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Mario Party 4 is the fourth in a series of board game style video games for Nintendo platforms, featuring popular Nintendo characters. It was released on the Nintendo GameCube in North America on October 21, 2002 strangely before the Japanese release on November 8, 2002. It was released on November 29, 2002 in Europe, being heavily criticised for being 'Nintendo's big GameCube Game' for Christmas 2002 as Metroid Prime was delayed until March 2003.

Mario Party 4 was the first Mario Party that was released on the Nintendo GameCube. Each board had its own host, including Toad, Goomba, Shy Guy, Koopa, and Boo. Mario Party 4 also contains some characters new to the franchise; Thwomp and Whomp. Klepto, Dolphin, Lakitu, and Star, along with two completely new characters named Genie of the Lamp and Ztar, are included as well. Mario Party 4 retains the Story Mode found in Mario Party 3.

The game, as usual, contains a standard party mode in which up to four players play through a board, trying to collect as many Stars as possible. The Star Space would appear randomly on the board, and players would have to reach it before anyone else. However, the Stars carry a price tag of 20 coins, and player has to earn those coins by winning minigames, which take place at the end of each turn (after all the players have rolled the Dice Block, which will always roll a number from one to ten).

Battle minigames are like the 4-player games, but generally (with many exceptions) a little more elaborate. Battle games are usually tense because every player has to put a certain number of coins (from 5 - 50) into a pot. First place gets 70% of the pot, second place gets 30%, and a random player gets any coins lost in rounding. 

Every Mario Party contains 60 to 80 minigames of a few different types. Four-player games are a free-for-all in which all players compete against each other. 2-on-2 and 1-on-3 minigames put players in groups, so they have to cooperate in the minigame to win, even though they are against each other in the main game. In most situations, winners of these games make 10 coins each.

A new addition to the Mario Party series was the Bowser mini-games. Players play in a very elaborate mini-game that ends when one player is eliminated in various ways. (See Bowser mini-game section below) The loser loses a pre-specified item, usually coins or items.

Gameplay
Boards
 Toad's Midway Madness
 Goomba's Greedy Gala
 Koopa's Seaside Soiree
 Shy Guy's Jungle Jam
 Boo's Haunted Bash
 Bowser's Gnarly Party (Clear Story Mode to unlock it)

Spaces
There is various spaces you can land in the game. The following is a list of them, and what they do.
Blue Space - You get three coins. Also, there is a special feature on this game called Hidden Blocks, in which a star or coins may be hidden on random blue spaces.
Red Space - You lose three coins.
Green Happening Space - A special board event takes place.
Warp Space - You are sent to the same space as an opponent. A spinner chooses which opponent's space you will warp to.
Mushroom Space - Two boxes will appear (one big and one small). Choose one, and you will be given either a Mini Mushroom or a Mega Mushroom. (Note: The Mega Mushroom is not always in the large box, and the Mini Mushroom is not always in the small box.)
Battle Space - A battle minigame will start in which players put a chosen amount of coins into a pot. The better you finish in the minigame, the more coins you will get back from the pot.
Bowser Space - Bowser may steal items from players or a Bowser minigame may begin.
Fortune Space - A reversal of fortune begins, in which players may have to give coins or stars to others. The player who landed