Mario Party 9
Template:Infobox Mario Party 9 is the ninth home console installment of the Mario Party series and second for the Wii. The game was developed by Nd Cube. It is also the twelfth in the main series (fifteenth in Japan). It was released in Europe on March 2, 2012, Australia on March 8, North America on March 11, 2012, and Japan on April 26, 2012. The host of the game is Yellow Toad for the boards while Blue Toad is the host for minigames, and Green Toad appears near the end of Boards to initiate an event similar to the Last Five Turns Event from past games.
Story
On a night outside of Princess Peach's Castle, Mario and his friends came to watch the Mini Stars glitter in the sky. As Mario peers though the telescope, he notices that the stars suddenly begin to get sucked through a vortex. It is then revealed to be Bowser and Bowser Jr. on a spacecraft, who are using a vacuum-like machine to suck the stars in the sky. Upon witnessing this, Mario and the gang set out to defeat them and save the Mini Stars. After they start their journey, Shy Guy and Magikoopa are seen coming out of the woods and start following them, as part of Bowser's plan.
Gameplay
A new form of gameplay was introduced in this game, retiring the old format seen in the prior eight titles: players move all at once through the board in a vehicle (a car in Toad Road, a magic carpet in Boo's Horror Castle and a legged machine in Bob-omb Factory, for example). Instead of rolling a dice with a 1-10 on it like in the previous games, players can only roll a dice block with a 1-6 on it; however, there are other dice blocks that can be collected, which includes a dice block that allows a 1-10 roll. Instead of trying to collect coins to buy stars, players receive Mini Stars if they pass by them. While doing so, players must also try to avoid Mini Ztars, which deduct their current amount of Mini Stars.
New minigame types are introduced in the Mario Party series, one example being 2 vs. 1 minigames against Bowser Jr. In this game, the minigames don't appear after every player has moved, but only when a player ends up on any of the spaces that triggers a minigame. Also, when receiving dice blocks, a minigame might pop up after as well. Unlike previous Mario Party games, where often only the winner(s) of a minigame receives a reward, all minigames are ranked from first to last place and generally all players receive Mini Stars, players that earn a higher position earn more Mini Stars.
During a party, there are two events that are required to occur before advancing: Captain Events and Boss Battles. The former occurs whenever a player lands on a Captain Event Space. These events are board-exclusive events that allow the player to earn more Mini Stars, though the player that lands on the space always has some form of control over the event. As for Boss Battles, there are two Boss Battle Spaces on every board, one before a fortress and one at the end. During the Boss Battle minigames, players must work together to defeat a boss while attempting to increase their own individual scores.
Modes
Mario Party 9 has 5 modes in all. They are:
- Party Mode
- Solo Mode
- Minigame Mode
- Museum
- Extras
Party Mode
Once again returning from previous Mario Party games, Party Mode involves the players going around the board like with the previous games, but changed due to the new gameplay mechanics of Mario Party 9. The amount of party points that the players will earn is determined by how many Mini Stars they have at the end of the game. However, if handicaps are used, the handicap amount will not count towards the party point total; for example, if a player has a 50 Mini Star handicap, and finishes with 100 Mini Stars, he/she will only earn 50 party points.
Minigame Mode
Blue Toad is the host of Minigame Mode.
- Free Play: In the Free Play mode, the players can play unlocked minigames freely. Each minigame rewards players "1" party point when played.
- Step It Up: In this mode, players must win minigames to climb stairs. The player who reaches on the top first wins.
- Garden Battle: The players must get puzzle pieces to fill their gardens winning minigames. The player who completes it first wins.
- Choice Challenge: All the players choose three minigames from a group of five that they would like to play. These minigames are played and the player who get more points wins.
- High Rollers: In this mode, the players must win minigames to roll a Dice Block to pass through a panel floor. The player who gets 500 points first wins.
- Time Attack: The player must try to win 10 minigames as fast as he or she can.
- Boss Rush: The players must defeat a series of bosses to win, similar to Boss Bash in Mario Party DS.
