We asked some streamers what games make them happy
Jun 01, 2020
Videogames!
They can be a source of fun, of exhilaration, or utter fucking frustration when you fuck that fucking mission up for the umpteenth fucking time. *narrows eyes and glares at GTFO*
It’s easy to forget that games can be fun when guns deep in the latest grey and beige shooter, or getting attempting to survive as a civilian in This War of Mine. Bright, breezy, blue skies (we miss you 90s SEGA), bopping beats and bright colours. Hey, even Vice City was funny.
Inspired by the ever-joyful Quang from Asobi Tech, creator of MaoMao Castle (currently in early access on Mac and PC), we asked some gaming streamers what their happy funtime games are. Here’s what they said, starting with the man himself:
QUANG DX – ASOBI TECH
Don’t make me choose just one!
I think I am down between Bishi Bashi Champ and Outrun 2 SP. Both in the arcades.
Bishi Bashi for the giant coloured buttons you smack in the many ridiculous Japanese mini games that are fun on your own, stupidly good fun with a group.
And Outrun 2, for the deluxe cabinets you get to sit in, as you power slide your way around beautiful stunning looking roadways, which capture the exhilarating feeling of driving for fun. Combined with SEGA blue skies and that soundtrack…
Both home versions are good. But nothing beats playing them in the arcade. They leave me smiling every time.
Follow Quang on Twitter
KIM JUSTICE
Happy… let’s see now. I would have to say that a good ol’ bout of Downwell brings a smile to my face. It’s so simple but you can’t help but giggle when you’re falling down, stomping and shooting monsters with your high-powered boots.
Follow Kim on Twitch and YouTube
WISEFISH
Simpsons Hit & Run.
I’ve loved The Simpsons for years and that game was just great fun. It had hilarious writing, all the Simpson landmarks and I always wanted to keep beating times and unlock everything it had to offer. It was just such a fun game all round and it’s The Simpsons so… How can you beat that?!
Follow WiseFish on YouTube
BECKY FROST – SPECIALEFFECT
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. The series is fantastic, the writing is excellent and the characters stay with you like old friends (and frenemies!). It’s one of those games I keep coming back to for another play through. The soundtrack is also some of the best videogame music I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing performed live.
Also you can shout ‘Objection!’ into the mic instead of a pressing a button and what’s not to love about that?
Follow SpecialEffect on Twitch
KOOKIEE
Erm… at the moment the Telltale Walking Dead Games.
JOYOUS NOT MISERABLE PLEASE, KOOKIEE!
WELL. I LAUGHED A FEW TIMES.
Does Animal Crossing: New Horizons count? It’s cute and fun and relaxing. And other than the wasps, tarantulas, and scorpions it’s almost impossible to be angry at it. And it has such a sweet community, compare to most what you’d call “online” games. It’s refreshing.
Follow Kookiee on Twitch and YouTube
KRAYVEN – MAYOR OF KRAYVENSTOWN
Cuphead.
I’ve been a lifelong artist; the earliest kind of thing I liked to draw was cartoons, including making my own comics. I always enjoyed classic cartoon animation from when I was little. I also worked as a games artist for a number of years, and actually saw a keynote speech from the lead animator of Cuphead at a conference. I remember the splash it made when it came out, and how well it captured the Fleischer animation style.
In the last couple of years I’ve really enjoy playing, and streaming, a number of hard games. Especially if they’re 2D platformers with hard boss fights, or tight timing, so Cuphead was a shoo-in choice. The vibrant world, the cute characters, the creativity of the bosses, it’s all great. Even if it got me a little salty at times 🙂
Follow Krayven on Twitch and YouTube
NATHAN – FURN GAMING
Not so blue skies as black and filled with stars, Elite Dangerous.
I find it a great way to unwind zipping through the universe and occasionally building a big old spreadsheet to track the progress of a delivery mission!
Follow FURN Gaming on Twitch and YouTube
TRISTA BYTES
Lollipop Chainsaw. Because lollipops & chainsaws! It needs no more explanation than that.
