Handheld video game:Nintendo DS Mario Party DS

Mario is the most popular video game franchise of all time, selling over 260 million games worldwide. The character Mario appears in over 200 games on every Nintendo console ever made, and in the 1990s, a survey discovered more children recognized Mario than Mickey Mouse. While the Mario series mainly features platform adventures, often involving the safe rescue of Princess Peach, it also includes role-playing, puzzle, racing, and educational games. The franchise further includes television shows, a live-action movie, comics, and promotional materials. Created by Shigeru Miyamoto in 1981, Mario first appeared as the protagonist Jumpman in Donkey Kong. As his name suggests, the character completed levels by jumping over barrels and climbing ladders to rescue the Lady kidnapped by Donkey Kong. In certain advertisements, Jumpman was named Mario, after the landlord of Nintendo of America's offices, and the name stuck. In 1985, Miyamoto produced the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) game Super Mario Bros. The game takes place in the mythical Mushroom kingdom and stars Mario as he attempts to save Princess Peach from an antagonistic, anthropomorphized turtle named Bowser. Similar gameplay, reoccurring characters and power-ups link the games of the main Mario series. In 2007, Nintendo released Mario Party DS on the Nintendo DS. Choosing between eight different playable characters, gamers competed against friends or computer challengers on several board game maps. Players attempted to collect the most Stars, which could be purchased on varying locations of the map. Players began each turn by rolling the dice, which indicated how many spaces that character could move. After each round of turns, players competed in a mini-game. The format for the games consisted of two against two, one against three, and everyone for themselves. The winner(s) typically received coins for their victory. Mario Party DS sold nearly nine million copies, making it the highest grossing Mario Party entry of all time as of 2013.