Game Party Review

Written by: Darren Cartledge Posted: 21st February 2008

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It's party time on the Wii.

Game Party Details:

	Arcade
	Nintendo Wii
	Midway
	Midway

Out Now

N/A

The Wii has gained rapid popularity because it appeals so much to a wide variety of people and the more casual gamer. This is largely due to games such as Wii Sports and Wii Play. Game Party follows in a similar suit to these two titles and sees players taking part in activities accessible to everyone in the real world.

Game Party features seven different bar lounge and arcade games. The game includes Darts, Shuffle Board, Hoop Shoot, Skill Ball, Table Hockey, Ping Cup and Trivia. That’s not all though, there are different variations of some of the games for instance there are several different darts games you can play such as 501 and Cricket. You can also unlock some new games such as Curling and Lightening Trivia. All in all the game features a lot of unlockable content which I’ll talk about later.

Game Party makes excellent use of the Wii’s control system and all events in the game are played with the use of the Wiimote. All the events in the game require a similar movement to that you would use if you were playing in real life. For instance when playing darts you hold the Wiimote and takes shots as if you were holding a real dart and when playing Hoop Shoot, you take shots as you would when playing basketball. Overall the games control system is excellent and feels very natural, although on a negative note some of the games could do with better instruction then those displayed on screen.

Most of the games featured in Game Party can be played by multiple players, with up to four players, This is where the game excels, yes its entertaining and addictive as a single player game trying to beat your high scores but when played with friends it can help make your party a success.

As mentioned the game features a lot of content that has to be unlocked, this is done on a ticket system, similar to that at funfairs where you earn tickets based on your performance. In each game you have to earn a set number of tickets before unlocking new content, this can be simple items such as new darts and boards or new game environments. In some instances new variations of a game can be unlocked, such as Baseball Darts, Curling and Lightening Trivia.

Overall the game is =simple to get to grips with, which is good as accessibility is a key factor in games like this, the games featured should appeal to a wide range of people and even the most casual gamer should find something that appeals to them.

Game Party’s graphics are rather simple, but they don’t need to be complex. Characters are done in a cartoon style and range from fishermen to masked wrestlers and martial artist to basketball players. They’re pretty comical to look at adding to the fun feeling of the game. The games themselves all look authentic and could have come straight out of the local pub or seaside arcade.

Sound in the game is rather bland to be honest! Each game has its own music track which is repeated constantly every time you play. Sound effects are quite authentic and if you perform well during play, expect to hear cheers from the watching crowd, or moans if you don’t do to well.

The games featured in Game Party are pretty basic, yet the game makes excellent use of the Wii’s capabilities making them addictive and fun to play. While there is enough to keep you occupied when playing alone, the game excels when played with friends, which is probably why the developers decided to call it Game Party!