There are several party games available for the Nintendo Wii. You don't want to wait until all of your friends are over and your party is in full swing just to find out that the only party game that you have for entertainment, isn't so entertaining. Here is a quick run down for three of the more popular party games out on the market:

WarioWare: Smooth Moves:

This game is the most recent in a succession of games based on the Wario character. The WarioWare games are known for their chaotic nature. This game begins with Wario chasing a thief into an ancient temple. Wario finds a Wii remote, and by picking it up, he sets off a booby trap. Each level of this game is actually a series of microgames, which happen quickly one right after another. In true Wario style, you must complete these seemingly random and crazy actions to progress to the next level. This game starts off as a single player game. In order to play the multi-player versions, the single player version of the game must be played completely through once. In multiplayer mode, several people take turns trying to complete the series of microgames. WarioWare: Smooth Moves has the highest rating of any party game on the market, and is the clear favorite in this genre.

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz:

This is another sequel to a popular series of games. In simple terms, the object of the game is to use the Wii controller to get a rolling ball through a series of arduous obstacle courses. The plot of the game is equally simple. You are a monkey, trying to recover stolen pieces of the Golden Banana, an object stolen be the evil Dr. Bad-Boon. The party mode of this game is a tournament style version of the mini-games included in the single player version. Players take turns trying to complete each mini-game with the most number of points. The game takes some getting used to for new players. The Wii control is held in the left hand for this game, and requires a very light touch. This version of Super Monkey Ball is designed to be almost as much fun to watch as it is to play, making it the second favorite party game for the Wii gaming system.

Mario Party 8:

This is a 4 player game, in which, players take turns rolling the dice and complete mini-games to progress their player across the board in true board game style. Aside from the carnival atmosphere and maximum number of players dropping from 8 to 4, Mario Party 8 is considered by gamers to simply be a version of all the other Mario Party games that can be played on the Wii console. Many of the "bugs" of the older versions are still present in this game. Most gamers feel there is too much of the game progression that is left up to chance. If you are a huge fan of the Mario Party series, or don't have the console to play the earlier version this game is for you. Most gamers agree, if possible you are better off hanging on to your older version for play and spending your money on a better single player game.