Wii Party Message Board older than one year ago

Nintendo readying some unique games for upcoming party title.

Retailer HMV has listed descriptions for three of the minigames in Nintendo's upcoming Wii Party. It turns out that when Iwata said the "Living Party" mode involved "unique game play only available with the Wii Remote," it was referring to the Wiimote's ability to generate sounds. These three minigames all involve sounds coming from the Wiimote.

"Wan Wan Card Game" plays animal sounds, and asks players to identify which on-screen animal makes the sound. Remote Control Hide and Seek has one player hide the Wiimote, and other players find it by listening to the sounds it emits. "Sensitive Bomb" tasks players with passing the Wiimote around. If it is jostled too much, it explodes! Or, at least, probably plays an "explosion" sound effect.

According to Nintendo's release calendar, Wii Party will be out in Japan on July 8. That means it's definitely complete enough for Nintendo of America to show it at E3.

[Via Siliconera]

Nintendo promised unique uses for the Wiimote. They seem to be delivering.

Metroid Other M and Wii Party arrive in a few months.

Screenshot party in the gallery!During his financial results briefing to investors, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed the next game in the company's flagship "Wii" series: Wii Party. The game, Iwata said, is designed to be a "marquee party game for Wii" -- akin to Mario Party minus some of the frills, like the board-game framing or the Waluigi. You could also think of it like any of the dozens of minigame collections already available for the Wii, but with the potential to be good.

Wii Party joins Wii Sports and sequel Resort, Wii Play, the Wii Fits, and (cough) Wii Music in the Wii-branded game series. The party game stars player-created Miis (instead of Mario characters) and includes a "Living Party" mode that uses just the Wiimote. 1-4-player games shown in screenshots include sugoroku (the Japanese board game that's also the basis for WiiWare's Family Pirate Party), "International Vacation Game," "Mii Jyan," roulette, and bingo; and 1-2-player games, filed in the "Pair Party" category, include Mii compatibility check, "Balance Ship" and Mii Match.

"Nintendo has not launched a marquee party game since Mario Party 8, launched in summer 2007," Iwata told investors (through translation). "However, since Wii is usually being played by several people at once and the global sales of Mario Party have reached 7.6 million units, a party title has great potential. This is one of the titles which, we hope, will play an important role for this fiscal year." In other words, Wii Party will be released, at least in Japan, before the end of March 2011.

The best thing about Wii Party? It'll allow Nyko to bring back the canceled Party Station as a game-specific accessory.

[Via Kotaku]

NOA responds following the announcement in Japan.