Fuzion Frenzy 2

Traditionally, the \"party\" genre of video games referred to computerised versions of your childhood conpendium games like Snakes and Ladders, suitable for when friends and family visit. Today, while the purpose remains unchanged, the genre is more associated with multiplayer mini-game collections. These games get you to do everything froom shooting baskets and navigating obstacles courses to stuffing fingers up random strangers\' noses - by pressing buttons on a controller, of course. This shift in perception can be largely attributed to 1999\'s Mario Party, whose claim to fame, the numerous mini-games inbued within the primary premise of Snakes and Ladders - were so well-received that thet re-defined the entire genre. Pleased with its success, developer Hudson Soft and publisher Nintendo went on to make more Mario Prty titles.

Fast-forward to 2007, a time when the Nintendo Wii is flooded with New Age party plays; a time when Microsoft unflinchingly publishes Hudson-developed Fuzion Frenzy 2 in a \"monkey see, monkey do\" move that the software giant hopes will give the Xbox360 a substantial slice of the party video games pie. Bad news for Microsoft. Although Fusion Frenzy 2 ditches the Snakes-and-Ladder-type board game schematic to focus purely on mini-games, its collection is inferior to that of Mario Party\'s. For instance, in Mario Party you would be hard-pressed to find two incredibly similar attractions out of more than 50. In stark contrast, five of Frenzy 2\'s mini-games are slight variations of the same activity, you conspire to beat your rivals up in water, on ice, near lava, lightning or nuclear radiation. There goes one-eighth of the 40-plus activites Frenzy 2 proudly proclaims to have on its cover. Even so, I spent more time playing Frenzy 2 than I did any single Mario Party title.

The secret ingredient that kept me coming back for more was the one thing Microsoft offers that Nintendo currently does not - online play. Of course, a party game is best enjoyed with pals in the house and a can of beer in hand. But in the absence of such great company, slugging it out against random strangers online is a hassle-free second best. This practicality alone makes Fuzion Frenzy 2, an otherwise lacklustre entry, a worthwhile consideration.