Hello readers. iGamesNews The Best Games Ever Podcast is back again, episode 3. We’re arguing (a lot, actually) about the best games this week, and the mini-games are better than the main game. This brings up some great options, but also raises the eternal question: what defines a minigame? Listen to see if you agree.
“What’s iGamesNews’s best gaming podcast ever?” you ask, often with childlike joy when you find some money behind the couch or see the staff bring donuts into the office. Here’s the lowdown: Every week the three of us have to present our selection of the best games that fit the show’s title (this week it has to be what we think is actually very good, but not as good as mini-games – games you can play inside) . Then our host/judge Jim Trinka will use his limited wits to announce the winner, leaving the two of us in a bind.
Each episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast will be approximately 30 minutes long. Enough to partition while you’re browsing Twitter on your phone for 5 minutes without missing the whole thing, but not so long that you need a week’s commute to get it done. Hopefully you’ll find room for 30 minutes in your podcast listening plan. If not, delete Eurogamer’s – we won’t tell them. If you’ve cut out Eurogamer’s, I’m sure one of the identikit US shows could be dealt with.
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We’ve included some details about the show’s content below (if you want to recap, head over to the comments for a great, thoughtful post), so don’t scroll through this if you want to avoid spoilers People posing (support iGamesNews, Friends of People Make Games on Patreon).
Best games where the mini games are better than the main game
This is the subject of the third episode of iGamesNews’s Best Gaming Podcast Ever. Here’s a rundown of who chose what.
Tom – Burnout 2: Impact Point
This great arcade racing game from 2002 established Criterion as a true racing studio powerhouse. Not only is the core racer a huge improvement over the original, but it also features a crash mode. Tom (that’s me) insists it’s a mini-game because it’s not a core part of the experience. Crash Mode became a true fan-favorite, and was finally thoroughly established in the third game, even getting a full indie game of its own. It’s definitely a little game. No one can say anything else.
Alex – Shenmue
In many ways, Shenmue is mini-games: games, where a plethora of mini-games and side activities are the glue that holds the world together. Some might argue that this makes it a bit cheap here, but I disagree, especially since there’s one standout: Ryo’s iconic work as a forklift driver. The forklift driving mini-game inexplicably races around the boxy tracks formed by the Yokosuka Pier, and is interpreted in the universe as a way for drivers to unleash some energy between shifts. But, honestly, who expected the racing experience of some of the folks behind Daytona America and Sega Rally to be buried in the middle of an adventure RPG? Maybe that’s why it’s so memorable…
Kelsey – New Super Mario Bros.
New Super Mario Bros. is known for bringing fresh Mario fun while staying true to the franchise, with 26 mini-games that provide a dozen hours more fun than the base game. Platformers between worlds are fun, but these mini-games seem to be the real hosts of many fond memories; 6-year-old Kelsey spent years comparing high scores with friends and still tries to beat them on her DS . Best of all, Luigi will always play some poker long after you’ve gotten tired of the base game, even after 16 years.
Let us know what game you would choose if you agree with Tom that crash mode is a mini game. If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a comment saying how great it is and tell all your friends. You can tweet it if you want.
Came back a week later for another best game of all time. Next, we battle a bar for the best game.
If you want more podcasts, you can probably do worse than check out our friends who have an electronic wireless show at Rock Paper Shotgun. Eurogamer has two shows (greedy!), Digital Foundry has DF Direct, Dicebreaker covers the world of tabletop gaming, and External Xbox has many with the Oxventure – A Dungeons & Dragons Podcast.
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