Follow Trista Bytes on Twitch and YouTube
DRUTTERCUP
My go-to happy game is Guild of Dungeoneering. Stick figure graphics, mostly monochrome, no bright and shiny colours. And yet the absurdity of the character classes and equipment, that can see your Mime picking up a cup of tea, a straitjacket and a disco tiara, all with their own bonuses, is an absolute delight.
And then when you inevitably get your minions killed, they get a plot in the Guild Graveyard and a pithy little epitaph from the Bard who provides all the narration. His songs highlight every major action you take in an acidic, appropriate and deeply amusing way. The music ties everything together.
It’s almost impossible to play GoD and stay down.
Follow Druttercup on Twitch
ROBIN – COACHING FOR GEEKS
Hey there space cats! what could be more fun than outdancing aliens and robots in order to save the galaxy from the Rhythm Rogues? What could be camper?
Maybe the recent VR version, but Space Channel 5 Part 2 is my happy place. Ken Woodman’s Picadilly Brass provide the swinging 60s soundtrack with Mexican Flyer, Testuya Mizuguchi provides the simon says gameplay, and it all comes together with a guitar battle with Pudding from Channel 42.
ALSO SPACE MICHAEL who looks even weirder in high definition.
Up down left right, chu chu chu! Let’s dance to the end of the galaxy!
Follow Robin on Twitch and join the Coaching for Geeks Community.
KITTY POWERS – GAME DEV DRAG QUEEN
Hello Kittens!
I’d heartily recommend my game ‘Kitty Powers’ Matchmaker‘ to cheer you up when you’re feeling blue.
It’s got an endless supply of procedurally generated lonely cretins who are designed to make you feel better about yourself, and the dates they go on are a hilarious series of awkward situations that are bound to make you feel like you’re completely winning at life! Best of all, because it’s procedural you can play it forever and ever!
More seriously, the game is designed to not be boring by cleverly using randomised dialogue and minigames to keep it funny and fresh, and it’s all hand illustrated in a really pleasing 2D style, none of that plasticky looking 3D. Mwah!
BONUS HAPPY TABLETOP GAMING ACTION!
ALEX LOLIES – DICEBREAKER
Jungle Speed is definitely not even in my top 5 personal favourite games. I hardly ever play it to be honest (although I do enjoy it when I do) but for me a game that makes me HAPPY is a game that I know everyone will enjoy.
Jungle Speed (and there are other games that will fit this brief but Jungle Speed came out on top for me) is the kind of game that I LOVE introducing to people. Everyone knows snap. We all grew up playing snap and Jungle Speed is just snap on crack as I like to say.
It’s the kind of game that people get the premise of because of its similarity to snap, are at first a bit bamboozled by because of the varying rules, symbols and patterns but end up loving loudly. As in, once everyone’s got their heads in, it usually ends up in raucous laughter and spilt drinks. A game that can evoke such strong emotions of joy and silliness and is so easy anyone can play makes me very happy. 🙂
Follow Dicebreaker on Twitch and YouTube.
There ain’t no stopping Quang now!
We let Quang choose some honorable mentions because, frankly, there was no stopping him once he got going.
Bubble Bobble. For those cute as hell dragons, and the sheer variety of pickups, and levels. Oh and that happy tune.
Vib Ribbon, for having so much character in a vector animation. So much joy as they skip along the ever changing line to whatever song it has been given.
Tetris Effect, for immersing you into a mediative zen state, of falling blocks, creating order from chaos. In a orgy of particle effects and sound.
NiGHTS into Dreams for letting you perform aerial ballet manoeuvres, as you flow and chain together a score run, that widens your smile with each and every link, in its dream like world of colour.
OK I’m done there, You may wanna throw Peggle in there. For that raising scale as you light up the pegs. And the perfect triumph of Ode to Joy being played…
END?
What are we missing? What makes YOU happy? Why is there so little Nintendo here?
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