo or mono. Players can additionally listen to the game's background music and character voice samples.
*'''View Records''': Two types of records are stored here. Board Map records store the number of times the board was played with how many times the character used won, as well as the maximum number of coins and Stars held. Mini-Game records are stored here, where players can view best times or high scores.
{{br}}
 
====Present Room====
[[File:Welcome to Present Room MP4.png|thumb|Present Room]]
{{main|Present Room}}
This mode is hosted by [[Shy Guy (Mario Party 4)|Shy Guy]], where players can view all of the presents won in Story Mode. Other collectibles are stored here as well, including the presents won when certain times or scores are beaten in mini-games and character constellations when Story Mode is beaten with that character. Presents are sorted by character and type.
{{br}}
 
====Extra Room====
[[File:Welcome to Extra Room MP4.png|thumb|Extra Room]]
This mode is hosted by [[Thwomp]], [[Whomp]], and [[Ztar]], where Bonus mini-games exclusive to this mode are played here. These mini-games can be played alongside two bonus boards.
 
;Thwomp's Backroom Ball
[[File:Thwomp's Backroom Ball Extra Room logo.png|thumb]]
Thwomp hosts this multiplayer-oriented mode, where one to four players can play with a variety of settings. The settings set are similar to those set in Free Play and Team Play in Mini-Game Mode. When playing on Mega Board Mayhem and Mini Board Mad-Dash, mini-games do not appear and therefore, players stay on the board the entire game. Players initially start out playing only Mega Board Mayhem and Mini Board Mad-Dash; they unlock Challenge Booksquirm and Panel Panic as they play. The last two games listed are extended versions of other mini-games.
<gallery>
Mega Board Mayhem Icon.png|[[Mega Board Mayhem]]
Mini Board Mad-Dash Icon.png|[[Mini Board Mad-Dash]]
Challenge Booksquirm Icon.png|[[Booksquirm|Challenge Booksquirm]]
Panel_Panic_Icon.png|[[Panel Panic]]
</gallery>
 
;Whomp's Basement Brouhaha
[[File:Whomp's Basement Brouhaha Extra Room logo.png|thumb]]
Whomp hosts this single-player mode, where all of the features are unique mini-games that are exclusive to this mode. There are a total of six mini-games in this mode; players start out with four mini-games and when certain mini-games are unlocked in Mini-Game Mode, two more can be unlocked.
<gallery>
Jigsaw Jitters (40 Pieces) Icon.png|[[Jigsaw Jitters]]
Barrel_Baron_Icon.png|[[Barrel Baron]]
Mushroom_Medic_Icon.png|[[Mushroom Medic]]
Doors of Doom Icon.png|[[Doors of Doom]]
Bob-omb X-ing Icon.png|[[Bob-omb X-ing]]
Goomba_Stomp_Icon.png|[[Goomba Stomp]]
</gallery>
;[[Beach Volley Folly]]
A special mini-game that is hosted by [[Ztar]], unlocked when all games from the above modes are unlocked. This volleyball-themed mini-game comes with its own set of rules and unlockables, as well as its own tournament mode. Additionally, some playable characters are exclusive to this mode in ''Mario Party 4''.
<gallery>
Beach Volley Folly Icon.png|Beach Volley Folly
</gallery>
 
==Characters==
===Playable===
[[File:GoodChoice BlehBleh 4.png|thumb|232px|The character-selection screen]]
''Mario Party 4'' has a total of eight playable characters, with all playable characters returning from ''[[Mario Party 3]]''. All of these playable characters are usable from the beginning and are usable throughout all modes. In addition, Princess Daisy and Waluigi are now playable in Story Mode. While ''Mario Party 4'' does not introduce any new playable characters, a mini-game, [[Beach Volley Folly]], found in the Extra Mode, features additional playable characters exclusive to that mini-game. They are unlocked by playing through Battle Mode, and once Battle Mode is unlocked, those additional playable characters are usable only in Free Mode.
{|class="wikitable"cellpadding="0"style="margin: 0 auto;text-align: center"}
!width=25% style="background:Red"|{{color-link|White|Mario}}
!width=25% style="background:Blue"|{{color-link|White|Luigi}}
!width=25% style="background:DeepPink"|{{color-link|White|Princess Peach}}
!width=25% style="background:Green"|{{color-link|White|Yoshi}}
|-
|[[File:Mario Artwork - Mario Party 4.png|center|150x150px]]
|[[File:Mparty4 luigi.jpg|center|150x150px]]
|[[File:Peach Artwork - Mario Party 4.png|center|150x150px]]
|[[File:Yoshi MP4.png|center|150x150px]]
|-
|style="background:#E5C0C0"|''Mario's always been an all-around guy. Just watch out when he gets a Mega Mushroom &ndash; he really starts cruisin'!''
|style="background:#C3D8EF"|''Mario's younger brother is just wild about Mushrooms! ...But does he have any hidden abilities?''
|style="background:#F9DDE9"|''She seems to be cute and innocent, but Peach is secretly quite mischievous &ndash; watch out for her Swap Card!''
|style="background:#CBE0D5"|''Yoshi sure does love Warp Blocks! You can never tell where this unpredictable character will pop up next...''
|-
!style="background:Purple"|{{color-link|White|Wario}}
!style="background:Brown"|{{color-link|White|Donkey Kong}}
!style="background:#F0CB00"|{{color-link|White|Princess Daisy}}
!style="background:Black"|{{color-link|White|Waluigi}}
|-
|[[File:Mario Party 4 Wario.png|center|150x150px]]
|[[File:Donkey Kong Artwork - Mario Party 4.png|center|150x150px]]
|[[File:MP4 Daisy Chomp Call Artwork.jpg|center|150x150px]]
|[[File:Waluigi4.jpg|center|150x150px]]
|-
|style="background:#D5D1EC"|''Wario's a madman with his MiniMega Hammer. Be careful in duels, too, because he's a dueling master!''
|style="background:#FBDFC5"|''The strongest of the bunch, Donkey Kong loves his Mega Mushrooms.''
|style="background:#FBEEBF"|''A bit of a tom-boy, Daisy's a big fan of the Warp Pipe!''
|style="background:#ccc"|That Waluigi's a serious sneak! Watch out for his Sparky Sticker...
|}
 
===Beach Volley Folly exclusive===
<gallery perrow=4>
File:Toad Mugshots MP4.png|[[Toad]]
File:Koopa Mugshots MP4.png|[[Koopa Troopa]]
File:Shy Guy Mugshots MP4.png|[[Shy Guy]]
File:Boo Mugshots MP4.png|[[Boo]]
File:Koopa Kid Mugshots MP4.png|[[Koopa Kid]]
File:Bowser Mugshots MP4.png|[[Bowser]]
</gallery>


==Boards==
==Boards==
*[[Toad's Midway Madness]]
{|class="wikitable sortable" align=center width=100% style="text-align:center"
*[[Koopa's Seaside Soiree]]
!width=20% colspan=2|Board
*[[Goomba's Greedy Gala]]
!width=68%|Description
*[[Boo's Haunted Bash]]
!width=15%|Difficulty
*[[Shy Guy's Jungle Jam]]
|-
*[[Bowser's Gnarly Party]]
|[[File:TMM.png|180px]]
|[[File:MP4 Toad's Midway Madness logo.png|180px|link=Toad's Midway Madness]]
|align=left|Players have to maneuver their way around the amusement park, with the common goal being to find Toad; he is the host of the board. A notable part of this board is the tea cup rides, that, when ridden on, change direction in any junction a ride is located at. Another notable part of this board is the roller coaster, which players can take to get from the bottom-left part of the board to the top-right part and vice versa.
|[[File:MP4 difficulty star icon.png]]
|-
|[[File:MP4 ShyGuy'sJungleJam.png|180px]]
|[[File:MP4 Shy Guy's Jungle Jam logo.png|180px|link=Shy Guy's Jungle Jam]]
|align=left|The goal for this board is for the players to get to Shy Guy; he is the host of this board. Notable parts of this board are the Shy Guy mountain and [[Klepto]] the condor. If a player lands on a Happening Space that is located in front of a Shy Guy statue, the statue will ask for the player to make either a happy wish, or to make a sad wish. When a player passes by Klepto he asks to take the player to the bottom-right corner of the map.
|[[File:MP4 difficulty star icon.png]]
|-
|[[File:MP4Goomba'sGreedyGala.png|180px]]
|[[File:MP4 Goomba's Greedy Gala logo.png|180px|link=Goomba's Greedy Gala]]
|align=left|Players must make sure that they manage to obtain Stars by getting to Goomba, the host of this board. The most notable feature of this board is the roulette in the very middle of it. When players pass the roulette, a Goomba asks for an optional payment of either five, ten, or twenty Coins. The more a player pays to the Goomba, the more likely it is that the ball will land on the route closest to the Star. Another notable feature of this board is the dice areas. When a player passes a dice area, a Goomba appears, rolls a number on a Dice Block, and the player has to beat that number by rolling a number higher than his.
|[[File:MP4 difficulty star icon.png]][[File:MP4 difficulty star icon.png]]
|-
|[[File:BHB.png|180px]]
|[[File:MP4 Boo's Haunted Bash logo.png|180px|link=Boo's Haunted Bash]]
|align=left|The main goal of this board is for the players to reach Boo; he is the host of this board. There are two notable features on this board; the [[Red Boo]] bridges, and the [[Mystery Train]]. The Red Boo bridges work in such a way that, when a player passes by the center of the board, where the leader of the Red Boos is, he and the bridges disappears, among the other Red Boos. The Mystery Train is also affected by the disappearance of the Red Boos; when the Red Boos are active, the Mystery Train is inactive and vice versa. When the Mystery Train is active and is passed by a player, it takes the player to any graveyard on the board.
|[[File:MP4 difficulty star icon.png]][[File:MP4 difficulty star icon.png]]
|-
|[[File:KSS.png|180px]]
|[[File:MP4 Koopa's Seaside Soiree logo.png|180px|link=Koopa's Seaside Soiree]]
|align=left|Players must make sure to make their way around the beach, with the common goal to find Koopa, as he is this board's host. A notable feature of this board is the [[Koopa Kabana]]. When a player passes the Kabana Space, said player pays five coins to Koopa. Another attraction of this board is the [[Dolphin]]s, who are summoned by landing on a Happening Space that is located on a dock with a picture of a fruit on.
|[[File:MP4 difficulty star icon.png]][[File:MP4 difficulty star icon.png]]
|-
|[[File:BowserGnarlyParty.png|180px]]
|[[File:MP4 Bowser's Gnarly Party logo.png|180px|link=Bowser's Gnarly Party]] (unlockable)
|align=left|In order for players to receive Stars on this board, they will have to get to Koopa Kid; he is the host for this board. There are two prominent features of this board; the two stone bridges, and Bowser himself. When a player crosses over a stone bridge, it will crumble apart a little. After three players cross a stone bridge, it will fully crumble apart and a new one appears in a different direction. The other feature, Bowser, reacts differently depending on the current form players have and sometimes causes additional effects to players such as turning all of them mini.
|[[File:MP4 difficulty star icon.png]][[File:MP4 difficulty star icon.png]][[File:MP4 difficulty star icon.png]]
|}


