- Mario Party 7 unlockables are bought with Cruise Mileage at the Duty-Free Shop.
- Secret characters: Birdo and Dry Bones are purchasable hidden playable characters.
- Rare mini-games: Ice Moves and Stick and Spin can only be obtained through the shop.
- Best farming method: Hard difficulty King of the River earns mileage fastest.
- 27+ souvenirs: Three special souvenirs unlock only through specific game events.
Duty-Free Shop Overview: How Mario Party 7 Unlockables Work
Mario Party 7 unlockables all flow through the Duty-Free Shop, accessed from the cruise ship's hub area. Every mode you play — Party Cruise boards, Solo Cruise, and Mini-Game Cruise — awards Cruise Mileage points, which act as the game's universal currency for unlockable content.
Video Highlights:
- Full walkthrough of the Duty-Free Shop computer and its purchase menus
- How Cruise Mileage is earned from every game mode
- Secret characters Birdo and Dry Bones demonstrated
- Bowser's Lovely Lift final story mini-game played in full
- Souvenir stand and sound test features shown
The shop computer contains several categories: characters, difficulty settings, course unlocks, rare mini-games, sound options, and the souvenir stand. Before spending everything at once, plan your priorities — some items are far more valuable than others.
| Shop Category | Items Available | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Secret Characters | Birdo, Dry Bones | ★★★★★ |
| Difficulty | Brutal CPU difficulty | ★★★★ |
| Mini-Games | Ice Moves, Stick and Spin | ★★★★ |
| Modes | King of the River course, Annoy Mode | ★★★ |
| Solo Mode | Stun background | ★★ |
| Extras | Staff records, sound tests, secrets | ★★ |
Playing mini-games outside of boards earns 10 mileage points each time, and beating the CPU in Solo Cruise adds an extra 500 points to your total. Solo Cruise is one of the most reliable early mileage sources.
Secret Characters and Rare Mini-Games
The headline Mario Party 7 unlockables are the two secret characters. Birdo and Dry Bones join the roster after purchase, each costing roughly 1,000 Cruise Mileage points. They are fully playable across Party Cruise and most other modes.
Two rare mini-games round out the premium purchases:
Ice Moves
- Rare mini-game available only via shop purchase
- Listed among staff record categories at 20,000 points
- Worth buying for completionists
Stick and Spin
- Rare mini-game exclusive to the Duty-Free Shop
- Staff record benchmark is extremely high
- Great test of precision play
Additional unlockables include Annoy Mode (the taunt feature, triggered with the R button on a shared controller during 8-player sessions), the King of the River course for Mini-Game Cruise, the Brutal difficulty setting for CPU opponents, and a swap-in background for Solo Mode.
Prioritize Birdo and Dry Bones first — they change gameplay across every mode. The Solo Mode background swap is purely cosmetic and widely considered the least valuable purchase.
| Unlockable | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Birdo | Character | Fully playable, all modes |
| Dry Bones | Character | Fully playable, all modes |
| Ice Moves | Mini-game | Rare, shop-exclusive |
| Stick and Spin | Mini-game | Rare, shop-exclusive |
| Brutal Difficulty | Setting | Hardest CPU level |
| King of the River Course | Mode | Hard version = best mileage farm |
| Annoy Mode | Feature | Taunts via R button |
| Stun Background | Cosmetic | Solo Mode only |
Cruise Mileage Farming: Step-by-Step
Earning mileage quickly determines how fast you unlock everything. Follow this progression route for efficient farming.
Start with Solo Cruise
Beat the CPU in Solo Cruise runs for the flat 500-point bonus per completion. This builds your starting mileage pool.
Grind Mini-Games Between Boards
Each mini-game played outside a board pays 10 mileage points. Quick sessions add up over time.
Unlock King of the River
Purchase the King of the River course, then run it repeatedly on hard difficulty — the single best mileage-per-hour method.
Buy Characters First
Spend early mileage on Birdo and Dry Bones before cosmetic items.
Finish with Collectibles
Buy remaining souvenirs, staff records, and the rare mini-games last.
The hard version of King of the River is widely regarded as the fastest mileage source in the game — far outpacing casual board play.
Souvenir Stand and Event-Only Unlocks
The souvenir stand holds 30 souvenirs total: 24-27 are purchasable directly, while three special souvenirs appear only after completing specific requirements. These event souvenirs are the trickiest Mario Party 7 unlockables for completionists.
| Event Souvenir | Unlock Requirement |
|---|---|
| Party Souvenir | Play all Party Cruise boards at least once |
| Mini-Game Souvenir | Play all Mini-Game Cruise modes |
| Cruise Souvenir | Play Deluxe Cruise repeatedly |
Other Duty-Free Shop attractions worth exploring:
- Cruise Sounds: A music and sound test jukebox, including full character voice clips
- Secrets terminal: In-game trivia, similar to Mario Party 6's secrets list
- Staff Records: Compare your mini-game records against the developers' scores
- Travel Diary: View play records for every board, mode, and Decathlon Castle event
Saying "Goomba" into the GameCube microphone during the Be My Chum mini-game triggers a hidden reaction — the Goombas jump in response. Saying the colored words into the mic while viewing souvenirs also triggers surprises.
Useful hidden mechanics revealed in the shop's secrets list:
- Orb shops charge you less when you're behind on the board
- Team mode can award stars or coins during crew events
- Mic-based Easter eggs are scattered across multiple modes
Bowser's Lovely Lift and Completion Checklist
Bowser's Lovely Lift is the climactic mini-game at the end of story content and on the Bowser's Enchanted Inferno board. Reach floor 100 of the elevator while dodging Bowser's attacks.
Key survival tips:
- Jump constantly — jumping dodges both homing missiles and fireballs effectively
- Watch floor 45-50 — Bowser Jr. joins the attack partway up
- Late floors — Koopa Kid adds extra pressure near the top
- Twin lasers — the final attack type appears near floor 100
Homing missiles deal the most damage. Take sharp turns and jump rather than running in straight lines.
100% Completion Goals:
- Purchase Birdo from the Duty-Free Shop
- Purchase Dry Bones from the Duty-Free Shop
- Unlock Ice Moves and Stick and Spin
- Buy Brutal difficulty and King of the River
- Collect all 30 souvenirs including 3 event unlocks
- Clear Bowser's Lovely Lift and finish Solo Cruise
- Beat staff records in Decathlon Castle
FAQ
Q: How do I unlock secret characters in Mario Party 7?
Buy Birdo and Dry Bones at the Duty-Free Shop computer using Cruise Mileage, at roughly 1,000 points each. They become playable in Party Cruise and other modes immediately after purchase.
Q: What is the fastest way to earn Cruise Mileage for Mario Party 7 unlockables?
The hard version of King of the River is the best farming method. Solo Cruise also gives a 500-point bonus per CPU victory, and mini-games played outside boards award 10 points each.
Q: How many souvenirs are in Mario Party 7?
There are 30 souvenirs total. Most are purchased from the Duty-Free Shop, but three event souvenirs require playing all Party boards, all Mini-Game Cruise modes, and repeated Deluxe Cruise sessions.
Q: Are Ice Moves and Stick and Spin available in normal play?
No. These two rare mini-games are shop-exclusive Mario Party 7 unlockables and must be purchased with Cruise Mileage before they appear in your mini-game roster.