Nintendo platforms tend to be fueled by first party games, and it seems like the 3DS is no exception. That is not a knock against them, while they have a hard time getting many solid third-party games, having a loyal fan following that purchases anything with Mario or Zelda on the box nets Nintendo tons of money. These three games fall under that category, and the fact of the matter is, they are insanely good. They all have a Metacritic rating of over 85, with two having 90 or better. If you own a 3DS, you must play these games.

Super Mario 3D Land

It took Nintendo longer than expected to bring a proper Mario game to the 3DS, but when they did, they did it in style. Super Mario 3D Land shows exactly what the 3DS can do. You would think that after nearly 30 years the Mario formula would be tired, but you would be wrong. Nintendo consistently finds new ways to tweak and change the gameplay, keeping it fresh and exciting while still maintaining the feel that gamers expect from Mario.

What makes this game so special is the way it uses the 3D. Instead of just being a cheesy visual gimmick like it is for most games, it is actually integral to the gameplay. In making 3D a mechanic of the game, instead of just a visual trick, they have shown other developers what the 3DS can really do. They took what appeared to be a gimmick and made it essential for solving puzzles and navigating the world.

The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 3D

What can I say about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that has not already been said? It is arguably (almost factually) the best video game ever made for any platform, and now it is available on the 3DS for gamers to bring the adventure wherever they go. The remake received universal praise, and has a Metacritic rating of 94 out of 100. Personally, if I was to review it, I would give it a 95, it really is that damn good, even all these years later.

The controls on the 3DS work well, and while it does not do anything groundbreaking with 3D like Mario, it is still an awesome remake of the one of the best video games ever made. It looks beautiful on the 3DS screen and is just as much fun to play as it ever was. If you own a 3DS, you need to play this game. For a new generation of gamers who may not have experienced Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64, this is their chance to have the time of their life.

Mario Kart 7

It is hard to believe that Mario Kart has been around for seven games, but here we are. Essentially, Nintendo releases the same game repeatedly with Mario Kart, and yet, it is still good every time. Mario Kart 7 does not do anything to revolutionize the cart-racing genre, but the thing is, it does not need to. Nintendo has the perfect formula, and changing it too much would just make it worse. As the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Of course, Nintendo made small tweaks that take this Mario cart to a new level. There are new tracks and items to play with. They also implemented a well-made gyro control system so you can steer your cart by tilting your 3DS. Nintendo added a gliding mechanic that can really shake up a race if used properly. They threw in some new modes to keep things fresh and fun. They did not take anything that made Mario Kart great away from the game; they just added some fun to new layers to make it even better.

Conclusion

If you own a 3DS, you need to play these games. They have made the system actually worth owning. They are Nintendo staple franchises and they are all done right. They remind me of why we all were so excited when the 3DS was first announced at E3 a couple of years ago. Go to your local games shop and get these games; you will not regret it.

What games made it worth owning a 3DS for you? Let us know in the comments!

Of course, I am not a full time games journalist, so I have not played every game that was released this year, but I have played most. I will not pick a game on this list if I have not played it.

It seems like every year the video game industry finds a way to push the quality of games further. It is even more impressive when you consider how old the consoles from this generation are. Just when you think video games have been pushed to their limit, a developer finds a way to push the hardware and make the games even better.

5. Battlefield 3

I was so excited for BF3 before it was released. I played Battlefield 2 for something like a million hours, and BF3 looked to be just like it, but improved. In the end, it was Battlefield squared. However, it is not my number one game, as I would expect it to be. The shooting mechanics were not as good as I thought they would be, but they are still solid. It is a top five game without question, and a game that anyone who likes shooters needs to play.

4. Modern Warfare 3

If you asked which giant first person shooter would rank higher on my top five list this year before they came out I would have said Battlefield 3 without question. However, after release, it pains me to say that I like MW3 better. At the end of the day, they are both shooters, and the shooting mechanics in Modern Warfare just feel better. Throw in all the unlockables and extras, and Modern Warfare 3 really is the total package, and without question one of my top games of 2011.

3. Deus Ex Human Revolution

I feel this game did not do as well as it should have. It generated some buzz, but it deserves so much more. It has an awesome story, awesome game play mechanics and it looks beautiful. It is a perfect length RPG to give the gamer value for their money, and it’s not too long to feel forced. There is plenty of side quests to do if you should so choose, or you can blast right through the main story and have a fully satisfying experience.

One of the most underrated aspects of this game is the difficulty. It is actually very challenging, and I feel like too many games have strayed away from making a games. Eidos did not get that memo.

