Who will you invite to your Mario Party?

18 January, 2012 – So you thought the party season was over? Well, it’s only just begun as Mario and friends return in all-new family board game Mario Party 9 - launching for Wii on 9th March 2012. The latest instalment in the ever-popular Mario Party franchise introduces new game modes, battles against bosses and more playable characters from the Mushroom Kingdom, making Mario Party 9 a party that everyone will want to be a part of. 

The latest addition to the Mario Party series encourages you to think one step ahead of your opponents to collect the most Mini Stars and defeat Bowser. Bowser and his buddies have stolen all the Mini Stars in the sky and it is up to you to achieve the ultimate goal of winning them all back and becoming the Super Star!

Party Mode is a new board game mode which rewrites the Mario Party rule book by allowing four people to move through the board in one vehicle. Players take turns as Captain of the vehicle by hitting Dice Blocks to move the party forward, hoping to land on lucky spaces. The vehicles also help to streamline gameplay and keep everyone involved in the action. New strategies include finding the best routes and positions during your turn, while also pushing your opponents into trickier spots. This game mode challenges you to work with and against your rivals as you compete in over 80 exciting minigames to get the stolen Mini Stars back from Bowser and restore the shimmering night sky. 

Mario Party 9 includes 80 brand new minigames, accessible to all Mario fans and which will find players making pizzas, escaping haunted mansions, and even racing snowmobiles. When playing on a board, the type of space the vehicle lands on determines what type of minigame is played.

Boss Battle is a brand new minigame where up to four players must put their differences aside and combine their powers to defeat a series of classic Mario boss characters. Along the way you’ll collect Mini Stars and work towards a final showdown with Mario’s ultimate nemesis, Bowser. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a team game though. While you may need to work together to defeat the bosses, you will win Mini Stars depending on your ranking and the amount of damage you have caused to each boss. Deliver the final blow for a bonus that increases your chances of winning.

New minigame modes also allow you to play minigames without having to complete a board, ensuring you can always enjoy the action, as and when you like. You and up to three of your friends and family can hone your skills at any minigame in Free Play mode, or try the Extras mode that includes Goomba Bowling and the puzzle-based Castle Clearout.

Mario Party 9 features your favourite characters from the Mushroom Kingdom, as well as introducing a few characters completely new to the Mario Party series. Choose your favourite and keep the rivalry between you and your friends alive in the board game or the minigames. You decide how many players you want involved, with the ability to play solo or with up to three of your friends. 

With a host of new game options, characters and 80 new minigames to master, all you have to do now is decide when you will be having your Mario party! Mario Party 9 launches on 9th March only on Wii.