Note: With the exception of Free Play mode, all game modes will award the players "10" party points when finished.
Solo Mode
The game's story mode, Solo Mode involves the players traveling across all six boards to defeat Bowser and save the Mini Stars. Completing Solo Mode will award the player 500 party points, and the Mini Star grand total will also be added onto the player's party point amount; for example, finishing Solo Mode with a grand total of 500 Mini Stars will award the player 1000 party points.
Museum
The Museum is where the players can spend Party Points on various things such as Mini Star constellations, game sounds, vehicles, extra game modes, or watch the credits. Once they return a constellation into the sky, the players can go back and see it in the sky.
Extras
In Extras, the player can play through various extra minigames such as an extended version of Goomba Bowling, Castle Clearout, or Shell Soccer. There is also a mode called Perspective Mode, in which the player plays through ten minigames with a changed camera angle.
Characters
Playable Characters
 red
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 green
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 Template:Color-link-piped
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 Template:Color-link-piped
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 gold
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 purple
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| File:MP9 Select Mario.png | File:MP9 Select Luigi.png | File:MP9 Select Peach.png | File:MP9 Select Daisy.png | File:MP9 Select Wario.png | File:MP9 Select Waluigi.png |
 limegreen
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 mediumvioletred
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 Template:Color-link-piped*
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File:MP9 Shy Icon.png gray** |  blue**
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| File:MP9 Select Yoshi.png | File:MP9 Select Birdo.png | File:MP9 Select Toad.png | File:MP9 Select Koopa.png | File:MP9 Select Shy.png | File:MP9 Select Kamek.png |
| *Denotes Playable Newcomer **Denotes Playable Newcomer who must be unlocked through Solo Mode Note: Magikoopa is named Kamek in the European version. | |||||
Bosses
| Toad Road | Bob-omb Factory | Boo's Horror Castle | Blooper Beach | Magma Mine | Bowser Station | DK's Jungle Ruins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-Bosses | ||||||
 Lakitu
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 Whomp
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 Dry Bones
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File:MP9 Cheep Icon.png Cheep-Cheep |  Spike
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File:MP9 Bowser Jr. Icon.png Bowser Jr. | File:DiddyKong-Icon-MP9.png Diddy Kong |
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File:MP9 Cheep Bust.png | 
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File:MP9 Bowser Jr. Bust.png | File:DiddyKong-Boss-MP9.png |
| Stage Bosses | ||||||
 Wiggler
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File:MP9 Big Bob-omb Icon.png King Bob-omb |  King Boo
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 Blooper
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 Chain Chomp
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 Bowser
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File:DonkeyKong-Icon-MP9.png Donkey Kong |
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File:MP9 Big Bob-omb Bust.png | 
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File:DonkeyKong-Boss-MP9.png |
| Note #1: King Bob-omb is called Big Bob-omb in the European version. Note #2: In the case of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, they are not featured in the Boss Rush and are not actual bosses, but their respective minigames (DK's Banana Bonus and Diddy's Banana Blast) are considered to be Boss Minigames for the respective board. | ||||||
Other Characters
Stages
| Stage | Description | Captain Event |
|---|---|---|
| Toad Road | Toad Road is the first stage in Mario Party 9, and thus it is a simple stage with almost no gimmicks. It is designed after New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and features lush grassland, flowers and windmills. A broken bridge prevents players from moving forward, and if the Energy Meter does not add up, the players will fall to a lower route with Mini Ztar Spaces. | 9 Island |
