======================================================================
= Mario Party DS =
======================================================================
Introduction
======================================================================
{{infobox video game
|title=Mario Party DS
|image=Mario Party DS US cover.jpg
|caption=North American packaging artwork
|alt=North American packaging artwork, depicting all eight playable
characters (Mario, Luigi, Toad, Wario, Waluigi, Princess Peach,
Princess Daisy, and Yoshi) as well as Bowser on the Toadette's Music
Room game board
|developer=Hudson Soft
|publisher=Nintendo
|director=Kouji Matsuura
|producer=Hiroshi Sato Atsushi Ikeda
|designer=Yuka Sasaki
|programmer=Hideki Nishimoto
|artist=Akihiro Shibata
|composer=Hironobu Yahata Shinya Ohtouge
|series='Mario Party'
|platforms=Nintendo DS
|released=
|genre=Party
|modes=Single-player, multiplayer
}}
is a 2007 party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by
Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It is the second handheld game in the
'Mario Party' series, as well as the last game in the series to be
developed by Hudson Soft, as all subsequent titles have been developed
by Nintendo Cube. The game was re-released on the Virtual Console for
the Wii U in 2016.
Like most installments in the 'Mario Party' series, 'Mario Party DS'
features characters from the 'Mario' franchise competing in a board
game with a variety of minigames, many of which utilize the console's
unique features. Up to four human players can compete at a time,
though characters can also be computer-controlled. The game features a
single-player story mode as well as several other game modes.
'Mario Party DS' received mixed reviews, with general praise for its
minigame variety and criticism for its absence of an online
multiplayer mode. The game has sold more than nine million units
worldwide, making it the 11th-best-selling game for the Nintendo DS.
'Mario Party DS' was succeeded by 'Mario Party 9' for the Wii in 2012.
Gameplay
======================================================================
Much like other games in the 'Mario Party' series, 'Mario Party DS' is
a party video game that allows up to four players to compete in an
interactive board game, rolling dice to move between one and ten
spaces at a time. There are eight playable characters (Mario, Luigi,
Princess Peach, Yoshi, Princess Daisy, Toad, Wario, and Waluigi) and
five game boards. Characters can be controlled by human players as
well as artificial intelligence (AI).
The players' objective is to collect more Stars than their opponents,
though the method of obtaining them varies depending on the board.
However, most Stars require coins to be purchased, which can be
obtained by landing on certain spaces, as well as by winning
minigames. Coins can also be spent on items to help players win. Once
there are five turns remaining, an event known as the "Final 5 Frenzy"
occurs in which Bowser aids the player in last place by giving them
coins or a Star, depending on the outcome of a roulette. This event
also adds spaces that allow two players to duel for Stars or coins via
a minigame. At the end of each game, the player with the most Stars is
crowned the "Superstar". Additional Stars based on randomly selected
criteria (such as winning the most minigames or using the most items)
are awarded post-game if Bonus Stars are enabled.
'Mario Party DS' features a total of 73 minigames, most of which
utilize the unique features of the Nintendo DS. While some minigames
simply use the buttons and control pad, others make use of the
console's built-in microphone or dual screen and touch screen
mechanics. Each minigame is a short event that rewards players with
coins for completing an objective. During board games, a minigame is
automatically played every time each player has taken a turn, as well
as whenever a "Duel Space" is landed on. The type of minigame played
depends on the color of the space each player lands on. 'Mario Party
DS's' minigames are categorized into five different types, including
four-player free-for-alls, teams of two, and three against one. There
are also "battle" minigames in which all players compete for a
communal jackpot, as well as five "boss" minigames in which villains
from the 'Mario' series, such as Bowser, are fought.
'Mario Party DS' includes a single-player story mode in which all of
the playable characters are significantly shrunken down. This detail
is reflected in the game boards and minigames, in which characters
ride rubber ducks, drive wind-up cars, and glide across a backyard on
clothes hangers. To complete the story mode, the player must defeat
three other characters, all of whom are randomly selected and
computer-controlled, on all five game boards, in addition to clearing
all five boss minigames.
