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Mario Party DS
Mario Party DS
Mario Party DS
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Mario Party DS
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
North American packaging artwork
DeveloperHudson Soft
PublisherNintendo
DirectorKouji Matsuura[3]
ProducersHiroshi Sato
Atsushi Ikeda[4]
DesignerYuka Sasaki[3]
ProgrammerHideki Nishimoto[3]
ArtistAkihiro Shibata[3]
ComposersHironobu Yahata
Shinya Ohtouge[3]
SeriesMario Party
PlatformNintendo DS
Release
GenreParty
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer

Mario Party DS[a] 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, the only one to be released for the DS, and the last 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 playable characters can also be computer-controlled. The game features several game modes, including a single-player story mode.

Mario Party DS was released in Japan on November 8, 2007; in North America on November 19, 2007; in Europe on November 23, 2007; and in Australia on December 6, 2007. The game received mixed reviews, with general praise for its minigame variety and criticism for its absence of an online multiplayer mode, and 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

[edit]
See also: Mario Party § Gameplay

Much like other titles in the Mario Party series, Mario Party DS is a party video game[1] 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.[5] There are eight playable characters (Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Princess Daisy, Toad, Wario, and Waluigi) and five game boards.[6][7] Characters can be controlled by human players as well as artificial intelligence (AI).[7][8][9][10] There are four difficulty levels for computer-controlled characters: easy, medium, hard, and expert, with the lattermost difficulty being unlockable.[11]

The players' objective is to collect more Stars than their opponents, though the method of obtaining them varies depending on the board.[12] However, most Stars require coins to be purchased, which can be obtained by landing on certain spaces, as well as by winning minigames.[13] Coins can also be spent on items to help players win.[1][7][14] 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.[14] At the end of each board 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.[15]

Three playable characters (Luigi, Wario, and Princess Daisy) competing in the 1-vs.-3 minigame "Fast Food Frenzy"

Mario Party DS includes a total of 73 minigames, most of which utilize the unique features of the Nintendo DS.[6][9][13] While some minigames simply use the buttons and D-pad, others make use of the console's built-in microphone or dual screen and touchscreen mechanics.[1][14][16] 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,[5][9] 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.[17] Mario Party DS's minigames are categorized into five types, including four-player free-for-alls, teams of two, and three against one.[5][9][14] 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 franchise, such as Bowser, are fought.[5][18]

Mario Party DS features a single-player story game mode wherein all of the playable characters are significantly shrunken down.[9] This detail is reflected in the game boards and minigames, in which characters ride rubber ducks, drive wind-up cars,[19] and glide across a backyard on clothes hangers.[10] 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,[20] in addition to clearing all five boss minigames.[7][8][14]

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.[14][18] "Minigame Mode" allows players to play any minigames that have been unlocked by playing through Story Mode and Party Mode.[7][16] A "Free Play" option allows any minigame to be played at any time; there are also five other game modes with different rulesets.[21] 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.[22] "Puzzle Mode" allows players to play puzzle games from previous installments of the Mario Party series: "Mario's Puzzle Party" from Mario Party 3 (2000), "Bob-omb Breakers" from Mario Party 4 (2002), "Piece Out" from Mario Party 5 (2003), "Block Star" from Mario Party 6 (2004), and "Stick and Spin" from Mario Party 7 (2005).[23] A new game, "Triangle Twisters", can be unlocked by completing the story mode for the first time.[9] "Extras Mode" features two additional game modes, wherein players can either work together or compete against one another.[1]

Mario Party DS introduces a mechanic known as "Mario Party Points", which can be accumulated based on a variety of conditions, such as performance in minigames, and used to unlock collectibles like figurines and trophies.[15] Collectibles can also be unlocked in various other 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.[16] 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.[10]

Although Mario Party DS lacks an online multiplayer mode, the game supports local multiplayer, with the Nintendo DS's Download Play functionality enabling up to four people to play together wirelessly using only one game card.[7][8][13]

Plot

[edit]

One night in the Mushroom Kingdom, five crystals known as Sky Crystals fall to the ground. One of the crystals 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, 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 musical 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 Troopa's grandfather, whom Kamek had trapped within a book.

