Midway doubles up Game Party, TouchMaster

Yesterday, Midway Games called up its band of bruisers for another season in Blitz: The League II, fronted again by former New York Giants hitman Lawrence Taylor. However, growth hormones and hyperaggression are clearly not for everyone, and the publisher today flipped to the other side of its coin, announcing Game Party 2 for the Wii and TouchMaster 2 for the Nintendo DS.

Expanding upon last year's million-unit-shipped Game Party for the Wii, Game Party 2 offers 11 minigames, some of which are new and others that have returned from the original. While Midway didn't lay out an entire list of minigames, the publisher did note new bite-size casual games include Bean Bags, Horseshoes, Lawn Darts, and Puck Bowling. Along with returning games Skill Ball, Darts, and Hoop Shoot, all minigames will feature play for up to four, tournaments, and customizable characters.

While Game Party scaled up, Midway has slightly reined in Touchmaster's offerings, with this year's TouchMaster 2 featuring 20 new minigames. Playing decidedly in the parlor genre, TouchMaster 2's games include alternate takes on classic games such as Poker, Solitaire, and Mahki (a tile game). Midway also promises head-to-head multiplayer for many of the games included in the compilation.

Both Game Party 2 and TouchMaster 2 are expected to be released as part of Midway's fall lineup.