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| Bob-omb Factory | Bob-omb Factory is the second stage in Mario Party 9. Players move around a room full of conveyor belts, and if the Captain lands on an Event Space, the conveyor belts will move the group of players around, including spaces. Bob-ombs will occasionally intrude a player's game. Whatever Captain happens to stop the Bob-omb's countdown, he or she will lose half of their Mini Stars. | Side-by-Side Zone |
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| Boo's Horror Castle | Boo's Horror Castle is the third stage in Mario Party 9. Players move throughout a big castle, which is haunted with Boos. After a Captain passes a Boo Portrait, a Boo will come out of it. If a Captain is caught by a Boo, he or she will lose half of their Mini Stars. Boos will follow the players until they leave the current hallway, or enter an alternative room with lights. Before the players can face the boss, the Captain must roll a number higher than the specified numeral on the gate. | Scaredy Rat Race |
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| Blooper Beach | Blooper Beach is the fourth stage in Mario Party 9. Players travel along an ocean to reach the end goal. If a Captain passes by a Dolphin, he or she will get five Mini Stars. However, Sushis will take away half of the Captain's Mini Stars. Huckit Crabs will turn all the Mini Stars on the stage into Mini Ztars if a Captain lands on an Event Space, and vice versa if he/she lands on it again. | Sunken Treasure |
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| Magma Mine | Magma Mine is the fifth stage in Mario Party 9. This stage takes place in an active volcano where players mainly travel up and out of the vent. Players must escape rising magma that rises two spaces each turn, and is increased further if a Captain lands on a Magma Space. If a Captain happens to get hit by magma, he or she will lose half their Mini Stars. | Dice Block Chicken |
| File:MP9 Magma Mine.png | ||
| Bowser Station | Bowser Station is the sixth stage in Mario Party 9. Bowser Jr. and Bowser are the stage's mid-boss and boss, respectively. A Jackpot Machine here will increase in Mini Stars if a Captain lands on a Jackpot+ Space. If the Jackpot Machine happens to have 20 or more Mini Stars, a Jackpot Minigame will commence. Oddly enough, this stage has no actual hazards. | Heart Star Colony Bingo Colony Speed Star Colony |
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| DK's Jungle Ruins | DK's Jungle Ruins is the seventh stage in Mario Party 9, which can be purchased from the Museum for 500 Party Points. Instead of collecting Mini Stars, players collect Bananas while trying to avoid Z-Bananas. Players make two laps around the stage before completing the whole set. Bananas and Z-Bananas are placed on each space rather than inbetween. The actual Boss Minigames in this stage are done in form of a bonus minigame to collect Bananas. These games are supported by Diddy Kong and Donkey Kong respectively. | Barrel Choice |
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Minigames
- Main article: List of minigames in Mario Party 9
Items
- Dice Block
- Slow Dice Block
- 0-1 Dice Block
- 1-2-3 Dice Block
- 4-5-6 Dice Block
- 1-10 Dice Block
- Mini Stars
- Mini Ztars
- Green Shells
- Bananas
- Banana Bunches
- Z-Bananas
Spaces
When a player lands on a space, something is going to happen. Each space has its own effect, but like in previous Mario Party games, every space is colour-coded. The colour of the space will tell what kind of event is going to happen.
- Normal Spaces
- Blue Spaces - Triggers good events and will help the player who landed on it.
- Red Spaces - Trigger bad events and will hinder the player who landed on it.
- Green Spaces - Neutral spaces that often lets one or all players attend an event that can either help or hinder the player.
- Yellow Spaces - Trigger minigames when landed on.
- White Spaces - Adds Mini Stars to the Jackpot on the Bowser Station board.
- Star Spaces
- Mini Star Spaces - Gives Mini Stars to the player who landed on it.
- Mini Ztar Spaces - Takes Mini Stars from the player who landed on it.
If the player moves over a space with a half cross on it, he or she automatically stops at that space and an event starts. The only two spaces of this kind are the Boss Space and the Captain Event Space.
Because of the new rules in Mario Party 9, there are many new spaces introduced. Some old spaces returned as well, but some have a different effect (for example the Blue Space). With a total of 21 different kind of spaces, Mario Party 9 has the most spaces of the series. Also for the first time in the Mario Party series, some spaces are unique for a specific board. Here is a list of all the spaces in the game, with what kind of effect they have.