Once the heroes make it to Bowser's castle, he traps everyone inside his pinball machine before preparing to use the Minimizer to shrink them even more. However, DK and Diddy, who also received an invitation to the castle, arrive looking for food. DK bumps into Bowser, causing him to drop the Minimizer, which DK then steps on and breaks, 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 into several different forms made up of blocks, initiating another boss minigame. After defeating Bowser, the crew takes back the stolen Sky Crystal. 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 Triangle Twisters with them. They accept the offer, making everyone happy, including DK and Diddy Kong, who have eaten the entire buffet.

Development and release

[edit]

Like almost all[b] games in the Mario Party series prior to Mario Party 9 (2012), Mario Party DS was developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo.[1][18] 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.[25]

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.[26]

Mario Party DS was succeeded by Mario Party 9 for the Wii in 2012.[27] The game was re-released on the Virtual Console for the Wii U in April 2016.[26]

Reception

[edit]

Critical response

[edit]

Mario Party DS received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[28] In Japan, four critics from Famitsu gave the game a total score of 33 out of 40.[2] 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 (2007).[6][7][10][16] 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.[10][16]

The variety in Mario Party DS's minigame control schemes was consistently praised by critics.[6][7][9][18] Some reviewers expressed concern toward certain minigames requiring usage of the console's built-in microphone,[16] though several critics also complimented the ability to exclude such minigames from normal play if desired.[1][10] Critical reception toward the design and pacing of the minigames was more mixed; GameSpot's Frank Provo stated that a majority of the minigames were engaging,[9] Game Informer's Bryan Vore wrote that they were "suitably amusing",[6] 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".[13]

Mario Party DS's additional game modes also attracted a mostly positive response from critics,[10] particularly Puzzle Mode, despite most of the puzzles originating from prior entries in the Mario Party series.[6][7][9][18] 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",[14] while Ellie Gibson of Eurogamer stated that the puzzle games were more entertaining than the actual board game.[13] Michael Cole of Nintendo World Report offered a less positive response toward the puzzle games, describing them as "simplistic and cumbersome".[1]

The game's single-player focus and absence of an online multiplayer mode were widely panned by critics,[6][8][10][16] especially due to the inclusion of an online mode in Mario Kart DS (2005), which had been released two years earlier.[1][13] However, Mario Party DS's local multiplayer aspect was generally complimented.[8][9][10][13][18] The game's artificial intelligence was also poorly received,[8] particularly due to its poor cooperation and reactivity with human players,[10][18] as well as the competence of characters controlled by AI varying widely depending on difficulty level.[7][9][16] IGN's Patrick Kolan also expressed criticism toward a perceived lack of game boards,[10] while GameSpy's Bryan Stratton spoke of a lack of both game boards and playable characters.[7]

The presentation of Mario Party DS was also a frequent topic of discussion. Eurogamer's Ellie Gibson referred to the game's graphical style as big and bold,[13] while Nick Tan of GameRevolution described the graphics and music as "appropriate and whimsically imagined".[18] 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.[9]

The win condition usually involving only Stars elicited criticism from reviewers,[10] with Eurogamer's Ellie Gibson referring to the system as "flawed and unfair".[13] 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,[6] while Michael Cole of Nintendo World Report noted that some minigames were "pure chance".[1]

Sales

[edit]

Mario Party DS became the most-sold game during the first week of its release in Japan, selling 230,000 copies.[29][30] According to Famitsu, as of July 9, 2008, the game had sold 1.7 million copies in Japan.[31] It was the 18th-best-selling game in Japan in 2008.[32] By March 2011, the game had sold more than eight million copies worldwide.[33] 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.[34]

Legacy

[edit]

In October 2020, Mario Party DS became the subject of a viral fabricated anti-piracy screen uploaded by YouTuber Joey Perleoni,[35][36] 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.[37] The original video inspired several Internet memes as well as an online trend of users creating and uploading their own fake anti-piracy messages.[38]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Mario Party DS

