is a
party video game series featuring
Mario franchise characters in which four human- or computer-controlled characters compete in a board game interspersed with
minigames. The series was developed by
Hudson Soft and published by
Nintendo; the
arcade version was developed by
Capcom. The series is known for its party game elements, including the often-unpredictable multiplayer modes that allow play with up to four (and sometimes eight) human players.