2. Batman Arkham City

Batman Arkham Asylum was one of the best games of this console generation, and while Arkham City doesn’t do anything too shake up the formula, it’s still amazing. After all, if it isn’t broke don’t fix it. Basically, they took the gameplay from the last game and improved and expanded it. They made the game world much larger and threw every major Batman villain in. If you like video games, then you need to play Batman Arkham City immediately.

1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Well this is a no brainer. I honestly think this was the easiest choice I have ever made in my life. Skyrim is not only the best game of 2011, it just might be the best game ever made. The game could easily take 80-100 hours for one play through, which is not necessarily impressive; after all, anyone can make a long game. However, Skyrim is long, and every single adventure that you do in the game is awesome. Everything from the smallest of side quests to the final quest in the main story feels epic, important and most of all, fun.

Seriously, you need to play Skyrim. It really is a once in a lifetime game that stands comfortably alongside the likes of Ocarina of Time, Soul Calibur and Mario Galaxy as the best games ever released.

Conclusion

So there you have it. Let me say here, my PS3 broke. I realize Uncharted 3 is amazing, but seeing as I have only played a few minutes of it, I do not feel right listing it. In addition, I hate Gears of War, so there was no way I would put GOW3 on any top list. I respect the game, but I cannot stand it.

What are your favorite games of 2011? Let us know in the comments!

Yet there are still a few particular issues that games struggle to overcome, and they have nothing to do with technology. One of these is sexism, and the impact it has on any woman who picks up a controller.

Only A Certain Type Of Woman Is Depicted

We don’t need to dig deep to talk about sexism in games. Negative body images in games are readily apparent.

Even at best, it’s blatant. In Star Wars: The Old Republic, female characters have four body types, one of which is allegedly an overweight character.  Of course, the largest female character model actually looks quite average. The overweight male body type, on the other hand, is pretty chunky.

The message this displays is clear, and not unusual. It’s okay for guys to have some extra pounds. For women, that isn’t acceptable. This becomes particularly amusing when the game depicts elderly women. They retain their womanly curvature, as if frozen in time from the head down at age 22.

Such depictions are not exclusive to video games, of course. The insistence that women must conform to a certain “hourglass” body type is also reinforced by thousands of TV shows, books, movies, and other forms of media.

Yet in most of these, women with different bodies are at least portrayed. In games, women who don’t conform to a certain (often unrealistic) standard are often simply not there – which sends a clear message. If you don’t conform to their standards of beauty, you’re not worth depiction by game studios, nor the attention of gamers in general.

There Are Few Strong Female Leads

The problem goes beyond mere visibility, however. Even those women who are visible in games are rarely given a strong role in the story. Instead they’re usually objects, either depicted as trophies to be admired and won or as sexual bad-asses.

Hilariously, some game developers and critics seem to be under the impression that creating a character that fits the second option is progressive. Batman: Arkham City’s depiction of Catwoman is a good example of this. Apparently no one thought of making her a strong character by depicting her as intelligent, instead.

There are exceptions. One of my favorite game characters of all time in Alyx Vance from Half-Life 2, a well-written and interesting character that somehow manages to kick butt while keeping her clothes on. Yet even Alyx is a non-player character, and has a bit of a thing for the main character, Gordon Freeman.

When asked to think of a strong female lead character in a video game who isn’t heavily sexualized, I can think of only two examples. One is Jade from Beyond Good and Evil, and the other is Shepard from Mass Effect (who can be played as a man or woman). That’s it. And even here, the characters conform to the hourglass stereotype.

There Are Few Women In The Industry

According to common knowledge, gamers are young and male. The only problem with this argument is that it’s not true. According to surveys, the average gamer is over 30, and women make up a large part of the gaming audience, ranging from about 25% to almost 40%.

Despite this, less than 12% of the people working in game development are women according to a 2010 survey.

This is a problem for two reasons. First, it is the source of the other problems I’ve touched on previously. Perhaps if women were more common in the industry, we wouldn’t see gems like this, a quote taken from an interview with Bayonetta developer Hideki Kamiya.

“1UP: From behind!?

HK: Well yeah, from behind you can’t see the face, but what strikes me is how the woman is standing, or the way they stand, instead of just the ankles.

1UP: You know, I’ve gotta say, I don’t think you’re being honest with me. Because when you’re looking at a woman from behind, and you’re trying to tell me that you’re “looking at her face,” I don’t know if I buy that.

HK: Oh. [Laughs]

1UP: Oh. [Laughs]

HK: But anyway that’s how we’re creating Bayonetta’s moves and all that, and that’s actually the most fun part of this game, thinking about all that stuff. So you will be able to see what everybody in the team likes in a girl from the finished project.”

