Videogames

When playing video games, it always seems to be more enjoyable when playing with other people. Whether it’s playing online or with a friend close by, playing multiplayer video games is simply awesome. Combine multiplayer with Nintendo, home of the most brilliant video game masterminds of all time, and there is a recipe for success. Over the years, Nintendo has produced some of the greatest multiplayer video games known to man.

The following are, undoubtedly, the best of the best.

Mario Kart Wii – Wii

Outside of the Super Mario video games, there is no better Mario franchise than Mario Kart. In 2008, Nintendo released the most innovative Mario Kart game ever: Mario Kart Wii. While the game brought back much of what fans were used to, kart racing, items and beloved characters, it also added motion control. However, the motion control is certainly an acquired taste and driving with either the Wii Classic Controller or Gamecube Controller is definitely the preferred option.

This was also one of the few Mario Kart games to have online play, but sadly Nintendo killed it. This is extremely unfortunate because online play for Mario Kart Wii was a blast. Even without this functionality though, the new courses are brilliant, the implementation of bikes make it better than ever to control and the game never gets boring.

Kirby’s Return to Dreamland – Wii

Kirby has long had the notion that it’s a kid’s franchise due to numerous games lacking in difficulty. While the series has seen its fair share of pathetically easy games, Kirby 64 for sure, Kirby has never been about the difficulty. On the contrary, the series has been popular due to its fun factor. This is where Kirby’s Return to Dreamland comes into play because of the multiplayer fun it provides.

At any point in the game, four people can be playing simultaneously as either Kirby, required, Meta Knight, King Dedede or Waddle Dee. Each character has their own unique move-set, and of course, Kirby’s abilities depend on what Copy Ability he has. Although the level design in the game can leave a lot to be desired, the game manages to remain fun due to the insane amount of chaos.

Super Mario 3D World – Wii U

Nintendo took a risk when they decided to make a 3D Super Mario platformer a multiplayer experience, but it’s safe to say they made the right decision. Throughout the entire game, the level design never got old, and Nintendo proved that when they want to make elite games, they can. Super Mario 3D World takes the characters from Super Mario Bros. 2, Mario, Luigi, Toad and Peach and morphs it with the multiplayer experience of New Super Mario Bros. However, the gameplay is much better executed in Super Mario 3D World than it was in New Super Mario Bros.

About the only aspect that this game is missing is online play, but that was explained by Nintendo. The explanation makes a lot of sense, but it still would have been amazing to see what kind of online experience Nintendo could have made for Super Mario 3D World.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest – SNES

 This is the only game on this list that doesn’t allow for simultaneous gameplay. Instead, one player controls Diddy Kong while the other waits for their chance to control Dixie Kong. Basically, during each level the players can switch back and forth between their characters at any time. Now that that’s understood, it’s time to talk about the brilliance of Donkey Kong Country 2.

In each level, there are many bonuses to complete and a DK coin to collect. Due to a number of collectibles to find in each level, the game never loses its appeal. Also, this game features an entirely breathtaking soundtrack that any music fan could enjoy. This game is proof that gamers in the 1990s were living through the greatest era of video gaming.

Nintendo definitely knows how to be the life of the party with the amount of amazing multiplayer video games they have produced. The games listed here were just a hint at the greatness that is Nintendo. If you think that I missed any major games, then leave a comment below and continue to spread the greatness of Nintendo!

Gaming is all about the future, and the industry is still new and innovative. It has to be, given the constant competition in the market. Old consoles will give way to new ones, and PC games will always try to push the envelope in terms of online features and graphics to match the improved computer technology concurrently being released.

Yet we’re seeing some new directions in the industry as innovate technologies allow developers to do standard things for a reduced cost (allowing for indie developers to make outstanding work with a skeleton crew) and try out new things (such as what we’re seeing with motion sensor technology already). Some titles on the horizon are already getting us hyped up to spend our gaming budgets on the latest tech.

Here are some of the things we can expect from the coming months and what we can figure out so far:

Virtual Reality

The Oculus Rift will no longer be the only realistic player on the market now that the HTC Vive is starting to gain traction and public awareness. It promises to provide a more stable and intuitive experience with its interesting control design. Yet it also appears to be only available to the wealthy subsection of the gaming market at a price of $800 (assuming you can get one). Yet now developers will be able to focus on VR content and bring immersion to the next level, and it will be exciting to see what bright minds in the field will be able to do with this new technology.

No Man’s Sky

One of most universally anticipated titles of last year is No Man’s Sky, a procedurally generated exploration game that puts you in the cockpit of your spaceship and sends you off to explore things that have never been seen before. The universe will effectively be infinite, allowing you to play for hours on end without repetition to what the world will bring you. Combine that with a sandbox feel and gamers will have their very own playground to share with others still. We’ve seen procedural generation before in games, but nothing on this massive scale. How will this titan affect the gameplay of future titles to come?

