November 11, 2006
Featured
Update 2008: Guitar Hero/Rock Band; Bejeweled; Wii Fit

Sex sells, but guess what? So does violence. Video games have been put under intense media scrutiny following supposed correlations between virtual violence and real-life violence. It's not real people! But violence in a game, from crashing your vehicle head-on with your mate in Burnout, to going on a mass killing spree in GTA, to squashing that little innocent Goomba - they all make playing all that much more focused and enjoyable. But then again, there are games that do not need to resort to such brawny tactics. Games can be fun, yet free of fighting, destruction and blowing stuff up. Here are my top 10 picks that you ought to try when simply killing that old bat just didn't feel like much fun after the umpteenth time.

10:Solitaire (PC)
A light game of cards played on your own can kill time or relieve stress whenever you have a couple of minutes. Simple and clean, yet cleverly addictive. No messy shuffling and dealing, and best of all, it's free, and right there on your desktop ready to go!

9:SingStar (PS2)
I don't have the vocal quality to be a performer, or even a mildly entertaining karaoke-wannabe. But SingStar is just so hard to resist! Pitch is what you are judged on so fair is fair. Competing with fellow friends (or rival flats!) is truly an experience to be had. There are a wide variety of songs to cater for all, and no motor co-ordination skills are required. Just stand up, slam down them butterflies in your stomach, and belt out the most powerful voice you can openly muster. SingStar makes singing fun for everyone. And even good singers can't blame the game system if they get bad marks!

8:Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan (DS)
I always knew the Japanese were bonkers, but Ouendan redefined my modest understatement. It's rhythm action, with a stylus, featuring some crazy male cheerleaders and some zany stories of people requesting an S.O.S. The beats used are great; tapping, sliding, spinning is very addictive; Ouendan is so over-the-top fun the antics shown will seriously create a better outlook on life for you. From the opening "Osu!" me and my sister were already ROFL. Everyone who we've lent it to have gone nuts for this game too. Whenever you feel depressed, down on your luck, or just need a quick caffeine-free pick up, pick up that DS and boot up that strange card with weird foreign writing. My exams have just finished (today!) and I'm glad I got through, but I tell you there were many times when I was saved by "Oueenndaannn!"

7:Chip's Challenge (PC)
This game is pure challenge. Over a hundred levels, and a variety of traps await our young little sprite as he makes his way one square at a time to reach an arbitrary goal point. It's like a mini-adventure, but with a sole focus on pure cerebral thought. Another game long gone by.

6:Nintendogs (DS)
"Woof woof!" You know the deal. Raise some puppie, teach them tricks, pamper them with love (or neglect if you're mean!) It's a virtual dog simulator that gives you all the joy of taking care of a cute little pup without having to physically deal with all the messy stuff which goes on behind the scenes. Girls love it, girls love guys who love it, everyone wins! Nintendo just got cooler.

5:Clockwerx (PC)
Clockwerx is the successor to the original Spin-Doctor Challenger for the Mac(?) It is a very old game, but I still have fond memories of my primary school years trying to get through the ingeniously tricky set-ups. You play as a clock-hand (kinda) and by spinning around and switching from dot-to-dot (or lines) you make your way to the goal while avoiding rival clock-hands, globs of bio-goop, swtich-doors, bullets and other impediments. A lot of reflex and co-ordination is required, but the more you play the better you get, and the harder it is to stop when your teacher (or whoever) says so. Plus you can also play co-operatively to help with switches, enemy diversions and to see who can finish first. It's a brilliant concept, and I'm absolutely guttered that it hasn't been revived for over more than a decade now! This game is gold.

4:Brain Age (DS)
You may not consider this a "game", but once you get hooked in along with the rest of your family and friends, it definitely beats that Monopoly board or Atari 2600 stashed away in the corner. Solving simple problems has never been more fun as you attempt to beat your high scores, as well as those of your cunning mates and the siblings who are supposed to be not-as-smart as you are... A few minutes a day will see marked improvements in your pre-frontal cortex and your concentration during real-life tasks will see you reap some great rewards. I can attest to this as this non-game has really helped me focus on my studies, amongst other things too. It's one of the highest-selling apps of all time, it's cheap, it works, it's fun, it's a smart play.

3:Sim City 2000 (PC)
The revamped version of the original "sim" which started it all! Sim City 2000 is still wholly playable to this day, with incredible customisation, detail, and management as you strive to create a bustling, prosperous city, or 2(000). There are scenarios to complete, cheats to tamper with, or you can just go freeform and build you dream city to your heart's content. Sim City is the best "Sim" franchise out there imo; it's easy to get into, complex enough for the boffins, and with the latest incarnations, offer an unprecedented amount of replayablity.

2:Dance Dance Revolution (ARC)
Not only can you have fun and look cool (or stupid) while playing a video game, but with the library of DDR games available at your local arcade (guaranteed!) and/or home console, you can burn fat and feed the muscle while you're at it. Killing a whole flock of birds in one go is the only 'violence' I see here :P Difficulties cater for all, song selection encompasses nearly every piece of popular music genre out there, and with a couple of friends and spectators, hitting the dance floor has never been so much fun.

1:Tetris (Super multi-platform)
The top V-free game is one everyone knows - Tetris! Any version will suffice as they all share the same concept: place blocks, form lines. There's no story required, no fancy graphics, just pure reflex thinking. It is highly addictive and very much PC. The latest version for the DS allows for WiFi connective play so that you can duke it out with the best minds on offer at a global scale. It is easy to start, fun to challenge others, and damn hard to stop. And there's no violence, unless you self-inflict pain upon yourself for placing that block just 1 unit to the left, doh!

Yep another top 10 bites the dust. All the games are highly recommended if you get tired of playing the usual violence-infested video game. But even if you are a sadistic person, you may find some inner peace and harmony by trying something more innocent for once. For these games all show characteristics of why we play games: for fun, for enjoyment and for laughs. I missed a couple of neat ones such as Guitar Heroes and those new Cooking sims (seeing as I love cooking too!) But I did want to get a wide range of genres included and so despite the recent outbreak of rhythm-based and sim-everything games, this selection encompasses the best 10 for anyone, for everyone. Peace and love everyone!

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