Five Best Games and Franchises for the Ultimate Gamer Party

Despite the myths that us gaming types are hermits whose social lives are about as active as those of zen monks, we’re happy to report that while most of us have an affinity for destroying zombies and slaying enemies in the virtual world, we also tend to enjoy human beings during our occasional trips to reality. Unfortunately, that can sometimes be at odds with our gaming hobby and as such, it can often be necessary to combine the two by hosting a video game party.

(Beer is optional, but recommended.)

Now, not all games are designed with this type of situation in mind, so we’re here to list some of the best franchises and titles for gatherings of friends. They’re a nice substitute for all that time you’ve spent alone, exploring the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Fallout 3.

Dance Dance Revolution

Ah, has there ever been a better game for getting the best out of your friend’s skills, or lack thereof? For those of us who lack coordination, this game can be more embarassing than prom night, but on the plus side it’s likely to result on some laughs from the onlookers, so it’s all in good fun.

And hey, for those people who are actually, well, good at that game, they’ve got an excuse to publically impress people without appearing to show off. There hasn’t been a new title in this franchise in a while, but it’s still worth pulling out that old mat every now and then to bust a move or, more likely, fall on your ass. Either way, it makes for a good Youtube video.

Grand Theft Auto 4

At first glance, the Grand Theft Auto games don’t seem to lend themselves to parties. The online play is only decent, at best, and there’s no co-op mode. However, gamers are always able to find ways to be innovative, and that’s still the case here. One of the most remarkable aspects of this franchise is the way each game features a vast, impeccably imagined city for the player to explore, or, as is more often the case, destroy with wreckless abandon.

So, we’ve developed the fun party game of equipping the character with a few weapons, and insructing players to open fire long enough to attract police attention. Then it’s time to race down the streets of the city, evading the cops for as long as possible while seeing how high you can get your “wanted level,” the gauge that determines how hard the cops are trying to get you.

And well, that’s it. You and your friends simply see who can survive the longest. It’s simple, but it’s fun.

Rock Band

The Rock Band franchise, still going strong, took the Guitar Hero model and expanded it to include as many particpants as possible. It reproduces the experience of playing in a musical group with your friends while sparing you the fights, creative differences, and need for real talent that most actual bands require.

Sorry boys, we can’t promise you that you’ll get any groupies afterwards, but on the plus side, you get the rock band experience without the whole burning out or fading away dilemma. Your rock god career ends when you and your friends decide that “hey, this has been fun, but it’s late and we’ve got work in the morning.”

Super Smash Bros.

Fighting games have existed for a long time, but the Super Smash Bros. franchise seems to have found a way to work itself into our hearts and stay there in a way that Mortal Kombat, for all its excessively gory attributes, simply cannot. Maybe it’s because, if you were raised on Nintendo, this game is a wet dream wrapped in a magic lamp and coated in a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It combines all your favorite gaming characters–Mario, Yoshi, Samus, to name a few–and allows you to pit them against one another in a battle to the death.

Thinking about it, it’s a surprise game developers ever went for the idea. In the world of Nintendo, most of these characters are “good guys.” They’re supposed to be on the same side. Having them kill one another doesn’t sound like the smartest marketing idea.

But hey, video games aren’t about the smartest idea. They’re about whatever idea is most fun. And nothing is more fun than nostalgia mixed with hours upon hours of cartoon violence, right?

Goldeneye

The anomaly to end all anomalies. Video games based on movies aren’t supposed to be any good, right? They’re usually made cheaply and rushed into stores. Developers are just trying to make a profit off of a film’s popularity, not make a good game.

And usually, that’s the case, but Goldeneye for N64 was one hell of an exception. The story mode was thrilling, but the multiplayer is what we still love. There have been literally hundreds of first-person shooters since this game was released, but few of them are as enjoyable when your goal is to get some friends together and just hunt one another down.

Good clean fun, if we ever heard of it.

What’d we miss? Tell us in the comments!