For No Reason At All

Sometimes, you just like a game for no reason. No reason at all. This usually happens when the game is mediocre at best, because let's face it, if the game was good, you'd have a reason to like it. Games that you like for no reason usually just have something about them that appeals to you and only you. For example, Yu-Gi-Oh! Eternal Duelist Soul is one of my favorite games for no reason at all. I love Yu-Gi-Oh!, and so you'd think that I would prefer the latest Yu-Gi-Oh! game over an old one, on account of it having the greatest variety in cards, but no - this one is special to me. For some reason, I just think that it is awesome. So what does this mean for the blog? Well, I can't really write about my opinions of a game if I can't justify them, so here is a list of games that I like for no reason with a brief description of why I might like the game. Of course, these are all Gamecube games:

Rayman Arena - This wacky game involves Rayman and his pals either fighting or racing. The fighting mode in this game takes place in a 3D arena similar to like, Custom Robo or Gotcha Force. The goal is to defeat your opponent using power-ups to deplete your opinion's health as many times as possible before time runs out. This really isn't as fun to me, though, as the racing mode is. This racing mode feels a lot like Sonic The Hedgehog meets Crash Bandicoot where you try to complete 3 laps around the large, fully 3D "track" before your opponent does. The environments of the tracks vary greatly from lava factories to dusky beaches, while the platforming and sense of speed just feels good. Allow me to point out that this racing is done on-foot. This is a great multiplayer game, but it is also just a silly game to check out on your own.

Extreme G3 - This game is hard. I actually can't even beat the first circuit of this futuristic racing game. The goal of this game, like all racing games, is to complete however many laps and cross the finish like before your opponents do. However, this motorcycle futuristic racer involves just as much combat as it does speed. Each bike can be upgraded and fitted with guns, bombs, and many other weapons for you to use to take out your opponent and possibly destroy his bike before he can finish the race. This game is hard, but really satisfying.



Naruto Clash of Ninja 2 - This is just a Naruto fighting game. I have this fixation on good sound effects as I have found that they can really add to the satisfaction that comes with punching someone in the face. Sometimes a good "thud" can be just as sensually stimulating as the image of watching a fist collide with a face, or in this case, kunai colliding with shuriken. The audio in this game is amazing. Naruto Clash of Ninja 2 is a fighting game that takes you through the story of Naruto the anime series up until a certain point. You can chose whether or not to care about the story, but the fighting just feels good. The controls and camera are good and the arenas are fully 3D with a lock-on as opposed to the 2D feel that fighters such as Tekken or Mortal Kombat can have. It isn't really complicated enough for hardcore fighter fans to be satisfied by, but it is accessible and easy to pick up if you're looking for something simple, yet rewarding.

Ultimate Spider-Man - Oh boy, I love Spider-Man games. Somehow, they are just so consistently good. This game has you playing as the web-slinger himself as you swing through the city taking out bad guys by exploring the open world while adhering to the story of Peter Parker who's best friend had turned into the other playable character in this game: Venom. This game has you switching back and forth between Spider-Man and Venom as the day turns to night, and night turns to day. Now, time does not progress on it's own, you do have to essentially just sequentially beat every mission the game throws at you in order to move forward in the game, but it doesn't take away from the fun. This game isn't long, nor is it's size as impressive as that of Spider-Man 2 the video game, but it is a certainly a fun game with a lot of
humor recommended if you're looking for something short and sweet.

Street V3 - Street V3 is a street basketball game that features young versions of basketball legends and teams. These young pros challenge guest stars Mario, Luigi, and Peach in a 3 on 3, from the streets to the hoop basketball game. This game plays like any modern basketball game, perhaps with it's age showing a little bit. The controls are not any better or worse than "fine", while actually playing the game is just fun. It's fun to sink 3-pointers or slam the ball through the hoop via slam-dunk. This is one hell of a multiplayer game, too. I remember a night where me and a few of my friends who know nothing about basketball played this game for hours just taunting each other as if we were in the streets, ourselves. The single player in this game is solid, though it can become repetitive after a little bit. If you're looking for a tight single-player experience, pace yourself when it comes to Street V3;       multiplayer is where this game shines.