Lots of Indie Titles

While big studios have captured a lot of the console market, the state of indie gaming has never been better as titles like Stardew Valley and Superhot are making waves in the gaming world. It is now possible for developers to gain funding through methods such as Kickstarter or Steam Greenlight. Early Access is become a commonplace item. Yet will this mean that gamers will constantly be playing games before they are complete? What happens when indie developers hit it big and are able to expand? The next year will be sure to hold at least some answers.

Battleborn, Paragon and Overwatch

The online battle arena market is still strong with games such as Heroes of the Storm and League of Legends taking point, but the genre is now starting to get crossed and multiplayer gaming might get changed as a result. Battleborn is a FPS with a colorful art style that adds in a cast of interesting characters and some MOBA gameplay mechanics. Paragon is a MOBA that allows for a more direct control of your online avatar. Overwatch is Blizzard’s latest massive-scale effort that has a full cast of heroes (all of whom play differently) inhabiting a FPS game, and the closed beta is already getting heaps of attention (and some controversy).

All of this points to a trend that players are perhaps getting bored with the standard formula and are looking for the next big thing in multiplayer gaming. Will these titles satisfy the world’s population of gamers?

Clearly there are additional anticipated games than those above coming out this year, and we’d love to hear your thoughts about some of the excitement to come. Do you think the industry is heading down a new path? Do you think that this is a natural progression from what the industry was like last year? Please leave a comment below and tell us what you think.

As the nerds of the world gather and disperse, some thrilling new titles have come into view at the 2015 E3 conference. Not all titles will be released in the coming year—many have no expected release date —but at the very least, a few anticipated titles have taken the stage. In case you’ve missed it, we have compiled a short list of crowd-pleasing games to keep you on the edge of your seat from this year’s E3.

Star Wars: Battlefront

E3 just isn’t complete without yet another Star Wars title. With its incredible power of nostalgia and immersive universe, Star Wars: Battlefront captivated much of E3’s audience by allowing visitors to actually play the game—if only briefly. Following the trend of multiplayer games, this Star Wars title hopes to bring players right into the action of notable battles in the fictional universe.

Whether you’re fighting as a Rebel soldier or an Imperial Stormtrooper, the battles are presumed to be pretty intense with scales looking to be as large as 40 vs. 40. Vehicle options include several of the Empire’s walkers and TIE Fighters, as well as Rebel Snowspeeders and X-Wings. To cap things off, the trailer ended with the player controlling Luke Skywalker in the middle of the battlefield crossing sabers with Darth Vader, so we can potentially expect to play as heroes from the movies.

Fallout 4

Let’s be honest, there’s no shortage of fans who’ve been waiting for this to be announced. Fallout 4 marks another step back into the post-apocalyptic world that robbed us of too many days of our lives and brings answers to several new game options that fans have been asking for. From the ability to customize the coveted power armor to a settlement editor which allows players to redesign towns from the bottom up, Bethesda is really pushing to outdo its previous creations.

Customizability and options seem to be the theme based on Fallout 4’s E3 showing, with weapon and armor mods numbering in the dozens. The character development system looks like it’s getting an overhaul as well, so you might be able to play that post-apocalyptic grenadier-ninja you’ve always wanted.

Super Mario Maker

Perhaps hoping to dethrone Lunar Magic or Super Mario Bros X as the premiere Mario making engine (both are third-party programs), Nintendo has finally shown what Super Mario Maker can do and it’s nothing short of amazing. The ability to create levels for Mario is nothing new, but the sheer level of customization offered by Nintendo is blowing the lid off of the fan community.

Offering the ability to use graphics from the original Super Mario all the way to the most current 2D games, Super Mario Maker allows the player to create a truly unique play experience for other fans with the added bonus of allowing the same player to enjoy other levels from the community. Enemies from a number of the franchise’s titles will be available, including what appears to be some fairly customizable events. The staying power of a game like this is hard to determine. Hopefully Nintendo continues to support it even after its release in September.

DOOM

It may seem like an odd choice, but the very limited amount of information regarding the new title in DOOM franchise makes it that much more tantalizing. In a return to the franchise’s roots, DOOM has seemingly abandoned the horror style gameplay introduced in DOOM 3 and revved up the action in this new title that takes the graphics and cranks them up to 11.

Incorporating elements of a popular mod (Brutal DOOM) to the original two DOOMs—such as executions and excessive gore—id Software’s new title is sure to please fans of this 90s classic. With a renewed focus on fast-paced battles and slaughtering hordes of demons, DOOM hopes to bring us straight back to hell. This is refreshing, because we could all use a break from aliens and terrorists.

Metal Gear Solid 5

Despite the recent conflict with Hideo Kojima, Konami has still managed to raise a few eyebrows with the introduction of the next title in its Metal Gear Solid franchise. Showcasing around 40 minutes of gameplay, the company that kept you hiding in boxes continues to impress with all sorts of new tricks, including a new pet dog (one of the several companions showcased), uses of weather to aid your escape, and the usual espionage we’ve become so used to.

