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The early 2000s felt like the height of party games. Gamers were familiar with popular titles like Mario Party on the Nintendo 64, and developers were more than willing to oblige them. Xbox party games were the in thing, but many went overlooked. Xbox was perfect for party games because it supported four controllers. While this may seem like a minor factor, it was great being able to play without having to worry about multitaps. The console also supported LAN play, another reason for its mass appeal. So, let’s look back at the top 7 Xbox party games.
Halo 2
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Halo 2 is undoubtedly one of the greatest games ever made. It had an incredible story that followed up on Combat Evolved, but it was also responsible for revolutionizing online multiplayer. The game also had a good local mode that led to massive LAN parties.
In the early 2000s, gaming changed from something where multiple people had to sit around a TV to the point where you could play remotely against others worldwide. While that was groundbreaking, LAN parties were truly something to behold. You could connect several Xbox consoles and display them on multiple TVs so everyone could get in on the action.
Halo 2’s multiplayer feels very similar to the single-player game. It has sprawling landscapes where teams battle against each other. One nice thing is that the maps are pretty large, so there are a lot of areas to hide and explore, but they aren’t too big where you could get lost. You can even play Halo 2 on the Series S/X, where it looks absolutely incredible.
- This Certified Refurbished product is tested and certified to look and work like new. The refurbishing process includes functionality testing, basic cleaning, inspection, and repackaging. The product...
- Master Chief can now wield two weapons at once, board Covenant vehicles and steal Covenant weapons like the incredible double energy sword
- Lead an all-new unit of super-soldiers, the ODST -- tougher, badder and deadlier versions of your old comrades
- New enemies, allies and surprises around every corner - intense combat action with enhanced AI and real-time lighting
- Immense single-player action with maassive landscapes and huge cities to explore and defend - destructible and interactive environments
Fuzion Frenzy
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Fuzion Frenzy was another popular game on the Xbox, but few talk about it today. While not as famous as Halo, it remains, one of the best party games from the era. Fuzion Frenzy is a compilation of mini-games that are pretty simple but quickly get challenging.
The gameplay varies with each game, but the overarching concept is that you and up to four friend battle against each other. You can choose the game you want to play, and there is no over-world to navigate through. Many games feature racing aspects or include pressing buttons to match the rhythm on the screen.
In some games, you must collect objects before the other players. The good thing is that none of the games require any instruction, so anyone can pick it up and start playing. While you probably wouldn’t play this alone, it is an amazing party game, and you can even play it on modern Xbox consoles with Game Pass.
- Non-Stop action - The fun never ends with Fuzion Frenzy's continuous action-packed game experience. Unlike turn-based games, Fuzion Frenzy provides real-time play for all players in both the main game...
- Superior mini-games - Fuzion Frenzy contains many different types of mini-games designed to broaded the appeal of the party game. All of Fuzion Frenzy's mini-games provide head-to-head, fast-paced,...
- Edgy, urban, futuristic theme and characters - Fuzion Frenzy's edgy, urban, futuristic environment delivers a party game core gamers can relate to. Gamers immerse themselves in the various futuristic...
- Scaling - Players can customize the length of the game or play only individual mini-games.
- Dynamic environments - Fuzion Frenzy includes highly interactive and constantly changing urban-arena environments. These changes make for a unique game playing experience every time.
Monopoly Party
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At this point, it seems Monopoly has been released on every video game console, and it has. For some reason, people love playing the classic board game on TV. One nice thing about playing Monopoly on a video game console is that you don’t have to worry about rules or managing money because the game does everything for you.
Monopoly Party is the classic board game that everyone knows and loves, but another playable version has a twist. The classic mode works exactly as you’d expect. Each player takes turns rolling the die and moving around the board. During your turn, you can manage money and sell or trade property.
In this version, each player rolls the die and moves simultaneously, making it a much faster-paced game. You can also change the board and set custom rules to create your own game. Monopoly Party is a fun departure from the board game that is fun to play alone or with friends.
- The Monopoly Party game is the fastest way to discover what your friends are really like. It's an intense buying, trading, building, and deal-making frenzy because every player moves at the same time....
