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9. Tumble Temple – Mario Party 9
Type: Reverse minigame
Mario Party 9 drastically altered the formula in many ways, and while Mario Party: Island Tour is an indication that the developers are deviating away from that, I’d love to see a return of reverse minigames. Reverse minigames were introduced in Mario Party 9, and it was one of the minigame events that occurred when a player landed on a Bowser space. When this happens, the rules of the minigame selected were essentially reversed, as the player would have to come in last place in order to win. It was a unique twist that led to some of the most exciting moments within the game.
There are only four minigames that could be chosen as a reverse minigame, but my personal favorite is Tumble Temple. Tumble Temple is definitely fun in its own right when played with the standard free-for-all rules, but it’s a lot more fun as a reverse minigame.
While some reverse minigames either took too long or didn’t offer every player much of a fighting chance, Tumble Temple found the perfect balance. Spike balls roll down the arena and are slowed down by a set of pegs at the end of a hill. The pegs give players positioned far away from the first incoming spiked ball a chance to catch up to it and run into their own death, but only if they can react quickly enough. It is incredibly odd to try to hurt yourself intentionally, but I love everything about playing Tumble Temple this way. Losing never felt so good!
