Hasbro Family Game Night 2 :: Wii and DS Game Review

Courtesy Of EA

Platform(s): Nintendo Wii and DS
Publisher: Electronic Arts
ESRB Rating: E For Everyone

Hasbro Family Game Night 2 is a new release for Nintendo Wii and DS that follows up on the success of the original Family Game Night. The game pretty much replaces your family's need to collect all sorts of board games (which, in turn, collect all sorts of dust). Rather, you can just gather round the flat-screen, pop the game into your Wii or DS and play digital versions of all your favorite classic Hasbro games.

Big Savings

Even if you hold on to the belief that nothing can replace playing the actual, physical board games themselves, it's hard to hide from the facts. And in this case, the fact is when you buy Hasbro Family Game Night 2 you spend about $20 less than you would if you were to buy the same five featured games in their classic, board game versions. Each Wii game also offers a remixed version with gameplay variations that wouldn't be possible in a real-world game.

Games Galore

Here's what you'll find on the Wii disc:

Connect 4x4: A new spin on Connect 4.
Operation: Use a steady hand to remove objects from Cavity Sam's body.
Pictureka: Find objects hidden in a jumble of mixed images before time runs out.
Jenga: A classic! Remove blocks from the tower and restack them on top until the tower topples.
Bop It: Kind of like Simon Says; listen to the commands and recreate the actions with the onscreen Bop It controller.

To play any of the games listed above, just select one from the shelf and watch as it's carried to the table for you and set up automatically. Same thing when you're done playing - the game automatically packs everything up and puts the game back on the shelf. Annoying: If you want to play the remix of any game you have to pack up the whole game and switch to Remix mode, where the game remix will reopen and re-set up.

Championship Ring

You can win in-game trophies for completing specific challenges; you can also unlock different costumes for Mr. Potato Head, the host of Family Game Night to wear. Hasbro Family Game Night 2 also displays your Mii next to your score during a game, which reacts to your wins and losses. One last point: not only does the soundtrack for this game rock, you can listen to it without playing any games on the in-game jukebox.