The subtitle of this interview, by the way, is “We sit down for a chat with one of gaming’s most visionary designers.”

The other half of this problem is that it contributes to the issue of invisibility. Smart, creative women are rarely visible in the industry. Those who are visible tend to become so for the wrong reasons. Jade Raymond, an attractive young woman who worked on Assassin’s Creed, has had journalists groveling over her and has had the pleasure of being featured in pornographic comics (the link is to a news article, not the comic). Is she good at her job? Maybe she is, or maybe she isn’t. No one seems to be commenting on that.

Conclusion

Sexism in games is not unique. All three of these points boil down to old-fashioned sexual objectification. In each case, women are sent the message that their sexual appearance and/or appetite are their most important traits. I think fixing this issue is ultimately the responsibility of the game studios. They must hold themselves to a higher standard. Studios should focus on depicting women as important for reason beyond their looks.

Will this happen? Unfortunately, I see no reason why it would. The problem is in the bones of the industry. Since there are so few women working on games, the idea of working on games is less appealing to women. It’s intimidating. And thus, the problem does not get fixed.

Let us know what you think in the comments.

Don’t be fooled into thinking all the big games are out already. The game industry is shifting away from releasing everything right at the holidays, and now there are some huge games coming out all year. Game developers are wising up and realizing that you do not need to launch in October, November or December to have a successful game, and the beginning of next year is proof positive of that. These three games will see market in the first quarter of 2012, and they are games you cannot miss.

Soul Calibur V

Soul Caliber has been around for a long time. In fact, the original Soul Caliber for Dreamcast is one of the best-reviewed games of all time, according to Game Rankings. Being in a class with Ocarina of Time and Super Mario Galaxy is certainly nothing to sneeze at. Since the first one, they have been steadily making solid games, and Soul Calibur V looks to be no exception.

The early previews of the game were very positive. The combat is promising to be much smoother, faster and more offensive. The early bits of the story that have come out sound a little ridiculous, but that is what we have come to expect from Soul Calibur.

If nothing else, this promises to be an awesome game for fans of the fighting genre. They have a lot of new characters, and they even have a guest appearance from Assassins Creed’s own Ezio.

UFC Undisputed 3

For fans of MMA, it sounds like this year they are finally going to get it right. Last year, I thought EA Sports MMA was much better than the UFC Undisputed game, but with the UFC parent company purchasing Strikeforce (where most of the fighters from that game are from) it looks like Undisputed 3 is going to be the only MMA game next year. That does not seem like it is going to be a bad thing, because Undisputed 3 looks awesome.

The main issue I had with the UFC games was the submission system. It was weak, especially when compared to EA’s game. Swinging the joystick in a circle as fast as possible just was not an intuitive way of recreating the feeling of locking in a submission. Thankfully, this year that system has been rebuilt from the ground up. They have also improved the striking, and every other aspect of the game.

In addition to game play improvements, they are also bringing Pride mode to the game. Back in the day, Pride Fighting Championships was arguably the best MMA organization in the world. They used a different rule set, where kicks and knees to the head of an opponent on the ground were legal. Being able to play this way in the video game has MMA fans incredibly excited.

To go along with the rule set, they have also included a number of Pride legends in the game. Even though they left Fedor off the roster, this mode should still bring the game to the next level and make it a must play for gamers and MMA fans alike.

Mass Effect 3

Mass Effect 3 is scheduled to come out in the beginning of March, and for me, it cannot come soon enough. Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 are among the best games of this console generation, and I have no reason to believe that the folks at Bioware will let us down with the third.

Mass Effect 3 will wrap up the story of Sheppard, and I cannot wait to see how it plays out. As with Mass Effect 2, you will be able to transfer your save into this game, and your decisions from the previous games will change things in the new one. It is amazing to think that the decisions I made all those years ago in the first Mass Effect will actually change my experience in this game. Never before have the decisions you made in a video game carried so much weight.

Mass Effect’s story is amazing, and the universe they have created is so incredible, that I cannot wait to see how this epic trilogy wraps up.

The single player is promising to be similar to the previous Mass Effect games, but Bioware is throwing everyone for a loop by including multiplayer in Mass Effect 3. It has been receiving mixed reviews across the board. For me, whether the multiplayer is good or bad is irrelevant. I come to Mass Effect for the single player, and if the multiplayer is great, that is just icing on an already delicious cake.

