Squeeballs Party (Wii) Review

Squeeballs Party is, as the name implies, a compilation title featuring bite-sized party games allowing you to play a variety of game modes at varying levels of difficulty. Squeeballs Party features a mode for single player action where you’re given tasks involving Squeeballs; like hitting them with racquets, shocking them, cooking them, and much more. Players will use the Wiimote in a different way with each game which, while simple, is a nice touch because it keeps things fresh. Tenpin Bowling for example has you using the Wiimote to bowl over pins with Squeeballs on them (similar to bowling inWii Sports). In Paint by Squeeballs, you’ll use the Wiimote to draw back and shoot paint-filled Squeeballs onto the canvas. There are eleven unique party games in all and each has plenty of levels and areas to unlock with everything totaling well over 150 different challenges. There really is a lot of content to this game.

Gameplay-wise, the Wiimote gets used in a lot of ways we’ve seen before, but with some funny and laugh inducing results. It’s always amusing seeing the little Squeeballs fly through the air or getting knocked over by a bowling ball. Some of the games don’t feel that tight when playing however. For instance, in Tenpin Bowling, you have to rotate the Wiimote as the ball is rolling down the lane to adjust more spin left or right. It feels a little like the original Tiger Woods for the Wii and kind of takes you out of the experience of bowling. Other games however, are implemented very well. In the Shock game, you have to guide a loop along a set of wire with an electrical charge. It requires a sensitive hand and is pretty fun once you get into the later challenges. Multiplayer has up to 4 gamers competing in the mini-games. In this mode you can select a series of modes and levels to play through with some friends. The game gets a lot more frantic with more players. The game also features a 2-player Head-to-Head mode.

Graphically, Squeeballs Party has some great looking CG cut-scenes that really help in setting the tone for each game. The cut-scenes are beautifully rendered and show a lot of polish. The actual in-game graphics also show the dedication put in by Eiconic and show no signs of frame rate issues even when there’s a lot going on. The game’s overall presentation is very nice and quite honestly better than most other Wii games on the market.

Overall, as a party game Squeeballs Party won’t likely have the kind of universal appeal that a Mario Party title may have. Instead, Squeeballs is just a fun and fast-paced romp that’s aimed primarily at teen and preteen boys who get a kick out of destruction and mayhem. And since that encompasses every young male that hasn’t worn a cheerleading sweater, that means most. But the real test of any party game is the strength of its mini-games. And in this arena Squeeballs Party has some genuinely fun ones. Tight and intuitive controls combine with lively visuals to create memorable characters and a cohesive and funny world. Putting Squeeballs through their paces is an enjoyable experience for Wii gamers of all ages. And despite being targeted at the younger crowd, it provides a stiff challenge to even the most experienced Wii party gamer.

Graphics
8.0

Audio
6.5

Gameplay
8.0

Replay
7.5

Genre
Party

Final
8.0