After Kung Fu Rider, my next least anticipated PlayStation Move launch title was Start the Party. And given the fact that I actually enjoy party games (and have Game Night at my house on a regular basis), this might come as a shock to some of you. However, the games included just don’t appeal to me. I spent a good deal of time playing the game both solo and with friends, and none of us came out impressed.

Sony wanted to have a wide spread of game types for the Move launch — I get that. Going after the casual Wii market is necessary with their new motion controller. While Start the Party gives a casual gaming experience and throws in augmented reality with the PlayStation Eye camera, it just doesn’t do enough to make me want to come back for a second helping. Twenty mini games in all are included, and most are very childish. I’m not talking 9 or 10 year old level — these are skewed more towards the 5 or 6 year old type of fun. Unless you have small children, playing this with a group of adults will get boring… fast.

I did rather enjoy the way the game used the PlayStation Eye camera for augmented reality and the controls are great, but there were very few mini games that I felt the need to play for a second time. I’d love to see a version of the game geared more towards adults. The value of Start the Party will rely solely on the age of participants. If you’re looking for a way to engage your young children in family activities on your PS3, give it a whirl. If not, definitely pass on Start the Party.

[A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes.]