Conclusion

Save your money now, because it is going to be a busy 2012. With games this epic coming out in the first quarter alone, I cannot wait to see what is going to take place later in the year. Do not forget about PlayStation Vita coming out early in the year as well. The game lineup for it does not look great, but it still looks like an awesome device with a lot of potential. I expect 2012 to be a stellar year for gamers.

What games are you looking forward to for the early part of next year? Let us know in the comments!

Now that hurdle has been passed, however, the game faces a larger one – longevity. Does the game have what it takes to last? I think so, and here’s why.

There’s A Story

This point is simultaneously the most shocking and most predictable – shocking because MMOs generally don’t have a good story, but predictable because this is a Bioware game, and that’s what the studio is known for.

All MMOs have a story, of course. The problem is that it’s generally not interesting. Each character in your typical MMO goes through the same story events, and the outcome is the same no matter what you do. Players catch on to this quickly, and stop caring. Questing becomes a grind.

With SW:TOR, it’s different. You have choices, and sometimes they’re difficult. What you choose not only impacts your collection of light or dark side points, but also can change plot points further down the road. There are still some boring side-quests, but the main quests are interesting and well written.

Better yet, every single class has its own story, and all the dialogue is voice-acted. Some players will probably re-roll constantly just to see the outcome of each separate tale.

Your Computer Can Play It

I won’t lie. SW:TOR is not a pretty game. It has a style that feels very Star Wars, but the graphics are technically quite simple. Polygon counts are low, texture resolutions are low, and even at its highest settings it looks like a game from several years ago.

That’s a bummer. Fortunately for Bioware and Electronic Arts, it doesn’t matter. People might check out a game for its graphics, but they don’t stay for them.  And for a game like this, which is supposed to draw a dedicated audience, it’s more important to make sure that potential fans can play the game.

If you have a system with a discrete video card that was built within the last three years, you can probably play this game at medium to high detail. If it was built in the last five years, you can probably play at least on low. In the long run this will be to the game’s advantage.

Crafting Doesn’t Suck

Crafting is one of those things that are supposed to keep players engaged in the end-game, but rarely succeeds in doing so. Why? Because crafting isn’t fun. And why isn’t crafting fun? Because you have to stop doing everything else.

SW:TOR solves this problem with companions. Players gain their first companion at an early level, and will gain more over time. One companion can be deployed with the player to help in combat, but the rest stay back at the ship. Using an interface window, they can be tasked with all matter of crafting missions, building your overall crafting skill while you continue to quest, PvP, or trade on the auction house.

I’ll admit this is a cynical solution. Bioware recognized that sitting around and crafting isn’t fun, so rather than finding a way to make it fun, they simply made sure that players don’t have to sit around to do it. Still, it’s effective and opens up a new line of progression that many players simply don’t have the patience to pursue in other games.

There’s A Lot Of Things To Do

It’s a good thing that you don’t have to sit around in your ship to craft, because there are plenty of other fun things to do in the game.

I’ve already gone over the story and its related questing, which can keep players occupied for hundreds of hours. Beyond that, there’s PvP, which is a lot of fun and can be entered by level 10.

Unlike most MMOs, this game does not involve PvP brackets. Instead, low-level players are simply given comparable stats (but not comparable skills) to higher-level players.  The result of this is that you can enjoy the arenas at any time without feeling insignificant. And since there is a large pool of players trying to enter an arena, you spend less time waiting.

There’s also raiding, of course, which is still a bit up in the air (not enough people have played it yet) but looks promising. And then there are the space combat missions, fun Starfox-like diversions that let players get their pew-pew on. The space combat quests are daily, and the rewards great.

It’s Star Wars!

Yep. It’s Star Wars.

That’s an important point. Not only because it brings in a lot of players at first, but also because it makes the game easy to remember. From this point on the game is “that Star Wars MMO,” which means that people looking for some sci-fi multiplayer action are likely to check it out.

World of Warcraft has recently been grasping at straws with its racial choices, choosing Pandas for its latest expansion. It’s hard to see Star Wars ever being in a similar situation. There’s the Wookies, the Rodian, the Bothans, the Mon Calamari – the list goes on and on.

Each new expansion will provide the chance to continue individual characters stories, as well – something Bioware already has experience doing with its Mass Effect and Dragon Age games.

Conclusion

Bioware has crafted another hit, and in typical style, have succeeded in a way that’s different from what many thought necessary. Rather than revamping MMO combat (a common complaint among old-school MMO players), Bioware has kept the combat familiar and molded everything else to its own preferences.  The result is a game that I think people will be enjoying for many, many years to come.