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Mario Party DS is a party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld console. Released in Japan on November 8, 2007, in North America on November 19, 2007, and in Europe on November 23, 2007, it is the second handheld entry in the Mario Party series, following Mario Party Advance. The game features a single-player Story Mode in which Mario and his friends are miniaturized by Bowser using a ray gun, requiring them to navigate five themed boards—Wiggler's Garden, Toadette's Music Room, DK's Stone Statue, , and Bowser's Pinball Machine—to defeat Bowser's minions and ultimately challenge Bowser himself to restore their normal size. In Party Mode, up to four players compete across these boards by rolling dice to move, collecting coins and stars, and participating in turn-based mini-games that determine coin distribution and can alter board positions. Supporting 1-4 players, the title includes Minigame Mode with six variants for focused play and Puzzle Mode featuring six puzzle challenges, with multiplayer options enabled via DS Download Play for accessible local sessions using a single game card. Unique to the , Mario Party DS integrates the system's touch screen for menu navigation, board scrolling, and specific mini-game interactions, while the built-in microphone is utilized in select mini-games for voice-activated mechanics. The game offers 10 playable characters, including , , , , and , alongside over 70 mini-games categorized by player count and type, such as 4-player free-for-alls, 1-vs.-3 battles, and boss encounters. It received generally positive reception, earning a score of 72/100 based on 27 critic reviews, praised for its portable party gameplay and variety of mini-games despite some criticism of repetitive elements. A re-release followed for the on April 21, 2016, in and .

Gameplay

Board Game Mechanics

In Mario Party DS, players engage in turn-based gameplay on interconnected board paths, advancing by rolling a standard Dice Block that displays numbers from 1 to 10 to determine movement distance. The Dice Block is activated via the Nintendo DS touchscreen, allowing players to tap it directly for an intuitive rolling animation. Certain items, such as the Double Dice Set or Triple Dice Set, enable multiple consecutive rolls in a single turn, potentially covering greater distances or accessing shortcuts, while the Halfway Dice Block limits rolls to 1-5 for more controlled movement. The Warp Dice Block, another obtainable item, teleports the player to a random space on the board. The core objective revolves around collecting Stars to achieve victory, with each Star costing exactly 20 Coins and positioned at a hidden Star Spot whose location is revealed only when a player lands on it. Coins serve as the game's currency, accumulated primarily through minigames played after every set of three full turns among players, as well as by landing on Blue Spaces for a gain of 3 Coins or Friend Spaces, which award 5 Coins each to the landing player and one chosen opponent. Additional Coin sources include event spaces on boards that can award coins, as well as board-specific features like the musical notes on Toadette's Music Room, and items like the Coin Block, which challenges players to collect falling Coins within a time limit using stylus controls. At the end of each set of turns, a Bonus Star may be awarded to the player with the most Coins, further emphasizing strategic Coin management. Player interactions add layers of competition and risk, often through items acquired from Item Spaces that allow theft or disruption. Gadgets such as the Coin Steal Hex enable landing on an opponent's to pilfer 10 or 20 , while the 1/2-Star Hex directly steals one or two Stars from the targeted player. The Coin Swap Hex exchanges all Coins between the landing player and the opponent, potentially reversing fortunes mid-game. Duel Spaces force a one-on-one confrontation via a dedicated , where the victor claims the loser's items, Coins, or Stars as stakes. Spaces trigger unpredictable challenges from , which can result in the loss of Coins, Stars, or even an entire turn, heightening the stakes of board navigation. The hardware integrates seamlessly into the mechanics, with the touchscreen facilitating menu selections, board panning, and direct interaction with elements like the Dice Block for rolling. Each of the five boards incorporates unique hazards and shortcuts that influence strategy without altering the universal rules. Wiggler's Garden features Piranha Plants as blocking hazards that can swallow players, temporarily removing them from play, while vine shortcuts allow elevated paths to bypass lower sections. Toadette's Music Room uses musical notes as dynamic spaces that demand specific payments—ranging from 5 to 30—for Star acquisition, with piano key shortcuts providing rapid traversal. DK's Stone Statue features barrel hazards on rotating logs that cost 10 to pass, a Dry Bones that can launch players back to the start, and beehive areas requiring interaction for coins, with vine shortcuts for climbing levels and obtaining special dice sets. Kamek's Library hides Stars within three magic jars costing 10 each to open, with bookshelf elevators serving as shortcuts amid spell-casting hazards that shuffle player positions. Bowser's Machine employs pinball bumpers and ramps as both hazards—potentially bouncing players backward—and shortcuts for quick ascents to upper levels.

