I remember a time where I found everything and anything fun and exciting. Like a dog looking around enthusiastically when it enters a room, even though it has been to that same room for a billion times in its life, I felt that the games that I participated in when I was little was a fresh experience every time I went through it. I don't call it being simple, just...simple-MINDED. Here are 10 games which I played in my wonderful childhood and the reasons why they WERE so compelling to me and kids all over who play them as well.
Game #1: Zombies
No, I did not play with actual flesh-consuming, undead monstrosities. This game was coined "Zombies" because of the way it worked. Basically, it was a twist to the popular game of Tag. One person is chosen to be a Zombie while everyone else was Human. Once the Zombie is chosen, the Humans are given 10 seconds to run as fast and far away as possible before the Zombie chases them down. Once the Zombie "infects" a Human by tapping them, the "infected" person becomes a Zombie as well and chases the Humans instead. The game ends when everyone becomes a Zombie. This game was fun because of the increasing difficulty level as your Human allies drop like flies and go after you instead. Also inspires a sense of adrenaline rush and primal fear of getting caught which boosts the feeling of excitement in the players.
Game #2: Yu-gi-oh Card games
Two confessions at this point: one, I did not own a personal Yu-gi-oh deck when I was little, I had to constantly borrow my cousin's and two, I sucked at Yugioh and STILL suck at it. But I'm digressing. Basically, you build your YGO deck out of Monster, Trap and Spell cards and fight anyone who has their own deck. There are literally thousands of different cards available and most of them are geared towards a certain type of play-style. For example, monsters with high attack and defense points are for generally aggressive players, while those with special effects are for more subtle and unconventional players. I found this card game interesting because of the well-detailed illustrations on the cards and the simple gameplay. A bonus for this game was the sense of individuality it gave players and the spirit of friendly competitiveness it encouraged.
Game #3: Waterguns
Pretty self-explanatory. Rally a group of friends. get a bunch of water guns, fill them with water, have fun shooting at the opposing team, get wet. What was good about this game was that the simplicity and pure childishness of this activity was what made it fun in the first place. In a sense, it also built teamwork and cooperation among your fellow water gunners.
Game #4: Pokemon Games
Ah, the core of my childhood. The "Pokemon" series of Gameboy games was all the rage back in my time. Almost everybody I knew then played it. And they were pretty damn good at it, too. Basically, you play the role of a Pokemon Trainer who travels around the land, catching and training creatures with powers called Pokemon and use them to battle other wild Pokemon or Trainers. Eventually, you must face 8 exceptional Trainers known as Gym Leaders, acquire their badges and face The Elite Four, four powerful trainers and also their Champion. There, I just described the storyline of every single Pokemon game to date. Lame storyline aside, what I found found good about the Pokemon series was the sheer variety that every game brings, in the form of completely new and unique Pokemon with different powers. The graphics were basic at best, but what shone was the designs of the different Pokemon. You could feel the personality of each Pokemon by just looking at its appearance. The task of building up your Pokemon team also provided endless customization to players, which is crucial for a Role-playing Game.
Game #5: Hangman
A classic timekiller. I used to play this mini game all the time when I really had nothing better to do with my friends. Basically, one person comes up with a general theme, such as Movies or Famous People, and writes a word on that theme down, but only the spaces in which each letter is supposed to be. For example, if I were thinking of Sean Penn, I would write _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. Everyone else takes turns guessing a random letter and if that letter is present in the word, you write it in. If not, you draw a line. Enough wrong guesses and the lines that you draw form a hanged man, the game ends, you reveal the word and bathe in your triumphant victory. What I found fun about this game was that you actually needed to use your noggin and be tactical about your guesses. Also, did I mention that it was a wonderfully effective timekiller?
Game #6: Uno
A very popular card game among people of all ages. Basically, Uno cards come in four colours (blue, green, red, yellow) and 10 numbers (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9). The goal is to throw away cards into the Pile to obtain an empty hand. To throw away a card, the cards that you throw must either have the same colour or number as the topmost Pile card. When you have only one card left when you throw away your cards, you must shout "Uno!" or be forced to draw cards if you are caught. I liked this game because you could play with as many people as you like, and can also be played anywhere at any time. The game's rules were also simple so everyone could join in on the fun.
Game #7: Beyblades
A (temporarily) popular phenomenon originating from Japan. Basically, you choose a "Beyblade", which is a high-torque, spinning top of death and destruction suitable for ages 6 and up, assemble it, find another person with a Beyblade, and duke it out by launching your Beyblade forcefully from a Shooter and pray that your top knocks the opponent's hard enough to make it stop spinning. Then that is considered a victory. Pretty lame, huh? Looking back, I'd agree too. However, this game was fun in the sense that it collecting all the different Beyblades with their cool designs and Creature Motifs was a real achievement. Don't know how that's related to playing the game itself, but heck, I'll go with that.
Game #8: Wario Land 3
Not very well-known in my childhood days, I found Wario WAY more kick-ass than Mario. And his games featured much more cartoon violence, too. In this installment of the Wario Land series, Wario is sucked into a world inside a magical music box and meets a statue which requests him to find 5 other musical boxes and bring it to the statue where its power will be restored and Wario will be sent back to the real world. So Wario rams, slams, crushs, hurls and rolls his way across the World and accomplishes his mission, fighting baddies and minions along the way. What I liked about this game was the unique way in which Wario gains and makes use of his powers to solve puzzles and advance. I also liked the way that each Boss fought and made the player think of the specific way to defeat them. The twist in the story at the end of the game further enhanced my experience playing Wario Land 3.
Game #9: Starcraft 1
This game was THE most popular game back in my time. And for good reason too. Starcraft is a RTS (real-time-strategy) game that focused on unit and resource management for players to defeat their opponents. Basically, you choose a race (Terrans, Protoss or Zerg) with each having their own strengths, weaknesses and strategies. You mine for Minerals and Gas to build your units and attack or expand your bases. Along the way, you acquire more powerful units to manage. You win when you decimate your opponent (s). There are so many things that I liked about this game, and STILL do till today, but I shall give those that appealed to me back then. First off, the units were extremely memorable with their catchphrases and quotes, such as the Marine ("You want a piece of me, boy?"), Firebat ("Need a light?") and Ghost ("Somebody called for the exterminator?) and designs which made the game hard to play and forget. Also, I found the gameplay fast paced and exciting, which kept me on my toes often. Finally, it was set in a space/alien game world. I mean, come on. How could any little boy not like that?
Game #10: Halo: Combat Evolved
The game that kick-started the global recognition and worship of the series that is the Halo series. You play the role of the iconic Master Chief, a super-soldier in his iconic jade-green MJOLNIR power armor. He is the sole survivor of his fellow super soldiers who were all destroyed on their birth planet, Reach, and fights for the glory and existence of the Human race, battling a cruel and overwhelming alien organization known as the Covenant. What I liked about Halo: Combat Evolved was the (then) incredible graphics and extremely smooth gameplay, the latter of which is a must for shooter games. The weapons were realistic yet kicked-ass at the same time, especially the Covenant weapons. The storyline and the characters, such as the holographic A.I Cortana, and the floating A.I 343 Guilty Spark, were distinct and captivating, immersing players to not only enjoy shooting alien punks, but to also sit down and appreciate the tale of Master Chief and all his struggles and convictions. The following games of the series, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo: Reach were also true winners. But please, don't mention Halo Wars. Like, ever. Please.
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