10 games that will make you happy

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Guaranteed to lift any mood

I'll admit, I've never seen It's a Wonderful Life, so I can't comment. But I have played some video games which I guarantee can lift anyone's mood. Get ready for some heartwarming awesomeness. After our recentWeek of Hate, they should be just what the doctor ordered.

Loco Roco

That bit where you fly up and around through the air in the shape of a heart, the bit where you sing to wake up a tree... LocoRoco is a proper love-in and no mistake.

Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy

All the bad stuff's still there, but given such a twist by the Lego characters, there's nothing left to scar you. Luke's lost his hand? He gets a prosthetic one which goes haywire and bounces around the bridge of the Millennium Falcon. The game itself isn't all that, but the cut-scenes are absolutely charming.


Above: Lego versions of Star Wars characters do not deserve hatred

Animal Crossing

Catching a fish yeilds a pun. How many games give you a pun when you catch a fish? None. And it's no fun with no puns, son. Then there's the touching moments you share with Celeste, the cute little owl with a bow in her feathers, as you draw her a heart in the stars through her telescope. Watering your flowers, growing your vegetables, the moment when the hedgehog sister stops being shy and finally talks to you...

You know what the only really sad thing about Animal Crossing is? Other people who you invited into your town getting out their axe and felling your trees. But that's not the game's fault - it's humanity's.


Above: Yep, the medication's working juust fine

Crazy Taxi

An indestructible yellow cab, punk rock blaring from your speakers, a town full of colourful stereotypes that you can never run over... There are people sunbathing on the beach, people playing tennis in the tennis court - and all under beautiful blue skies.

This is the summer holiday you took to the beach as a child, coupled with the thrill of the amusement arcade with the sand-covered games machines. As Dexter Holland so eloquently put it in the soundtrack... ya ya ya ya ya!


Above: They don't make 'em like this any more (sniff)

Plants vs Zombies

Sure, you're making zombies' heads fall off and it's kinda sad that they want brains so badlybut you won't let them. But if that's going to disturb you then you'd better steer well away from... well, everything. Plants vs Zombies raises a smile right from the initial loading screen where the progress bar reveals daisies in a row, until the last one appears... oh, but it's a zombie's head instead! It's so daft, you can't help but smile.


Above: Who would have thought agame about reanimated corpses could be so heartwarming?

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.