Crossfire Caverns is a Bowser Jr. minigame involving two players in Mario Party 9.
Layout[]
The minigame takes place in a cave with three horizontal rails spanning the left and right sides of the cave each. Bowser Jr. rides back and forth in a Koopa Clown Car-like Mine Cart on the middle track, while each player rides on their own track on opposite sides of the cave.
Opening[]
The second player's character launches a cannonball at Bowser Jr., who laughs while dodging it. The screen zooms out to show the first player's character before becoming a vertical split-screen.
Gameplay[]
Both characters must cooperate to try and shoot cannonballs at Bowser Jr. as he moves back and forth. Bowser Jr. has a health meter consisting of three hearts. If a cannonball hits Bowser Jr., he loses a heart and becomes temporarily stunned. A cannonball that travels all the way over to the opposite side has a chance of hitting the other character, stunning them temporarily, although neither character has a health meter. If Bowser Jr. ever gets too far off a player's screen, an arrow is pointed in his direction. There are gray stalagmites placed between the tracks, and the stalagmites break upon being hit by a cannonball. Either character or Bowser Jr. can hide behind a stalagmite to protect themselves from a cannonball being fired from one end, although not necessarily a cannonball launched from the other end. If Bowser Jr. has been hit three times within 30 seconds, the players win, but if they do not manage to do so on time, Bowser Jr. is victorious.
Ending[]
If the players win, Bowser Jr.'s Mine Cart wobbles slightly before falling off the track. If the players lose the microgame, Bowser Jr. jumps in his cart and laughs.