Yoshi’s Tropical Island is the third board in the original Mario Party for the Nintendo 64.
Board Map
We got our first island-based board! And it’s not the only one in this game. The Star can only be in one of two spots at a time, so we’ll skip making a Star locations map.
Overview
Yoshi’s Tropical Island, as the name does not imply, is a board made up of two separate islands. Watermelon Island is the one you start on and includes Bowser on the left, at least initially. Cantaloupe Island is on the right, and that’s where you’ll find both Toad and Boo.
Once a player purchases a Star, the Star spot does not travel to a new location. Instead, landing on any Happening Space will swap Toad and Bowser’s locations. This will happen a lot as you play this board. Boo will stay in his spot in the top right corner. Passing Bowser will force you to cough up 30 coins.
To move between the two islands, pass through one of two Thwomp toll bridges. There’s a minimum you have to pay to get across, and any player can increase the toll cost for all players by paying more than the minimum. The bottom bridge can only be accessed by players on Watermelon Island and the top bridge can only be accessed by players on Cantaloupe Island.
And that’s about it for this board. Yes, there’s a Boo. There’s also Koopa Troopa handing out 10 coins near the start of the board.
Did I say there were two islands? There’s actually a third island right in the middle. It’s surrounded by little whirlpools keeping a trapped Pink Yoshi on the island from escaping. Beat the board as the top player to clear out the whirlpools and form a bridge made out of stars, allowing a Blue Yoshi to go rescue their friend. As everyone celebrates on the little island, the fourth place player gets eaten by Blubba as they try to cross the star bridge.
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Strategies
Get an extra edge on the competition and check out some of the tips and strategies our community has shared about Yoshi’s Tropical Island.
- It’s basically random whether Toad will be on the left or right island so you might as well loop the right island with Boo on it!
Thanks, Spongyoshi!
Fan Rating
List of Events
Events spice up gameplay and (usually) give you a little more control over the strategy of the board. There are two types of events. Happening Events are those that activate when you land on a Happening Space. Passing Events are those that are triggered when you simply walk past the event rather than landing on it. Here’s what Yoshi’s Tropical Island has going on:
Happening Event
Toad and Bowser sit at fixed locations on opposite sides of the board. Whenever someone lands on a Happening Space, Bubba will scoop up Toad and throw him on the opposite side of the board, taking Bowser’s spot. Bowser will take Toad’s old spot.
Passing Event
Two bridges on this board, and each one has a Thwomp toll. To pass, you’ll have to pay a starting fee of 1 or more coins. Once you pass, the next player that visits the toll will have to pay the same amount that was by the previous player plus an additional coin. The coin toll maxes out at 50 coins.
Passing Event
Pass Bowser and receive the Bowser Tube. Well, it’s not really a gift since he forces you to pay 30 coins. It’ll also pop before you even think about how you can use it.
Statistics
A quick look at some of the specifics of Yoshi’s Tropical Island.
Spaces
Board Specifics
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Item Availability
Unlike the rest of the Mario Party games that follow, the original does not have much of an item system. Instead, the Mushroom Bank lets you activate and deactivate certain items before you start a board. These items have features like typical Mario Party items, but they will only appear when they randomly activate at the start of a player’s turn. Two extra items let you disable specific passing events.
Available Items
All items are available in Yoshi’s Tropical Island.
Full Playthrough
See the board in action with a full video playthrough of Yoshi’s Tropical Island.