Minigames

Mario Party DS includes a total of 73 minigames, designed to leverage the Nintendo DS hardware for varied gameplay experiences. These are divided into distinct categories: 32 four-player free-for-all minigames where all participants compete individually; 12 one-versus-three minigames pitting a single player against a team of three; 13 two-versus-two team-based minigames; 32 duel minigames, which are one-on-one adaptations of the four-player variants; five standard battle minigames that affect players' coin holdings; five Bowser boss minigames involving confrontations with the antagonist; and six puzzle minigames focused on solitary challenges. Duel and boss minigames add replayability by repurposing core mechanics in new contexts, while puzzle minigames draw from classic Mario titles for nostalgic appeal. In the game's story mode, minigames become available progressively as players complete episodes on each board, encouraging repeated playthroughs to access the full set. These challenges serve as the primary means to earn coins, which players use to purchase stars and advance on the boards. The minigames prominently incorporate the DS's dual-screen setup, with the top screen displaying the overall action or opponent views and the bottom enabling direct interaction via for precise controls in many titles. Additionally, 10 minigames utilize the DS for input, requiring players to blow into it to perform actions like inflating objects or extinguishing flames. mechanics appear in over half the minigames, allowing for intuitive gestures such as swiping or to manipulate the environment. Representative examples highlight these innovations. In the four-player minigame Big Blowout, participants race across platforms by blowing into the microphone to propel floating candles, with the first to reach the goal victorious; stronger or sustained breaths cover more distance but risk overshooting. Goomba Wrangler, a one-versus-three challenge, requires the solo player to lasso s on the with —ordinary ones score one point, golden variants three—while avoiding Bob-ombs that deduct half the points if encircled. For two-versus-two play, Hedge Honcho tasks teams with clearing a on the touch screen by dragging leaves aside and rubbing ladybugs to relocate them, all while evading time-slowing bees. Bowser minigames occur at specific story mode junctures, where players must thwart the villain's attacks using DS controls, such as stylus swipes to deflect projectiles or microphone blows to disperse hazards; success yields bonus coins or items. These encounters emphasize cooperative or competitive strategies against a shared foe, differing from standard minigames by their narrative tie-in. In Minigame Mode, accessibility options include the "Simple" set, which omits more complex titles marked with an asterisk, and the "No Mic" set, excluding microphone-dependent ones to accommodate varying player abilities or hardware preferences. Download Play further enhances multiplayer access, allowing up to four players to join without individual game cards.

Game Modes

Mario Party DS offers several game modes that cater to both single-player and multiplayer experiences, emphasizing board-based competition, challenges, and additional unlocked content. These modes utilize the core board mechanics of turn-based movement and star collection, while providing varied setups for different player counts and objectives. Single-player options focus on progression against CPU opponents, whereas multiplayer modes support up to four players via local wireless connections, with customizable difficulty levels ranging from Easy to Extreme. Party Mode serves as the central multiplayer experience, allowing 1 to 4 players to compete on one of five themed boards in a standard board game format. Players take turns rolling dice to move, collect coins, and purchase stars, with the goal of amassing the most stars after a set number of rounds, typically 10 to 20, though customizable up to 30. Rules can be adjusted for coin collection rates, star purchase conditions (such as fixed costs or auctions), bonus stars at the end, and battle types including Battle Royale for free-for-all play, Tag Battle for team-based competition, or Duel Battle for head-to-head matches. In single-player, it functions similarly but pits the user against CPU-controlled characters, serving as a practice tool outside the dedicated story progression. Minigame Mode enables standalone play of the game's over 70 minigames, decoupled from board progression, and supports 1 to 4 players in formats like Free Play for individual selections, Step It Up for escalating challenges, or themed cups such as 4-player free-for-alls and battle sets. CPU opponents are adjustable via difficulty settings, and the mode tracks personal records for scores and times to encourage replayability. Multiplayer sessions emphasize direct competition, while single-player allows solo attempts against AI, differing primarily in the absence of real-time human interaction and the option to practice specific categories used across other modes. Extras Mode unlocks additional content after progressing through the game, featuring specialized minigame variants for 1 to 2 players. Tag Match, also known as Pen Pals, is a team-based mode where two players or one player with a CPU partner compete against opponents by surrounding them on a grid over 10 turns, incorporating 2-vs-2 s. Triangle Twisters provides co-operative or competitive puzzle challenges in Frenzy or Focus variants, utilizing the DS touch screen for tile-matching gameplay. These modes highlight collaborative elements not central to standard Party or play, with single-player options allowing practice against AI for skill-building. Download Play facilitates wireless multiplayer for up to 4 participants using a single game cartridge, where client systems download the necessary data from the host to join Party Mode or Minigame Mode sessions. This feature limits access to unlocked content only, without saving full game progress, and requires character selection on each device, making it ideal for group play but distinct from full cartridge experiences by restricting board and availability to basics. In contrast to single-player modes, it exclusively supports multiplayer without CPU fillers, emphasizing social accessibility over solo depth.

