Nintendo announces Wii Party @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on May 07, 2010

News: Party down with your Miis on your Wii.

At Nintendo's yearly financial briefing, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata announced the latest "Wii Something" game, Wii Party. Planned for a release in Japan this year, Wii Party asks players to put their Miis (of which there are over 160 million in the world) into a Mario Party type of game.

Iwata had this to say about the game:

The developers are spending significant time for this title so that they can include elements that are must-haves in a party game as well as making sure that adequate volume of game play are available. We are developing it with the intent that every Wii player will be able to find a game that can be enjoyed. In a game play mode called ?Living Party?, there are unique game play only available with the Wii Remote.

Nintendo didn't reveal much else about the game, but Andriasang was able to translate a screenshot of the game's menu, which revealed more modes and minigames:

Standard Party: Playable by one to four players. Includes games like Bingo, Roulette, Mii-jan, Overseas Trip Game and Sugoroku (dice).

Pair Party: Recommended for two players. Includes Compatibility Check, Balance Ship (pictured above), and Mii Alignment.

Living Party: Playable by more than two people. Iwata said that this area would feature new play types made possible by the Wiimote.

A North American release wasn't announced yet, but considering the success of Wii Sports Resort and Wii Play, it's practically a sure thing.