Party Games for Cinco de Mayo
May 4, 2007
Looking for something to liven up your Cinco de Mayo party? Turn on the TV, put your Dos Equis on ice (if you're of an appropriate age, naturally), and get on the phone: here are ten of the best party video games around - each one guaranteed to make any party go with a song, a dance, or an explosion.
Wii Sports (Wii)
If your friends are the type for whom "video game" and "party" just don't go together, fire up Wii Sports and watch them crumble. Nobody can resist this blend of intuitive controls, familiar gameplay and competitive thrills. Well, OK, there's probably someone who can resist them. But they obviously must be seriously sick individuals, so don't invite them to your party. Problem solved.
Fuzion Frenzy (Xbox)
An oldie, but a goodie. Dig that Xbox out of retirement, blow the dust off up to four controllers, and immerse yourself in some of the most competitive mini-games you'll find on any platform. Fuzion Frenzy's futuristic theme and game show presentation make it a game that's easy to like. Although Frenzy is supposed to work on the 360, we've had nothing but trouble trying it -- skip the disappointing sequel, too.
Rayman Raving Rabbids (Wii/360)
Whatever substances the designers of this insane minigame-fest were on, you'd better not have any of them at your party. Wouldn't want a visit from the cops now, would you? (Ed: They're French.) Oh. That explains it. It's got sink plungers and screaming... rabbit... things with carrot fixations. Best played on the Wii for its natural-feeling remote-waving controls, it's also available on the 360 if you don't want to stop the party to go line up for a Wii. You have to play the single-player game to unlock the multiplayer goodness (boo!) but other than that, Raving Rabbids is more fun than it has any right to be.
Wario Ware: Smooth Moves (Wii)
Oh, that zany Wario, what will he think of next? His latest plot is to make you and all your friends look silly by performing all kinds of bizarre and peculiar activities with a Wii-mote. What's zany about that, you ask? Not only will you enjoy it, you'll pay him for the privilege as well. How's that for a smooth move?
Bomberman (Virtual Console/PSP)
Available from the Wii's virtual console download service or on the PSP, Bomberman's not exactly a complex game: you and your buddies run round a maze trying to blow each other up with timebombs. Just be prepared for the on-screen combat to spill over into off-screen fisticuffs, when your (former) friend bombs you into a corner for the umpteenth time. Video games cause violence, folks, you heard it here first.
Incoming! Worms' timeless recipe for destruction has just a few ingredients -- a randomly-generated 2D map, up to four teams of four worms each, and an array of high-powered weaponry. You take it in turns to lob shots at each other. Last one standing wins. It doesn't get much simpler -- or much better -- than this. Nab this over Xbox Live without leaving your front room; it's perfect for those impromptu Cinco gatherings. Unprepared folks will be just as pleased to hear that if you don't have four 360 controllers, Worms works in hotseat mode, so up to four can play together no matter how many pads you have.
Guitar Hero II (360/PS2)
For those who are about to rock, we salute you. If you've never experienced the fun of a room full of rowdy buddies rocking out to the sounds of a really intense Guitar Hero competition, you've missed out. Now's the perfect time to correct your omission, as the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero (complete with extra downloadable tracks) just hit the streets. Yes, it's expensive, especially if you stump up for two guitars. But of all the gimmicky controller games out there, this one has by far the most lasting appeal. You won't regret it.
SingStar Rocks! (PS2)
Indeed it does, and so will you once you try out this horribly addictive (or possibly addictively horrible) home karaoke game. Blur, Bloc Party and the Rolling Stones headline this compilation of karaoke favorites, and in most cases come with their original music videos - so you can have something to watch while your friends make sounds like cats being strangled. You're marked on your timing and pitch accuracy, and the game even comes with two microphones.
Dance Dance Revolution (PS2/Xbox/360)
Entertain your friends and neighbors by dancing round your living room to cheesy European techno! What could possibly be better? You'll probably already be familiar with the home version of this smash hit arcade game, and there's nothing better to break the ice at a social gathering than this.
Mario Kart 64 (DS/Virtual Console)
This gem of a multiplayer classic deserves a place in any collection. Several places, perhaps, given its availability on the DS and via the Wii's Virtual Console download service. You'll need plenty of DSs to enjoy its sublime multiplayer, or a fistful of Gamecube or Classic controllers for the Wii, but once you're set up you're, well, set up, as it were.