If you are gearing your LAN toward PC play, take a break by firing up a fun, tried-and-true console game. Sure, everybody knows Halo can be a great way to blow off some steam, but after playing PC shooters, a console FPS will seem like it is in "slow motion". It’s better to fire up Mario Kart, Bomberman, or Boom Blox (try it, seriously!) if you have a GameCube or Wii. If you have an Xbox 360 handy, the Xbox Live Arcade selection should have something for everyone: old school multiplayer titles like Gauntlet and Joust are a riot, while new school faves like Geometry Wars are extremely entertaining just to watch. And of course, fighting games like Super Smash Brothers, Street Fighter, and Soul Caliber are perfect for a quick player-versus-player fix.

For console centric LAN parties, taking a break from the controller is the way to go. Try loading up the universal LAN party standard: Unreal Tournament 2004. 2k4 is a stellar run-and-gun action title that is 10lbs of fun in a 5lb bag -- even if you are playing for the very first time. It’s also an older title that even low-spec laptops will be able to handle nicely, and available dirt cheap in most stores’ bargain bins, or downloadable from Steam.

Once you’ve attended or held a few LAN parties, you’ll start noticing games in the bargain bin that will be ideally suited to a LAN, especially those "forgotten" shooters. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has an amazing deathmatch mode that is wildly popular in places like Russia, but if you live in the West, you’ll need to create a local server -- and a LAN party is the perfect opportunity. Likewise, Prey is an ideal PC LAN game if your group is on the small side -- this console-centric shooter fared poorly since it was too claustrophobic for 16-32 player servers, but is ideal for 4-8 friends at a LAN.

One last thing: unless you are getting your Guild together for some in-person raid action, it would be wise to ban World of Warcraft during the weekend. WoW has a tendency to divide your group into ever-smaller chunks, and really takes away from the mano-a-mano spirit of a LAN.

Good luck--and save us a slice of pizza!

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