There is also a "Party Mode" that allows up to four players, human or
computer-controlled, to compete on any of the five game boards, either
independently or in opposing pairs; unlike with "Story Mode", the
number of turns, the difficulty levels of the computer-controlled
characters, and the number of Stars each player starts the game with
can all be adjusted. "Minigame Mode" allows players to play any
minigames that have been unlocked by playing through "Story Mode" and
"Party Mode". A "Free Play" option allows any minigame to be played at
any time; there are also five other game modes with different
rulesets. Most of these game modes allow up to four players to play
minigames that are either randomly selected, manually chosen, or part
of a predetermined set. One of the game modes, "Boss Bash", is a
single-player challenge in which one player must complete all five
boss minigames as quickly as possible. "Puzzle Mode" allows players to
play puzzle games from previous installments of the 'Mario Party'
series: "Mario's Puzzle Party" from 'Mario Party 3', "Bob-omb
Breakers" from 'Mario Party 4', "Piece Out" from 'Mario Party 5',
"Block Star" from 'Mario Party 6', and "Stick and Spin" from 'Mario
Party 7'. A new game, "Triangle Twisters", can be unlocked by
completing the story mode for the first time. "Extras Mode" features
two additional game modes in which players can either work together or
compete against one another.
The game also includes a number of collectibles that can be unlocked
in various ways, such as completing the story mode with different
characters, playing on specific game boards, and clearing one of the
boss minigames a certain number of times. 'Mario Party DS' also
introduces a new game mechanic known as "Mario Party Points", which
can be collected from playing through the story mode and used to
purchase some of the aforementioned collectibles. Players can view any
collectibles they have unlocked and listen to in-game audio -
including music, jingles, and character voices - in the game's
gallery.
Although 'Mario Party DS' lacks an online multiplayer mode, the game
uses the Download Play functionality of the Nintendo DS to enable up
to four people to play together wirelessly using only one game card.
Plot
======================================================================
One night in the Mushroom Kingdom, five Sky Crystals fall to the
ground. One of them is found by Mario, who shows it to all of his
friends the following day. Suddenly, Kamek flies overhead, dropping
party invitations from Bowser, inviting everyone to a feast in his
castle to apologize for his villainy. Although the gang is initially
suspicious, they travel to Bowser's Castle anyway, only to be trapped
by Bowser, who steals Mario's Sky Crystal. Bowser also uses a device
known as the Minimizer to shrink Mario and his friends down to
minuscule size. Bowser, planning to find the four other Sky Crystals
on his own, then orders Kamek to throw the pint-sized heroes out to a
distant location.
The crew treks back to Bowser's Castle, recovering the four remaining
Sky Crystals along the way by defeating a Piranha Plant in Wiggler's
garden, stopping a Hammer Bro from destroying Toadette's instruments
in her music room, helping Diddy Kong free DK after the latter was
turned to stone by a Dry Bones, and freeing a Koopa's grandfather, who
had been trapped in a book by Kamek.
Once the heroes make it to Bowser's Castle, he traps everyone inside
his pinball machine before preparing to use the Minimizer on them
again. However, DK and Diddy, who also received an invitation to the
castle, albeit by accident, arrive just in time. While looking for the
food, DK bumps into Bowser, causing him to drop the Minimizer, which
DK then steps on, causing it to break in half, returning Mario and his
friends to their rightful sizes.
In a last-ditch attempt to defeat the heroes, Bowser uses another
device, known as the Megamorph Belt, to transform himself into
multiple different forms made up of blocks, initiating another boss
minigame. After defeating Bowser, the crew takes back the stolen Sky
Crystal and places it with the other pieces. The crystals connect to
form a crystal DS, unlocking a new game mode, "Triangle Twisters" (if
Story Mode has not already been cleared). In a surprising move, Mario
and his friends invite Bowser and his son Bowser Jr. to play with
them. They accept the offer, making everyone happy, including DK and
Diddy Kong, who have eaten the entire buffet.
Development and release
======================================================================
Like almost all games in the 'Mario Party' series prior to 'Mario
Party 9', 'Mario Party DS' was developed by Hudson Soft and published
by Nintendo. The game was not showcased at Nintendo's E3 2007 press
conference, though a short trailer revealed that up to four people
could play wirelessly with only one game cartridge.
'Mario Party DS' was released in 2007 as the second handheld game in
the 'Mario Party' series; the first handheld title, 'Mario Party
Advance', was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2005. 'Mario Party
DS' is the only game in the series to be released for the Nintendo DS,
though several 'Mario Party' games were later released for the
Nintendo 3DS. It is also the last game in the series to be developed
by Hudson Soft, as all subsequent titles have been developed by
Nintendo Cube.
'Mario Party DS' was succeeded by 'Mario Party 9' for the Wii in 2012.
The game was re-released on the Virtual Console for the Wii U in April
2016.