Def Jam Fight For NY
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When you hear Def Jam, music probably comes to mind. However, this is not a musical game but a fighting one, and a sequel to Def Jam Vendetta. Fight for NY is the first Def Jam title on the original Xbox. Its predecessor was only released on Gamecube and PlayStation 2.
Gameplay is set up like other popular fighting games, such as Streetfighter, where you try to deplete your opponent’s health meter before he empties yours. But Fight For NY really stands out because of its unique backgrounds, which are set throughout New York City. You can use parts of the fighting space to your advantage, with moves like throwing your opponent in front of a subway.
A single-player mode offers a surprisingly decent story, which is typically lacking in most fighting games. Of course, most people want to fight and Fight For NY does not disappoint. The mix of big-name musicians and other celebrities makes the game stand out from other fighting games, and it is the perfect party game for the original Xbox.
- Turn 40 of the biggest names in hip-hop into street brawlers -- from Busta Rhymes and Method Man to Ice T and Slick Rick
- Fight it out in 22 interactive venues, complete with destructible environments and spectators who jump into the fight
- Create your own fighting style based on multiple systems and moves -- ad create new blazin' moves to finish off the punk you're facing
- Build your own street-ready fighter and outfit him gear, tattoo, even bling from Jacob the Jeweler
Star Wars Battlefront II
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So many great Star Wars games come during the Xbox era. However, Star Wars Battlefront II remains one of the best games of all time. While it may not come to mind when you first think of party games, it certainly fits the mold. The single-player campaign was excellent, but the game also had one of the best multiplayer modes.
The game takes place across the Star Wars galaxy and involves major battles. Battlefront 1 and 2 play like Battlefield games of that time. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it creates gameplay that is much more about fighting than a story. One of the best parts of the games is that you cannot only engage in ground combat but also control ships.
The multiplayer is where the game shines and makes it worthy of a party game. It is set up as a two-player co-op that uses a split-screen. Each player gets to choose a team to fight alongside. Then you battle against each other to complete missions.
- This renewed game may come repackaged in a generic case. It has been cleaned, tested, and shows minimal wear.
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Many party games target younger audiences, but those with fond memories of SpongeBob SquarePants will still find a lot of fun in . SpongeBob received a lot of tie-in games in the early 2000s, just like so many other movies and TV shows. But SpongeBob surprisingly received some pretty good titles.
The game’s premise is that a new Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy special is in the works, and the citizens of Bikini Bottom want to have a role. To do so, they compete in various auditions, which consist of mini-games. It does have a decent single-player option which goes into further detail about the movie being made.
Lights Camera, Pants features 30 mini-games that you can play as one of six characters from the SpongeBob series. The only downside is that some mini-games require you to unlock them. But they offer a nice variety of things like racing, combat, and even polo. This is one of the best party games on the original Xbox, even if you aren’t a fan of SpongeBob.
Karaoke Revolution Party
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Dancing, singing, and playing plastic guitars were synonymous with party games in the early 2000s, and Karaoke Revolution Party is certainly one of the best. With that in mind, this is certainly not one of the greatest Xbox games ever made, and you probably won’t want to play it alone. However, it’s still one of the best Xbox games to play together.
Karaoke Revolution Party is like many other musical games from the era, with its gameplay focusing on rhythm. However, it was also one of the first mainstream games to use a microphone. This accessory meant you would sing along with the game, and it would even rate your singing abilities.
The graphics aren’t the best, but they are fun, and it’s not like you’re playing this for the visuals. So you may think that a karaoke game from the early 2000s sounds like a bad idea. You’d be wrong this game has many songs in different genres and spanning past decades. Of course, you won’t have newer music, but this is still fun to play with friends.
- The ultimate interactive Karaoke experience
- Sing and dance to a collection of 50 songs featuring classics
- Includes "Sweet Caroline" and "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" and recent hits like "Crazy in Love" and "I Don't Wanna Be"
- More multiplayer and party modes than ever before
- 3/5Hx5-1/3Wx7-1/2L"; 0.4 lb.
Last update on 2023-03-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
