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Wii U Christmas Gift Ideas for Everyone
Wii Party U
Following on from Wii favourite Wii Party, the imaginatively named Wii Party U features a familiar mix of board game fun and multiplayer mini-games madness that's guaranteed to make it a firm favourite on Christmas day. With more than 80 mini-games on offer, Wii Party U offers a range of inventive takes on the multiplayer fun, whether you're playing through a fairly lengthy virtual board-game, rolling the dice and taking a break every few goes to battle each other in a mini-game, facing off on a glorified two penny fall machine, with a mini-game deciding who gets to put how many balls into the machine, or competing in a game show style game where one player pulls a face at the GamePad and everyone else guesses what they were supposed to be doing. With a variety of competitive and co-operative games on offer, and games for anywhere from one to four players, one of the best things about this is that all you'll need is a Wii Remote each to get going. If you're looking for multiplayer fun for everyone, from your granny to your grandson, look no further than this - after all, what else has speed-knitting, water-leaping ninjas, and the ability to bop your friends over the head with a squeaky hammer all in one game?
Check back soon for our full review.
Buy this if they like: Mario Party, Wario Ware, Mini-games
Just Dance 2014
Another multiplayer favourite, Just Dance 2014 lets you and up to three friends take to the dancefloor and jig about to a mix of chart-topping tunes, cheesy pop and old favourites - the YMCA, Gaga's Just Dance and ABBA all make appearances. With their funny, over-the-top routines and simple 'Simon Says' style copy-the-moves-on-screen mechanics, Just Dance is a game that's made its fortune on being easy to play, as all you have to do is pick up a Wii Remote, and do as they do on screen. With tons of different dance routines, some that see everyone doing the same moves, some designed to compliment each other, and some, like the slow, romantic twirls of George Michael's Careless Whisper that seem to be designed for embarrassment, there's plenty of scope for giggles. With support for up to four players, you'll be facing off with your friends in a solid competition to see who can score the most points by being as in time, and as accurate as possible - although when contending with grandpa's hip thrusts to Daft Punk's 'Get Lucky', that may be easier said than done...
Buy this if they like: Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, Dancing, Making a fool of themselves
For more, read our full review, or for more on the game's suitability, read our Parent's Guide.
Buy Just Dance 2014 from Amazon
Super Mario 3D World
It's hard to talk about multiplayer on a Nintendo console without mentioning a Mario game - and this Christmas, Mario & Co are even squeezing into catsuits for the occasion. Taking the four player platforming fun of the incredibly successful New Super Mario Bros series, and spicing it up with just a hint of Mario Galaxy, this is an incredibly entertaining adventure that'll have you, and anyone else that's playing it laughing from start to finish. As the gang of Mario, Luigi, Peach and Toad set off to rescue the Sprixies - some cute little fairy creatures, which big, bad Bowser has gone and captured - you'll make your way through the incredibly varied 3D levels (you can move forward and backwards, as well as left and right now) as a team, collecting coins, jumping on enemies, and making use of the famous power-ups as you go. Each character has their own unique abilities, with Mario being the all-round guy, Luigi being able to leap higher than his brother, and Toad running faster than everyone else, while Peach gains the ability to hover in mid-air for a short time, making her great for newcomers. With a new cat power-up that allows the gang to scamper up vertical walls, a cherry pick-up that creates clones of your character to team up on enemies and an entire level spent sitting inside a giant ice-skate, this is a game that's guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Buy this if they like: 3D Mario games like Mario Galaxy, 2D Mario games like New Super Mario Bros, platformers in general
For more, read our full review, or for more on the game's suitability, read our Parent's Guide.
Buy Super Mario 3D World from Amazon
Nintendo Land
Nintendo Land's incredible appeal can be best summed up in two words - Mario Chase. Essentially a combination of hide and seek and tag, a single Mario must avoid getting caught by the other players (dressed as Toads), who'll need to talk to each other, and work together in order to corner the slippery Mario. A game so popular that our Deputy Editor's eight year old cousin is STILL talking about the time they played it together some six months ago, Nintendo Land is worth the entry price for Mario Chase alone - but yet there's plenty more where that came from. From the co-operative Pikmin Adventure, where you team up with your friends to fight through some robotic enemies and reach the spaceship at the end of each level, to an Animal Crossing-themed competitive attraction where you need to gobble up as many sweets as possible whilst avoiding two policemen, who're both being controlled by the player using the GamePad, there's plenty of substantial mini-games to get the hang of in Nintendo Land, as well as half a dozen single player games, all with hidden co-operative options. While it does come bundled with certain Wii Us now, if you're looking for a game to get everyone playing together, this is well worth a purchase - although you will need a Wii Remote for each player on top.
Buy this if they like: Nintendo games, hide and seek, mini-games
For more, read our full review, or for more on the game's suitability, check out our Parent's Guide