Critical response
===================
'Mario Party DS' received "mixed or average" reviews from critics,
according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. In Japan, four
critics from 'Famitsu' gave the game a total score of 33 out of 40.
The minigame variety was generally praised, while criticism was
largely directed at the lack of Wi-Fi connection, which heavily
restricted the multiplayer aspect. Several reviews alluded to 'Mario
Party DS' being superior to its predecessor, 'Mario Party 8'. 'IGN's'
Patrick Kolan and Craig Harris summarized the game as "a worthwhile
party outing for gamers who are new to the series" and "a solid
multiplayer mini-game experience with a lot of the flaws of the
previous versions", respectively.
The variety in 'Mario Party DS's' minigame control schemes was
consistently praised by critics. Some reviewers expressed concern
toward certain minigames requiring usage of the console's built-in
microphone, though also complimented the ability to exclude such
minigames from normal play if desired. Response toward the design and
pacing of the minigames was more mixed; 'GameSpot's' Frank Provo
stated that a majority of the minigames were engaging, 'Game
Informer's' Bryan Vore wrote that they were "suitably amusing", and
'Eurogamer's' Ellie Gibson described them as "too simplistic, over too
quickly or simply too dull to be enjoyable", as well as "badly
designed and boring".
'Mario Party DS's' additional game modes also attracted a mostly
positive response from critics, particularly "Puzzle Mode", despite
most of the puzzles originating from prior entries in the series.
'Nintendo Life's' Dave Frear, in a review of the Wii U's Virtual
Console version of the game, referred to these puzzles as "quite
addictive", while Ellie Gibson of 'Eurogamer' stated that the puzzle
games were more entertaining than the actual board game. Michael Cole
of 'Nintendo World Report' offered a less positive response toward the
puzzle games, describing them as "simplistic and cumbersome".
The game's single-player focus and absence of an online multiplayer
mode were widely panned by critics, especially due to the inclusion of
an online mode in 'Mario Kart DS' despite the game being released two
years earlier. However, the local multiplayer aspect was generally
complimented. 'Mario Party DS's' artificial intelligence was also
poorly received, particularly due to its poor cooperation and
reactivity with human players, as well as the competence of characters
controlled by AI varying widely depending on difficulty level. 'IGN's'
Patrick Kolan also expressed criticism toward a perceived lack of game
boards, while 'GameSpy's' Bryan Stratton spoke of a lack of both game
boards and playable characters.
The presentation of 'Mario Party DS' was also a frequent topic of
discussion. The game's graphical style was referred to as "big" and
"bold" by 'Eurogamer' Ellie Gibson, while Nick Tan of 'GameRevolution'
described the graphics and music as "appropriate and whimsically
imagined". 'GameSpot's' Frank Provo stated that the presentation
"reflects the cheerful attitude you'd normally expect a game starring
Mario to have". Provo also praised references to previous 'Mario'
games, such as one minigame featuring a music box that plays a
rendition of 'Super Mario Bros.'s' World 1-1 theme.
The win condition usually involving only Stars elicited criticism from
reviewers, with 'Eurogamer's' Ellie Gibson referring to the system as
"flawed and unfair". Bryan Vore of 'Game Informer' expressed dismay
due to luck remaining "a key gameplay mechanic" that could determine
the outcome of a game, even during the last turn, while Michael Cole
of 'Nintendo World Report' noted that some minigames were "pure
chance".
Sales
=======
'Mario Party DS' became the most-sold game during the first week of
its release in Japan, selling 230,000 copies. According to 'Famitsu',
as of July 9, 2008, the game had sold 1,700,000 copies in Japan. It
was the 18th best-selling game in Japan in 2008. By March 2011, the
game had sold more than eight million copies worldwide. By September
2015, 'Mario Party DS' had sold more than nine million units
worldwide, making it the 11th-best-selling game for the Nintendo DS.
Legacy
======================================================================
In October 2020, 'Mario Party DS' became the subject of a viral
fabricated anti-piracy screen uploaded by YouTuber Joey Perleoni, who
subsequently uploaded multiple other videos showing various instances
in which the message could supposedly be triggered, such as when an
item shop is entered or the "Final 5 Frenzy" event is initiated. In
actuality, 'Mario Party DS' does not contain any special anti-piracy
messages. The original video inspired several Internet memes as well
as an online trend of users creating and uploading their own fake
anti-piracy messages.
License
=========
All content on Gopherpedia comes from Wikipedia, and is licensed under CC-BY-SA
License URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Original Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Party_DS