10 games that will make you happy

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Guaranteed to lift any mood

Everybody's Golf is a wonderful place to relax because at the end of the day, you just know the scariest things around are a mummy duck with her ducklings in tow and a raccoon. Which runs away when you get near. Everybody's cheerful, the sun is shining...everything is right with the world in Everybody's Golf.

Innocent Life: A futuristic Harvest Moon

Who'd have thoughta robot child trying to fit in with humanity by growing plants would turn out to be the best entry in this laid-back series? This 'futuristic Harvest Moon' is a pure delight and we're right there with every little success of said robot child.


Above: No Ozzy Osbourne-style rib breaks on this quad bike

Guitar Hero

Never mind the fact that the franchise has been run into the ground through a billion incremental upgrades, the fact remains that playing a plastic guitar and hearing the result sound as good as Slash, Morello or Gibbons is a revelation. Heck, I even had a blast playing the Van Halen one and I'm not even a fan of Van Halen.

There's just something about feeling the music under your fingers as opposed to under your thumbs that makes Guitar Hero awesome.


Above: Ahh, a flashback to simpler times

A Boy and His Blob

How many games do you know that have a 'hug button'? And the blob loves his master so much... but not as much as that boy loves his blob! Hey - get your fingers out of your mouth.


Above: A loving hug, or testing to see if the blob tastes like marshmallow?

OutRun

Whether it's the 1986 original or any of the excellent home conversions of OutRun 2, there's just a serene feeling of happiness when you play OutRun. The palm trees, the timeless music, the red car, blue skies, blonde girl in the passenger seat... even when you're travelling at night in the less inviting stages, the smoothness of the passing scenery is entirely pleasant on the eye. There should be more games like this.


Above: This needs to come to XBLA and PSN... even PSP would be a start

Which games make you happy? And don't say Killzone. Or Splatterhouse. Hello Kitty is acceptable... if you're comfortable with that.

30 Mar, 2010

Justin Towell
Justin Towell

Justin was a GamesRadar staffer for 10 years but is now a freelancer, musician and videographer. He's big on retro, Sega and racing games (especially retro Sega racing games) and currently also writes for Play Magazine, Traxion.gg, PC Gamer and TopTenReviews, as well as running his own YouTube channel. Having learned to love all platforms equally after Sega left the hardware industry (sniff), his favourite games include Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams, Zelda BotW, Sea of Thieves, Sega Rally Championship and Treasure Island Dizzy.