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Woooo, long weekend coming up! For a lot of folks with no extra room in their schedules, long weekends are just about the only time any gaming gets done, so the time has to be spent wisely. Now, you could start on an epic RPG this weekend (which you’ll get around to finishing sometime in 2017) or you could get a complete experience over the span of a single weekend.
Short games tend to get a bad rap from gamers, but there are plenty of games that are great despite being over quickly. Hell, there’s some games that a great partly because they’re short. Here are some great, brief gaming experiences you can have this weekend while your stomach churns through its Easter ham…
Star Fox
Star Fox 64
Time required for a basic playthrough: 1 – 2 hrs
Pretty much the ideal short game. You can beat Star Fox 64 in about an hour, but the game’s multiple paths and the ever-present challenge to improve your score, makes the game hugely replayable. Also, the game features Peppy, the greatest rabbit in video game history, so it’s thematically appropriate for Easter weekend. For those who don’t have an N64 plugged in any more, there’s a really well done remake of the game for the 3DS.
Double Fine Productions
The Cave
Time required for a basic playthrough: 3 – 5 hrs
The Cave, last year’s criminally underrated adventure-platformer from Ron Gilbert (the creator of Monkey Island) is lean, mean, and makes it’s point without an excess of padding. And hey, if your first playthrough is over a little too quick, you can always venture through the game with a new combination of characters.
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You had me at Star Fox 64.
You lost me at long weekend. Do most people get a long weekend for Easter?
We do up in Canada. I guess it’s a state-by-state thing in the US.
this year its a 4 day weekend here in Brazil
Mirrors edge is so good…now I just wanna play it again.
Mirror’s Edge was underrated, I need to buy another copy (mine disappeared along with the co-worker who borrowed it.)
Another short-but-sweet title could be Limbo, if you don’t mind me saying.
Limbo needs a sequel.
I loved the hell out of New Super Mario Bros. 2. May have to give it another go. Also wishing I had Mirror’s Edge, but I could play the mobile version on my phone. Thinking I may have to go dig up Metroid: Fusion again as well, been a long time since I played it.
The God of War games can be breezed through in (generally) less than 10 hours each.
Heavenly Sword, too. Even shorter, as I recall.
I’m kind of in the middle on Mirror’s Edge. when it came out I rented it and had a fun time with it, it was a really cool idea that had some pretty rough execution. The first levels were great and then it got a little boring towards the end as I recall. there was that one really thrilling sequence though where you’re getting chased by the agile dudes with stun batons and have to keep climbing up platforms as fast as you can, or something along those lines. I was afraid to look back but I could hear them always right close behind me, and it was genuinely tense and exciting. I’m optimistic for the sequel though, because I feel the idea could make a great game if it’s a longer game with some more interesting levels
I read the last part as “short bus sweet.”
What platforms is Cave Story available on?
You can still play the original freeware version for PC, or you can download Cave Story+ from Steam (it’s got more detailed graphics and extra modes and stuff). There’s also versions on the Wii, DS and 3DS.
Deadlight is free on xbox360 for gold subscribers. Fun little zombie side-scroller
HEY GREAT JOB SEPARATING THIS INTO FIVE SLIDES IT WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY HARD TO READ IF IT WERE ALL ON ONE