Snowed in? Game on!

Hey, 400th post. How about that.


The wind howls, the snow gathers, the temperature plummets... It's Winter, alright. So what's there to do when the windrows are taller than you and it's nigh on impossible to leave the house? Game, of course! Here's a selection of games sure to make the time fly as the snow falls.

Picross DS

(Review)

I play some Picross every night before I go to bed, and it's led to me staying up far too late on more than once occasion. Five minutes turns to twenty, one more puzzle turns into three, and before you know it, the sun's coming up. It's also a great game to escape from the cold of Winter, doing puzzles that turn out to be pictures of sunny beaches, fairy tales, or sporting events. If there's ever been a more pleasant way to escape to another world via a puzzle game I sure haven't played it.

Team Fortress 2

(Review)

I'm sure you're all well aware of my Team Fortress 2 addiction, but even casual players of this game have to agree that this, too, is a great escape from the cold bite of Winter. Like Picross DS, one round quickly turns to several, and the minutes begin to fly just as fast as the bullets. Furthermore, almost every official Team Fortress 2 map is in a scorching-hot desert scene, quite the opposite of the frigid, icy reality outside your window. Team Fortress 2 is fantastic for escaping the cold, blustery truth of Winter, even more so when a Pyro sets you on fire. I think for the remainder of the season I'll secretly be a little thankful to every enemy Pyro I encounter. There's no warmer moment in Team Fortress 2 than being engulfed in flame!

Mario Kart Wii

(Review)

Mario Kart Wii, with its many modes and easy-to-connect online play, is a surefire way to while away those dull Winter afternoons. At first you sign up for just a few races, but then you're sucked into playing a veritable grand prix against people you've never met. Mario Kart Wii also serves as an excellent escape from the cold and snow drifts of Winter, with many tracks on sunny beaches, as well as more than a few surrounded by lava. I doubt there's anything hotter than sitting next to a pit of molten rock!

...okay, nothing except being in said pit. But then you'd die, and that's hardly ideal at this time of year... Or any other time of year. Anyways, just be sure to stay away from circuits like Sherbet Land and DK Summit, and you'll be fine.

Portal

(Review)

While Portal's story may be only two hours long, the challenges and large selection of player-made maps do wonders to keep you busy while the windrows build up on the sidewalks. Not only that, the story mode and all its hilarious quotes are well worth experiencing many times over, instantly turning your two hour time investment into four or more. Also, there's one significantly warm part of Portal towards the end that I dare not spoil for those yet to play, but I think the words "4000 degrees Kelvin" should clue in veterans as to just what I'm talking about. Nothing like a "victory candescence" to take your mind off the twenty-below temperatures outside!

So then, there you have it: Four games great for whiling away the cold Winter months, as well as escaping the freezing-cold temperatures out there at this time of year. Let the days darken and let the snow fall, we'll stay inside and play!

What do you think of my choices? Also, what are some games you think are great for passing the time and going somewhere warmer? Feel free to let the world know in the comment section, and/or this forum thread. That's right, I said "and/or". Do both... If you think you're crazy enough.

Tracks that should have been in Mario Kart Wii

I loved Mario Kart Wii. That's no secret. However, after looking back at some of the previous Mario Kart games, I've noticed a few great tracks ending up AWOL. Also, a lot of tracks that did make the cut weren't that great (Yoshi Falls? Seriously? And why so many plain 2D tracks?). If it were up to me, these are the classic tracks that would have been in Mario Kart Wii.

Yoshi Valley

Game: Mario Kart 64

Yoshi Valley is one of the craziest tracks ever in Mario Kart history. Insanely twisted up and full of holes to fall into, it's a miracle Yoshi even wants to be associated with such a tangled mess! Despite being so incredibly disorderly and confusing, Yoshi Valley was one of my favourite tracks in all of Mario Kart 64. The fact that it's never been remade in any Mario Kart game so far is a travesty.

Lakeside Park

Game: Mario Kart: Super Circuit

Probably the only 2D track I like, Lakeside Park is full of sharp turns, deadly water and even features falling volcanic rocks from the second lap onwards. Hitting one of these spins the kart out of control, usually resulting in the player spinning off into a lake, wall, or large patch of grass. One thing I really like about Lakeside Park is the section in the lower part of the above image. Joining the ranks of only one other 2D track to do so, Lakeside Park incorporates a jump across an earlier section of the track. Mess up this jump, and you're dropped a significant distance behind. My kinda track. Like Yoshi Valley, though, I'm fairly sure Lakeside Park has never seen the light of day since its original release. Seriously unfair.

Royal Raceway

Game: Mario Kart 64

Some of my fondest memories of gaming are the days I spent playing Mario Kart 64, and a big part of that was Royal Raceway. Zigzagging next to a lake, flying through the air and even driving right up to the castle's front door was great fun, even if that last one usually involved losing the race. This want for a Royal Raceway revival isn't based solely on nostalgia, though. Royal Raceway was a very fun track with many twists, hills and jumps. It really showed off what the Nintendo 64 could do, and I loved every minute of it. Finding out this track wasn't in Mario Kart Wii really, really sucked.

Toad's Turnpike, Shroom Ridge and Mushroom City

Games: Mario Kart: Double Dash, Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart DS

Each of these levels is amazing in their own way, but they ultimately fall into the same basic category of "Public Road" tracks. They're called this because of the fact that drivers share the road with other, life-sized vehicles such as trucks, cars, Bob-omb karts, and even Wiggler trucks. These vehicles make for unique obstacles, as they move around the course constantly throughout the race. It's rarely possible to take a guess as to where a vehicle will be at any given time, making each turn incredibly risky. Who knows what dangers lie around the bend? The tracks were always a complete blast to play, and they are more than deserving of a revival in Mario Kart Wii.

Waluigi Pinball

Game: Mario Kart DS

Very few tracks compare to how incredibly surreal Waluigi Pinball is. Instead of racing on a track, players are thrown into a gigantic, active pinball machine. Before Mario Kart DS, I never would have expected a pinball would become an obstacle in any game ever. Yet, here I am driving about a gigantic pinball table, fleeing Indiana Jones-style from huge, steel ball bearings of death. Sharing the road with a pinball requires the player to pay attention to very many things at once, demanding a greater level of concentration than most tracks. When the race finally gets down to the paddles, it really gets insane. Balls flying all over the place, bumpers bouncing players in every which direction, and the paddles themselves throwing racers to the top of the track section. Not a track for the faint of heart. Maybe that's why it didn't make it into the more family-friendly Mario Kart Wii?

These are but a few of the great tracks time seems to have forgotten. I managed to trim it down to the selection you see here, but I assure you, many other tracks were deserving of a Mario Kart Wii re-release. Really, almost any track would have been preferable to the myriad of crappy, two-dimensional tracks that made it in from the Super Nintendo and Game Boy Advance. Man I hate those flat, uninteresting tracks. There's a reason for games having three dimensions nowadays!

But, I'm just ranting now. What do you guys think of my choices? Also, what classic tracks would you like to see return in a future Mario Kart game? Please, feel free to speak your mind in either the comment section, or this forum thread.