Game Party 3

By Toby Hillard

You know that old saying : "If at first you don't suceed, try and try again"? Well, normally, that is pretty sage advice... however when it comes to Wii's Game Party 3, another famous phrase is probably more suitable : "Put it out of it's Misery".

And by "it's" I really mean "us", as in "those of us who have been suckered in to actually playing Game Party 3 and never getting those hours of our life back... ever".

Having already been privvy to the excitement that was More Party Games, one has little to no expectations when the sequel declares that there are eight new games on offer... as well as the woeful ones from the previous editions.

While the Game Party 3 idea is sound and well intentioned - by offering casual gamers and families a fresh and easy way to get into gaming - the simple fact is that neither the games on offer, or the gameplay itself offers anything remotely interesting or fun to warrant actully spending money on it.

Worst still, the games on offer are - yet again - games that you could just as easily play in real life simply by taking one step sideways from the television set.

And no - not in that "Why play basketball on computer when I can go out in the sunshine" way.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all about avoiding excercise and reality at all costs too). Things like darts... horseshoes... ping cup (literally throwing a coin in a cup... I mean, really?).

The new games on offer allow players to compete in groups of up to 16, taking on such riveting EXISTING HUMAN RAINY DAY INDOOR GAMES like Billiards, Mini Golf, Smack-a-Troll and Bocce Ball, as well as familiar favourites like Darts, Ping Cup, Trivia, Horseshoes... AND BEANBAGS.

Oh bean bags - how I love your irrelevance. A game which involves standing in your loungeroom (I'm not kidding, the game is set in a virtual loungeroom... and one that probably isn't much more impressive than your own) and throwing a bean bag at your virtual couch. It truly boggles the mind.

Isn't gaming meant to be about escapism? If I wanted to play about getting food from the fridge, then going to work, then coming home, I download... well, I'd play Sims... bad example... but you can see what I'm getting at.

There is also the issue of player Customisation, in which you can enter a "create-a-Player" mode which allows everyone to create and customise unique character looks (of characters that look exactly like, but not as good as the Mii you've already spent long enough creating when you first get your Wii).

But don't worry -- it also lets players choose to play left- or right-handed.

Phew!

The upside here is that it's cheap as chips, and can easily pass as a go-to gift this Xmas if you can't actually be bothered doing enough research into what you kid likes (or if you can't be arsed forking out the cash for a real game).

It must also be said that after a few drinks, with a larger group, Game Party 3 can provide a bit of silly fun - fleeting - but it's there if you try hard enough.

If only the designers had recognised the flaws of the previous instalments and moved outside of the house, then we might actually have something on our hands here - but until then, Game Party 3 will remain one of those games we all look back on in 10 years and remember fondly just how addictively lame it was.

Game: Game Party 3
System: Wii
Players: 1-16
Online: No
Developer: FarSight Studios, LLC
Distributor: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Rating: 40%

(Ratings Key/Explanation)