A Wii Guide to Family Game Night

A Wii Guide to Family Game Night
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Racing Around the Track

Racing Time!

Who’s never heard of Mario Kart? It’s something that parents grew up on as kids themselves, and something that the children will love. Mario is as timeless as a stuffed toy prize in a carnival or an ice cream on a lazy Sunday. The whole family will enjoy Mario Kart because, aside from the wide variety of race tracks you can choose from, the power ups are definitely amusing to use.

Spends hours in front of the screen, bonding, racing against each other as you try out track after track after track and with the Wii remote, turned into your steering wheel, have loads of fun watching players actually twist and contort their bodies as they try to swerve around the corner. Yes, you will eventually be doing it too!

Mario Kart is definitely a multiplayer game, not only can you hook it up at home - but you can have other relatives join you across the net as well. This way no one misses out on the fun! Pick among your favorite Mario avatars; choose between strollers, cars or motorbike as your wheels; and race on! There are plenty of tracks meant for everyone! Want something easy and calming? Try the Beach! If you’re into the wackiness, this game will provide definitely go Rainbow Road!

Board Games with a Twist

One of Many Minigames

Choosing your characters

Maybe you’re looking to reconnect with your family through the old school board games, but are looking for some high-tech alternatives. Mario Party 8 is definitely the game for your family! Here’s a selection that’s bound to win the approval of everyone from age 2 - 100!

Combining old school board games, taking them to the widescreen, and putting in animations with a slew of mini games at every interval spells out F-U-N for the whole family! There’s a range of boad games to be played, with players racing around trying to score as many points, grab as many stars as they can. At the end of every round, the game will randomly pit players against each other to win coveted prizes. Be it 1vs3, 2on2 or better a free for all, there’s surely lots of fun to be had in this game.

A big incentive to playing Mario Party 8 is that it’s no longer just your average board game brought to life. With the onslaught of the mini-games, Mario Party 8 has definitely become a whole new gaming genre of its own, capable of generating family fun and enjoyment.

Playground Battles!

Dodgeball

kicks

One of the more varied Wii games is the EA released Playground, where players find themselves playing a wide range of games that you’ve probably as a kid played yourself once or twice. What do children do with all that bottled up energy? They duke it out on the playground! Play a variety of games, from Paper Aiplane Racing to Dodgeball.

Create groups, form alliances, beat other groups and collect prized marbles that you’ll use to power up your team. There is the elusive Sticker King - the one to beat and to beat him, you have to keep playing, collecting stickers and ultimately beat out the Sticker King! Sounds fun? It definitely is!

Playground offers a variety of games, but the games that will possibly hold the most thrall for families during game night are the following:

  • Dodgeball has always been fun. Run around, throw balls at opponents and try not to get hit. Families will love the intense heat from this game as you try to rally victory to your side.
  • If Dodgeball isn’t your thing, why not try Kicks? Think of it as a marriage between soccer and volleyball as you try to time your movements to avoid getting slammed in the face and to score against the other team. Kicks will definitely serve up hours of crazy family fun, with parents and children shouting at the screen as they cheer each other on!
  • Another great game to try is Tetherball. Wrap a ball around a pole and make sure you opponent doesn’t do it first. It’s a really simple game to play that you will love pitting your wits against. Remember, it’s not about how hard you strike, but when you strike it!

Crazy Family Fun

Dance it Up!

If there’s something totally new that could market itself as a family game on the Wii console, it’s Rayman Raving Rabbids! This game is a bucketload of fun! Everyone is sure to bust out their seams laughing at every game they’ll be playing. The premise is simple, Rayman’s at a picnic when it gets interrupted by rabbids who wants to take over the world! (Cue gasp.) Rayman and his cohorts are taken by force and subjected to mindless random mini-games!

In this case, the mini-games act as gladiatorial combat, with everyone pitting themselves against each other. Try the texting game at the Cinema where you have to sneak making calls and texting as the movie’s playing all the while avoiding the guard. Maybe you’re looking for something that will really cheer everyone up? If that’s the case, how about throwing spitballs and a variety of classroom equipment at your teacher?

There’s boatloads of fun to be had in a game that markets itself as a total mini-game package. It’s bound to catch the eyes of players with its array of colors and keep them glued to the screen with their wide range of minigames meant to titillate and amuse!