Are you looking for a game to occupy the whole of the family this Christmas? What casual games should you be asking Santa for? If these questions have cropped up recently then look no further than Console Monster’s Xbox 360 Casual Christmas Games Guide 2008.
So how does the guide work? Simple, if you like the sound of the game by its description, there’s options below it telling you if there is a demo available on the Xbox Live Marketplace for the title as well as optional reading and even a link to a credit-crunch-busting price so you can save money at this crucial time of the year.
Lips
First up is Lips, the Xbox 360’s answer to Singstar and like Singstar, is “without a doubt… a game for parties, for drunk or overly confident non-gamers to make fools of themselves” – perfect for all the family this Christmas. With the game being “bundled with two motion-sensitive microphones,” there’s no excuse not to purchase Lips and make a fool out of yourself in front of the family and friends.
Demo Available: No
Preview: First Look
Review: Scored 73%
Support the site – Buy Lips from Play.com. Click here
Scene It? Box Office Smash
It wouldn’t be Christmas without a quiz and Scene It? Box Office Smash is just that; answering questions about all kinds of films. Scene It? BOS is also one of those games that is best played multiplayer and with “four big button controllers being bundled with the game”* and who better to play with than your family “in a unique gaming experience.”
*Solus edition available
Demo Available: Yes
Preview: N/A
Review: Scored 50%
Support the site – Buy Scene It? Box Office Smash (Game Only) from Play.com. Click here
Support the site – Buy Scene It? Box Office Smash (with controllers) from Play.com. Click here
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
To be honest, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is the outsider of the group, mainly because it’s the only game that fully uses the Xbox 360 controller. It is also the only non-multiplayer title on the list so why has it been recommended? As well as providing “humour like I’d never seen before” and many “laugh-out-loud moments,” it is also a really good game to play and will keep many busy during the holidays as “the single player adventure will take players a fair while to complete.”
Demo Available: Yes
Preview: Hands-On
Review: Scored 80%
Support the site – Buy Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts from Play.com. Click here
You’re In The Movies
If you’re looking for a game to make you the star of the show along with “your team of budding wannabe actors” also known as your family using the Xbox Live Vision Camera. The game puts you through a number of mini-games before using the “video captured in the final movie.”
Demo Available: No
Preview: First Look
Review: Scored 60%
Support the site – Buy You’re In The Movies (Game Only) from Play.com. Click here
Support the site – Buy You’re In The Movies (with Vision Camera) from Play.com. Click here
Guitar Hero: World Tour
Finally we arrive at a popular series which is perfect for parties: Guitar Hero. For those unfamiliar to the series, Guitar Hero: World Tour gets players “using a plastic replica of the real instrument” as part of a band. As well as a set list as long as my arms, there’s even a custom song creator in the Music Studio – which can then be downloaded by “other players… at their will and play those songs in their game.”
Demo Available: No
Preview: First Look
Review: Scored 79%
Support the site – Buy Guitar Hero: World Tour (Game Only) from Play.com. Click here
Support the site – Buy Guitar Hero: World Tour (with Guitar) from Play.com. Click here
Support the site – Buy Guitar Hero: World Tour (Full Bundle) from Play.com. Click here
So there you have it, five casual titles to look out for on the Xbox 360 this Christmas. Which ones are you most interested in? Leave us a comment with your thoughts on the games below.