==Items==
==Items==
{| class=sortable cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 border=1 align=center width=100% style="border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial"
{|class="wikitable sortable" align=center width=100% style="text-align:center"
!width=15%|Image
!width=17%|Item
!width=62%|Description
!width=6%|Coin Cost
|-
|[[File:Mega Mushroom.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Mega Mushroom]]
|The Mega Mushroom causes players to be giant and roll two Dice Blocks (for a total of 2-20 spaces). If a player rolls two matching numbers, they earn 10 coins (30 coins for two "7"'s). When players pass anyone, they will crush them, stealing ten coins in the process. However, this item bypasses most board events (e.g. players cannot trade for any Stars on a [[Star Space]] while giant nor purchase items from the [[Item Shop (Mario Party series)|Item Shop]]). However, the exception is Bowser on [[Bowser's Gnarly Party]] where players that make it to him will do a Bowser mega mini-game when they pass him, due to being their mega form.
|5
|-
|[[File:Mini Mushroom.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Mini Mushroom]]
|The Mini Mushroom causes players to be tiny. It also restricts the Dice Block; instead of rolling 1-10, it only rolls 1-5. However, the Mini Mushroom can cause players to play Mini Mini-games; plus, they can move through [[tiny pipe]]s.
|5
|-
|[[File:Super Mega Mushroom.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Super Mega Mushroom]]
|A Super Mega Mushroom has generally the same effects as a Mega Mushroom except that players roll three Dice Blocks instead of two (for a total of 3-30 spaces). If the player rolls the same numbers (three matching numbers), they get 10 coins if the number is even, and 30 coins if the number is odd (50 coins for three "7"'s).
|15
|-
|[[File:Super Mini Mushroom.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Super Mini Mushroom]]
|A Super Mini Mushroom has generally the same effects as a Mini Mushroom except that players roll two 1-5 Dice Blocks instead of one (for a total of 2-10 spaces). Because both Dice Blocks are 1-5 Dice Blocks, it is possible to roll the normal number of spaces from the regular Dice Block. However, unlike the Mini Mushroom, they cannot get a total of 1 (as there are 2 Dice Blocks instead of one). The player gets 10 coins if they roll the same numbers (two matching numbers).
|15
|-
|[[File:Warp Pipe.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Warp Pipe]]
|When players use a Warp Pipe, a roulette that has the heads of the other characters appears. An arrow spins and players can stop the arrow. When the arrow stops on a character's head, the player swaps places with that character.
|10
|-
|[[File:Swap Card.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Swap Card]]
|The Swap Card randomly chooses another player via roulette and the player who used it swaps items with the chosen player.
|15
|-
|[[File:Mini-Mega_Hammer.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[MiniMega Hammer]]
|When players use a MiniMega Hammer, they may choose another player to be Mega or Mini by hitting them on the head with the hammer; but they can't inflict their own effect (Mega or Mini). Then, the opponent that player chooses is given the effects of a Mega Mushroom or a Mini Mushroom on the next turn, determined by what mushroom appears on the hammer when the alternating between the two mushrooms is stopped by pressing the A button.
|10
|-
|-
! width=15% |
|[[File:Chomp Call.jpg|100px]]
! width=17% | Item
|align=center|[[Chomp Call]]
! width=68% | Description
|If a Chomp Call is used, four small Chain Chomps appear, surround the host that holds the Star in the Star Space, and scare them away. Afterwards, the location of the Star Space changes.
|15
|-
|-
![[Image:Mega Mushroom.JPG|100px]]
|[[File:Boo's Crystal Ball.jpg|100px]]
| align=center | [[Mega Mushroom]]
|align=center|[[Boo's Crystal Ball]]
| The Mega Mushroom causes players to grow tremendous and also allows another dice block to get rolled. When players pass anyone, they steal ten coins from the player they crush. However, this item bypasses most board events; Ex.: players cannot purchase any stars while giant.
|When Boo's Crystal Ball is used, a [[Boo]] appears and does either of the following:
*The Boo steals coins from a selected player with a five-coin fee. The victim can fight back and lose less coins by repeatedly pressing {{button|gcn|A}}.  
*The Boo steals a Star from another player with a 50 coin fee. The victim cannot fight back.  
 
However, if the victim has a [[Gaddlight]], the victim can flash the light at Boo and chase him away when he's after their Stars and coins.
|25
|-
|-
![[Image:Mini Mushroom.JPG|100px]]
|[[File:Gaddlight.jpg|100px]]
| align=center | [[Mini Mushroom]]
|align=center|[[Gaddlight]]
| The Mini Mushroom causes players to grow smaller. It also restricts the dice block; instead of rolling 1-10, it only rolls 1-5. However, the Mini Mushroom can cause players to play [[Mini Mini-game]]s; plus, they can move through [[Gate (MP4)|Gate]]s.
|The Gaddlight automatically lets the player chase away a Boo that is after their coins and Stars.
|15
|-
|-
![[Image:Super Mega Mushroom.JPG|100px]]
|[[File:Sparky Sticker.jpg|100px]]
| align=center | [[Super Mega Mushroom]]
|align=center|[[Sparky Sticker]]
| A Super Mega Mushroom has generally the same effects as a Mega Mushroom except that players roll three dice blocks instead of two.
|When players use a Sparky Sticker, they place it directly below where they are standing. If any player tries to pass it, any player currently on said space loses 10 coins plus the effects of a Mega Mushroom or a Mini Mushroom.
|15
|-
|-
![[Image:Super Mini Mushroom.JPG|100px]]
|[[File:Item Bag.jpg|100px]]
| align=center | [[Super Mini Mushroom]]
|align=center|[[Item Bag]]
| A Super Mini Mushroom has generally the same effects as a Mini Mushroom except that players roll two 1-5 dice blocks instead of just one.
|The effects of an Item Bag activate as soon as players purchase this item. They receive three random items. If they already have one or two items, the remaining items found in the bag get discarded.
|30
|-
|-
![[Image:Warp Pipe.JPG|100px]]
|[[File:MP4 Genie Lamp Artwork.png|100px]]
| align=center | [[Warp Pipe]]
|align=center|[[Magic Lamp]]
| When players use a Warp Pipe, a roulette that has three heads of the other characters appears. An arrow spins and players can stop the arrow. When the arrow stops on a character's head, the player swaps places with that character.
|When players use this, they summon the [[Genie of the Lamp]]. The genie then transports them to the Star Space. However, they still must trade 20 coins for the Star.
|30
|-
|-
![[Image:Swap Card.JPG|100px]]
|[[File:Bowser Suit.jpg|100px]]
| align=center | [[Swap Card]]
|align=center|[[Bowser Suit]]
| The Swap Card randomly choose another player via roulette and the player who used it swaps items with the chosen player.
|Players can only acquire this from [[Bowser]] when they land on a [[Bowser Space]]. If they use this, they go in a Bowser Suit. If they pass anyone else, they steal 30 coins. Like the Mega Mushroom, the Bowser Suit will bypass some board events like the Item Shops and the Star Spaces. The exception is Bowser's Gnarly Party. If the player gets to Bowser while wearing the Bowser Suit, Bowser gives the player 50 coins.
|N/A
|}
 
==Spaces==
{|class="wikitable sortable" align=center width=100% style="text-align:center"
!class=unsortable width=64px|Image
!width=15%|Space
!width=85%|Description
|-
|-
![[Image:Mini-Mega Hammer.JPG|100px]]
|[[File:SpaceBlueMP45.png|64px]]
| align=center | [[Mini-Mega Hammer]]
|align=center|[[Blue Space]]
| When players use a Mini-Mega Hammer, they may choose another player. Then, the character that player chooses either feels the effects of a Mega Mushroom or a Mini Mushroom on the next turn, though the effects are randomly chosen.
|If players land on this space, they receive three coins. On the last five turns, the coins received may double if the losing player hits the roulette wheel and has that event as a result.
|-
|-
![[Image:Chomp Call.JPG|100px]]
|[[File:SpaceRedMP45.png|64px]]
| align=center | [[Chomp Call]]
|align=center|[[Red Space]]
| If a Chomp Call is used, four small Chain Chomps appear and scare the host that holds the star in the star space. Afterward, the location of the star space changes.
|If players land on this space, they lose three coins. On the last five turns, the coins lost may double if the losing player hits the roulette wheel and has that event as a result.
|-
|-
![[Image:Boo's Crystal Ball.JPG|100px]]
|[[File:Event Space MP4.png|64px]]
| align=center | [[Boo's Crystal Ball]]
|align=center|[[Happening Space]]
| When a Boo Crystal Ball is used, a [[Boo]] appears and does either of the following: A) The Boo steals coins from a selected player with a five-coin fee. The victim can fight back and lose less coins by repeatedly pressing A. B) The Boo steals a star from another player with a 50 coin fee. The victim cannot fight back. However, if the victim has a [[Gaddlight]], the victim is protected.
|If players land on this space, they trigger an event. The event varies within the board. The event may be positive or negative.  
|-
|-
![[Image:Gaddlight.JPG|100px]]
|[[File:Bowser Space MP4.png|64px]]
| align=center | [[Gaddlight]]
|align=center|[[Bowser Space]]
| The Gaddlight automatically protects the player from Boo attacks by another player trying to steal either coins or a star.
|If players land on this space, either a [[Koopa Kid]] or [[Bowser]] appear. The Koopa Kid can take coins from either the player who landed on it or from everyone. If Bowser appears, he can cause the following events: Bowser Revolution, where he divides everyone's coins equally; Bowser Mini-game where he forces everyone to play his mini-games; Bowser Shuffle, which he randomly swaps all of the players' places; or Bowser Suit, which he gives the player a [[Bowser Suit]]. The latter event is rare. Sometimes, Bowser can come out after Koopa Kid on the same Bowser Space.
|-
|-
![[Image:Sparky Sticker.JPG|100px]]
|[[File:SpaceFortuneMP4.png|64px]]
| align=center | [[Sparky Sticker]]
|align=center|[[Fortune Space]]
| When players use a Sparky Sticker, they place it directly below where they are standing. If any player tries to pass it, the player loses 10 coins plus the effects of a Mega Mushroom or a Mini Mushroom.
|If players land on this space, an event occurs, and they use the [[Chance Time|Reversal of Fortune]], which resembles a pinball machine. The results may vary such as the player swapping stars with another or the player giving coins to the other.
|-
|-
![[Image:Item Bag.JPG|100px]]
|[[File:SpaceMushroom.png|64px]]
| align=center | [[Item Bag]]
|align=center|[[Mushroom Space]]
| The effects of an Item Bag activate as soon as players purchases this item. They receive three random items. If they already has one or two items, the items found in the bag get discarded.
|If players land on this space, two boxes appear: one small, one large. The player chooses one box and may receive a [[Mega Mushroom]] or a [[Mini Mushroom]], regardless of the size of the box.
|-
|-
![[Image:Genie Lamp.PNG|100px]]
|[[File:SpaceWarp.png|64px]]
| align=center | [[Magic Lamp]]
|align=center|[[Warp Space]]
| When players uses this, they summon a [[Mushroom Genie]]. The Mushroom Genie then transports them to the star space. However, they still must pay 20 coins for the star.
|If players land on this space, an arrow spins on a roulette, showing the other three character's heads. The player can stop the roulette. If the arrow is pointing to one of the character's head, the space, which is actually a spring, launches the character to the chosen character.
|-
|-
![[Image:Bowser Suit.JPG|100px]]
|[[File:SpaceBattle.png|64px]]
| align=center | [[Bowser Suit]]
|align=center|[[Battle Space]]
| Players can only acquire this from [[Bowser]] while they are landing on a [[Bowser Space]]. If they use this, they go in a Bowser Suit. If they pass anyone else, they steal 30 coins.
|If players land on this space, a [[Bob-omb]] appears and starts a Battle mini-game. The player who landed on the Battle Space may choose one of two randomly selected Battle mini-games.
|}
|}


