Favorite games to play in short bursts when you are “handling business”
Since involuntarily becoming an adult I find myself with less and less free time each year. Nowadays I have to get my gaming in whenever and wherever I can. Recently I have found myself having some of the best gaming experiences while I am, let's just say, indisposed of. With that being said, here are some of my favorite games to play while taking care of business, pinching the loaf, cutting the rope, unloading some timber, and whatever phrase you use to describe pooping.
1. Dead Cells
Why I enjoy it:
Dead Cells is a near perfect game, and this is coming from a person who doesn’t like rouge lite games all that much. Each level you progress through challenges you to not only perfectly dodge or parry each attack, but also pushes you to find the exit as quickly as possible to get each end of round reward that flawlessly integrates a new level of difficulty. Sure, you can take your sweet time with each area but you will lose out on the importance of Dead Cells’ combat; big risk for even bigger rewards. It really reminds me of a side scrolling version of Bloodborne, as with each encounter with any enemy you can either feed into your power fantasy or knock yourself back into humility to get good and try again.
2. NBA 2k
Why I enjoy it:
I used to be in awe at NBA 2k games when I would play them on my PlayStation 2 all day and night because of the underappreciated freedom children have. Now, NBA 2k on my Nintendo Switch is a match made in heaven for me as I can knock out a quarter or two while I do the royal squat. Gameplay, for those who are unfamiliar, is basically the best simulation basketball experience you can get. I don’t really care for the Career or the MyTeam modes as the microtransactions integrated into them are extremely predatory. I also do not get every new iteration because, to be honest, NBA 2k is the same game each year just with tiny tweaks to the mechanics, animations, rosters, and soundtrack. I still love living out my dream of having the Pelicans win the Championship each time in Season mode, if only that were to ever come true (sigh).
3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Why I enjoy it:
The King of kart racers, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (MK8D) is the best reason to own a Nintendo Switch. Some people might say Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, or even Animal Crossing: New Horizons are the reason, but they don’t come close to how fun MK8D is. Each cup takes about 15–20 min with each new level (or cc) you move up makes the competition harder and gives you more determination to beat them. Plus, the introduction of the Blue-Shell killer is the greatest new addition to gaming since the internal hard drive on consoles. I love playing either Grand Prix mode using each of the different various combinations of karts or racers. It can make or break your experience. Also I prefer to play offline because once you go on Nintendo online you get your ass kicked immediately by some twelve year old on the other side of the world.
4. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (Android App)
Why I enjoy it:
Some days I switch it up from my Nintendo Switch and boot up Xbox Game Pass on my phone to see what progress has been made on the service. I know this isn’t technically a game but it lets you play games anywhere. Is that experience just as good as playing on my Nintendo? No, but it definitely has a great foundation and I see the potential for what it can become. So far in my controlled environment, I really enjoy it. Load times are short and some games like Enter the Gungeon have touch controls for those who don’t have an extra Bluetooth controller on hand. The connection can be a little spotty when you stray away from the WiFi modem, and Phone Data connection is risky. In a pinch though, I can boot up some Gears 5 while I let the turtles loose, which is dope as hell so for that alone I recommend it.
