FEATURE
Have Eight Great Party Games
Spice up your Thanksgiving with these crowd-pleasers.
Thanksgiving might have good intentions, but long lines at the airport, too much tryptophan and arguments over who makes the best stuffing can put some serious strain on family relations. Before you let this diabolical cocktail turn your turkey day into a serious bummer, offset the holiday stress by lightening the mood (and the waist) with these eight great party games. They'll thank you for it.
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party
Platform: Wii
There's certainly no shortage of mini-game collections for the Wii, but there's definitely a shortage of really, really good ones. The first Rayman Raving Rabbids game was one of the gems, and this sequel is, well, another. Packing over 65 kooky games and supporting up to eight players, it's a surefire holiday hit. Plus, it's a good reason to drag that Wii Fit Balance Board out of the closet (come on, like you still use it) since several of the games support the cool peripheral. Butt boarding, anyone?
You're In the Movies
Platform: Xbox 360
If making cheesy movies makes your day, tell dad to leave the video camera in its case and grab You're In The Movies. Using the Xbox Live Vision Camera, players take turns doing goofy things in a sort of film version of Mad Libs, ultimately creating kitschy, laugh-out-loud B-movies in a matter of minutes. Just be careful who you let direct.
Buzz! Quiz TV
Platform: Playstation 3
It's a pop-culture showdown on the PS3. Using wireless buzzer controllers, your family can match wits in categories like Music, Movies and TV in this smooth trivia game. And not only does it support up to eight players locally, but you can also take on other families -- or family members who flaked out of your Thanksgiving shindig -- in the Sofa vs. Sofa online mode.
Rock Band 2
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3
Did you grow up dreaming of one day turning your boring family into an all-star travelling band? Us too, but so far, the closest we've gotten is Rock Band 2. The sequel to last year's megahit adds more songs, better instruments, a groovy drum trainer and true online band play. Remember: a family that plays together, stays together.
Guitar Hero: World Tour
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS3
Turn down the lights and turn up the amps with the latest Guitar Hero game. Like Rock Band, World Tour is a full band simulator, letting players fake jam on guitar, bass, drums and vocals. But it also comes packed with some fun competitive arcade modes, letting you settle any holiday family squabbles with a good old-fashioned riff off. Try a broken string on for size, grandma!
LittleBigPlanet
Platform: Playstation 3
Meet Sackboy, Sony's new mascot and the star of quite possibly the best game for the PS3, LittleBigPlanet. A platform game with more than a few unusual twists, LittleBigPlanet lets gamers create and share whimsical worlds. Coolest of all, up to four can play simultaneously by helping each other swing and leap through the wildly creative levels.
Scene It? Box Office Smash
Platform: Xbox 360
The famous trivia game hits the silver screen in this cinematic sequel. Up to four teams can test their trivia knowledge locally or over Xbox Live, and the game's patented Big Button controllers make it a snap for non-gamers to play. With 22 puzzle types, HD movie clips and hordes of new questions, it gets an easy Thanksgiving thumbs-up.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Platform: Wii
Put some smash in your bash with this action-packed mascot fighting game. One of the top-selling Wii games ever, Super Smash Bros. Brawl throws familiar video game faces like Mario, Link, Sonic, Solid Snake and Donkey Kong into frantic matches on a dozen different stages. Simple controls make it easy for newcomers to pick up, while loads of depth will keep everyone playing for hours. As for the violence, don't sweat it -- it's Nintendo, so it's all in good fun.
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Posted: 14 Nov 2008