Characters and Setting

Playable Characters

Mario Party DS features eight playable characters drawn from the franchise: , Luigi, , Daisy, , , , and . These characters serve as the controllable protagonists in both single-player Story Mode and multiplayer Party Mode, allowing up to four players to select their preferred avatar at the start of a game session using the DS stylus or control pad. The characters' visual designs are adapted to the Nintendo DS's dual-screen format and incorporate a shrunken, miniature appearance that ties into the game's overarching theme, where and his friends are reduced in size by Bowser's Minimizer device. This tiny aesthetic emphasizes their vulnerability in oversized environments, with detailed sprite animations showcasing their diminutive scale during movement, interactions, and participation, while maintaining iconic traits like 's red cap or Yoshi's distinctive features. Unlike some entries in the Mario Party series, Mario Party DS does not provide unique dice blocks or gameplay perks for individual characters; all players use the standard Dice Block, which rolls numbers from 1 to 10, ensuring balanced competition without stat differences beyond cosmetic selection. Character choice thus focuses on personal preference rather than mechanical advantages. These playable characters are longstanding staples of the Mario franchise, representing core archetypes such as the heroic plumber (Mario and Luigi), graceful princesses (Peach and Daisy), mischievous anti-heroes (Wario and Waluigi), the loyal dinosaur companion (Yoshi), and the enthusiastic mushroom kingdom resident (Toad), integrating seamlessly into the series' lore without introducing new backstories specific to this installment.

Non-Playable Characters and Boards

In Mario Party DS, acts as the central antagonist, using a Minimizer device to shrink the Mario cast upon their arrival at his castle and stealing a key Sky Crystal, while also appearing in space encounters to disrupt progress by causing havoc, such as interfering with items or forcing confrontations. Each of the five themed boards features a unique non-playable host who oversees the environment and requests assistance from the shrunken protagonists to defeat a boss and retrieve a Sky Crystal, alongside environmental hazards like invasive plants or mechanical traps that add to the thematic challenges. The bosses serve as key non-playable antagonists encountered at the end of each board in Story Mode. The boards themselves serve as distinct game environments with branching paths and specialized spaces. Wiggler’s Garden is a vibrant, flower-filled locale hosted by Wiggler, featuring a massive boss that has overtaken parts of the area, creating hazardous overgrowth amid its winding, nature-inspired paths. Toadette’s Music Room, guided by host Toadette, resembles a whimsical filled with instruments and , where paths revolve around melodic structures and note-shaped elements that vary in prominence, culminating in a battle against Hammer Bro. DK’s Stone Statue depicts a lush setting anchored by a colossal stone statue of , with Diddy Kong as host, incorporating vine-covered routes and ancient ruins that lead to centralized gathering points and a confrontation with Dry Bones. Kamek’s Library, hosted by the mischievous Kamek, unfolds within a towering, book-lined magical library complete with floating shelves and arcane artifacts, where paths diverge around enchanted jars that conceal surprises amid dusty tomes and ladders, ending in a boss fight against Kamek. Finally, ’s Pinball Machine is a chaotic, neon-lit pinball table personally hosted by , featuring metallic ramps, bumpers, and flipper-like protrusions as paths, with frequent interventions heightening the hazards through explosive traps and tilting mechanisms, and serving as the final boss encounter. These boards integrate 's antagonistic presence, particularly on his namesake map, where he actively schemes to steal resources or impose penalties during encounters.