==Spaces==
==Shops and other board features==
{| class=sortable cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 border=1 align=center width=100% style="border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial"
{|class="wikitable sortable" align=center width=100% style="text-align:center"
!width=15%|Image
!width=17%|Space
!width=68%|Description
|-
|[[File:LotteryShop.png]]
|align=center|[[Lottery Shop]]
|Players can pay five coins to play lottery games to win prizes. Upon first entering the shop prior to the Last Five Turns event, players are given a [[Lucky Party Ticket]], where a lottery drawing will occur at the Last Five Turns for players to earn a free Star if they have a lucky ticket. The two lottery games are scratching a card and operating a machine to roll out a ball. Prizes range from coins to free items, though players have the likeliest chance of not winning anything.
|-
|-
! width=15% |
|[[File:Item Shop Icon MP4.png]]
! width=17% | Space
|align=center|[[Item Shop (Mario Party series)|Item Shop]]
! width=68% | Description
|When players enter here, they can buy a single item. These shops carry up to five items, and the items vary each time the player visits the shop. Players cannot enter item shops if they have less than five coins, when they have 3 items, and when they're Mega or in a Bowser suit.
|-
|-
![[Image:Blue Space4.JPG]]
|[[File:Boo House Icon MP4.png]]
| align=center | [[Blue Space]]
|align=center|[[Boo's Crystal Ball|Boo House]]
| If the player lands on this space, they will receive three coins. On the last five turns, the coins received may double if the losing player hits the roulette wheel and has that event as a result.
|Functioning similarly to a [[Boo's Crystal Ball]], when players enter here, they can pay to enlist the services for a Boo to steal coins or Stars from an opponent. Players need to spend five coins to steal coins, while stealing Stars requires players to spend 50 coins. However if the victim has a [[Gaddlight]], they can flash the light at Boo to scare him away when he runs after their stars and coins.  
|-
|-
![[Image:Red Space4.JPG]]
|[[File:Gate (MP4).png]]
| align=center | [[Red Space]]
|align=center|[[Tiny pipe]]
| If the player lands on this space, they will lose three coins. On the last five turns, the coins lost may double if the losing player hits the roulette wheel and has that event as a result.
|Tiny pipes are obstructions featured throughout the board. Players while normal or bigger cannot pass through them; players need to be under the effects of a Mini Mushroom to pass. When players approach them while mini, tiny pipes function as a junction of routes.
|}
 
==Mini-games==
{{main|List of Mario Party 4 minigames}}
[[File:Kareening Koopas.jpg|thumb|Mario competing against Koopa Troopa in [[Kareening Koopas]], a Story mini-game.]]
''Mario Party 4'' has a total of sixty mini-games, which is less than its predecessor, ''[[Mario Party 3]]'', not counting the Mini-Mini-games that are played in the board when players are under the influence of a Mini Mushroom. It is the first ''Mario Party'' game to have fewer minigames than its predecessor. Following the removal of Duel, Item, and Game Guy mini-games, ''Mario Party 4'' introduces new mini-game types that would become reoccurring for later games in the series. Bowser mini-games are played when a player lands on a Bowser Space and has players competing to not be the loser of the mini-game; Bowser mini-games always have a losing player and have that player burnt by Bowser. Story mini-games involve players competing against the host player though in the Mini-game Mode, the host player is replaced by the second player. etc. Mini-games are unlocked by facing off as a Mega player against Bowser and playing [[The Final Battle! (minigame)|The Final Battle!]] Finally, the mini-games played exclusively in the Extra Room are counted into the total.
 
==Staff==
{{main|List of Mario Party 4 staff}}
''Mario Party 4'' is developed by [[Hudson Soft]], the primary developer of ''[[Mario Party (series)|Mario Party]]'' installments until ''[[Mario Party 9]]'' and the game is published by [[Nintendo]]. [[CAProduction]] is also credited with co-developing ''Mario Party 4'', who has a consistent history of developing ''Mario Party'' titles and has strong ties to Hudson Soft and [[Nintendo Cube]], the current developer for ''Mario Party'' games. The game was directed by Kenji Kikuchi, who also directed the first three ''Mario Party'' titles and ''[[Mario Party 5]]''. The game's soundtrack was composed by Ichiro Shimakura, who composed the soundtrack for ''[[Mario Party 3]]''.
 
==Reception==
''Mario Party 4'' received mostly mixed to positive reviews from critics. GameSpot's Ryan Davis praised the game's mini-game format, but noted that "players that who already exhausted themselves on the previous ''Mario Party'' titles may not have enough here to draw them back again". Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell acknowledged the variety and thematic features of the boards, but thought that they were too large, resulting in a "glacial pace" when coupled with the on-board animations. Despite this, IGN praised the boards for their thematic features on each one, which helped "ease the tediousness". New gameplay features such as the mushroom system received a negative review from multiple critics, with frustration being expressed at not being able to enter shops or purchase stars with big characters. The game's multiplayer was praised by reviews, especially in comparison to the single player mode, "Story Mode". The mini-games were mainly met with a positive reaction, with critics praising their simplicity.
{| 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
|-
|-
![[Image:Happening Space4.PNG]]
|[[Nintendo GameCube]]
| align=center | [[Green Space|Happening Space]]
|Fran Mirabella III,<br>[https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/10/14/mario-party-4 IGN]
| If the player lands on this space, they will trigger an event. The event varies within the board. The event may help or hinder one or more players.
|6.9/10
|"''Mario Party 4 is exactly how you would envision it on GameCube -- all-new mini-games and better visuals. My man Waluigi has made it onto the cast list this time, which is an awesome addition, but outside of these basic upgrades, there's nothing new about Mario Party 4. It is a worthy sequel that continues to bring multiplayer fanatics a whole slew of clever mini-games. It's an absolute must-rent if you have a few friends over for the weekend. That goes for adults, family members, and kids. It's definitely an "everybody" title, and you shouldn't miss out on the diversity it has to offer. Those interested in buying would be advised that the game will collect a lot of dust if there is not a frequent crop of participants ready to partake in multiplayer matches. This will continue to be the franchise's biggest weakness unless it sees a major makeover.''"
|-
|-
![[Image:Bowser Square.PNG|97px]]
|Nintendo GameCube
| align=center | [[Bowser Space]]
|Ryan Davis,<br>[https://web.archive.org/web/20021201124245/https://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/reviews/0,10867,2895138,00.html/ GameSpot]
| If the player lands on this space, either a [[Koopa Kid]]/Mini-Bowser or [[Bowser]] will appear. The Koopa Kid can take coins from either the player who landed on it or from everyone. If Bowser appears, he can cause the following events: Bowser Revolution, which he divides everyone's coins equally; Bowser Minigame where he forces everyone to play his minigames; Bowser Shuffle, which he randomly swaps places with all of the players; or Bowser Suit, which he gives the player a [[Bowser Suit]]. The latter event is rare.  
|7.2/10
|"''Since this is the fourth Mario Party game in about as many years, you'd think that the formula would have grown unbearably stale by now. But through incremental improvements and some subtle refinements, Hudson has kept the series going strong, and Mario Party 4 is arguably the most accomplished entry in the series yet. While more accomplished gamers may find some of the minigames too simplistic, this accessibility ensures that Mario's party is one that just about anyone can enjoy.''"
|-
|-
![[Image:Chance Time4.JPG]]
|Nintendo GameCube
| align=center | [[Fortune Space]]
|Tom "Mugwum" Bramwell,<br>[https://web.archive.org/web/20021201112147/https://www.eurogamer.net/content/r_marioparty4_gc Eurogamer]
| If the player lands on this space, an event will occur and the player uses the Reversal of Fortune, which resembles a pinball machine. The results may vary such as the player swapping stars with another or the player giving coins to the other.
|5/10
|"''There's nothing bold about the moves Hudson has made with Mario Party 4. Some are reasonable additions, some are a bit daft, but most of the game is only vaguely removed from what's come before. The mini-games have different faces but they play ostensibly the same, and even with the visuals buffed to a sparkle the overall effect is very much 'more of the same'. If you have a few pals coming over for an evening, MP4 is the perfect game to wheel out, but on a system which already plays host to {{wp|Super Monkey Ball}}, {{wp|Sega Soccer Slam}}, [[Super Smash Bros. Melee]] and many other party-able games, it's only an also-ran. And unless you regularly have four well-palmed pads plugged into the front of your Cube, it isn't worth picking up.''"
|-
|-
![[Image:Mushroom Space4.JPG]]
!colspan="4"style="font-size:120%; text-align:center; background-color:silver;"|Aggregators
| align=center | [[Mushroom Space]]
|-style="background-color:#E6E6E6"
| If the player lands on this space, two boxes will appear; one small, one large. The player chooses one box and may receive a [[Mega Mushroom]] or a [[Mini Mushroom]], regardless the size of the box.
|colspan=2|Compiler
|colspan=2|{{nw|Platform / Score}}
|-
|-
![[Image:Warp Space.JPG]]
|colspan=2|Metacritic
| align=center | [[Warp Space]]
|colspan=2 style="background-color:gold"|[https://www.metacritic.com/game/gamecube/mario-party-4 70]
| If the player lands on this space, an arrow spins on a roultette, showing the other three character's heads. The player can stop the roulette. If the arrow is pointing to one of the character's head, the space, which is actually a spring, will launch the character to the chosen character.
|-
|-
![[Image:Battle Space4.JPG]]
|colspan=2|GameRankings
| align=center | [[Battle Space]]
|colspan=2|[https://www.gamerankings.com/gamecube/560621-mario-party-4/index.html 73.30%]
| If the player lands on this space, a [[Bob-omb]] will appear and start a battle minigame. The player who landed on the Battle Space may choose one of the two battle minigames shown.
|}
|}


==Other Modes==
===Sales===
[[Thwomp]] and [[Whomp]] have a room full of bonus mini-games. These mini-games could be played on two bonus boards. Their mini-games are:
''Mario Party 4'' is the 10th best-selling game for Nintendo GameCube, with approximately 2.45 million copies sold worldwide: 1.1 million copies in North America, 902,827 copies in Japan, and 450,000 copies elsewhere, as of December 31, 2009.
 
