Game Party 2 for Wii brings yard games to your TV

3/5 stars

Before Oct. 6, the thought of playing corn hole without bean bags and two platforms appeared impossible. But with the release of Game Party 2, Midway’s sequel to the original mini-game collection, the only thing students need for tailgating classics like beer pong and corn hole is a Wii, Game Party 2 and, well, beer.

Though a few of the mini games on Game Party 2 are redundant and lame, the addition bean bags (corn hole) and the return of ping cup (empty-cup beer pong) are enough to make this game worth the purchase.

The game returns six mini games from the first edition of Game Party in darts, shuffleboard, hoop shot, ski ball, trivia and ping cup. New additions include bean bags, horseshoes, lawn darts, puck bowling and quarterback challenge.

Though the drop of table hockey is a bit disappointing, the addition of bean bags allows for dorm room tailgating during rainy away games. The accuracy of motion on both ping cup and bean bags is tremendous and fairly easy to get a grasp on.

Lawn darts, horseshoes and quarterback challenge were difficult to grasp and quickly became redundant.

Another new feature is the Create-a-Player system, which allows gamers to create themselves, friends or celebrity look-alikes such as Chuck Norris. Unless one prefers the emo-looking characters the game provides, creating a player is a good idea.

The game also features four-player split screen for competitions such as hoop shot that allows each player to compete as if side by side at the arcade.

All in all, the game is hit or miss. Originals like darts, ping cup, hoop shot, trivia and ski ball are fun, but there is nothing revolutionary or even new about them.  Of the new additions, only bean bags emerge as a superior addition.

But the tandem of both ping cup and bean bags could be a dorm room and apartment favorite, a host of four-player drunken battles that allow players to get the feel of tailgating fun on any day and at any time. It’s worth a shot.