Plot

Story Mode Narrative

In the Story Mode of Mario Party DS, the narrative begins late one night when five shooting stars streak across the sky over the Mushroom Kingdom, with one landing near 's house. The following day, discovers a glowing Sky Crystal at the site and eagerly shares his find with his friends—Luigi, , , , and —gathering them to celebrate the mysterious artifact. Their excitement is short-lived, however, as they receive an invitation from for a lavish "Big Bowser Bash" party promising unlimited food. Upon arriving, feigns an apology for his past villainy, only to reveal it as a trap: he traps the group in a cage and uses a ray gun known as the Minimizer—powered by the stolen Sky Crystal—to shrink them all to miniature size. With the heroes now tiny and scattered across the land, declares his intent to conquer the world using his device, setting the stage for their quest to recover the five Sky Crystals and thwart his plans. The single-player campaign unfolds across five themed worlds, each representing a chapter in the adventure where the shrunken heroes must navigate party boards, collect stars, and defeat a boss to reclaim one of the five Sky Crystals. In the first world, Wiggler's Garden, the group confronts a rampaging guarding the crystal amid overgrown foliage and insect hazards, emphasizing themes of perseverance in an unfamiliar, oversized environment. Progressing to Toadette's Music Room, they face Hammer Bro in a chaotic symphony hall filled with musical instruments turned obstacles, highlighting coordination amid escalating challenges. The third world, DK's Stone Statue, pits them against Dry Bones in an ancient ruin of animated statues, underscoring exploration and clever navigation through rigid stone structures. In Kamek's Library, the fourth world, Kamek himself serves as the boss in a maze of flying books and magical spells, introducing elements of intellect and magic to the tale. The fifth world, Bowser's Pinball Machine, culminates the crystal hunt with a battle against in a tilting, bumper-filled contraption, building tension toward the confrontation with the Koopa King. Throughout these worlds, the narrative stresses teamwork as the characters assist one another despite their diminutive state, using board progression to gather essential items from each defeated boss. With all five Sky Crystals recovered, the heroes defeat in the boss Bowser's Block Party. The five Sky Crystals then combine to form a crystal , which unlocks the Triangle Twisters and reverses the shrinking effect, restoring and his friends to normal size and allowing them to celebrate their victory as the Mushroom Kingdom returns to peace. The story's progression unlocks , character voices, and gallery items incrementally with each completed world, reinforcing the adventure's sense of achievement and discovery while weaving in lighthearted themes of friendship and resilience against overwhelming odds.

Post-Story Content

Upon completing Story Mode, players gain access to the full suite of 73 minigames in Minigame Mode, allowing unrestricted play of all boards and challenges encountered during the campaign. This unlocks comprehensive replay options, including Free Play, where participants can select any minigame and adjust CPU difficulty levels from easy to hard for customized sessions. A key post-story addition is Puzzle Mode, which introduces Triangle Twisters, a puzzle designed specifically for the DS's touch screen and features. In this mode, two players collaborate to rotate triangular tiles on a grid to match colors and clear lines, with Frenzy Mode emphasizing rapid rotations for high scores and Focus Mode requiring precise, strategic alignments to solve escalating puzzles. Alongside Triangle Twisters, five classic puzzle from prior titles—such as Mario's Puzzle Party and Piece Out—are made available for two-player co-op, promoting teamwork through touch-based interactions. The Gallery serves as the hub for post-story progression, where players collect and display "gadgets" including character figurines, board features, boss trophies, and badges earned via Points accumulated from . Completing the gadget collection—by securing all 156 items through repeated plays and specific achievements—fully populates the Extras menu in the Gallery, enabling detailed viewing and organization of these unlocks without further rewards but enhancing the sense of accomplishment. This system ties completion to ongoing engagement, as players revisit modes to gather remaining items and refine high scores.