| Space | Effect | Rarity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears on all boards | |||
| Green Space | 
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This space does nothing. | Common |
| Dice Space | File:MP9 Dice Space.png | The Captain who lands here will receive a special Dice Block. Also has a chance to trigger a free-for-all minigame, or have Mini Stars. | Common |
| Event Space | 
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Triggers an event depending on the board and sometimes the player's placement. | Uncommon |
| Dash Space | File:MP9 Forward Space.png | The Captain that lands here will roll the Dice Block again. | Uncommon |
| Back Space | File:MP9 Reverse Space.png | The Captain that lands here will roll the Dice Block again. The vehicle will move backwards depending on the number obtained. | Uncommon |
| Shuffle Space | File:MP9 Alternate Space.png | The orders of Captains change. | Semi-Common (None when playing with 2 players) |
| Spin Space | File:MP9 Random Space.png | This space allows the captain to spin a wheel that is to their advantage. | Uncommon |
| Lucky Space | 
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The Captain that lands here will enter a special route to gain Mini Stars, or enter a Toad House. | Semi-Common |
| Unlucky Space | 
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The Captain that lands here will lose Mini Stars by entering a special route. | Rare |
| Bowser Space | 
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Triggers a Bowser Event. | Uncommon (Common near the end of stages) |
| Mini Star Space | File:MP9 +1MiniStar Space.png | Gives the Captain 1 Mini Star. | Rare |
| File:MP9 +2MiniStar Space.png | Gives the Captain 2 Mini Stars. | ||
| File:MP9 +3MiniStars Space.png | Gives the Captain 3 Mini Stars. | ||
| File:MP9 +5MiniStars Space.png | Gives the Captain 5 Mini Stars. | ||
| Mini Ztar Space | File:MP9 +1MiniZtars Space.png | Deducts 1 Mini Stars from the player's current amount. | Rare |
| File:MP9 +2MiniZtars Space.png | Deducts 2 Mini Stars from the player's current amount. | ||
| File:MP9 +3MiniZtars Space.png | Deducts 3 Mini Stars from the player's current amount. | ||
| File:MP9 +5MiniZtars Space.png | Deducts 5 Mini Stars from the player's current amount. | ||
| Free-for-All Space | 
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Triggers a free-for-all minigame. | Semi-Common |
| Battle Space | File:MP9 Competition Space.png | A free-for-all minigame will commence in which all players must participate. Mini Stars are distributed differently from regular minigames. | Semi-Common (None when playing with 2 players) |
| 1-vs-Rival Space | File:MP9 1vs2.png | Triggers a 1-vs-Rival minigame with 3 players. The Captain is the solo player. | Uncommon (None when playing with 2 players) |
| File:MP9 1vs3.png | Triggers a 1-vs-Rival minigame with 4 players. The Captain is the solo player. | ||
| Bowser Jr. Space | 
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Triggers a Bowser Jr. minigame where the Captain and a randomly-chosen ally must defeat him. | Uncommon (None when playing with 2 players) |
| Captain Event Space | 
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Triggers a specific Captain Event for the board. | 1 on each stage. 2 on Blooper Beach and Magma Mine. 3 on Bowser Station. |
| Boss Battle Space | 
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Triggers a boss battle for the board. In Party Mode, the Captain chooses the minigame. | 2 on each stage |
| Board-specific Spaces | |||
| Magma Space | File:MP9 +2 Space.png | Raises the lava level by 2 on the Magma Mine board. | Common |
| File:MP9 +3 Space.png | Raises the lava level by 3 on the Magma Mine board. | Semi-Common | |
| File:MP9 +4 Space.png | Raises the lava level by 4 on the Magma Mine board. | Uncommon | |
| Jackpot+ Space | 
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Adds 5 Mini Stars to the Jackpot Machine on Bowser Station. | Common |
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Adds 8 Mini Stars to the Jackpot Machine on Bowser Station. | ||
| DK Space | 
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Causes DK to start an activity where the Captain tries to collect the most Bananas spinning in a circle around the board. | Common |
Critical Reception
Reviews for Mario Party 9, similar to most Mario Party games, have been mixed. IGN gave it a 7/10 explaining that the graphics are good but the music is repetitive and the luck plays a big role in determining a player's fate in the game. GameSpot gave it a 6.0 explaining that it is too familiar and that Solo mode is tedious and required for unlocks.
