Tech: Party on, Mario!

It's a cold Saturday night. Snow falls on a windswept West Campus quad. You're out of booze and you smoked your last jay this afternoon. It seems as though you are doomed to commit the ultimate college sin. Working on the weekend!

But alas, friend! Hope is not lost - allow me to show you the way.

The game company from whose genius such classics as Excitebike and Tetris have sprung is here to resurrect this tragic evening.

Nintendo checked in this fall with the fourth installment of its Mario Party franchise. A game that combines a variety of hysterical mini-games with good ol' board game-style competition for up to four players, Mario Party has something to offer everyone. Whether you're frantically prancing for rainbow-colored butterflies or going toe-to-toe with the ruthless Chomp-Chomp, Mario and his gang of buddies will keep your joints aching with all their controller-pounding antics.

Nintendo junkies will recognize the setup from the previous installments of Mario Party. Players can choose from a diverse list of characters that includes long-time favorites such as Mario and Luigi, as well as those that only hardcore gaming addicts will recognize. With his selected persona, each player takes turns cruising around the board racking up coins and trying to grab stars. Each turn is punctuated with a mini-game that can come in three varieties: battle royale, three-on-one or two-on-two team battle. There is always the option of tackling a couple computer-controlled opponents, but the real magic happens when four humans pick up the controllers.

The formula is a success because Nintendo keeps it simple, cutting back on frivolous extras and allowing players to face off mano a mano. Mario Party IV is great for all the reasons that Nintendo markets it to be great. It has an addictive quality that can't be captured in a word or phrase; it's something that has to be experienced with five other gamers and a case of beer at two in the morning on a Wednesday.