==Quotes==
{{main|List of Mario Party 4 quotes}}
*"''The Star is here...for now, hee hee. Reach me without 20 coins, and you will be DENIED!''" -[[Boo (Mario Party 4)|Boo]]
*"''I'm not so good with mushy stuff like this, but...Happy birthday. I'm, like, happy and stuff...''" -[[Bowser]]
*"''So, hey, I had all this space, and I made it into a casino! Pretty high-class, no?''" -[[Goomba (Mario Party 4)|Goomba]]
*"''Enjoy the laid-back atmosphere as you mellow out to my island groove and bask in its sights.''" -[[Koopa Troopa (Mario Party 4)|Koopa Troopa]]
*"''I am one of the Koopa Kids! What kind of dastardly deeds can I do today?''" -[[Koopa Kid]]
*"''Welcome to [[Shy Guy's Jungle Jam]]! So, um, I'm Shy Guy...and I guess I'll be your host!''" -[[Shy Guy (Mario Party 4)|Shy Guy]]
*"''This is the Party Cube, and you're all invited!''" -[[Toad]]


===One Player (Whomp's Basement Brouhaha)===
==Pre-release and unused content==
*[[Jigsaw Jitters]]
[[File:Mario Party 4 Character Select - Pre-release.png|thumb|A pre-release character select screen]]
*[[Barrel Baron]]
[[File:BetaCover MP4.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Original box art]]
*[[Mushroom Medic]]
The game contains files that are named E3Setup.bin, E3SetupDLL.rel and E3SetupDLL.str. When modesel.bin in the data folder and modeseldll.rel + modeseldell.str in the dll folder are replaced by the former files, a pre-release character select screen, for E3 purposes, is shown. Donkey Kong and Wario cannot be selected.
*[[Doors of Doom]]
*[[Bob-omb X-ing]]
*[[Goomba Stomp]]


===Multiplayer (Thwomp's Backroom Ball)===
As a placeholder, the cover art initially used for the box of ''Mario Party 4'' used artwork of the characters from [[Mario Party 3|the previous game]] on [[Nintendo 64]].
Thowmp's Backroom Ball  is like the rest of the game modes except it doesn't feature mini-games, therefore the player has to stay on the game board for the entire time.
*[[Mega Board Mayhem]]
*[[Mini Board Mad-Dash]]
*[[Challenge Booksquirm]]
*[[Panel Panic]]


===Other===
As seen in the trailer, an early version of the game reused the ''[[Mario Party 2]]'' and ''3'' announcer as well as the characters having no voice clips.<ref>GameCubeTrailersNGC (November 18, 2009). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjs04Woae98 Mario Party 4 Trailer]. ''YouTube''. Retrieved August 20, 2024.</ref>
Also featured was a bonus volleyball game, hosted by [[Ztar]], an odd dark version of the [[Power Star]]. Finally, players are able to access the [[Present Room]], which allows them to view all the presents that he or she has accumulated throughout the Story Mode for each character.


==Mini-Games==
[[File:MarioParty4DebugMode.png|thumb|200px|The debug menu]]
{{main|List of mini-games in Mario Party 4}}
A debug menu was found in the game's data, and includes all the mini-games. While the previous game used debug codes in the 200s, this game used codes in the 400s, although there are unused ''Mario Party 4'' minigames that use codes in the 300s, which more closely resemble ''Mario Party 3'' minigames (not using the toy box theme).<ref>[https://tcrf.net/Mario_Party_4 ''Mario Party 4'']. ''The Cutting Room Floor''.</ref>
{{br}}


==Staff==
==Glitches==
{{main|Mario Party 4/Staff}}
If two players are on the space before the Lottery Stop and one moves forward and quickly presses {{button|gcn|B}} on the prompt while the other one runs across, the running player may be stuck in a t-pose until their next turn.<ref>{{cite|author=@MarioBrothBlog|url=x.com/MarioBrothBlog/status/1320437200824184835|title=Post by Supper Mario Broth|date=October 25, 2020|publisher=X}}</ref>
 
==Adaptations==
[[File:Dokidoki Mario Chance! Cabinet.jpg|thumb|120px|Dokidoki Mario Chance! cabinet.]]
===Adobe Flash===
{{main|Mario Party 4 (Flash game)}}


==Puns==
''Mario Party 4'' received an online {{wp|Adobe Flash}} game to promote the release of the title.
====4-Player minigames====
*''[[Booksquirm]]'' is a pun on bookworm.
*''[[Domination]]'' is dominoes mixed into domination.
*''[[Long Claw of the Law]]'' is a pun on ''"Long Arm of the Law"''


====1 vs. 3 minigames====
===Arcade===
*''[[Blame it on the Crane]]'' is a pun on a song named ''"Blame it on the Rain"''.
[[Banpresto]] released a ''Mario Party 4''-based arcade game called ''Dokidoki Mario Chance!'' in Japan in March 2003.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071024152122/http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1138631_1124.html バンプレスト内覧会で『FFX-2』グッズを発見!. Famitsu.]</ref> The game had a wheel base with numbers and lights in the center of each number circle in a clockwise pattern. Each time a light would turn on, a sound would activate. On the top of the machine is a plastic case which houses a small jumping Mario figure. Alongside artwork and some of [[Charles Martinet]]'s Mario voice clips from ''Mario Party 4'', the game has a Japanese announcer and a music piece that plays throughout the game. When someone loses the game, a sad sound along with a negative reaction from either the announcer from Mario would play.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtTNtVneccQ Gameplay footage from kodomoyo]</ref> It was the last ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' game to be made by Banpresto.<ref>{{cite|url=www.marioboards.com/index.php?topic=35637.msg1780718|title=Arcade coverage: Banpresto|author=Borp|publisher=Super Mario Boards|date=October 28, 2015|language=English}}</ref>
*''[[Fish n' Drips]]'' is a pun on fish n' chips.
*''[[Hide and Go BOOM!]]'' is a pun of ''"Hide and go Seek"''.


====2 vs. 2 minigames====
==Gallery==
*''[[Right Oar Left?]]'' is a pun on ''"right or left?"''.
{{main-gallery}}
<gallery>
MP4 star.jpg|[[Mario]], [[Luigi]], [[Wario]], and [[Waluigi]]
MP4 Butterfly Blitz With Waluigi Artwork.png|[[Yoshi]], [[Princess Peach]], [[Princess Daisy]] and [[Waluigi]] playing [[Butterfly Blitz]]
MP4 Avalanche!2.jpg|Mario, Luigi, [[Donkey Kong]], and Yoshi playing [[Avalanche! (Mario Party 4)|Avalanche!]]
WarioParty4gamers.jpg|Wario and Waluigi playing [[The Great Deflate]]
MP4 GOAL Minigame Artwork.jpg|Daisy, Mario, Luigi, and Wario playing [[GOOOOOOOAL!!]]
Mparty4 bowser.jpg|[[Bowser]]
</gallery>


====Story Mode minigames====
==Media==
*''[[Archaeologuess]]'' is a pun on archeologist.
{{main-media}}
{{media table
|file1=Mario Party 4 Soundtrack - Title Theme.oga
|title1=Mario Party
|description1=The title theme
|length1=0:18
|file2=Mario Party 4 Soundtrack Map 1 - Toads Midway Madness.oga
|title2=Midway Madness
|description2=[[Toad's Midway Madness]]
|length2=0:30
|file3=MP4 Coin Slot.oga
|title3=Coin Slot
|description3=Used in the Mini Mini-Game in [[Goomba's Greedy Gala]].
|length3=0:30
|file4=MP4 Ride Klepto.oga
|title4=Ride Klepto
|description4=Used while riding [[Klepto]] in [[Shy Guy's Jungle Jam]].
|length4=0:30
|file5=MP4 Mystery Train.oga
|title5=Mystery Train
|description5=Used when riding the Mystery Train in [[Boo's Haunted Bash]].
|length5=0:30
|file6=MP4 Watermelon Item.oga
|title6=Watermelon Item
|description6=Plays in the Item mini-game in [[Koopa's Seaside Soiree]].
|length6=0:30
|file7=MP4 Koopa Kid Shuffle.oga
|title7=Koopa Kid Shuffle / Mini Bowser Shuffle
|description7=Plays in the Item mini-game in [[Bowser's Gnarly Party]].
|length7=0:26
|file8=Mario Party 4 Soundtrack - Play Mini-Games.oga
|title8=Play Mini-Games
|description8=Used on the rules explanation screen.
|length8=0:29
|file9=Mario Party 4 Soundtrack - Hurry! Hurry!.oga
|title9=Hurry! Hurry!
|description9=Used in the mini-games [[Bob-omb X-ing]], [[Domination]], [[Dungeon Duos]], [[GOOOOOOOAL!!]], [[Revers-a-Bomb]], [[Slime Time (minigame)|Slime Time]], and [[Goomba Stomp]].
|length9=0:30
|file10=Mario Party 4 Soundtrack - You Got a Present.oga
|title10=You Got a Present
|description10=Used when a present is awarded to the player's character
|length10=0:04
}}


==Artwork==
==References to other games==
<center><gallery>
*''[[Mario Party 2]]'': [[Bowser's Bigger Blast]] is a remake of [[Bowser's Big Blast]].
Image:Mario4.jpg|<center>[[Mario]]
*''[[Mario Party 3]]'': Some of the playable characters' voice clips are reused from this game, with Daisy's being pitched slightly lower than usual. "You're the Star" is a similar song to "The Adventure Ends". In [[Koopa's Seaside Soiree]], one of the sand drawings is a cloud, which appears in every board in this game.
Image:Mparty4 luigi.jpg|<center>[[Luigi]]
*''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'': Mario, Luigi, and Bowser's models are updated to match their current appearances as of this game.
Image:MP4Peach.jpg|<center>[[Princess Peach]]
*''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'': Peach and Yoshi's models are updated to match their current appearances as of this game.
Image:Yoshi4.jpeg|<center>[[Yoshi]]
Image:Wario Party.jpg|<center>[[Wario]]
Image:Mp4dk.jpg|<center>[[Donkey Kong]]
Image:MP5Art.jpg|<center>[[Princess Daisy]]
Image:Waluigi4.jpg|<center>[[Waluigi]]
</gallery></center>


===Solo Pictures (Supporting Cast)===  
==References in later games==
<center><gallery>
[[File:MPS Trace Race.jpg|thumb|[[Trace Race]] in ''Mario Party Superstars'']]
File:Toad4.jpg|<center>[[Toad]]  
*''[[Mario Party 5]]'' to ''[[Mario Party 8]]'': Animations from ''Mario Party 4'' and the game's engine are reused. ''Mario Party 5'' and ''[[Mario Party 6|6]]'' reuse all animations (as well as introducing new ones), while the former reuses most voice clips, as well as the announcer.
Image: Shyguy 1134306477.jpg|<center>[[Shy Guy]]  
*''[[Mario Party Advance]]'': Many songs from ''Mario Party 4'' are rearranged in ''Advance'', including the file select/main menu theme as ''Advance''{{'}}s passport theme.
File:koopaparty.jpg|<center>[[Koopa Troopa]]  
*''[[Mario Party DS]]'': [[Bob-omb Breakers]] returns as a puzzle [[minigame]].
File:Goombaparty.jpg|<center>[[Goomba]]  
*''[[Mario Party: The Top 100]]'': Fourteen minigames return in this game. A cover version of the minigame completion theme plays when completing any of the fourteen ''Mario Party 4'' minigames. The [[Chomp Call]] returns.
File:Booparty4.jpg|<center>[[Boo]]  
*''[[Mario Party Superstars]]'': Eight minigames and rearrangements of their respective music return in this game. The Chomp Call returns.
</gallery></center>
*''[[Super Mario Party Jamboree]]'': [[Blame It on the Crane]], [[Domination]], [[Stamp Out!]], and [[Three Throw]] return as minigames.