It’s also a bit hard to look mature while tapping away in a game like N.O.V.A. 2. Let’s have a look at some strategy games for Android that can help whittle the away the hours, no matter where you are.

Townsmen 6 [Android 1.6+]

I have no idea why developer HandyGames decided to allege that Townsmen 6 occurs during the French Revolution. Far from a bloody title in which heads constantly roll and classes go to war, Townsmen 6 is a relaxing but complex strategy title that focuses on expanding your town and keeping peasants happy. Sure, there’s some French Revolution flavor added, but it’s cartoonish and mostly an excuse for game mechanics.

Perhaps the closest relative to this game is the Anno series of strategy titles for the PC, which also focuses on population happiness and expansion for expansion sake. SimCity fans might enjoy this title, as well, though it focuses more on micro-management than that franchise.

Townsmen 6 has been around for awhile, and seems relatively bug free. It’s available for $1.39 or can be played for free with ads. You’ll need Android version 1.6 or better to install it.

Battleheart [Android 2.0.1+]

My personal favorite, Battleheart is a popular game that blends an engaging graphical style similar to Castle Crashers with real-time strategy gameplay. You’ll find yourself in control of four characters, each with their own class, weapons, and powers. Mages, warriors, rogues, barbarians and more can be added to your party.

Battleheart is easy at first, but the difficulty begins to ramp up about an hour into the game. The game blends in RPG elements by offering a leveling system for your party members and equipment upgrade. You’ll have the opportunity to change character skills and weapons between levels.

Battleheart is priced at $2.99 and worth every penny. There is no free version. You’ll need Android 2.0.1 or better.

Majesty: Fantasy Kingdom [Android 1.6+]

In 2000, a game called Majesty debuted for the PC. Though it looked like many other fantasy strategy titles, it offered unique gameplay. Instead of directly controlling a kingdom, players manipulated the world by constructing buildings, hiring heroes and setting objectives for them.

In other words, this is a macro-management game that focuses on the big picture. By taking many direct control options away, players have to think creatively and plan well. Although the Android version is unique to the platform in many ways, the basic gameplay concepts are the same as the PC title that debuted years ago. Even the graphics, for better or worse, recall a bygone era of PC strategy.

Majesty: Fantasy Kingdom is $2.99, or you can try out the game by playing the Lite version. You’ll need Android 1.6 or newer to play.

Sentinel 3: Homeworld [Android 2.1+]

One of the newer tower defense games to hit the Android scene and take off, Sentinel 3: Homeworld is the latest game in a series that was originally developed for iOS (that’s why the Android Market has no Sentinel or Sentinel 2).

The gameplay is similar to many other tower defense games, but it adds a small twist – a command mech and a “sentinel” spaceship. Both can be upgraded with abilities and equipment, adding some excitement and providing you with more options for dealing with the creeps.

Also worth mentioning are the graphics, which are among the best in the strategy genre. The game looks particularly good on tablets with the HD pack installed.

Sentinel 3: Homeworld is $2.99 and there is no free version available. You’ll need Android version 2.1 or better to play.

Templar Assault [Android 1.6+]

By far the least well known game on this list, Templar Assault is the latest effort by the “the Trese bros”, who are also responsible for the immensely popular Star Traders RPG. Warhammer 40k fans are sure to love this title, as it is more or less an unofficial version of Space Hulk for your phone.

Graphically, this game doesn’t offer much, but it makes up for that with deep tactical gameplay. You command a squad of soldiers tasked to remove an alien presence, and as the game progresses, the means you have for doing so mount. There are times where this game can be difficult, but if you’ve ever been a fan of turn-based strategy, you won’t find this title too troublesome.

Templar Assault is free. There is also an Elite version available for $1.99.

Conclusion

Do you agree or disagree with my selections here? Did I miss a favorite Android strategy tile that you’ve been playing for hours? Let us know about your feelings and your favorite strategy games for Android in the comments.

That’s not to say sequels are a bad thing, because often a franchise can be amazing. There are some video game franchises that I would like to see carry on forever. Some consistently put out a quality product, and each one just seems to leave you wanting more. Those franchises are the ones I am going to discuss here. These are the best franchises in video game history.

Mario

I think this might be the single biggest no brainer in the history of video games. Nintendo always finds a way to inject new life in Mario with each release. They keep the core of the game the same, while changing enough to make it feel new and exciting.

Nintendo is also smart because they don’t go overboard with Mario. They don’t put out a new Mario game every year. This allows them to take the time to make the games special, and prevent gamers from becoming fatigued on the plumber.

