I never thought I'd see the day when I would actually enjoy a party game. Even more surprising is the console this "party" game is on -- the Xbox. Fuzion Frenzy would have made sense on GameCube or even the PlayStation 2, but Xbox? Microsoft wasn't kidding when they said that they wanted the Xbox to appeal to everyone.

Fuzion Frenzy defies the traditional party game style. 1) It doesn't have a board of any kind (this is a party game, NOT a board game!). 2) Fuzion Frenzy may be rated "E" for Everyone, but that doesn't mean you have to listen to a soundtrack that is intended for six-year-olds. Have you copied any music to the hard drive yet? If not, then I suggest doing so immediately. Because Fuzion Frenzy allows you to replace its annoying soundtrack with any song saved on the hard drive. Limp Bizkit's "Rollin'" seems like an appropriate song, wouldn't you say? 3) There aren't any "rolling motion" mini-games in Fuzion Frenzy. Unlike other party games, Fuzion Frenzy's mini-games require skill, not luck. 4) The graphics are great. 5) More important than any of the above is the fact that Fuzion Frenzy is actually worth playing with your friends. Not just for laughs either, but for the entertainment value. It's hard to believe, I know. But this game is a blast.

There are dozens of different mini-games, all of which are based on any one of the 12 game types. The 12 game types are: Ice Car, Fireworks, Demolition, Rolling Ball, Jet Boat, Orb, Pod, Tank, Hopper, Splat, Tank, Tail and Music. Ice Car is one of the more unique game types, featuring an awesome variation of hockey. Hop in an ice car and try to ram the puck into one of the four goals. Just like in real hockey, whoever touches the puck last will get the goal. That means that if you knock the puck all the way across the screen, but an opponent touches it just before lands in the goal, he or she will receive the point. Knockout, another Ice Car game, crams four players onto one small, icy platform, letting you and your friends work out your differences together in the most civilized of ways: by using your ice car to ram your opponents off the platform. The center of the platform is a hazardous area and will freeze anyone standing on it from time to time. Then you won't be able to move, leaving your ice car open for attack.

Even if your friends gang up on you, the Ice Car games are still a blast. It isn't a difficult game by any means, but some of the mini-games are challenging. They become very easy to conquer once you get the hang of them, but invite a few friends over and the difficulty will rise again. The computer opponents range from cheap to just plain stupid. Humans are capable of being equally as cheap and stupid as the computer, but more often than not they surprise. You think you're kicking butt just because you've got 200 points. Then you glance over at your friend's score, which has just passed the 500 point mark. Worse yet, there's only 10 seconds left on the clock. This is where the high replay value comes in. You'll spend the next sixty minutes playing the same mini-game over and over again in an effort to prove that you're the best. The more you lose, the more you'll want to play, and the more your friend loses, the more he'll want to play. It's a paradox, and a welcome one at that.

I've played just about every party game out there, and none of them have come close to matching the graphical beauty of Fuzion Frenzy. The characters and backgrounds alone are stunning enough. Their shadows in the Rolling Ball mini-games (the light streaks a perfect shadow of the sphere's bars) are incredible. But Blitz Games didn't stop there. They took the graphics even further, utilizing some of the Xbox's special effects capabilities. Though nowhere near as spectacular as the yet-to-be-released Bloodwake, Fuzion Frenzy's water is gorgeous, splashing realistically as your boat tries not to fall in the whirlpool. Some of the mini-games feature a fireworks show almost as impressive as PlayStation 2's Fantavision. Microsoft has stated that some of the games were "rushed to make the launch" and they'd "look a lot better next year." Man, if they can make Xbox games this beautiful by rushing their development, one can only imagine how good the games will look next fall.

Fuzion Frenzy is the ultimate party game. The gameplay is excellent and the music CD feature means that everyone's ears will be just as satisfied as their eyes and thumbs. Many of the games were "inspired" by classic games from early 80s, giving old timers something to look forward to. If you haven't been playing games since the 80s, so what. It doesn't matter if you just started playing last week. Fuzion Frenzy is intended to be played by everyone, and I think that most people will have no trouble learning it.

Gameplay: 8
I have played Fuzion Frenzy more than every other party game combined, and I still can't believe how good it is. The mini-games are ridiculously simple to play, yet still addictive enough to keep you coming for more time and time again. There are a lot of must-have games available for the Xbox, and I doubt that anyone who just spent $500+ on a bundle will want to pick up another game before the new year. But if you have the extra cash, or a nice relative willing to buy you a game for Christmas, Fuzion Frenzy should definitely be on your list. And be sure to tell Santa that extra controllers make great stocking stuffers.

Graphics: 8
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed the first time I played the Erodeo mini-game. You play on a large platform hung over a city. As it sways back and forth, the world below turns on its left and right side, revealing all of the detailed objects below. The water effects in the Jet Boat mini-games were even more impressive. When's the last time you've seen water in a video game that looked that good?

Sound: 6
Fuzion Frenzy's music is much better than the sub-par tunes featured in most party games, but it's not perfect. Your ears will begin to suffer sooner or later. Unless of course, you own a decent music CD. Oh, you mean tell me that all you have in your collection is Vanilla Ice? Then maybe you'd better stick to Fuzion Frenzy's soundtrack. But if you've got a higher-quality CD, such as Blink-182's "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket," pop it into your Xbox and download it to the hard drive. Now load up a game of Fuzion Frenzy and switch the soundtrack to your own selection. Voila! The annoying in-game music has been replaced by great songs like, "The Rock Show," "The Story of a Lonely Guy" and "Stay Together For The Kids."

Difficulty: 5
Anyone who can move a mouse can play Fuzion Frenzy. Most of the mini-games only use two buttons to perform the necessary actions. Casual gamers who still prefer the traditional D-pad style of play will be happy to know that almost all of the mini-games can be played using the directional-pad or the left thumbstick.

Concept: 6.7
All of the mini-games in Fuzion Frenzy have been done before in some shape or form. But never before have so many of them come together in one great package. The music mini-games are a rip-off of Guitar Freaks, but since Konami is so reluctant to release that game in the States, I'm glad that Blitz included them. They're loads of fun, especially when you manage to score 600 points, and your friends can barely get 200.

Multiplayer: 8.9
Fuzion Frenzy is 100% multiplayer action. There aren't any coins to collect in some lame side quest or story mode. I love Super Monkey Ball, but not all of its games allow four players to get in on the action simultaneously. In Fuzion Frenzy, everyone plays together.

Overall: 8
Fuzion Frenzy is one of many Xbox games that justifies the purchase of three extra controllers. Once you pick up the controller that came with the system, you won't want to put it down. As soon as your family and friends find out that you have this game, they'll want to come over a lot more often than usual. The extra controllers are worth it though. Try and find a store that is selling them for $34.99 (most stores are charging $39.99!). Or pick up a few third party controllers instead. Either way you do it, Fuzion Frenzy is a multiplaying experience that shouldn't be missed.