===Miscellaneous===
==Names in other languages==
<center><gallery>
{{foreign names
Image:MP4 star.jpg|<center>[[Mario]], [[Luigi]], [[Wario]] and [[Waluigi]]
|Jap=マリオパーティ4
Image:MP4groupart.png|<center>[[Yoshi]], [[Princess Peach|Peach]], [[Princess Daisy|Daisy]] and [[Waluigi]]
|JapR=Mario Pāti 4
</gallery></center>
|JapM=Mario Party 4
|ChiT=瑪利歐派對4<ref>{{cite|url=www.nintendo.com.hk/switch/mario/history/index.html|title=Official Chinese website for the ''Super Mario Bros.'' 35th Anniversary|accessdate=October 23, 2020}}</ref>
|ChiTR=Mǎlì'ōu Pàiduì 4
|ChiTM=Mario Party 4
}}


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*''Mario Party 4'' is notable for being the first ''Mario Party'' game to actually have a plot revolving around an actual party.
*This is the only ''Mario Party'' game to use pre-rendered cutscenes (including the opening of this game, as well as the Story Mode endings for each playable character) and where mini-game preview icons do not depict actual gameplay of the mini-games.
*The game is also notable for being the only one in the ''Mario Party'' series that does not feature the [[Piranha Plant]] in any board, mini-game, item or any other place at all. The Piranha Plant only makes a brief cameo in the background of the Option Room.
*At the end of Bowser's Gnarly Party, when Koopa Kid announces the Coin Star, there are two mistakes when he says, "This the person who collected the most coins in Mini-Games." The first mistake is that there is no "is for" in between "This" and "the". The second mistake is that the Coin Star is rewarded for players who possess the most coins at any turn.
*This is the first Mario series installment overall to have [[Princess Peach]] and [[Princess Daisy]] in their current main dresses, as well as Princess Daisy's hair being short.
 
*This is the last ''Mario Party'' title to have [[Donkey Kong]] as a main playable character.
==References==
<references/>


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.marioparty4.com/ Official Mario Party 4 website]
{{NIWA|NWiki=1|StrategyWiki=1}}
*[http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ngc/gmpj/index.html Official Mario Party 4 Japanese website]
{{TCRF}}
<br clear=all>
*[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ngc/gmpj/index.html Official ''Mario Party 4'' Japanese website]
*[https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-GameCube/Mario-Party-4-268280.html Official ''Mario Party 4'' Nintendo UK website]
 
{{MP4}}
{{MP4}}
{{Spinoffs}}
{{Super Mario games}}
{{GC}}
{{GCN}}
[[Category:Mario Party Games]]
[[Category:Mario Party 4|*]]
[[Category:GameCube Games]]
[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Mario Party 4|*]]
[[Category:Nintendo GameCube games]]
[[Category:2002 games]]
[[Category:2002 games]]
[[Category:Mario Games]]
[[it:Mario Party 4]]
[[de:Mario Party 4]]

Latest revision as of 22:19, November 17, 2024

Mario Party 4
Mario Party 4's cover art
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer Hudson Soft
CAProduction
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) Nintendo GameCube
Release date Original release:
USA October 21, 2002[?]
Mexico October 21, 2002[1]
Japan November 8, 2002[?]
Europe November 29, 2002[?]
Australia November 29, 2002[?]
South Korea 2002[2]
Player's Choice Release:
Europe October 10, 2003[?]
Language(s) English (United States)
French (France)
German
Spanish (Spain)
Italian
Japanese
Genre Party
Rating(s)
ESRB:E - Everyone
PEGI:3 - Three years and older
ELSPA:3+ - Three years and older
ACB:G8+ - Eight years and older
USK:0 - All ages
SELL:All - All ages
Mode(s) 1-4 players
Format
Nintendo GameCube:
Optical disc
Input
Nintendo GameCube:
Serial code(s) USA DOL-GMPE-USA

Mario Party 4 is the fourth main installment in the Mario Party series and the first for the Nintendo GameCube. Developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo, the game was initially released in North America on October 21, 2002, making it the first Mario Party game to be released first outside of Japan.

It retains the basic gameplay aspects from previous Mario Party titles, where up to four players roll dice to move around a board, earning coins from landing on Spaces, events, or winning mini-games played at the end of every turn to buy stars. Features introduced in previous Mario Party games such as the introduction of the usage of items from Mario Party 2 to assist players against their opponents and the ability to carry up to three items from Mario Party 3 return. New elements introduced in Mario Party 4 include the ability for players to team up in pairs in Party Mode, creating a custom mini-game pack selected entirely by players of the game, and the first Mario Party game to introduce side-collectibles in the form of presents. It is also the only Mario Party game so far to have pre-rendered cutscenes. The game is notable for introducing boards fully rendered in 3D, though the navigational board space layout remains flat until Mario Party 5. Mario Party 4 requires two blocks to save on the memory card, and it contains up to three save files.

The game furthers a revamp in the 3D art direction of the Super Mario franchise that started with Luigi's Mansion and continued with Super Mario Sunshine. This game finalized the designs used for much of its cast that would continue to be used throughout the GameCube era and beyond; many 3D character models from games released over a decade afterward can be traced back to this one. The revamp would continue through Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Super Mario 64 DS to include minor species and enemies.

Plot[edit]

"Toad, Koopa, and a whole host of party patrons have arrived on the mysterious Party Cube to celebrate your Birthday Party!"

"But giving you presents would be way too easy, so you're going to have to win the presents by playing a game or two!"

"Now let's get this party started!"

Mario and company are enjoying the outdoors when a mysterious cloud forms in the distance. As the cloud moves closer, a giant bag appears to be floating in the sky. The bag opens up to reveal Toad, Koopa, Goomba, Shy Guy, and Boo, who invite Mario and the gang to party in the Party Cube.

It is the player character's birthday and each host wants to give a present, but the character must play in each host's board and win a special mini-game to get the present. The player character manages to get every single present from each host, but Bowser shows up and threatens to steal every present the player has, unless the player agrees to go to Bowser's board and win, and the player accepts Bowser's challenge.

The player manages to win and Koopa Kid congratulates the player for winning, but Bowser tricks the player into believing that he took all of the player's presents and the two fight in a final battle. The player manages to beat Bowser and he runs away and leaves one present behind. Koopa Kid explains that Bowser never took the player's presents.

Toad then appears and said that there is still someone who did not give their gift to the player. The lights suddenly turn off, cueing a spotlight, then Toad points to the sky and a Star is seen, zipping across the sky and revealing a constellation of the character's winning pose.

The epilogue shows the five hosts without their costumes, following after the moving Party Cube. After a few seconds, the Party Cube blasts off into space, never to be seen again.

Gameplay[edit]

Toad's Midway Madness from Mario Party 4
Gameplay with Waluigi under the influence of a Mega Mushroom in Toad's Midway Madness.

Mario Party 4 retains the board gameplay from previous Mario Party installments. Four players take turns to navigate around a digital game board using a Dice Block that randomly rolls numbers 1-10, within a set number of turns. Prior to starting out on a selected board, the four players need to roll a Dice Block that determines the order they will play in. Players who roll higher numbers in the beginning will start out earlier, and their HUD displayed on the corners of the screen are corresponding to what order they roll in. The overarching goal of the game is to purchase as much Stars with collected coins as possible, within the limit of turns; players first earn 10 coins to start out with. These stars cost 20 coins to purchase, and they are found in various, set locations on the board. Once a star is purchased, the star migrates to another location on the board, where players then need to navigate there to purchase again. Once all players have moved, a turn is passed and a mini-game is randomly selected from a roulette of mini-games and played; initially mini-game names are blocked out with question marks until they have been played at least once. These mini-games involve players doing actions with very specific rules under a short time limit to outperform their competition. If the players are successful by beating their opponents, they earn 10 coins as a reward, though mini-games classified as Coin mini-games (mini-games that have their text colored yellow) has the potential of players earning more coins, and they keep those coins regardless if they collected the most or not.

Spaces of various types are scattered across the board and give several effects when landed on. The most common space, the Blue Space, gives players out 3 coins if they landed on it. On the other hand, landing on a Red Space deducts 3 coins if landed on. Other spaces include Happening Spaces, Warp Spaces, Mushroom Spaces, etc. that all have their own special effect. When a space is landed on, the player panel turns to whatever color the space they landed on was. The color of the player panel dictates the type of mini-game that will be played at the end of the turn. For example, if all players land on a Blue Space, a 4-Player type mini-game will be played. If two players land on a Blue Space and two land on a Red Space, they will play a 2-vs-2 mini-game, being paired with the character who has the same color as their player panel as each other. 1-vs-3 mini-games are played if three players land on the same-colored space and one player lands on a different-colored space. If players land on a green-colored space, their player panel color will change to either blue or red randomly. Other types of mini-games are played under only special occasions; for example, Battle mini-games can be played only if players land a Battle Space and Bowser mini-games can be played if players land on a Bowser Space and Bowser decides to play the mini-game.

Lottery Shop icon from Mario Party 4
Donkey Kong accessing Toad's Lottery Shop

Other board features that can be accessed in all boards include Item Shops, Boo Houses, and Lottery Shops. Players can choose to enter these when they pass their space, though some of these are locked away through tiny pipes. Some boards feature board-specific features that players that function in a similar manner to these shops such as the Mystery Train from Boo's Haunted Bash or Klepto from Shy Guy's Jungle Jam. Players earn a Lucky Party Ticket when they enter the Lottery Shop for the first time, which does not have an effect until the Last Five Turns Event.

Items can be earned when players purchase them from Item Shops, obtain them from landing on Mushroom Spaces, win them in Mini Mini-games, or through other means. Players can stash up to three items; if they carry more, they need to discard items. These items can be used to give players advantages over their opponents. A prominent feature of Mario Party 4 is the replacement of regular Mushrooms through the use of Mega and Mini Mushrooms, which can be routinely earned throughout the game. Mega Mushrooms cause the player to grow large, roll two sets of Dice Blocks, and squash opponent players for their coins. However, this causes them to ignore most board features, which includes passing by Star Spaces. Mini Mushrooms shrink players and make them roll a Dice Block numbered only 1-5, but they can travel through tiny pipes to access areas of the map that cannot be accessed otherwise and play Mini Mini-games, which gives them the chance to earn free coins and items. In Bowser's Gnarly Party, Bowser reacts differently to characters depending on their current size. Players can earn more powerful variants of them with the Super Mega Mushroom and the Super Mini Mushroom, both of which let them roll an extra Dice Block. When players roll doubles or triples, they earn bonus coins, with 7's earning a greater number of coins, where the greatest number, rolling three 7's, rewards players with 50 coins.