Development

Concept and Production

served as the primary developer for Mario Party DS, continuing their longstanding collaboration with on the series since its inception in 1998. This installment marked the final title led by before the company's merger with Digital Entertainment, which was completed on March 1, 2012. The game's concept originated from 's interest in leveraging the DS's unique hardware features to adapt the traditional board game format for a handheld platform. In a 2005 interview, director Shuichiro Nishiya highlighted the potential of the DS's dual screens and built-in microphone to enhance minigame variety and interactivity, expressing a desire to bring the series to the system. The game features a shrunken theme in which characters are miniaturized and navigate oversized everyday environments, such as tabletops and sinks. This approach built on the series' prior handheld entry, (2005), by prioritizing compact, replayable sessions without relying on online connectivity. Production began following the game's official announcement in 2007 during Nintendo's event, with development spanning roughly 2007 under the direction of . The team focused on creating 73 diverse minigames that integrated DS-specific controls, including touch screen gestures for precise actions and input for voice-based challenges, to fully utilize the hardware while maintaining the core loop of turns, items, and multiplayer competition.

Release History

Mario Party DS was published by worldwide for the handheld console. The game launched first in on November 8, 2007, followed by on November 19, 2007, on November 23, 2007, and on December 6, 2007. These staggered releases allowed to coordinate global distribution and localization efforts shortly after the completion of development. Nintendo's marketing for the launch emphasized the game's integration with the Mario franchise's party-style gameplay, highlighting its multiplayer capabilities optimized for the DS's dual screens and touch controls. Promotional campaigns included television commercials showcasing chaotic sessions among friends, positioning Mario Party DS as an ideal portable social experience. In-store demos were provided to demonstrate multiplayer, encouraging hands-on trials without purchase. No major hardware bundles were offered at launch, though later promotions in 2008 paired it with consoles in select markets. Regional versions featured minor localizations primarily in language and text, with English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian support in European releases, alongside traditional Chinese in . No substantive content alterations were made for the primary regions, maintaining identical minigames, boards, and mechanics across , , , and . The initial packaging consisted of a standard cartridge housed in a slim, reversible cardboard box with vibrant artwork depicting the cast in party attire, accompanied by a 48-page instruction manual detailing controls, modes, and safety warnings tailored to each region's regulations.

Reception

Critical Reviews

Mario Party DS received generally favorable reviews from critics upon its release in late , earning a aggregate score of 72/100 based on 27 professional reviews. Reviewers frequently praised the game's innovative use of the hardware, particularly in its 73 minigames, which incorporated touch screen, microphone, and dual-screen mechanics to create varied and engaging challenges. The portable multiplayer functionality, requiring only a single cartridge for up to four players, was highlighted as a key strength, making it ideal for on-the-go party sessions and revitalizing the series' social appeal on a handheld platform. Critics noted several shortcomings, including repetitive board gameplay that echoed the formulaic structure of prior entries, potentially leading to player fatigue over extended sessions. The absence of an online multiplayer mode, or Wi-Fi connectivity, was a common point of criticism, limiting the game's longevity compared to contemporaries like . Additionally, some reviews pointed to imbalances in the AI opponents, which could dominate or underperform unpredictably, affecting single-player balance in Story Mode. Specific outlets echoed these sentiments with varied emphasis. awarded the game a 7/10, commending the responsive DS controls in minigames while critiquing the persistent flaws in board progression from earlier titles. gave it an 8/10, lauding the polish and creativity in the minigames as a highlight that elevated the overall experience. rated it 8/10, appreciating its broad appeal and accessibility for casual players. Post-launch assessments positioned Mario Party DS as a significant improvement over the Game Boy Advance entry, , by expanding minigame depth and multiplayer options, though it did not fully escape the series' traditional criticisms of repetition.

Sales and Market Performance

Mario Party DS enjoyed significant commercial success upon its release, benefiting from the DS's widespread popularity, which saw over 154 million units sold worldwide. The game launched in on , 2007, selling 235,000 units in its first week and topping the charts. By April , it had sold 1.66 million units in alone. continued strongly through the year, reaching 1.83 million units in by the end of , ranking it as the 18th best-selling game there for the year. In , the game performed robustly following its November 19, 2007 release, with 138,500 units sold during 2008 alone according to NPD data. Globally, Mario Party DS had shipped 7.07 million units as of March 2010, according to Nintendo's financial reports. Estimates indicate lifetime sales of 9.31 million units worldwide, establishing it as the 11th best-selling title and outperforming handheld predecessors in the Mario Party series, such as . Its success was bolstered by the holiday season timing in late 2007 and the absence of direct major competitors in the party game genre on the platform. The positive reception to its collection also contributed to sustained sales momentum.

