With just one month remaining  before the release of Mario Party 9, some interesting  new gameplay details have been revealed in the German Nintendo magazine N-Zone. Details that could rejuvenate the franchise and draw in the jaded fans that have been turned off by the previous 6-7 entries, or bring the series to an all-time low. 

For starters, it appears that all four players could be traveling  across every board together in a single car, which could be pretty cool depending on how it will be implemented. It can either make the matches more chaotic and fun, or it make them feel slower and more tedious. I'm hoping  it'll be the first one.

Streamlining will be used to make special events and buying items faster and more efficient, which is a definite plus, so there's no need to fear that bit of change.

All matches will be 45 minutes long, so those mini games better be enjoyable.

Oh and the biggest change of all, mini-stars are going to be the game's only currency...holy crap! If anything was going to change how the game is played, it's going to be that. Seriously, if the mini-stars are the only currency and the goal is to have the most mini-stars at the end of the match, players are going to have to make damn sure that they choose their purchased items more carefully and to use them at the right time. So, basically it'll be more of a test of skill rather than winning or losing by  random chance. I think we can all live with that. Unless you find the possibility of being  screwed over at the last second engaging.

What do you think of these changes g1s? Do you think they can breathe new life into the series? Or do you think they'll prove to be the final nails in the franchise's "party-sized" coffin?