 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Birthday Party Bash
- Nintendo Wii
- Price: $39.99
- Genre: Party
Common Sense Media says
Birthday party planner in a box uses Wii games to entertain.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is more than a birthday-themed minigame collection – it is also a guide on how to throw a fun, high-tech at-home birthday party using a Wii. By choosing a theme for your party, and then entering each party-goer's name, the software sets up the rotation of kids playing the games. The game's manual is full of suggestions of other non-tech games and activities to use in addition to playing the birthday-themed minigames.
What's it about?
Got a child's birthday party to plan? BIRTHDAY PARTY BASH can help. This Wii game is more than just a compilation of 22 birthday-themed minigames, it is also a birthday party planner. The game manual explains how to organize a party from choosing a theme and sending out the included invitation cards to planning the food and crafts, and then trying out the Wii games that will be played during the party. By selecting Custom Party and entering each party-goers name, the game will take over the organization of taking turns playing the 15 randomly selected games. With the Quick Party and Free Play modes, you decide which games to play and who is playing them. Kids can play virtual musical chairs, hot potato, sack races, Red Light-Green Light, break the piñata, and pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey. Other games feature virtual rock climbing, balloon-popping, and shooting gremlin statutes with lasers.
Is it any good?
With 22 birthday party-themed games, there is a lot to choose from. Most work well and provide a fun 2-3 minute multiplayer game experience. The Pin the Tail game is quite good because it uses the Wii remote's speaker to send out a series of clicks. The donkey is hiding behind a closed barn door, and you use your remote to sound out where he is. The faster the clicks, the closer you are. When each player has pinned their ribbon on the door, it is opened to reveal who was closest to the donkey.
The Custom Party option really does take away some of the stress of party-planning because it manages what games to play and who is playing when. However, you might decide that some games would be better played for real – like the sack races to burn off energy -- so you would want to use the Quick Party setup instead. As a veteran boys' birthday planner, I loved the option of having 12 little boys whack a virtual piñata, instead of one hanging inside my house. And that is the beauty of this game – you can customize it to fit your needs and preferences.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how birthday parties have changed over the years. Had you heard of or played most of the games in the compilation, or were many new to you? Did you like the tech version or the real world version better? Why.
Did you relate to your avatar? How important is it to you what your avatar looks? Do you like your avatar to look like you or very different from you?
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| Platforms: | Nintendo Wii |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Party |
| Developer: | 2K Play |
| Release date: | July 14, 2009 |
| Price: | $39.99 |
| ESRB rating: | E for Comic Mischief |
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