Why I love video games, part 12,437

My sister has been home from college for the past few days, taking a timeout from the stress of finals prep and college life in general. We had the house to ourselves today so I hooked up the Wii U to the living room TV and the two of us played some co-op Super Mario 3D World for a couple hours.

A couple hours quickly turned into four or five because we were having so much fun. There's something special about handing someone a controller and watching them smile and have fun with a game you just knew they'd enjoy, and I'm telling you, nobody does it quite like Mario.

From great to unforgettable: what makes a game stick in our memories?

Nostalgia is a powerful thing. It's an effective tool for any creative medium, but I don't think it's off-base to say that nostalgia is an especially potent tool for game developers. Most of us who love video games grew up with them, so characters like Link and Mario feature heavily in our childhood memories, and we remember our favorite game worlds with the same fondness that we might remember a family vacation, or holidays at grandma's house. Let's admit it, when a new game comes along, no matter how great it may be, odds are that it won't quite measure up to the games you played and loved as a child.

Early Impressions of The Wonderful 101

I'm just about a third of the way through The Wonderful 101's main campaign and I figured this would be a good point to stop and give some impressions, because DAMN, this is one unique game.

How Come Nobody Wants A Wii U? This Thing Is Awesome!

Okay, we need to talk. If you consider yourself a fan of video games- not a "gamer", because that word is seriously lame- then go ahead and take a seat because we're going to have a discussion about the Wii U, and crucially, why you haven't bought one.

Two Gems That You Probably Haven't Played, But Should

There's something especially uplifting about stumbling upon a special work of art where you weren't expecting one. Like a book you picked up only because you liked the cover, but WOW you feel so lucky that you did. Something like a random documentary on Netflix that really blows you away and turns you into an anti-SeaWorld activist for like, a week.

Is Donkey Kong Really The Hardest Game I've Played In Years?

I think it is, and I think I like it. The proper reaction to that statement is something like, "you clearly haven't played Dead Souls," and that's totally true. I'm sure I'll pick up Dead Souls years from now out of sheer curiosity-and I'm sure I'll love it-but until then NONE of you have been able to make that game sound any more fun than a plane ride with Amelia Earhart.

The Little Lunchbox That Could

The first time I actually saw a Nintendo Gamecube in the flesh, I couldn't get over how tiny the thing was. It was an attractive little console too. I mean, I wouldn't call it's design sexy like I would the PS2, but you could at least see where Nintendo was going with their new machine, and it made the original Xbox look like a friggin oven in comparison.