Start the European Wii Party on October 8th

Sneaking up on sales charts in Europe like a grass snake destined to make a fortune, Wii Party is set to conquer living rooms across the continent from October 8th.

We had chance to play Wii Party at a recent Nintendo event and spoke about in a recent podcast, but the name doesn't leave too much to the imagination. Taking your Miis to the world of board games, Wii Party has the usual array of boards, minigames and late-in-the-game turnarounds that Mario Party veterans will be all-too familiar with.

There's currently no official news on a North American release but expect to see it land around the same time.

MAKE YOUR Wii THE LIFE AND SOUL OF THE PARTY!

Experience a new kind of party game that everyone can enjoy, as Wii Party launches this Autumn.

Prepare for a new kind of party game that introduces novel ways to play and ensures it’s a piece of cake for everyone to get in on the action, when Wii Party launches in Europe for Wii on 8th October.

Sharing the instant accessibility of titles like Wii Sports and Wii Fit, Wii Party brings more than 80 different mini-games into your home to offer non-stop fun and unparalleled variety as you and your family and friends grab up to four Wii Remotes and try your hand at a host of inventive and intuitive gaming experiences. To add to the enjoyment, players can sample every second with their Mii characters and see them in action like never before!

With 13 different game modes to get to grips with, Wii Party will be the life and soul of any gathering as you enjoy games that refine the traditional party videogame experience. For the first time, the action away from the television screen will be as important as what’s displayed on it, as House Party mode turns your living room into a pivotal part of the gameplay.

The Hide ‘n’ Hunt game will have you rummaging through cupboards and peering under the sofa as you desperately search for the hidden Wii Remote(s) before time runs out. If you can block out the laughter of whoever did the hiding, you’ll hear the occasional sound from the Wii Remote to give you a helpful – but sometimes infuriating - clue as to its whereabouts! Alternatively, tackle the Time Bomb game and see if you can keep a steady hand as you pass a ticking Wii Remote between friends. Careful though - one wrong move and your chances of winning will be up in smoke!

On top of the new level of interactivity introduced by House Party, Wii Party also includes Pair Games and Party Games modes - both of which keep the varied challenges coming thick and fast as you cooperate or compete with fellow players. Within Party Games you can enjoy the likes of Board Game Island, a mini-game-filled journey to the top of a mountain that puts an exciting new twist on traditional board games.

If you’d rather work with another player than against them, Pair Games offer you the opportunity to do just that. As you collaborate in your attempts to balance out a boat or attempt to get a good friendship rating, you’ll need to be on the same wavelength to avoid doubling your troubles!

With stacks of mini-games to discover, and creative ways to play them made possible by the Wii Remote, Wii Party packs in enough fun to keep everyone entertained and coming back for more. With so much on offer, you might even struggle to decide what you should play next. Thankfully, your personal concierge Party Phil is on hand to make an appropriate suggestion based on your available time and specific mini-game requirements.

There’s something for everyone in Wii Party, and you’re invited to get in on the fun when the game arrives in Europe on 8th October 2010. Party on!

The House Party games include:
Hide ‘n’ Hunt (2-4 players) – one player hides the Wii Remote(s) somewhere in the room, whilst the other players wait outside. All the players are then invited back into the room to start the search. Their only clues are the sounds made by the Wii Remote(s).
Animal Tracker (2-4 players) – players listen for the animal sounds coming out of the Wii Remote controllers and decide which one is the correct animal. Whoever picks up the correct Wii Remote first is the winner.
Time Bomb (2-4 players) - a game where the players pretend the Wii Remote is a bomb and must pass it around without shaking it.
Word Bomb (2-4 players) – similar to Time Bomb, however, instead each player has up to 10 seconds to say a word from a given category. If the player doesn’t say a relevant word and press the A Button in time, then the bomb explodes and it will be game over.
Buddy Quiz (3-4 players) – one player chooses (or is randomly chosen) to be the ‘Buddy’ and then has to answer a set of questions. The rest of the players then have to predict how the ‘Buddy’ would have answered.

The Party Games include:
Board Game Island (1-4 players) - players take it in turns to roll the dice and advance along a single route towards the summit of the mountain. At the beginning of each turn, everyone plays a mini-game, and the order the players come in determines which bonus dice they receive. This is a board game like no other – expect the impossible.
Globe Trot (1-4 players) – a board game that has you travelling the world to earn souvenir photos. The players must select one card at a time from the cards they have in their hands and advance the stated number of spaces towards the country they are aiming for. There is also a mini-game before each turn, and based on the results, players win coins which they can use to buy movement cards and souvenir photos.
Bingo (1-4 players) - each player receives a bingo card covered in Mii characters. If a “Mii Ball” comes out of the bingo machine, you have to check off that Mii if it appears on your card, while if a “Mini-game Ball” appears, you play a mini-game. The winner can check off any Mii of their choice. The winner is the first to make a line horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
Swap Meet (1-4 players) – Have fun matching Mii characters wearing the same colours, playing mini-games and learning the difference between a Wild Mii, Clearer Mii and a Trader Mii. The aim of the game is to make each row consist of Mii characters wearing the same colour.
Spin Off (1-4 players) – each Mii takes a turn to spin the wheel by holding the A Button and flicking the Wii Remote. Depending on where the wheel stops, you could be in for some point-scoring medals.

The Pair Games include:
Balance Boat (1-2 players) – this game involves working together to place Mii characters on a ship in perfect balance so that the ship does not tip left or right and none of the Mii characters fall into the sea. You clear the game if you manage to place 20 Mii characters on the ship. The two players attempt a mini-game together, and if they manage to clear it, they will each have to place a Mii of the same size. However, if they fail to clear the mini-game, the Mii characters will be different sizes.
Friend Connection (2 players) – two players complete a simple test of how in tune they are and play a mini-game together. The results are used to judge how close they are as friends. Do you think you’re completely in tune with your friend’s tastes and opinions? Play this dynamite little game to find out!
Match-Up (1-2 players) – a take on the classic game of pairs. Match paired Mii characters in the park area, but be careful not to lose any hearts.