Mario Party 3 is the third and final title in the series to appear on the N64. Like its two predecessors, Mario Party 3 is a board game, requiring players to roll a die and then move around the board. Coins are a vital commodity, and are used to purchase Stars as well as items. Landing on specific board spaces will trigger one of a number of events such as a battle mini-game or an event unique to the board you're playing on. The former requires players to place a number of coins into a pool, the majority of which will then be awarded to the winner of the mini-game, and the rest to the second place finisher.
After each turn, players partake in a one-on-three, two-on-two or four-player mini-game in an attempt to win coins. At the end of the game (which ends after a pre-determined number of rounds), the player with the most stars is declared the winner. A plethora of new items, both rare and common, have been added to the title. Their functions range from stealing another player's items to taking you directly to the star on the board. Certain rare items will even allow you to take drastic measures such as lengthening or shortening the game by five turns. The game boasts 70 all-new mini-games in addition to new game boards. New characters Waluigi and Daisy also join the fold.
New to this third iteration is the Duel mode. Here, two players must roam around a small board annexing spaces as they go. Accompanying each player is a partner (which can be chosen from the likes of Boo, Goomba, Toad, Bob-omb, Whomp and others) who will demand coins after each turn. The exact amount will depend on the strength of each character. Should you be unable to afford your partner's salary, he'll quit, leaving you vulnerable to attacks from the opposing player's partner, and without the ability to attack the other player. When the number of turns expire, or one player loses all his health, the game is over. |