Beta Elements
- Main article: Mario Party 9/Beta elements
Gallery
Quotes
- Main article: List of Quotes in Mario Party 9
Staff
- Main article: Mario Party 9/Staff
Media
References to Other Games
- Super Mario Bros.: A extract of the overworld theme is in the song "Freshen Up!" (played in the minigame Speeding Bullets), also the song "Super-Duper Mario Bros." features the complete theme (played in Castle Clearout and Shell Soccer), plus the music in the Minigame mode Choice Challenge is a remix of the underworld theme. The bridge tiles during Goomba Bowling are very similar to the stones in the overworld levels.
- Super Mario World: A extract from the music of the Results screen of the boards is a remix of the overworld theme. Also Bowser appears with his Koopa Clown Car.
- Mario Kart: A lightning bolt appears in King Boo's Puzzle Attack
- Super Mario 64: The music when Bowser appears to initiate a Boss Battle is the beginning of the Koopa's Road theme.
- Luigi's Mansion: King Boo is a boss. Also, Boo's Horror Castle resembles the mansion.
- Super Mario Sunshine: A Pianta appears in the minigame Pianta Pool.
- Mario Kart: Double Dash!!: The vehicle from DK's Jungle Ruins resembles the DK Jumbo.
- Mario Party Advance: The game uses a vehicle to move on the board. Also, Toad Mobile, the default vehicle from Toad Road resembles the car from this game.
- Super Mario Galaxy: The Ground Pound Switch icon appears on Wiggler's body segments and on Whomp's back. Also the music of some Bowser Jr. minigames is a remix of Bowser Jr.'s theme of the game. Voice clips reused from this game include Boo's. The concept of underwater shell riding (used in the Cheep Cheep Boss Battle) is taken from this game and its sequel.
- Mario Party DS: Step It Up is a minigame mode, and it was also in DS.
- New Super Mario Bros. Wii: Many of the environments and minigames in the game are based on the worlds of this game, including the background of the minigame Upward Mobility. Yellow Toad and Blue Toad also reappear as the hosts of the game. The design of the Ice Flower of this game appears in King Boo's Puzzle Attack. Bowser Jr. appears in his Koopa Clown Car. Also some of the Bowser Jr. Minigames music is a remix of Bowser Jr.'s battle music in this game. Toad houses also appear, in the style that they did in this game. The character stances are also from this game.
- Super Mario Galaxy 2: In the minigame Logger Heads, a group of Whittles appear. They also appear in the Step It Up minigame mode in the background of the tree, and they congratulate the winner when they reach the top of the tree. The setting of the boss minigame Bowser's Block Battle is similar to the areas where Mario would meet Bowser in the game. The hammers Bowser Jr. uses in Bowser Jr. Breakdown are similar to the ones used by Megahammer. The concept of underwater shell riding used in a boss batlle is from this game and its prequel.
- Super Mario 3D Land: In the minigame Goomba Spotting, the Goomba Tower enemy returns and binoculars interface resembles the one used when Mario or Luigi looks through the binoculars. Graphics and a few elements are borrowed as well.
Trivia
- The players' cursors when selecting options and playing minigames are the hands of their characters, similar to the hands from the first four Mario Parties, and the Hedge Honcho minigame from Mario Party DS.
Differences from other Mario Party games
- This is the first Mario Party to have Mini Stars instead of coins and Stars.
- This is the first Mario Party to have everyone together in one vehicle.
- This is the first Mario Party to not have Red Spaces.
- This is the first Mario Party in the series not to be developed by Hudson Soft.
- This is the first Mario Party to not include Advice or Hints in the Minigame Rules Screen.
- This is also the first Mario Party game to not include a category of 2-vs-2-Minigames, and the first since Mario Party 2 to not include a category of Duel Minigames (if the 1-vs.-1 Story Minigames from Mario Party 4 are counted as Duel Minigames).
- This is the first Mario Party since Mario Party 2 not to have three seperate files.
Names in Other Languages
References
External Links
- Official European Site
- Official American website
- Official Australian website
- Official Japanese website