Boo hosting the lottery in the Mario Party 4 version of the Last Five Turns Event.
Boo performing a lottery drawing in the Last Five Turns Event

A Last Five Turns Event commences when there are only five more turns in the board. The current host of the board then tallies the results of the players up and then uses a roulette to match the character mugshots on a Lucky Party Ticket, if there are any received at all. Whoever has all the matching Lucky Party Ticket character mugshots earns a free Star, though this happens very rarely. After that, the host gives the last place player a chance to stop a roulette, which affects the board's rules for the rest of the game. These include doubling the number of coins Blue Spaces give and Red Spaces take away, all Red Spaces becoming Bowser Spaces, all Red Spaces becoming Fortune Spaces, or all Stars becoming free. The game then actively notifies players of the number of turns left.

Once the final mini-game has been played, the host of the board does a final tally and announces who has the most stars and coins. If bonuses are turned on prior to starting the game, the host can additionally give out extra stars depending on if the player has fulfilled the requirements of being the best of that requirement. After the final countdown, the first place player gets rewarded as the Party Star and thus wins the game. Coins are the tiebreaker if a tie with Stars occurs, and if there is a coin tie as well, the winner is determined through a Dice Block roll. Past this, players can view statistics and results to see the overall performance, such as how many Spaces of a certain type were landed on and how many accumulated coins they won through mini-games.

Game modes[edit]

The Party Cube screen

Mario Party 4 comes with six game modes. Three of the game modes are hosted by one of the five character hosts, though Toad mostly guides the player in Party Mode prior to selecting a map while Boo does not host any of the modes, unless his board is selected in Party and Story Mode. The main menu is called the "Party Cube screen", where players can pick a ticket representing the mode before entering the Party Cube.

Party Mode[edit]

Party Mode

The primary mode of Mario Party 4, who is hosted by Toad prior to board selection. This mode uses the default rules for game boards, where the goal is to amass the most Stars. Up to four players can participate in this mode, and there are always four players in the board; CPU players fill up slots of vacant human players. Players can select from a roster of 8 playable characters, and then adjust the difficulty of the CPU players from Easy, Normal, Hard, to the unlockable Expert. After the characters are selected, players pick a board to play on. Once a board is selected, the owner of the board becomes the overall host of the game. Players can then adjust the following settings:

  • Rules: Players can either select Battle Royale, the traditional way with four players competing against each other or Team Match, a feature introduced in Mario Party 4, where players can form two teams of two. However, unlike later entries in the series, players still have their own player panel and do not share coins, though they do share items. 1-vs-3 mini-games are not played, and 2-vs-2 mini-games are always divided by the team set.
  • Number of Turns: Players can adjust the number of terms the game will last. Players can set from 10 to 50 turns, in increments of 5.
  • Mini-games: Players can set which types of mini-games will appear. Mini-games set to "All" have no restrictions, mini-games set to "Easy" will have only mini-games in the easy category appear, while "Custom" players only with the players' created set of mini-games.
  • Bonus Settings: If turned on, players can find Hidden Blocks when a space is landed on that awards players coins or a Star. At the end of the game, bonus Stars are also rewarded to players based on their performance.
    • Mini-Game Star: Awarded to players who have won the most coins from mini-games.
    • Coin Star: Awarded to players who had the highest coin count at any point in the game.
    • Happening Star: Awarded to players who have landed on the most Happening Spaces.
  • Handicap: Players can adjust the number of Stars each player starts out with in the beginning of the game. Up to 9 Stars can be given to any individual character.

When these settings are confirmed, the game starts. Players have access to more options when they pause the game with START/PAUSE Button. In the pause screen, players additionally can see the numbers of turns they have left.

  • Changing Control: Players can adjust control settings for each character. They can adjust the difficulty of a CPU player, turn a human character to a CPU, or turn a CPU into a human player. Through this menu, it is possible for the game to have only CPUs playing.
  • Playing Mini-Games: Players can toggle the Mini-Game Explanation Screen to SHOW or DON'T SHOW. SHOW is the default setting. If DON'T SHOW is toggled, the screen is skipped and the mini-game starts immediately.
  • COM Mini-Games: Players can either watch or skip mini-games with only CPU players involved.
  • Mini-Game Pack: Players can set which mini-game pack to use when the Mini-Game Roulette is displayed at the end of turns and when commencing a Battle mini-game.
  • Rumble Settings: Players can toggle the controller rumble feature on or off.
  • Message Speed: Players can adjust the speed in which messages display, from Slow, Normal, and Fast.
  • Save: There are three save settings. Players can opt not to save the game, save the game only once at the end of the current turn, or save the game at the end of every turn (the default option).
  • Quit: Players quit the game and return to the Party Cube screen.

Story Mode[edit]

Story Mode

Story Mode serves as the game's single player mode. Here, players have to clear board maps against opponent characters and beat the hosts of the maps in their special mini-games in order to win a present from them. Presents earned through this mode are stored in the Present Room. Prior to playing, players can set the difficulty of the mode from Easy, Normal, Hard, and Auto. If the game is on the Auto setting, CPU players get progressively more difficult every time a board is completed. Additionally, players can select which type of mini-games will appear, from All, to Easy, to the Custom set the player has created. Unlike Party Mode, CPU characters are picked automatically, and the static settings are Battle Royale, 15 turns, Bonuses on, and Handicap off. If there is a save file in the Story Mode, it is represented by the player character's icon on the save file screen. If players lose to the host in their respective story mini-game, they continuously try again before winning. If they beat all host characters of the starter maps, Koopa Kid shows up and takes the player to Bowser's Gnarly Party, a board that is unlocked once players beat Bowser in The Final Battle!, take back the stolen presents, and earn his present from his defeat.

Mini-Game Mode[edit]

Mini-Game Mode

This mode is hosted by Goomba, and the primary focus of the mode are the mini-games. Mini-games are unlocked whenever they are played for the first time in the game's Party and Story Modes. Up to four players can participate in this mode, and any vacant slots are filled with CPU characters with adjustable difficulties. There are four ways to play this mode:

  • Play: Players have four ways of playing mini-games through this mode:
    • Free Play: Players can play any mini-game they have unlocked.
    • Team Play: Players split into teams and play mini-games.
    • Battle Mode: Players decide how many victories in mini-games are required for a win, from 3-Match, 5-Match, to 7-Match. Players can additionally split into teams and select which types of mini-games appear in the roulette, from All, Easy, to Custom.
    • Tic-Tac-Toe Mode: Players split into teams and play on a 3-by-3 board of Tic-Tac-Toe. Players put their coin on a slot they want, and win the slot when they win in the mini-game selected via roulette. Players win the game when a row or diagonal of 3 coins is made.
  • List: Players view all mini-games they have unlocked.
  • Custom: Players can build a custom set of mini-games for use in a variety of modes. Players need to unlock 4 4-Player mini-games, 3 2-vs-2 mini-games, 3 1-vs-3 mini-games, and 2 Battle mini-games in order to create a custom pack.
  • Records: Players can view best times or high scores from mini-games that set records.

Option Room[edit]

Option Room

This mode is hosted by Koopa Troopa, where players can adjust various settings, listen to the game's sounds, or view records.

  • Rumble Settings: Players can turn the controller rumble feature on or off.
  • Listen to Music: Players can adjust the sound settings from either stereo or mono. Players can additionally listen to the game's background music and character voice samples.
  • View Records: Two types of records are stored here. Board Map records store the number of times the board was played with how many times the character used won, as well as the maximum number of coins and Stars held. Mini-Game records are stored here, where players can view best times or high scores.

Present Room[edit]

Present Room
Main article: Present Room

This mode is hosted by Shy Guy, where players can view all of the presents won in Story Mode. Other collectibles are stored here as well, including the presents won when certain times or scores are beaten in mini-games and character constellations when Story Mode is beaten with that character. Presents are sorted by character and type.

Extra Room[edit]

Extra Room

This mode is hosted by Thwomp, Whomp, and Ztar, where Bonus mini-games exclusive to this mode are played here. These mini-games can be played alongside two bonus boards.

Thwomp's Backroom Ball
Thwomp's Backroom Ball Extra Room logo.png

Thwomp hosts this multiplayer-oriented mode, where one to four players can play with a variety of settings. The settings set are similar to those set in Free Play and Team Play in Mini-Game Mode. When playing on Mega Board Mayhem and Mini Board Mad-Dash, mini-games do not appear and therefore, players stay on the board the entire game. Players initially start out playing only Mega Board Mayhem and Mini Board Mad-Dash; they unlock Challenge Booksquirm and Panel Panic as they play. The last two games listed are extended versions of other mini-games.

Whomp's Basement Brouhaha
Whomp's Basement Brouhaha Extra Room logo.png

Whomp hosts this single-player mode, where all of the features are unique mini-games that are exclusive to this mode. There are a total of six mini-games in this mode; players start out with four mini-games and when certain mini-games are unlocked in Mini-Game Mode, two more can be unlocked.

Beach Volley Folly

A special mini-game that is hosted by Ztar, unlocked when all games from the above modes are unlocked. This volleyball-themed mini-game comes with its own set of rules and unlockables, as well as its own tournament mode. Additionally, some playable characters are exclusive to this mode in Mario Party 4.

Characters[edit]

Playable[edit]

Mario Party 4's character select screen
The character-selection screen

Mario Party 4 has a total of eight playable characters, with all playable characters returning from Mario Party 3. All of these playable characters are usable from the beginning and are usable throughout all modes. In addition, Princess Daisy and Waluigi are now playable in Story Mode. While Mario Party 4 does not introduce any new playable characters, a mini-game, Beach Volley Folly, found in the Extra Mode, features additional playable characters exclusive to that mini-game. They are unlocked by playing through Battle Mode, and once Battle Mode is unlocked, those additional playable characters are usable only in Free Mode.

Mario Luigi Princess Peach Yoshi
Artwork of Mario for Mario Party 4
Artwork of Luigi for Mario Party 4
Artwork of Princess Peach for Mario Party 4
Artwork of Yoshi for Mario Party 4
Mario's always been an all-around guy. Just watch out when he gets a Mega Mushroom – he really starts cruisin'! Mario's younger brother is just wild about Mushrooms! ...But does he have any hidden abilities? She seems to be cute and innocent, but Peach is secretly quite mischievous – watch out for her Swap Card! Yoshi sure does love Warp Blocks! You can never tell where this unpredictable character will pop up next...
Wario Donkey Kong Princess Daisy Waluigi
Artwork of Wario for Mario Party 4
Artwork of Donkey Kong for Mario Party 4
Artwork of Princess Daisy for Mario Party 4
Artwork of Waluigi for Mario Party 4
Wario's a madman with his MiniMega Hammer. Be careful in duels, too, because he's a dueling master! The strongest of the bunch, Donkey Kong loves his Mega Mushrooms. A bit of a tom-boy, Daisy's a big fan of the Warp Pipe! That Waluigi's a serious sneak! Watch out for his Sparky Sticker...

