A Busy Gamers Guide – Pick Up & Play (Part 1)

The word "casual" gets thrown around a lot. Like it's a bad thing to be a "casual" gamer. I may not be a "casual" gamer, or a "hardcore" gamer, or an "in quotation marks" gamer but I AM a busy gamer. Sometimes I've only got a few minutes to play a game. Sometimes I'll spoil myself and actually get a good hour or two in on gaming!

This week I present to you a different list. While last week was a "Top 6", this week I'm going for a more generalized style of listing. Sometimes you want a game to just pick up and play for a while, then put it back down. With so many choices, genres, platforms I am here to help you narrow some down.

A Busy Gamers Guide - Pick Up and Play

My list this week is meant to give you some insight to the different genres out there that you can easily pick up to play. If you've got the extra time to dedicate to these games, you can also expand your gameplay experience.

First Person Shooters

Call of Duty, Battlefield, Halo, all have some amazing multiplayer elements that keep people coming back to play them over and over again. It's the drive to get that experience so you can upgrade your weapons, perks, emblem and you know what? It works. Whether you want to just hop online and "pwn some n00bs" for a few minutes, or whether you want to actually work on improving your skills these games are for you. Mike's Pick: Call of Duty - Black Ops (until Modern Warfare 3 comes out)

Black Ops has some of the best customization, and continued support for for it's multiplayer. Shooting zombies, playing free-for-all or team deathmatch. No matter what your game type Black Ops has you covered. I will admit I played the HELL out of this game when I first got it, then I got busy. I think I'm still only a level 40something.

Music/Rhythm/Karaoke Games

We're in a state now where we've seen the rise and fall of plastic instruments. Guitars, drums, turntables, heck even a keyboard! It's still fun at a party to crack out these bad boys and "get your jam on". That's what the kids say right? "Get your jam on?" Mike's Pick: SingStar

I love Rock Band. I really do. I own most versions of the game actually. But I've NEVER seen a game get a party as excited as I have with the SingStar series. There's something about getting two 4 person teams and having them all sing for points that just gets everyone watching and playing into a fun spirit.

Tower Defense

Let me go on record saying that I am NOT a fan of tower defense games. What I AM a fan of is Tower Defense games that are disguised to NOT look like Tower Defense games. Doing what you can to stop the invading forces can be great fun. Some games even come on almost every platform imaginable! Mike's Pick: Army of Darkness Defense HD

Bruce Campbell providing his own voice while you help him protect the Necronomicon. Sound clips, upgradable units, and just that overall awesome feel of a good tower defense game. Did I mention that's it FREE right now for both the iPhone AND the iPad?

 

Fighting Games

You grew up on these games. Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Marvel vs. Capcom, King of Fighters, Tekken, the list goes on. Whether you're kicking it at home and playing arcade mode, or duking it out with friends on the couch fighting games are always fun. Until you invite that one guy who knows all the moves and kicks everyones ass. That guy's a dick. Mike's Pick: Marvel vs. Capcom 3 - Fate of Two Worlds

Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is one of the flashiest fighting games around. Sure the DLC has taken it's sweet time, but its easy combo system and Simple Mode makes it so that anyone who picks this game up can feel like they're doing some amazing stuff. If you've got the extra time check out the challenges, the training mode, and all that MvC3 has to offer and you'll be a great fighter. Just don't invite that one guy who knows all the moves. That guy's still a dick.

Well I've rambled on long enough for this first part. I hope that I've given you some insight into some games that you might have thought about getting, but for some reason felt you didn't have the time to "get good" at them. If you're not good, who cares? Get good on your own time and don't worry about what everyone else is doing. Got any other suggestions? Leave them the comments below or find me and talk to me on Twitter. I'll see you next week with Part 2 of A Busy Gamers Guide - Pick Up and Play.