5 Best Party Games

Zombies and parties ALWAYS mix. Sitting around a campfire and dancing are some of my favorite party activities, and it’s certainly the season for them. But when I need a hiatus from marshmallows and GirlTalk, I know I can always rely on games to give me the break I’m searching for. These five games are some of my favorites to play within the company of friends.

1.) Left 4 Dead (XBOX 360)

I’m sure many of you had all winter to squeeze every achievement point out of this game, but you know a game is long lasting and worthwhile when you can whip it back out and still get just as much enjoyment out of it. Up to four players can play Left 4 Dead since there are four survivors (Zoey, Bill, Louis, Francis). The most party friendly mode is either “campaign” or “versus.” In campaign, you and the other survivors are trying to survive floods of zombies between safe rooms which mark the end of chapters, and in the versus mode you and your friends can choose to be the survivors or the zombies, and you switch roles every chapter. There’s nothing quite like running around a deserted city with a shotgun, and this effect is amplified when you’re playing with friends. It’s the perfect way to enjoy a drink and relax after a long day of Frisbee golf.

2.) Dance Dance Revolution (pick your platform!)

In seventh grade I can remember placing tokens up on our local arcade’s Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) machine as a marker for when it was your turn to play. Then when you’d step up to the clunky, metal dance floor every nerd in Richland county would be there watching and cheering you on. Although this is the ultimate definition of geek bonding, fortunately Konami decided to make many console versions to help the noobs from embarrassing themselves. Now the existence of DDR in America is mostly found in homes and played predominantly at parties. There are many game modes of Dance Dance Revolution, like the regular three-songs-in-a-row game mode, party mode (most of which can play up to four players), a career type of gameplay where you are out to unlock songs and establish credit, and some type of workout mode, which allows you to customize settings like goals and weight. Whatever your purpose for playing is, Dance Dance Revolution is a win at any social scene. And if your friends refuse to play, there IS a high correlation between alcohol consumption and DDR-ing.

3.) Super Smash Bros. (Wii, Gamecube, Nintendo 64)

Take your pick of which version (Nintendo, Gamecube, Wii), they’re all fantastically great! They all have the same goal: beat the living daylights out of each other until you either fly off screen or have SO much damage, the smallest punch will send you to your grave. Super Smash Bros. is unbelievably entertaining for its characters, the setting and music, and the crazy items that can be used in battle. If Super Smash Bros. is new to you, let me explain. You have the honor of choosing one of the many mostly Nintendo video game legends (Bowser, Ganondorf, Kirby, Snake from Metal Gear Solid), picking from a variety of game levels, such as Hyrule or the Shadow Moses complex, and listening to the nostalgic music from that level while pummeling each other or computer players. There is also a single player mode in all three games, where your character fights a series of minibosses to get to the final boss, but it’s not until Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii came out that the single player mode was really elaborated on. The party mode portion of the game is obviously what keeps sales skyrocketing with each installment of this Player’s Choice title.

4.) Mario Kart (Wii, DS, Nintendo 64, Super Nintendo, Gamecube)

Again, take your pick of which version. Mario Kart‘s origins go all the way back to 1992 with the release of Super Mario Kart, followed by Mario Kart 64 on the Nintendo 64 in 1996, then Mario Kart: Double Dash!! for the Gamecube in 2003, then finally Mario Kart Wii in 2008. There are also two handheld versions of the game, one on the GameBoy Advance and one on the Nintendo DS. Obviously the notable party titles are the games on the consoles, which have been proven time and time again to be one of the most demanded video game titles in our generation. Like Super Smash Bros., you choose a Nintendo character, a kart, a cup, and you’re on your way. In Mario Kart you can race with up to four players and participate either in versus modes or battle modes, which consist of popping each other’s balloons with items or grabbing the most coins in a level. Mario Kart is another Nintendo classic that simply can’t be surpassed by any other racing game.

5.) Guitar Hero/Rock Band (XBOX 360, PS2, PS3, Wii, DS)

No party is complete without one of these titles, and even non-gamers know this. You can find this party classic at fraternities, family reunions and band class these days. For Christmas of 2005 Harmonix released Guitar Hero, and although success came a little slowly for this franchise, I don’t even need to explain its modern day success. Guitar Hero and Rock Band have revolutionized the gaming industry musically, and now you see spin-offs all over the place, like DJ Hero. There are many expansions to both games, such as GH: Aerosmith, Metallica, Rock’s the 80′s and the heavily anticipated The Beatles: Rock Band due out on September 9, 2009. Guitar Hero was introduced as a two player game, but with the release of Guitar Hero: World Tour, Rock Band and Rock Band 2, up to four players can play this catchy, culture-changing game. Expect to see these two titles duke it out at least until real instruments are introduced into gaming or the next great phenomenon comes along.