Beach Volley Folly exclusive[edit]

Boards[edit]

Board Description Difficulty
TMM.png Toad's Midway Madness Players have to maneuver their way around the amusement park, with the common goal being to find Toad; he is the host of the board. A notable part of this board is the tea cup rides, that, when ridden on, change direction in any junction a ride is located at. Another notable part of this board is the roller coaster, which players can take to get from the bottom-left part of the board to the top-right part and vice versa. Star icon from the Party Mode and Story Mode menus, used for the difficulty display of the boards in Mario Party 4
MP4 ShyGuy'sJungleJam.png Shy Guy's Jungle Jam The goal for this board is for the players to get to Shy Guy; he is the host of this board. Notable parts of this board are the Shy Guy mountain and Klepto the condor. If a player lands on a Happening Space that is located in front of a Shy Guy statue, the statue will ask for the player to make either a happy wish, or to make a sad wish. When a player passes by Klepto he asks to take the player to the bottom-right corner of the map. Star icon from the Party Mode and Story Mode menus, used for the difficulty display of the boards in Mario Party 4
MP4Goomba'sGreedyGala.png Goomba's Greedy Gala Players must make sure that they manage to obtain Stars by getting to Goomba, the host of this board. The most notable feature of this board is the roulette in the very middle of it. When players pass the roulette, a Goomba asks for an optional payment of either five, ten, or twenty Coins. The more a player pays to the Goomba, the more likely it is that the ball will land on the route closest to the Star. Another notable feature of this board is the dice areas. When a player passes a dice area, a Goomba appears, rolls a number on a Dice Block, and the player has to beat that number by rolling a number higher than his. Star icon from the Party Mode and Story Mode menus, used for the difficulty display of the boards in Mario Party 4Star icon from the Party Mode and Story Mode menus, used for the difficulty display of the boards in Mario Party 4
BHB.png Boo's Haunted Bash The main goal of this board is for the players to reach Boo; he is the host of this board. There are two notable features on this board; the Red Boo bridges, and the Mystery Train. The Red Boo bridges work in such a way that, when a player passes by the center of the board, where the leader of the Red Boos is, he and the bridges disappears, among the other Red Boos. The Mystery Train is also affected by the disappearance of the Red Boos; when the Red Boos are active, the Mystery Train is inactive and vice versa. When the Mystery Train is active and is passed by a player, it takes the player to any graveyard on the board. Star icon from the Party Mode and Story Mode menus, used for the difficulty display of the boards in Mario Party 4Star icon from the Party Mode and Story Mode menus, used for the difficulty display of the boards in Mario Party 4
Koopa's Seaside Soiree Koopa's Seaside Soiree Players must make sure to make their way around the beach, with the common goal to find Koopa, as he is this board's host. A notable feature of this board is the Koopa Kabana. When a player passes the Kabana Space, said player pays five coins to Koopa. Another attraction of this board is the Dolphins, who are summoned by landing on a Happening Space that is located on a dock with a picture of a fruit on. Star icon from the Party Mode and Story Mode menus, used for the difficulty display of the boards in Mario Party 4Star icon from the Party Mode and Story Mode menus, used for the difficulty display of the boards in Mario Party 4
BowserGnarlyParty.png Bowser's Gnarly Party (unlockable) In order for players to receive Stars on this board, they will have to get to Koopa Kid; he is the host for this board. There are two prominent features of this board; the two stone bridges, and Bowser himself. When a player crosses over a stone bridge, it will crumble apart a little. After three players cross a stone bridge, it will fully crumble apart and a new one appears in a different direction. The other feature, Bowser, reacts differently depending on the current form players have and sometimes causes additional effects to players such as turning all of them mini. Star icon from the Party Mode and Story Mode menus, used for the difficulty display of the boards in Mario Party 4Star icon from the Party Mode and Story Mode menus, used for the difficulty display of the boards in Mario Party 4Star icon from the Party Mode and Story Mode menus, used for the difficulty display of the boards in Mario Party 4

Items[edit]

Image Item Description Coin Cost
A Mega Mushroom from Mario Party 4 Mega Mushroom The Mega Mushroom causes players to be giant and roll two Dice Blocks (for a total of 2-20 spaces). If a player rolls two matching numbers, they earn 10 coins (30 coins for two "7"'s). When players pass anyone, they will crush them, stealing ten coins in the process. However, this item bypasses most board events (e.g. players cannot trade for any Stars on a Star Space while giant nor purchase items from the Item Shop). However, the exception is Bowser on Bowser's Gnarly Party where players that make it to him will do a Bowser mega mini-game when they pass him, due to being their mega form. 5
A Mini Mushroom from Mario Party 4 Mini Mushroom The Mini Mushroom causes players to be tiny. It also restricts the Dice Block; instead of rolling 1-10, it only rolls 1-5. However, the Mini Mushroom can cause players to play Mini Mini-games; plus, they can move through tiny pipes. 5
Super Mega Mushroom.jpg Super Mega Mushroom A Super Mega Mushroom has generally the same effects as a Mega Mushroom except that players roll three Dice Blocks instead of two (for a total of 3-30 spaces). If the player rolls the same numbers (three matching numbers), they get 10 coins if the number is even, and 30 coins if the number is odd (50 coins for three "7"'s). 15
Super Mini Mushroom Super Mini Mushroom A Super Mini Mushroom has generally the same effects as a Mini Mushroom except that players roll two 1-5 Dice Blocks instead of one (for a total of 2-10 spaces). Because both Dice Blocks are 1-5 Dice Blocks, it is possible to roll the normal number of spaces from the regular Dice Block. However, unlike the Mini Mushroom, they cannot get a total of 1 (as there are 2 Dice Blocks instead of one). The player gets 10 coins if they roll the same numbers (two matching numbers). 15
Object artwork of a Warp Pipe from Mario Party 4 Warp Pipe When players use a Warp Pipe, a roulette that has the heads of the other characters appears. An arrow spins and players can stop the arrow. When the arrow stops on a character's head, the player swaps places with that character. 10
The Swap Card from Mario Party 4. Swap Card The Swap Card randomly chooses another player via roulette and the player who used it swaps items with the chosen player. 15
MiniMega Hammer MiniMega Hammer When players use a MiniMega Hammer, they may choose another player to be Mega or Mini by hitting them on the head with the hammer; but they can't inflict their own effect (Mega or Mini). Then, the opponent that player chooses is given the effects of a Mega Mushroom or a Mini Mushroom on the next turn, determined by what mushroom appears on the hammer when the alternating between the two mushrooms is stopped by pressing the A button. 10
Chomp Call.jpg Chomp Call If a Chomp Call is used, four small Chain Chomps appear, surround the host that holds the Star in the Star Space, and scare them away. Afterwards, the location of the Star Space changes. 15
Boo's Crystal Ball from Mario Party 4. Boo's Crystal Ball When Boo's Crystal Ball is used, a Boo appears and does either of the following:
  • The Boo steals coins from a selected player with a five-coin fee. The victim can fight back and lose less coins by repeatedly pressing A Button.
  • The Boo steals a Star from another player with a 50 coin fee. The victim cannot fight back.

However, if the victim has a Gaddlight, the victim can flash the light at Boo and chase him away when he's after their Stars and coins.

25
Gaddlight.jpg Gaddlight The Gaddlight automatically lets the player chase away a Boo that is after their coins and Stars. 15
Sparky Sticker Sparky Sticker When players use a Sparky Sticker, they place it directly below where they are standing. If any player tries to pass it, any player currently on said space loses 10 coins plus the effects of a Mega Mushroom or a Mini Mushroom. 15
An Item Bag from Mario Party 4 Item Bag The effects of an Item Bag activate as soon as players purchase this item. They receive three random items. If they already have one or two items, the remaining items found in the bag get discarded. 30
Genie Lamp Render Magic Lamp When players use this, they summon the Genie of the Lamp. The genie then transports them to the Star Space. However, they still must trade 20 coins for the Star. 30
A Bowser Suit from Mario Party 4 Bowser Suit Players can only acquire this from Bowser when they land on a Bowser Space. If they use this, they go in a Bowser Suit. If they pass anyone else, they steal 30 coins. Like the Mega Mushroom, the Bowser Suit will bypass some board events like the Item Shops and the Star Spaces. The exception is Bowser's Gnarly Party. If the player gets to Bowser while wearing the Bowser Suit, Bowser gives the player 50 coins. N/A

Spaces[edit]

Image Space Description
Blue Space from Mario Party 4 and Mario Party 5 Blue Space If players land on this space, they receive three coins. On the last five turns, the coins received may double if the losing player hits the roulette wheel and has that event as a result.
Red Space from Mario Party 4 and Mario Party 5 Red Space If players land on this space, they lose three coins. On the last five turns, the coins lost may double if the losing player hits the roulette wheel and has that event as a result.
A ? Space from Mario Party 4 Happening Space If players land on this space, they trigger an event. The event varies within the board. The event may be positive or negative.
Bowser Space Bowser Space If players land on this space, either a Koopa Kid or Bowser appear. The Koopa Kid can take coins from either the player who landed on it or from everyone. If Bowser appears, he can cause the following events: Bowser Revolution, where he divides everyone's coins equally; Bowser Mini-game where he forces everyone to play his mini-games; Bowser Shuffle, which he randomly swaps all of the players' places; or Bowser Suit, which he gives the player a Bowser Suit. The latter event is rare. Sometimes, Bowser can come out after Koopa Kid on the same Bowser Space.
Fortune Space from Mario Party 4 Fortune Space If players land on this space, an event occurs, and they use the Reversal of Fortune, which resembles a pinball machine. The results may vary such as the player swapping stars with another or the player giving coins to the other.
Mushroom Space from Mario Party 4 Mushroom Space If players land on this space, two boxes appear: one small, one large. The player chooses one box and may receive a Mega Mushroom or a Mini Mushroom, regardless of the size of the box.
Warp Space from Mario Party 4 Warp Space If players land on this space, an arrow spins on a roulette, showing the other three character's heads. The player can stop the roulette. If the arrow is pointing to one of the character's head, the space, which is actually a spring, launches the character to the chosen character.
Battle Space from Mario Party 4 Battle Space If players land on this space, a Bob-omb appears and starts a Battle mini-game. The player who landed on the Battle Space may choose one of two randomly selected Battle mini-games.

Shops and other board features[edit]

Image Space Description
Lottery Shop icon from Mario Party 4 Lottery Shop Players can pay five coins to play lottery games to win prizes. Upon first entering the shop prior to the Last Five Turns event, players are given a Lucky Party Ticket, where a lottery drawing will occur at the Last Five Turns for players to earn a free Star if they have a lucky ticket. The two lottery games are scratching a card and operating a machine to roll out a ball. Prizes range from coins to free items, though players have the likeliest chance of not winning anything.
Item Shop Icon MP4.png Item Shop When players enter here, they can buy a single item. These shops carry up to five items, and the items vary each time the player visits the shop. Players cannot enter item shops if they have less than five coins, when they have 3 items, and when they're Mega or in a Bowser suit.
Boo House Icon MP4.png Boo House Functioning similarly to a Boo's Crystal Ball, when players enter here, they can pay to enlist the services for a Boo to steal coins or Stars from an opponent. Players need to spend five coins to steal coins, while stealing Stars requires players to spend 50 coins. However if the victim has a Gaddlight, they can flash the light at Boo to scare him away when he runs after their stars and coins.
Gate (MP4).png Tiny pipe Tiny pipes are obstructions featured throughout the board. Players while normal or bigger cannot pass through them; players need to be under the effects of a Mini Mushroom to pass. When players approach them while mini, tiny pipes function as a junction of routes.

