So you spent all your hard-earned money buying gifts for other people this holiday season, did you? Well, have no fear. You may only have $15 to your name now but that doesn't mean you can't afford some great gameplay experiences. In honor of the traditionally cash-strapped month of January I'm counting down my list of the "Top Eight Less Than-$15 Games" for PC, Playstation Network, Xbox Live Arcade and the Wii Virtual Console that have come out in the past year. Here they are in no particular order:
Braid (PC, XBLA, PSN):\nBraid is a 2-D side-scrolling puzzle game that is built around a time-traveling gameplay mechanic that will leave your head spinning. Besides having a visually arresting art style, the game demands players to think in the fourth dimension and will certainly leave a lasting impression in your mind.
PixelJunk Shooter (PSN):\nThis simple little one- or two-person 2-D shooter has you flying a tiny ship around cavernous levels, fighting monsters, rescuing scientists and solving puzzles by harnessing the elements of fire and water. It's simple in concept, but it has a whimsical feel to it that will keep you playing through to the end.
Super Smash Bros. (Wii VC):\nOriginally released more than 10 years ago, this game revolutionized the fighting genre with its frantic action and simultaneous four-player support. It's still just as fun as ever to thwack Mario with Link's boomerang or shock Samus with Pickachu's lightning.
Peggle (PC, XBLA, PSN):\nPeggle has been out on PC for a while now but it was only recently released on consoles. A hybrid of pinball and pachinko, Peggle offers fun and fast-paced action that will have you reevaluating your supposed dislike of "casual" games. Fair warning though: like Bejeweled before it, Peggle can be addictive. I bought my dad a copy for Christmas and he still hasn't come out of the computer room.
Super Mario Kart (Wii VC):\nAnother Nintendo classic that has finally made its way to the Virtual Console, Super Mario Kart is arguably the best kart game ever made. I'm recommending this whole-heartedly to anyone who has fond memories of the original version, but it may be hard for someone without the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia to get past the 32-bit graphics.
Worms (XBLA, PSN):\nWorms has been out on XBLA for a while but it came out within the year on PSN so I couldn't resist adding it to this list. A beefed-up version of the classic "tanks"-style gameplay, Worms has two players lobbing a myriad of projectiles at each other while accounting for factors such as angle and wind direction. It's a silly game, but hey, sometimes that's what you're in the mood for.
The Legend of Zelda:\nMajora's Mask (Wii VC):\nOften overshadowed by its predecessor Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask is a classic in its own right. If you never played it when it was released the first time, its re-release on the Wii is the perfect opportunity for you to enjoy this epic adventure.
Shatter (PSN):\nA new spin on the classic brick-breaker games, Shatter literally turns the genre on its ear, offering sideways and circular levels as well as boss fights in addition to the traditional vertical fare. It's short but sweet and well worth the price of admission.
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
