Disappointed there was no Mario Party at E3 this year? Majesco is stepping in with a home improvement-themed party game called Our House. The DIY angle is augmented by the Home Depot license, which you can see in sequences like shopping for tools at a warehouse or from a weekly ad. It's not too obtrusive. In fact, a license like this that is in tune with the game's theme actually enhances the experience, rather than distracts from it.
The mini-game explosion has birthed many titles based on many different topics. You have games that are nothing more than compilations without a central theme. You also have mini-game compilations based on sports, cruise ships, carnivals, cooking, gardening, sleepovers and casinos, to name a few. Just about anything seems to be fair game for being turned into a mini-game compilation. Majesco's latest attempt at this genre is to combine a massive amount of mini-games all themed around home improvement. The result is Our House Party! and if you've played a few of these themed compilations before, you know what to expect from this one.
Game Guys writes: "Corporately-sponsored games are nothing new. In fact, older gamers probably have fond (or not-so-fond) memories of the NES games Spot! and Yo Noid! of 7-up and Pizza Hut, respectivley. It's one thing when they come out and say it by doing something like putting the company's current mascot on the game box. It's another thing when it sneaks up and hits you with a brick, and that's what happens with Majesco's new game for the Nintendo Wii Our House Party. It is 100% Home Depot sponsored with the company's logo and products places all over the place. The brick in question, by the way, is in the garden section."
GameZone writes: "The idea of home improvement projects has definitely gone mainstream with a variety of television shows dedicated to the subject and recently we are even starting to see video-game titles being released with an eye toward the craft. Our House Party, sponsored by Home Depot, was recently released for the Nintendo Wii and it may be one to skip."
