Mario Party 3 Duel mode: partners, salaries and board rules
Understand five-part health bars, partner placement and recurring wages.
Edition covered
Original Nintendo 64 edition, including separate Battle Royale and Duel boards. Mario Party Superstars board remakes are excluded.
Duel wins through damage rather than Stars
Each side has a five-segment heart gauge. A front partner attacks when the player reaches or passes the opponent; a defending partner can absorb damage.
| Partner | Attack / stamina | Salary each turn |
|---|---|---|
| Koopa Troopa | 1 / 2 | 1 coin |
| Goomba | 2 / 1 | 2 coins |
| Toad | 1 / 1 | 1 coin |
| Bob-omb | 1 / 1 | 3 coins |
| Boo | 2 / 1 | 3 coins |
| Whomp | 0 / 4 | 3 coins |
Keep enough coins to pay the team
Partners take a salary at the start of your turn. An unaffordable partner leaves, so a powerful attacker can become a liability without a coin route.
| Board | Main feature | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gate Guy | Paid central shortcuts | Reach the opponent or base sooner |
| Arrowhead | Inner/outer route switches | Change approach direction |
| Pipesqueak | Warp Pipes | Expect a random destination pipe |
| Blowhard | Partner positions reverse | Recheck front and rear protection |
| Mr. Mover | Conveyor changes direction | Read its current color |
| Backtrack | Reverse Spaces | Direction and partner order change |
Position matters as much as attack power
Front and rear partners defend different approaches. Blowhard and Backtrack can switch their positions, changing which unit meets an incoming attack.
A turn-limit win uses health first
If the chosen 20-turn match reaches its limit, remaining hearts decide the winner. Coins break a heart tie, and equal hearts and coins produce a draw.
References
| Reference | Website |
|---|---|
| Nintendo game information or original manual | www.nintendo.co.jp |
| Super Mario Wiki game reference | www.mariowiki.com |