While they don’t put out so many as to cause franchise fatigue, they do keep things fresh for Mario. Nintendo uses him in other franchises such as Mario Kart, the Mario RPGs and Super Smash Brothers. By breaking Mario away from his standard platforming, they keep him in front of people, but they do it in a different type of game that keeps things exciting.

The Elder Scrolls

Maybe it’s because Skyrim came out recently, but I can’t help but feel like The Elder Scrolls has a greater importance than just being a massive RPG.

They do the franchise right. There was a whopping six years between Oblivion and Skyrim, and they were both huge successes. It seems to me that Bethesda realized that they don’t have to shove a new game to market every twelve to eighteen months in order for gamers to be interested. They took that time to learn some valuable lessons, and because of this, Skyrim is better.

Each of The Elder Scrolls games left the same impression on me: “they just can’t make it any bigger than that“. Each time however, they find a way to make the game bigger, and to fill it with more content. They consistently force other developers to play catch up, and they generally push the action RPG genre ahead. This is why The Elder Scrolls is one of the best video game franchises of all time.

Halo

Halo isn’t for me. For whatever reason I just don’t enjoy playing it. But it is impossible to argue that Halo isn’t one of the best video game franchises of all time.

They took a genre that was almost entirely on the PC and brought it to consoles in a way that has never been done before. You could argue that Goldeneye was the first console shooter, but Halo was the first one that incorporated a more traditional control method.

The one part of Halo I liked was the story. Bungie did an amazing job of constructing a universe and cast of characters that gamers cared about. They kept them coming back for more than just the intense multiplayer action, which is more than many first person shooters can say.

Grand Theft Auto

GTA is arguably the most controversial gaming franchise ever. Between the over the top violence, and isolated incidents like the Hot Coffee mod, GTA always seems to be in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. However, for gamers, it is loved because of the way it revolutionized open world games for the better.

Grand Theft Auto showed gamers that it is possible to have a living, breathing city as your own playground. The shift from Grand Theft Auto 2 to Grand Theft Auto 3 was one of the most dramatic I can recall in video game history. They went from a top down, two-dimensional game to a full 3D world that was rich and alive.

Without question, Grand Theft Auto changed video games, and as a franchise, I always find myself looking forward to the next one.

Zelda

Zelda brought “hardcore” gaming to the masses. Mario got people into gaming, and Zelda is where they graduated when they wanted something a little more advanced. Zelda melds action games and RPGs into the perfect mix that is both fun for the most hardcore gamers and understandable for casual gamers.

Zelda is successful as a 3D action game on the new consoles, and it sticks to the top down old school format on portable devices. This allows Nintendo to keep Zelda games consistently coming out, but in a different style game that always feels like something different.

Just like Mario, Nintendo doesn’t try to milk Zelda like so many other franchises. They leave enough time to make each game new and innovative. They even completely shook the foundation of Zelda games in a big way with Wind Waker. They completely changed the art style of the game, and while some gamers greeted this with disdain, many loved it, and still regard Wind Waker as one of the best in the series. In the end, Zelda has Ocarina of Time, which is generally regarded as the best video game ever made, and it is hard to argue with that.

Conclusion

There are so many great video game franchises out there, but these are the ones at the top of the heap. Mass Effect, Call of Duty, Metal Gear and God of War are all right there, but just a little behind. Some series give the idea of a franchise a bad name and come out too often. Some examples of this would be Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk. You could even say Call of Duty is on the verge of this (hmm, all Activision games. Coincidence? I think not.)

What are your favorite video game franchises? Let us know in the comments!

Even with all the critical accolades Skyrim is receiving, I’m sure there are gamers who are still unsure if it is for them. Maybe they are scared that a game of this scope is too much for them. Maybe some of the crazy glitches that are so prevalent in Bethesda games turn them off. If you are one of those people, I am here to ask you to reconsider. I only do this because the game is that special. It is a once in a generation game. Anyone who considers themselves a gamer needs to sit down behind a controller or a mouse and keyboard and play Skyrim.  Here’s why.

The Crazy Stories

The crazy things that happen in Skyrim make the game something truly remarkable. What makes them so impressive when compared to other games is that, in many cases, they are difficult to duplicate. Every video game has outstanding things happen. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons we play them. With Skyrim, it feels like all the stuff that’s happening is just for you. You can tell your friends about something silly that happened, and they will have their own stories that differ entirely from yours. Many times these differences will occur on the same quest.

I’m about 30 hours into Skyrim. I recently had a fight with a couple of bears for a quest. My character is extremely magic heavy, and I wear light armor. Bears hit terribly hard, and my magic seemed to have minimal impact on them. After trying every creative strategy in existence to eliminate these bears, I decided it was impossible.

However, I realized there was a town near the cave, so instead of fighting the bears I decided to lure them to the town. It worked – the bear chased me all the way, and when he got there, the townspeople killed him with ease. However, I shot some fire at the bear during the epic battle, and my fire hit some of the townspeople. Thus, my celebration was shortlived, as the whole town attacked and killed me as soon as the bear fell.

That is just one small example of the kinds of things that happen in Skyrim. They feel as if they happened to me and me alone; not just part of some scripted experience.

The Massive Scale

Skyrim is enormous. It would be easy to spend 100 or more hours playing this game. For me, that is an immense value proposition. I can go out and buy 4 or 5 games and perhaps still not have it match the amount of content in Skyrim. Realistically, the only games that can compete with Skyrim for the amount of time you can dedicate to them are multiplayer-heavy games like shooters and MMOs.

What makes this game so special is not just that it’s massive; it’s the fact that almost all of the content in the game is so good. So many RPGs like Skyrim end up seeing the player doing a bunch of fetch quests and other useless tasks just to make the game longer. With this game, every little quest has a story, and every new area feels fresh and new. Making a long game is not necessarily spectacular; what is impressive is making a long game that has such rich content that it feels like a new game every time you play.

Improvements From Previous Elder Scrolls Games

This last reason is more specific to people whom some of the flaws from previous Elder Scrolls games have turned off. In the previous games, there was game breaking glitches. When I say game breaking, I don’t mean turn your console off and restart. I am talking glitches that would cause you to have to start the whole game over. This was obviously devastating. I had over 60 hours in Elder Scrolls IV, and then I hit a glitch where I was stuck in a spot, and there was no way for me to overcome said spot. I had to forget the 60 hours I had already spent and restart.

Thankfully, Skyrim seems to have none of these problems. There are some glitches, but they are all small. The game also keeps your last three auto-saves, so if you are stuck, it is easy to reload back and only lose a few minutes instead of dozens of hours.

Bethesda improved the third person camera as well. In Oblivion the third person camera was completely useless, but in Skyrim the game is fully playable from a third person perspective.

They have also improved the characters during conversations. Previous games were always very uncomfortable when conversing with a non-player character. Now, the characters have a lot more life, and conversations feel much more relaxed. This is important, because you do spend a lot of time conversing in Skyrim.

They took a winning formula and added much of what they learned from their experience with the Fallout games and made close to a perfect role-playing game.

Conclusion

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that Skyrim is certainly in the top five games I’ve ever played. I’m not writing a review in the traditional sense, but if I were to give Skyrim a rating I would have to give it a 10 out of 10. The bar for role-playing games is raised to an extent that I didn’t think was possible, especially in the current console generation. Please, if you fancy yourself a gamer, play Skyrim.

Let me know in the comments whether or not you agree with me, and if not, why.

Let’s take a look at a few reasons why it’s a good idea to give the game another whirl.

The Adventure Update

Minecraft beta version 1.8, also known as the Adventure Update, was the biggest – or at least, the most interesting – update to Minecraft, ever. It arrived on September 12th and, as the same suggests, is aimed to provide players with a better adventure.

This means a lot of elements of the world were re-worked. Instead of terrain being generally similar across an entire pre-generated world, it’s now possible to find deserts and mountains and plains all in the same world. There are also new blocks, new monsters, new optical pre-generated structures like villages and strongholds (full of loot, but also baddies) and new combat mechanics.

New Roleplaying Elements

Role-playing has always been sort of assumed in Minecraft, sometimes to the point where players would customize their avatars using modifications. To help players advance, experience points were officially introduced in the Adventure Update and have been further refined for release, finally giving players some progression – as well as extra incentive for finding and killing monsters.

Experience is simply acquired by killing mobs, and it is spent at an Enchanting Table, where you can turn experience into special traits for items. You can create armor that protects against fire, tools that don’t break as quickly, and weapons that knock back enemies.

New Creatures

When I first started playing the game, I only had a few things to worry about. Those were zombies, creepers, spiders and skeletons. That seemed like enough, but after playing for some time, it did become a bit old.

Now, Minecraft has a buffet of baddies to deal with. There’s gooey slimes, strange glowing-eye Endermen, and even skeletons riding spiders. There are also NPCs that can be helpful, like wolves, which will become tame and defend you if you feed it.

Hardcore Difficulty

During the initial phases of Minecraft’s popularity, a lot of people compared it to Dwarf Fortress. That actually wasn’t the best comparison, partly because Dwarf Fortress is a far more unforgiving game. Dwarves lost are dead forever, and it’s not hard to end up with everyone wiped out.

Now, players wanting to make those old comparisons more valid have their chance. Hardcore plays just like survival mode, but the difficulty is set locked on hard, and player death is permanent. Give it a stab and see how long you survive!

The Nether & The End

In October 2010, Minecraft received a new realm called The Nether. It’s a different dimension that exists in all pre-generated worlds, and is only accessible via a portal. It’s a strange, dark world full of hostile mobs and lava, but it is also useful as a means of fast-travel, because movement in The Nether is multiplied by eight. Players can take advantage of this by building portals between locations.

Recently, as part of the final release, Minecraft saw the release of The End. This strange world, home of the Endermen, takes some considerable effort to even enter. It requires that a special portal be built, and players will have to visit dangerous and rare places (like strongholds) to find the right components.

You Can Beat The Game

The name of The End is not coincidental. If you’ve ever had the urge to actually beat Minecraft, it’s now possible to do so.

To do it, you need to craft a portal to The End, enter that strange realm, and then slay an incredible beast called the Enderdragon. This whole process take lots of patience, determination, and luck, so don’t think it will be a matter of just waltzing in and beating the Enderdragon a few hours later.

If you manage to beat the dragon you’ll be treated to an end credit sequence, and your character will earn an absurd amount of experience. You’ll also be able to obtain a Dragon Egg, though so far, they don’t hatch into anything.

Conclusion

Remember, if you’ve ever purchased Minecraft while it was in beta, you still have access to it and all of these changes now that the game is on its first release version. Since there’s no cost, going back is just a matter of reinstalling the game. Let us know what you think of the changes in the comments.

It’s hard to put Transformice into a genre. It’s a strategy game, but it’s something more than that. Transformice is the most individual team-based game I’ve played. That’s weird, I know. It’s also the only game that I can think of where trolling is almost integrated within the gameplay.

On any given school night, Transformice touches over 10,000 players online. I say school night because this game is targeted more towards a younger audience. The objective of Transformice is to proceed through each map and collect the cheese. After collecting the cheese, you must bring it back to the mouse hole. By collecting cheese, you gather points towards becoming the next Shaman. The Shaman is the designated mouse who builds and casts objects so that their fellow mice can more easily get to the cheese. Shamans are rewarded for the number of mice they are able to save and help bring back the cheese.

Gameplay

As a Mouse, Transformice can be played using only one hand. You’re a mouse, but you don’t need your mouse! The left and right directional keys move you across the map. Up jumps, and down ducks.

As a Shaman, things begin to get tricky. You can click on your list of objects (using your cursor) and drag them to the screen. Using the mousewheel will allow you to rotate your object. To place them, left click and hold. That’s not all though: there is object anchoring. To anchor an object, you press a certain key after clicking the object.

B creates a solid base anchor, primarily used for planks. This anchor will make the object completely solid and basically unmovable. C creates a connector anchor, which will allow you to chain together planks and other objects to each other. V will create a solid teal anchor, in which N can be attached to and make objects motorized. It is a little bit confusing, but you’re able to get used to it pretty quickly. It’s a nice variety that makes for fun building. You have objects like planks, boxes, balls, and balloons at your disposal.

Being a Shaman actually requires a lot of practice and strategy. This video can help you with the basics:

Achievements

Transformice is chock-full of achievements and unlockable goodies. There’s a sort of a prestige system, depending mostly on the amount of cheese you’ve acquired and mice you’ve saved. These are called Titles and displays, like ranks, beneath your username. There is also the Shop, where you can buy hats and other accessories to customize your mouse and stand out from the rest.

After saving 1,000 mice, you’re given a Totem. Your Totem allows you to create a huge chain of objects all at once in any shape that you desire. Your Totem can be incredibly useful or very damaging in getting the mice to the cheese. It all depends on how you create it.

Tips & Tricks

Transformice is the type of game that you learn from as you go along. The longer you play, the better you’ll become. It’s that simple.

As a Shaman, there are dozens of little things that even I haven’t managed to grasp yet. As a Mouse, there is one extremely important skill for you to learn: walljumping.

Transformice can be played by browser or standalone client (Windows or Mac). This makes it easy to play at home, work, on the go, or wherever else you shouldn’t be playing it.

This game is fun for both kids and adults. I’m an adult and I’m not even ashamed to admit that I enjoy it, right? If you have kids, the in-game community is moderated and very friendly. Play it with your kids, even. We’ve got more articles on kid-friendly games also, if Transformice isn’t your thing. Let me know what you guys think of the game in the comments!