With the advent of the Nintendo Wii and the potential change in gaming demographics, party games are more prominent and certainly more popular than ever before. Due to the unique controls and varied user base, the Nintendo Wii has already become notorious, and successfully so, in the application and release of party games. This is no more apparent than in the case of the critically acclaimed and hugely popular WarioWare: Smooth Moves, which has set a new standard for party games while garnering very impressive sales, both at home and abroad, in the process.

Not ones to be left in the shade, Microsoft Studios, along with Hudson Soft, have retuned to the party game genre with the release of a sequel to the only Xbox-exclusive party game. Released at launch for the original Xbox, Fuzion Frenzy was primarily marketed as the grown up yin to the Gamecube and Mario Party's child friendly yang, in an attempt to solidify the console's image while still offering an alternative for fans of the party game. With the release of Wii and the rise in popularity in party games once more, it's no surprise to see Microsoft once again offering an alternative while conveniently plugging a gap in their own library for the 360. What is surprising however is the return to Fuzion Frenzy, rather than starting afresh. [Or even better, how about Whacked! 360? Man, I loved that game and spent countless hours stapling and hammering and skewering and baseball batting and blasting the stars out of my online buddies. Please Microsoft, PLEASE bring back Whacked!! Plead-Ed].

Given the fact that the original received, at best, both lukewarm sales figures and reviews, it comes as a shock that Microsoft would return to a title that holds very little sway or interest in the minds of the majority of gamers. If anything, it comes across largely as a desperate ploy on the part of Microsoft to ride the current wave of popularity that party games are enjoying thanks to the Wii, especially when taking into account the mediocrity of the original.

However, although it seems like the knives have been sharpened, before you stop reading this review and decide to leave the game on the shelf to collect dust, it should be noted that Fuzion Frenzy 2 does have an ace up its sleeve - namely online play. The inclusion of online play immediately makes Fuzion Frenzy 2 an altogether different beast and thus sets it apart, and in some ways above any choice of party game you might find on the Wii. Okay, so the Wii has more charm, as does its party games, and of course it also has the Wii remote, which brings a whole new dimension to the genre. However, take away your friends and it's an altogether different story - because we all know that party games are rubbish when played against AI. This is where you realise just how important online play can be - suddenly you have a party game that you can play at any time. And for the doubters out there, believe me, playing Fuzion Frenzy 2 online is nearly, if not quite as good, as playing with a bunch of your friends in your living room.

There is one more thing that should be taken into account - the sharp-eyed Mario Party fans amongst you will have spotted my earlier mention of Hudson Soft, who are indeed the same team that developed the Mario Party games. Okay, so they don't have the same mascots to work with here, but they certainly have brought a sense of charm from their work on the Mario Party titles, which was so sorely lacking for Fuzion Frenzy's first foray into the gaming world.

Beyond all outside factors, a party game lives and dies by its mini-games, and Fuzion Frenzy 2 doesn't fall short in this department. Although there aren't too many that really stand out, the general quality remains at a reasonable level throughout, providing an interesting and solid mix of button mashers and quick reflex offerings that keep things reasonably entertaining throughout. A few of the original's more successful mini-games return, including the Gladiators style ball matches, where you roll around an arena inside a giant ball, the aim being to knock your opponents out while ducking and jumping from deadly laser attacks. There are of course many new inclusions, giving you tasks as ridiculous as escaping waves of lava and even giant pinball tables, to name but a few. Each game is fun in its own right, but sadly they all wear thin a little too quickly, with too many of the mini-games feeling like repeats in different packages. That said, they are solid little games nevertheless and provide a fun, if unoriginal challenge for as long as they last.

The meat of the game is found in the Tournament Mode, for one to four players. It is set to the theme of an intergalactic TV show - think Smash TV but without all the death and satirical humour. Players are charged with battling from one planet to the next, each having a run of the mill lava, ice, water etc. themed location with its own specific mini-games. This varies the gameplay nicely however and works well in giving you the incentive to play on due to the need to capture a pre-determined number of planets to win the match outright. This gameplay system also works well in that you never know how long a game will last, as players always have a chance of winning back a planet, especially if they grow particularly adept at one specific planet's theme and mini-game type. This gives the game some character and you might find a preference over time in regards to any one planet.

To add greater longevity and tactical finesse to the proceedings, a card system has been introduced that allows players to use cards given either at the start of the match or produced based on performance that can hugely affect the outcome of matches. These include score multiplier cards that if used in conjunction with your preferences can really make a difference to the outcome of a match. Although a welcome addition, the lack of variety is a letdown, as given a bit more thought it could have really made Fuzion Frenzy 2 a very interesting proposition.

If you can't be bothered with all that tournament malarkey, you can always simply choose mini-games by preference or chance. This is likely to be the choice of many after a few hours of play due to the sheer annoyance of the presenter in Tournament Mode! Anyone who can remember Harvey's commentary on FIFA Street or that guy from Ridge Racer 6 will be equally shocked and upset to hear that there is a contender to the crown of most annoying voice in a videogame ever. Yes, it's that bad. His voice is like something out of a broken Japanese Megadrive game. To make matters worse, he simply will not shut his trap! He happily repeats the same lame catchphrases over and over. This may sound like a minor niggle, but believe me, it becomes a real problem very quickly, and with no cool Hihatchi voiceover option anywhere to be seen, expect to be playing Tournament Mode in mute before you know it.

Apart from the aforementioned presenter, the sound quality and presentation throughout the game are passable - for a party game at least. This isn't going to match many 360 games out there for looks, but the characters have their own little charms and the game is generally colourful and imaginative enough for looks not to be too much of a negative issue. The sound throughout is also passable, with sound effects doing their job without really ever wowing and a soundtrack that is pleasant enough not to be annoying while never being memorable either.

It's the online play that sets Fuzion Frenzy 2 apart from its peers, while the rest of the package simply does its job without ever excelling. Saying that, it never feels like the game is trying to excel or push the genre forward in any way - it's just trying to be a solid and fun party game to fill a gap in the 360 library, and on that front it just about succeeds.

Reviewed by Liam Bennion for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).