Publisher: Midway Games
Developer: Midway Games
System: Wii
Genre: Compilation
Release Date: Available now
Reviewer: Christopher J. Troilo

As we all know, the Wii was designed primarily for non-traditional gamers, as Nintendo wanted to give us the electronic version of Family Game Night. Instead of pulling out Scrabble or Clue, groups can now decide to pop in a few Wii games. With this in mind, along comes Game Party 2, another in the recent spate of party titles. Its specific focus is on the simple games you might play in a backyard or an arcade.

Game Party 2 offers 11 different games, some of which share very similar objectives and mechanics. In a category one might call “classic backyard games,” the player can choose such options as Lawn Darts or Horseshoes, in which the goal is to toss objects closest to a target. Players can choose different scoring methods, such as what the total score should be in order to end the game. Beanbags, in which you attempt to toss a sack into a hole, is a variation on the Horseshoes theme.

If arcade-style games are more your fancy, you can try such classics as Skill Ball, which is essentially the boardwalk staple of SkeeBall come to life on your Wii. Gameplay is simple: roll a ball up a ramp into holes for points. For the sports enthusiast, Hoop Shoot re-creates the old basketball game in which players try to score as many baskets as possible in a few seconds against their opponents. Finally, QB Challenge pits football fans against each other as they try to throw virtual passes to open receivers for touchdowns.

Rounding out the collection are a few other old favorites, such as Tabletop Shuffleboard, in which you slide discs across the board to score points. A variation of this, Puck Bowling, has the same basic premise, except the objective is to knock down pins. There’s also Ping Cup, in which you try to throw a ping-pong ball into a series of cups located at the opposite end of the table. Finally, if physical challenges aren’t your forte, you can try Trivia Game, in which players are asked questions from six categories, with points scored for speed and accuracy.

Almost every game takes advantage of the Wii’s motion controls in some manner, simulating the movements one would have to make to play the games in real life. Throwing darts or horseshoes involves simple swinging and throwing motions, and in Hoop Shoot you flick your wrist toward the screen in the same manner as you would if you were holding an actual ball. Most of the games also include the timely pressing of the ‘A’ button or the trigger, depending on which is more comfortable for the player.

With the many budget party titles out there for the Wii, it can be hard to figure out which ones offer audiences something fresh and new while also being fun for people to play together. Read on to see how Game Party 2 scores.