Start the Party - PS3 Move

"Start the Party" is the perfect game to bust out at, well a party. Easy to understand, silly, and cute, "Start the Party" is competitive silliness done nearly perfectly. I may not sit at home playing it by myself, but I can honestly say, it's going to sit with "Buzz!" as one of my go to party games now. Fun and funny, "Start the Party" pulls people into the action like few games can.There have been a lot of mediocre reviews of "Start the Party" for the PlayStation Move. Most of them tend to focus on either how it's not innovative, claiming it's too similar to the old PlayStation 2 EyeToy games, or how some of the minigames are dull. I think both views come from the wrong place. And to prove this, I busted the game out at two parties, and the game was an unqualified hit.

Folks who try to point out that these are similarities between the PlayStation EyeToy games like "Play" and get the party started have an easy task. Sure the PlayStation Eye game "Start the Party" is more accurate, and uses the PlayStation Move controller instead of using the hand or the body of the player, but really, it's a more advanced version and that's about it. But the real question is, "So what?"

It's not like people really played all that many PlayStation Eye games, and it's certainly not something they've done recently. When I busted out "Get the Party Started" at two different parties no-one made the connection with "Play" and when I brought it up, not a soul knew what I was talking about. So, while it may not be "innovative," it was fun, popular, and novel with the groups of folks I played it with.

As far as the minigames being dull, I can sympathize. When I played it with my partner, we got bored and wanted to flip through them faster, but it was a very different experience with a group. While our scores were tight, with groups it's far more competitive, little differences make bigger differences, and the competition is far more tense.

With two of us, I didn't care who could put more toppings on a pizza, or pop more inflatable fish, or who could slice more fruit with a pirate sword (reminiscent of "Fruit Ninja"). But with four players, the tension was palpable. "Start the Party" became a wacky, wild competition.

The reality is that it's hard to review a party game. It's sort of like playing "Monopoly" or "Checkers" by yourself, the fun just isn't there. Add a few friends, obnoxious ones if you have them, and a good time is around the corner.

Sure cutting hair in patterns, painting on the screen, or brushing alligator teeth seem dull, but I'm telling you, they make wonderful competitions. So is this a great solo-game? Yeah, not so much. Is it an alternative to "Gran Turismo 5?" Probably not. But is it a fun party game for the young and or young at heart? Well, now there's the right question.

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