Legacy

Re-releases and Availability

Mario Party DS was re-released on the Wii U , allowing players to access the original version through emulation on the newer console. The re-release launched on April 21, 2016, in and , April 22, 2016, in , and April 27, 2016, in . This port preserved the core gameplay but omitted certain features, such as DS Download Play functionality, which prevented multiplayer sessions using a single cartridge in the Virtual Console version. As of 2025, the game has not been added to the service, limiting official digital access on modern Nintendo hardware beyond the discontinued . No remakes, HD ports, or further official re-releases have been announced. Enthusiasts can play the version via third-party emulators like , which supports high-fidelity emulation of the title on personal computers. Physical copies of the original Nintendo DS cartridge remain widely available on secondary markets, with recent sales averaging around $15 for loose cartridges, reflecting sustained demand driven by the game's original commercial success. However, preservation efforts are challenged by the known degradation of DS media over time, as the flash memory in cartridges can fail after 20-30 years of storage, prompting recommendations for archival backups among collectors.

Cultural Impact and Influence

In late , a fabricated anti-piracy surrounding Mario Party DS gained significant traction on , featuring fake error screens with declaring "Piracy is no party!" and ominous warnings. Originating from videos uploaded by creator Joey Perleoni starting October 13, , the depicted altered gameplay where pirated copies supposedly triggered escalating punishments, such as traps or character hauntings. This content rapidly spread, inspiring a wave of memes, fan recreations, and videos across platforms, with the trend peaking in popularity through 2024 as new interpretations and shorts emerged, including one featuring a character resembling MC pursuing pirates. The even prompted The Cutting Room Floor wiki to temporarily lock its Mario Party DS page due to repeated hoax-related edits, highlighting the 's disruptive impact on online discussions about game preservation. As the final Mario Party title developed by Hudson Soft before the studio's dissolution in 2012 and the series' handover to NDcube, Mario Party DS marked the end of an era for the developer's contributions to the franchise. Its innovative use of Nintendo DS hardware, including touch-screen minigames, microphone-based challenges, and dual-screen integration for puzzle and party elements, set a precedent for portable mechanics in subsequent handheld entries. For instance, Mario Party: Island Tour on Nintendo 3DS retained similar touch-focused gameplay and local multiplayer emphasis, adapting DS-style accessibility for the newer system while echoing the bite-sized, on-the-go party format pioneered in Mario Party DS. Elements like the "Step It Up" minigame mode and boss battles also resurfaced in later console titles such as Mario Party 9, underscoring the game's lasting design influence. The game's dedicated fan community continues to thrive through speedrunning, ROM modifications, and nostalgic content creation on platforms like YouTube and Twitch. On Speedrun.com, over 55 recorded runs exist across categories such as "Simple" and "All Minigames," with active submissions as recent as one month ago, demonstrating sustained interest spanning a decade. ROM hacking efforts include restorations like the "How to Play Board" hack, which revives cut content, and texture editing tools that allow custom visuals, fostering creative experimentation via communities on sites like GBAtemp. Nostalgia-driven playthroughs and live streams further amplify this engagement, often highlighting the game's enduring minigame variety and story mode as highlights of 2000s handheld gaming. Mario Party DS has earned recognition in broader Nintendo narratives as a pivotal handheld party game, often cited for establishing commercial benchmarks in the genre during the DS era. It appears in retrospective histories of Nintendo's portable gaming evolution, praised for blending multiplayer chaos with single-player depth in a format that influenced the accessibility of later Mario spin-offs. Despite no major official updates between 2023 and 2025, the title maintains enduring appeal, frequently referenced in discussions surrounding Super Mario's 40th anniversary in 2025, where fans celebrate its role in the franchise's portable legacy through tribute videos and community events.

References

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