GenieKnows Games Narrowing the field

Everything you love about Mario Party...in the palm of your hand! The party boards and minigames are crazier than ever in a new title that shrinks down the whole Mario crew for whimsical party play.

• With 70+ minigames and five themed game boards, Mario Party DS packs all the goods for portable play. And it’s brought to life with fun surprises players can see only on Nintendo DS, such as touch control, microphone control and dual-screen challenges.
• Users can play as one of eight characters: Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Peach, Daisy, Toad, Wario and Waluigi. They’re all ready to foil Bowser’s latest scheme. He seeks five powerful crystals and shrinks down the crew so they can’t stop him. But each of the tiny heroes wants to be the one and only Superstar that brings down Bowser.
• Mario Party DS makes the series’ multiplayer action portable at last, from playing with friends on the game boards to challenging them in favorite minigames. And now players can throw a party anywhere and play wirelessly with friends, since much of the game can be shared to other Nintendo DS systems from just one game card.

Game storyline: When Mario and his friends are shrunk down for Mario Party DS, harmless locations take on menacing proportions in five game boards, such as Wiggler’s Garden and Toadette’s Music Room.

How to progress through the game: In the Mario Party series, after everyone takes a turn moving on the game board, the action shifts to a minigame. In Mario Party DS, the minigames are crazier than ever, because everyday objects are a huge threat to the minimized crew. More than 70 minigames use the Nintendo DS touch screen, the microphone and standard buttons in a surprising combination of ways. Players will fling massive hamburgers with the stylus, drag huge leaves out of the way in a forest race and literally blow down a gargantuan Whomp.
• Story Mode (1 Player): In this solo mode, Mario and his friends are shrunk down by Bowser. As players make their way to Bowser’s castle, they must win first place on each game board, then beat the Boss Minigame for each board.
• Party Mode (1-4 Players): Compete against human or system-controlled players on a party board in a Battle Royale, Tag Battle or Duel Battle.
• Minigame Mode (1-4 Players): Enjoy six games that draw upon the pool of 70+ minigames for challenges that don’t take place on the game boards: Free Play, Step It Up, Battle Cup, Score Scuffle, Boss Bash and Rocket Rascals.
• Puzzle Mode (1-2 Players): Play six puzzle-action games, which include five classics from previous Mario Party games. This mode also includes the new touch-controlled Triangle Twisters, which has two play modes. In Frenzy Mode, players clear the field by twisting triangles so they connect with those of the same color. In Focus Mode, they twist them to build complex shapes, like turtles and pinwheels.
• Multiplayer (2-4 Players): Using one game card, players can wirelessly share Party Mode and Minigame Mode (2-4 players), plus Puzzle Mode (2 players) and the download-only Extras Mode with nearby friends who have a Nintendo DS. Extras Mode includes games that are designed for two-player gaming: cooperative Pen Pals and competitive Desert Duel.
• Gallery Mode: Check out 150 prizes, which includes figures, music and cutscenes.
Characters: Play as eight classic characters, including Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Yoshi, Daisy, Peach and Toad. The tiny characters will encounter many “gigantic” friends and foes from the Mario universe, including Bowser, Toadette, Donkey Kong and Hammer Bro.

Special powers/weapons/moves/features: Mario Party DS brings back a play dynamic from previous games: putting traps on board spaces. Players can obtain Hexes, such as the Coin Swap Hex, then stick them on board spaces in the hope that other players stop on them.