MGS will also be receiving micro-transactions to assist players with less time to invest in the game. Thankfully, anything buyable is also acquirable via in-game means, so for most players the intended experience should remain the same. With the decline in the number of difficult games, it’s nice to see that Konami has taken the middle road offering the player choices (without simply adding a “hard” mode).

Getting Ready

With the increase in online capabilities in this new era of games comes new risks and problems too. Considering even Mario is likely to have online transactions, you may want to consider encrypting your internet service with a Virtual Private Network (VPN). This is basically a service that protects your data sent and received, while providing you with a veil of anonymity (so little Timmy can’t come find you after you blow up his AT-AT).

Three out of these five titles will be available for PC, so be sure to update your video drivers as well. There’ve been some pretty terrifying glitches of late, and you wouldn’t want to have any eye-popping moments just because you decided that critical update wasn’t needed. That goes doubly if you happen to be a software developer.

More to Come

The best 5 titles of this year’s E3 are pretty subjective; a multitude of impressive games were announced and only just the surface has been scratched regarding their gameplay. While this may serve as a short guide to some of the best titles out there, we encourage you to look into the rest of this year’s up and coming titles.

Do you think that there were any other titles worth checking out? Excited for anything in particular? Please leave a comment below and let us know what you think!

Online gaming was blown wide open a few years ago when it captured mainstream audience’s attention through its marriage with social media. As Farmville and Candy Crush partnered up with Facebook, millions of people let the dishes pile up and the grass grow waist high as they got sucked into these virtual worlds.

Of course, online gaming is nothing new, and the interactive gameplay that the internet offers has connected users from all walks of life, all around the world. PC gaming, mobile gaming and even online play through consoles has turned what was once a solitary experience into a social competition, where players can challenge ten-year-old gurus in the UK.

With so much connectivity undoubtedly comes a higher risk for security. Like sharing toys on the playground, your system runs a much higher risk of being compromised when sharing a connection with other gamers. Don’t worry, no need to put down the iPad and get productive. With a little diligence, and plenty of common sense, you can shore up your security and give yourself some peace of mind while you annihilate the enemy in Call of Duty.

Beware of Public Networks

This goes for anything you do online; avoid using public WiFi networks whenever possible. Sure, they’re convenient, and there’s nothing better than chowing down on some wings and beer while you dominate in WoW. However, without taking plenty of security precautions, these places are total hotbeds of hacker activity.

Open public networks provide snoops with plenty of opportunities to swipe your login information, or worse, your credit card number. Private, secured networks offer a closed connection with only authorized users, in theory keeping people you don’t know or trust off of your network.

Only Use Legitimate Sites and Platforms

This one should go without saying, but really, it doesn’t. So many people fall into the trap of downloading what they think is a new game, only to discover too late that it’s a malware-filled, phishing pile of junk.

Many scammer websites exist, often promoting bogus software and games designed to trick you into downloading a malware file. Don’t fall for it. Once you have these files on your device, they are incredibly difficult to get rid of, and wreak havoc with pervasive adware and phishing that can swipe your personal information before you know what hit you.

The moral of the story here? Only download games, or anything really, from trusted, secure websites. Look for a padlock icon next to the URL of any site you visit, and make sure that anywhere you’re required to enter personal or payment information for gameplay has at least an https:// address so that your information will be encrypted on its way to their servers.

Check Your Security Settings

Okay, let’s be honest, have you ever even SEEN your sharing settings? While online gaming is all about sharing in the glory of victory and the shame of defeat, it’s not all about sharing your files and everything else.  The thing is, if you haven’t checked your security settings, chances are your device is readily allowing other users on public networks to peek at your files.

Whether you’re gaming on a PC or a smartphone, go into your security settings and make sure that your firewall is up and running, and that your sharing settings are set to where you’d like your privacy to be (otherwise, none of your business). Public file sharing, device sharing and network discovery are some big ones. Check ‘em, and make sure your device is airtight.

Use Additional Privacy Software

Chances are, you’re still going to game on public networks. Hey, I don’t blame you. But do yourself a favor, and at least install a Virtual Private Network (VPN) first. They are simple software programs that encrypt your data in a secure tunnel through the internet. Since your information is being sent to a gaming server, a VPN will give it an added layer of security.

Even better, as any gamer in China or the UAE will tell you, there’s a ton of internet censorship and content restriction that goes on around the world. Not only will using a VPN keep prying eyes off your connection, but it will open up your access to any content you want by routing you to a server in a country of your choice, thanks to their IP address blocking technology. You’ll have a totally anonymous and secure connection, all in one neat little software bundle.

Don’t Be a Statistic

Online gaming gets a bad rap with worried parents because of the inherent vulnerabilities in that type of connection. While it’s incredible that we can meet and interact with people from anywhere in the world, it’s also incredibly risky to our personal information.

Don’t play with fire, and don’t assume that your information is safe. Sharing in the adrenaline of the game can also mean sharing a connection with someone who is only after your personal information. Use that strategizing brain of yours, and play it safe. Avoid public networks whenever possible, keep a tight lid on your security settings, and use a VPN if a free WiFi hotspot is just too enticing.