Mini-games[edit]

Main article: List of Mario Party 4 minigames
Mario competing against Koopa Troopa in Kareening Koopas, a Story mini-game.

Mario Party 4 has a total of sixty mini-games, which is less than its predecessor, Mario Party 3, not counting the Mini-Mini-games that are played in the board when players are under the influence of a Mini Mushroom. It is the first Mario Party game to have fewer minigames than its predecessor. Following the removal of Duel, Item, and Game Guy mini-games, Mario Party 4 introduces new mini-game types that would become reoccurring for later games in the series. Bowser mini-games are played when a player lands on a Bowser Space and has players competing to not be the loser of the mini-game; Bowser mini-games always have a losing player and have that player burnt by Bowser. Story mini-games involve players competing against the host player though in the Mini-game Mode, the host player is replaced by the second player. etc. Mini-games are unlocked by facing off as a Mega player against Bowser and playing The Final Battle! Finally, the mini-games played exclusively in the Extra Room are counted into the total.

Staff[edit]

Main article: List of Mario Party 4 staff

Mario Party 4 is developed by Hudson Soft, the primary developer of Mario Party installments until Mario Party 9 and the game is published by Nintendo. CAProduction is also credited with co-developing Mario Party 4, who has a consistent history of developing Mario Party titles and has strong ties to Hudson Soft and Nintendo Cube, the current developer for Mario Party games. The game was directed by Kenji Kikuchi, who also directed the first three Mario Party titles and Mario Party 5. The game's soundtrack was composed by Ichiro Shimakura, who composed the soundtrack for Mario Party 3.

Reception[edit]

Mario Party 4 received mostly mixed to positive reviews from critics. GameSpot's Ryan Davis praised the game's mini-game format, but noted that "players that who already exhausted themselves on the previous Mario Party titles may not have enough here to draw them back again". Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell acknowledged the variety and thematic features of the boards, but thought that they were too large, resulting in a "glacial pace" when coupled with the on-board animations. Despite this, IGN praised the boards for their thematic features on each one, which helped "ease the tediousness". New gameplay features such as the mushroom system received a negative review from multiple critics, with frustration being expressed at not being able to enter shops or purchase stars with big characters. The game's multiplayer was praised by reviews, especially in comparison to the single player mode, "Story Mode". The mini-games were mainly met with a positive reaction, with critics praising their simplicity.

Reviews
Release Reviewer, Publication Score Comment
Nintendo GameCube Fran Mirabella III,
IGN
6.9/10 "Mario Party 4 is exactly how you would envision it on GameCube -- all-new mini-games and better visuals. My man Waluigi has made it onto the cast list this time, which is an awesome addition, but outside of these basic upgrades, there's nothing new about Mario Party 4. It is a worthy sequel that continues to bring multiplayer fanatics a whole slew of clever mini-games. It's an absolute must-rent if you have a few friends over for the weekend. That goes for adults, family members, and kids. It's definitely an "everybody" title, and you shouldn't miss out on the diversity it has to offer. Those interested in buying would be advised that the game will collect a lot of dust if there is not a frequent crop of participants ready to partake in multiplayer matches. This will continue to be the franchise's biggest weakness unless it sees a major makeover."
Nintendo GameCube Ryan Davis,
GameSpot
7.2/10 "Since this is the fourth Mario Party game in about as many years, you'd think that the formula would have grown unbearably stale by now. But through incremental improvements and some subtle refinements, Hudson has kept the series going strong, and Mario Party 4 is arguably the most accomplished entry in the series yet. While more accomplished gamers may find some of the minigames too simplistic, this accessibility ensures that Mario's party is one that just about anyone can enjoy."
Nintendo GameCube Tom "Mugwum" Bramwell,
Eurogamer
5/10 "There's nothing bold about the moves Hudson has made with Mario Party 4. Some are reasonable additions, some are a bit daft, but most of the game is only vaguely removed from what's come before. The mini-games have different faces but they play ostensibly the same, and even with the visuals buffed to a sparkle the overall effect is very much 'more of the same'. If you have a few pals coming over for an evening, MP4 is the perfect game to wheel out, but on a system which already plays host to Super Monkey Ball, Sega Soccer Slam, Super Smash Bros. Melee and many other party-able games, it's only an also-ran. And unless you regularly have four well-palmed pads plugged into the front of your Cube, it isn't worth picking up."
Aggregators
Compiler Platform / Score
Metacritic 70
GameRankings 73.30%

Sales[edit]

Mario Party 4 is the 10th best-selling game for Nintendo GameCube, with approximately 2.45 million copies sold worldwide: 1.1 million copies in North America, 902,827 copies in Japan, and 450,000 copies elsewhere, as of December 31, 2009.

Quotes[edit]

Main article: List of Mario Party 4 quotes
  • "The Star is here...for now, hee hee. Reach me without 20 coins, and you will be DENIED!" -Boo
  • "I'm not so good with mushy stuff like this, but...Happy birthday. I'm, like, happy and stuff..." -Bowser
  • "So, hey, I had all this space, and I made it into a casino! Pretty high-class, no?" -Goomba
  • "Enjoy the laid-back atmosphere as you mellow out to my island groove and bask in its sights." -Koopa Troopa
  • "I am one of the Koopa Kids! What kind of dastardly deeds can I do today?" -Koopa Kid
  • "Welcome to Shy Guy's Jungle Jam! So, um, I'm Shy Guy...and I guess I'll be your host!" -Shy Guy
  • "This is the Party Cube, and you're all invited!" -Toad

Pre-release and unused content[edit]

A Mario Party 4 pre-release title screen
A pre-release character select screen
Original box art

The game contains files that are named E3Setup.bin, E3SetupDLL.rel and E3SetupDLL.str. When modesel.bin in the data folder and modeseldll.rel + modeseldell.str in the dll folder are replaced by the former files, a pre-release character select screen, for E3 purposes, is shown. Donkey Kong and Wario cannot be selected.

As a placeholder, the cover art initially used for the box of Mario Party 4 used artwork of the characters from the previous game on Nintendo 64.

As seen in the trailer, an early version of the game reused the Mario Party 2 and 3 announcer as well as the characters having no voice clips.[3]

Debug mode of Mario Party 4
The debug menu

A debug menu was found in the game's data, and includes all the mini-games. While the previous game used debug codes in the 200s, this game used codes in the 400s, although there are unused Mario Party 4 minigames that use codes in the 300s, which more closely resemble Mario Party 3 minigames (not using the toy box theme).[4]

Glitches[edit]

If two players are on the space before the Lottery Stop and one moves forward and quickly presses B Button on the prompt while the other one runs across, the running player may be stuck in a t-pose until their next turn.[5]

Adaptations[edit]

A Dokidoki Mario Chance! cabinet.
Dokidoki Mario Chance! cabinet.

Adobe Flash[edit]

Main article: Mario Party 4 (Flash game)

Mario Party 4 received an online Adobe Flash game to promote the release of the title.

Arcade[edit]

Banpresto released a Mario Party 4-based arcade game called Dokidoki Mario Chance! in Japan in March 2003.[6] The game had a wheel base with numbers and lights in the center of each number circle in a clockwise pattern. Each time a light would turn on, a sound would activate. On the top of the machine is a plastic case which houses a small jumping Mario figure. Alongside artwork and some of Charles Martinet's Mario voice clips from Mario Party 4, the game has a Japanese announcer and a music piece that plays throughout the game. When someone loses the game, a sad sound along with a negative reaction from either the announcer from Mario would play.[7] It was the last Super Mario game to be made by Banpresto.[8]

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Mario Party 4.

Media[edit]

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Mario Party 4 media. For this subject's sound test, see Mario Party 4 sound test.
Audio.svg Mario Party - The title theme
File infoMedia:Mario Party 4 Soundtrack - Title Theme.oga
0:18
Audio.svg Midway Madness - Toad's Midway Madness
File infoMedia:Mario Party 4 Soundtrack Map 1 - Toads Midway Madness.oga
0:30
Audio.svg Coin Slot - Used in the Mini Mini-Game in Goomba's Greedy Gala.
File infoMedia:MP4 Coin Slot.oga
0:30
Audio.svg Ride Klepto - Used while riding Klepto in Shy Guy's Jungle Jam.
File infoMedia:MP4 Ride Klepto.oga
0:30
Audio.svg Mystery Train - Used when riding the Mystery Train in Boo's Haunted Bash.
File infoMedia:MP4 Mystery Train.oga
0:30
Audio.svg Watermelon Item - Plays in the Item mini-game in Koopa's Seaside Soiree.
File infoMedia:MP4 Watermelon Item.oga
0:30
Audio.svg Koopa Kid Shuffle / Mini Bowser Shuffle - Plays in the Item mini-game in Bowser's Gnarly Party.
File infoMedia:MP4 Koopa Kid Shuffle.oga
0:26
Audio.svg Play Mini-Games - Used on the rules explanation screen.
File infoMedia:Mario Party 4 Soundtrack - Play Mini-Games.oga
0:29
Audio.svg Hurry! Hurry! - Used in the mini-games Bob-omb X-ing, Domination, Dungeon Duos, GOOOOOOOAL!!, Revers-a-Bomb, Slime Time, and Goomba Stomp.
File infoMedia:Mario Party 4 Soundtrack - Hurry! Hurry!.oga
0:30
Audio.svg You Got a Present - Used when a present is awarded to the player's character
File infoMedia:Mario Party 4 Soundtrack - You Got a Present.oga
0:04
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

References to other games[edit]

References in later games[edit]

Trace Race in Mario Party Superstars
Trace Race in Mario Party Superstars

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese マリオパーティ4[?]
Mario Pāti 4
Mario Party 4
Chinese (traditional) 瑪利歐派對4[9]
Mǎlì'ōu Pàiduì 4
Mario Party 4

Trivia[edit]

  • This is the only Mario Party game to use pre-rendered cutscenes (including the opening of this game, as well as the Story Mode endings for each playable character) and where mini-game preview icons do not depict actual gameplay of the mini-games.
  • At the end of Bowser's Gnarly Party, when Koopa Kid announces the Coin Star, there are two mistakes when he says, "This the person who collected the most coins in Mini-Games." The first mistake is that there is no "is for" in between "This" and "the". The second mistake is that the Coin Star is rewarded for players who possess the most coins at any turn.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Nintendo-Juegos-NGC-Mario Party 4. www.nintendo.com.mx. Retrieved November 28, 2022. (Archived December 1, 2002, 23:18:01 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  2. ^ Gamecube : Korean Master-List !. Scanlines16.com. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  3. ^ GameCubeTrailersNGC (November 18, 2009). Mario Party 4 Trailer. YouTube. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  4. ^ Mario Party 4. The Cutting Room Floor.
  5. ^ @MarioBrothBlog (October 25, 2020). Post by Supper Mario Broth. X.
  6. ^ バンプレスト内覧会で『FFX-2』グッズを発見!. Famitsu.
  7. ^ Gameplay footage from kodomoyo
  8. ^ Borp (October 28, 2015). Arcade coverage: Banpresto. Super Mario Boards (English).
  9. ^ Official Chinese website for the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary. Retrieved October 23, 2020.

External links[edit]