Product Reviews
Players embark on a "Party Adventure" road trip in Mario Party 9. Characters travel the game board in style, together in a single car, and players take turns driving. A new layer of strategy comes into play, as players seek the best spaces for themselves, or try to leave difficult passages for their opponents. A fresh selection of 80 multiplayer mini-games keeps players moving. Some are inspired by previous Mario games and other fan-familiar Nintendo references, but all are designed to be accessible for players at nearly any level of skill and experience. In league with other classic Mario-game villains, Bowser has stolen all the "mini-stars" from the sky. The goal is to win them all back, one challenge at a time. Players compete across the board, each trying to collect more stars than the others. They'll need to work together in the game's Boss Battles, where Bowser and the other Mushroom Kingdom baddies can only be defeated through teamwork. Yet even here, the competition is on, as characters who deal out more damage in a boss fight are rewarded with more stars, and delivering the final blow earns a big bonus. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide