To some, video games are a frivolous, counter-productive scourge – wasteful technological by-products of the digital age that stop people from achieving their full moral and professional potential. Of course, the counter argument is that wasting virtual zombies with a virtual bazooka is about as awesome as it gets, and if you and your Marks & Spencer corduroys don’t like it then you can feel free to shove your face into a fax machine. Assuming you fall on the latter side of the fence, here are the titles you ought to be getting busy with right now.
Pokemon Black/Pokemon White
Nintendo DS
Yet another instalment of the popular Japanese series that sees you collecting wild creatures, training them up and pitting them against each other. All of this might sound like kid’s stuff, but you can scoff all you want – there’s nothing childish about training up a miniature hippopotamus that breathes fire and has a chainsaw for a tail.
Get this if you liked: Pokémon Diamond/Pearl, Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie
L.A. Noire
Xbox 360, Playstation 3
A gorgeously stylised post-war crime caper brought to you by the folks behind the Grand Theft Auto series. But while GTA was all cap popping and car stealing, this is a far smarter, slicker affair – you’ll need to investigate crime scenes, grill witnesses and analyse evidence to notch up a perfect score for each case, and there are still plenty of shootouts and high-speed chases for those looking for less cerebral kicks.
Get this if you liked: Grand Theft Auto IV, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Mad Men (yes, we know the last one is a TV show)
Portal 2
Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Mac, PC
This first-person puzzler had the gaming press gushing with praise when it was released a couple of months back, with critics falling over themselves to hail the game’s fiendish puzzles, gorgeous visuals and deliciously black humour. You play an imprisoned test subject armed with a portal gun – a natty little device that allows you to teleport across rooms by firing it on to various surfaces. Uniquely, it’s a game with the power to make you feel like both an egg-headed genius and an abject moron, and that’s a very good thing indeed.
Get this if you liked: The first Portal (obviously), Braid
Duke Nukem Forever
Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC
It’s here. It’s actually here. After 15 years in the works, during which time developers 3D Realms became the biggest joke in the games industry, the game that everyone said would never happen has happened. It’s a first-person shooter, but in a totally different vein to the likes of Halo and Call of Duty, with explosions and pithy one-liners given priority over deep storylines and complex characterisation. So for anyone who remembers frittering away the ’90s with its legendary PC predecessor – Duke Nukem 3D – this one isn’t to be missed.
Get this if you liked: Bulletstorm, Gears of War, Aliens vs Predator
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Nintendo 3DS
Originally released for the Nintendo 64 back in 1998, this classic fantasy action-RPG has been sprinkled with a bit of three-dimensional magic and is re-released on Nintendo’s new 3DS handheld this week. The original has topped countless ‘Best Games of All Time’ lists since being released 13 years ago, thanks to a gigantic, colourful game world, memorable characters and boss battles that had nerds damp with excitement. Yet to dabble with the Zelda universe? This is your ideal entry point.
Get this if you liked: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Harvest Moon
DiRT 3
Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC
The latest incarnation of what was the Colin McRae Rally series, and undoubtedly the best. Though the late Scotch rally legend’s name has now been dropped from the box altogether, with tighter driving physics and a massive variety of race modes, wannabe racers have never had it so good. The ‘flashback’ feature also makes a welcome return, allowing you to rewind your race a few seconds should you wrap your Ford Focus around a fencepost (which you inevitably will).
Get this if you liked: GRiD, F1 2010, Forza Motorsport 3
Mortal Kombat
Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Remember the uproar? Remember the angry parents and the ‘BURN THIS FILTH!’ campaigns? Well – like it or not – it’s back, and this time those bloody entrails are in HD. Billed as a reboot of the seminal beat-’em-up (as opposed to another in a long line of lacklustre sequels), MK 2011 stays faithful to its roots, reprising the original cast of brawlers and focusing heavily on those grisly ‘fatality’ finishing moves. Unlike the 1993 console version, however, there’s also the option for online bouts, meaning you can now cleave your chums in half even when they’re in a different continent. Splendid.
Get this if you liked: Street Fighter IV, Tekken 6
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters
Nintendo Wii
Back when the Wii was first released, a flurry of golfing games was rushed out to make use of the console’s motion-based controls. Sadly, they were almost all terrible. A few years on, though, and they’ve got it down to a (ahem) tee, meaning swinging your controller through the air in search of that elusive birdie in this latest instalment of the Tiger-endorsed franchise is an absolute pleasure. Key to the game’s success is its accessibility – for beginners there are caddy tips to help out with shot selection, while hardened swingers can plug in a Wii Balance Board to further hone their technique.
Get this if you liked: Wii Sports, King of Clubs, We Love Golf!
