What game makes you the happiest?

[Matthew Jabour]

Why do we play video games? Primarily, it's to have fun. But some games are more fun than others. And while some games make us sad, like Spec Ops: The Line, most games can fill us with joy and happiness. So what I'm asking is, what game makes you the happiest? It doesn't have to be the best game, or even your favorite. Just one that makes you smile the most. COD, Halo, Mario, Ride to Hell: Retribution - whatever you like.

Mine is Super Mario Galaxy. Forget the gameplay, forget the controls - once I pick up that controller, I'm smiling from start to finish. So what's yours?

 

[krazykidd]

Kirby's Epic yarn. While not the most challenging game, it's cutesy art-style, and happy-go-lucky soundtrack, puts me in an amazing mood. I could have the worst day, but as soon as i turn that game on, life is all rainbows and sunshine.

 

[Zhukov]

Journey.

There's nothing quite like dancing on the desert winds with a cloaked stranger, keeping one another aloft with an impromptu duet.

It's the game I go to when I just want to play something effortless and cheerful and beautiful.

 

[Maximum Bert]

K-on Houkago Live!! on the PSP that game always picks me up mainly the music in it TBH it never fails to bring a smile to my face. When I was away for quite a while on my own in the middle of nowhere feeling tired and fed up whenever I got the chance I would play this game for a while and it always made things seem better. The trouble was keeping the PSP charged still I maxed out the clock at 999 hours ages ago so god knows how much time I put into this game and I still havent finished it technically. I got pretty good at it to (as you would imagine) so I would put it on the highest difficulty possible and then rock out and get S rank everytime almost without thinking lol bet that wouldnt happen now as I havent played it in ages.

Damn I need to play this game again.

 

[EeveeElectro]

Kingdom Hearts II. The music, the Disney, the nostalgia even the beautiful graphics. It's my favourite game too. I cried when I finished it because I had got myself trapped in it's world and now it was over...

 

[somethingorother003]

Pokemon.

Not the only thing I'll play, but sitting down, lowering my brain usage significantly and indulging in whatever remains of my inner 10-year-old legitimately makes me happy.

 

[The Wykydtron]

But um, Spec Ops did fill me with happiness and joy. So there's that.

The Attack on Titan tribute game is really freaking fun, stick the music on repeat and play some multiplayer. There's something about watching your team swarm around one or two Titans out of the corner of your eye while you go for a third one. Then a surprise crawler comes out of nowhere and everyone shits themselves and scatters like flies.

Some people are genuinely scared of those things... They can pull off some crazy shit, you're never safe

 

[Jusey1]

Rock Band 3... You know... Extremely Headbanging to Metallica, AC/DC, etc but then suddenly softly headbopping to some good old classic music like The Beatles, The Who, etc.

 

[SKBPinkie]

Kirby's Epic yarn.

Journey.

Well, fuck.

Besides these - I was gonna say Animal Crossing but having to play fairly regularly is kinda annoying. So I'd say -

Stacking. Just a pure joy to be in that world and figure out the puzzles at your own pace. The presentation is very charming as well, and the music is pretty calm and relaxing as well.

But yeah, that's still the third choice for me. First would be Journey and then Kirby's Epic Yarn.

 

[babinro]

Rock Band - Drums.
There's nothing more rewarding in gaming than finally beating that tough song on Expert. Then over the course of weeks and months you eventually 4 star, 5 star and even gold star it. Rock Band drums offers a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment in gaming unlike any other experience I've ever had.

Sitting down to get crushed by a song or play an 'easy' song flawlessly continues to be my happiest moments in gaming. It's strange to as many of the songs I love to drum to are songs I dislike in reality.

 

[Ironbat92]

I guess any of the Ratchet and Clank games give me a smile, thanks to the hilarious writing they have and outrageous weapons, and If I had to choose which one made me smile the most, it's a toss up between Tools of Destruction and A Crack in Time.

 

[shrekfan246]

Journey.

Nothing quite like dancing on the desert winds with an ochre cloaked stranger, keeping one another aloft with an impromptu duet.

It's the game I go to when I just want to play something effortless and cheerful and beautiful.

But it's not a "real" game, it barely even has gameplayyyyyy!!!

OT: I feel like I need to make qualifications to anything I say, really... as far as "games I return to for no other reason than absolute adoration" go, probably Sonic 3 & Knuckles or maybe Banjo-Tooie.

For something like "enjoying the simple beauty of the game world", it'd be Okami.

For "sense of achievement", there's Mirror's Edge.

And "overall love of the narrative" would go to either Persona 4 Golden or the Mass Effect trilogy.

So I don't really know if I could just pick a single one to go with. At least until the 3DS Kirby game comes out.

 

[Nooners]

Gotta be Sonic 3 and Knuckles for me. I can just put that game on like a second skin. Every so often, you find a game where you become one with the controller. You reach a state of zen, where the controls are an extension of yourself and you know the game like the back of your hand. S3&K is that game for me.

OT: I feel like I need to make qualifications to anything I say, really... as far as "games I return to for no other reason than absolute adoration" go, probably Sonic 3 & Knuckles or maybe Banjo-Tooie.

Hello, ninja. I see we share a mutual interest...

 

[BQE]

Catherine

Everything about that game hit all the right notes for me, it's one of my favorite games of all time. I enjoy the music, the puzzles, the fevered boss levels and the interactions and dialogue have always brought me delight.

 

[Roxas1359]

I guess any of the Ratchet and Clank games give me a smile, thanks to the hilarious writing they have and outrageous weapons, and If I had to choose which one made me smile the most, it's a toss up between Tools of Destruction and A Crack in Time.

You pretty much stole my answer from me here. I love the Ratchet and Clank serious for it's humor, and impractical weaponry. Out of all of them there is only one I detested, and that was the one a lot of people hated: Full Frontal Assault. I even greatly enjoyed All 4 One when I was playing with my friends.

Another game that I get happy when play is Fallout New Vegas. I think it's because it is the game that I have put the most time into out of my entire life. The only ones that come close to the amount of time I've put into New Vegas is Pokemon or Final Fantasy XII. For New Vegas I played the Vanilla game with 43 different characters, until I finally got a computer to play the PC version, and now I can't go back to Vanilla! >.<

 

[shrekfan246]

Gotta be Sonic 3 and Knuckles for me. I can just put that game on like a second skin. Every so often, you find a game where you become one with the controller. You reach a state of zen, where the controls are an extension of yourself and you know the game like the back of your hand. S3&K is that game for me.

OT: I feel like I need to make qualifications to anything I say, really... as far as "games I return to for no other reason than absolute adoration" go, probably Sonic 3 & Knuckles or maybe Banjo-Tooie.

Hello, ninja. I see we share a mutual interest...

I can't count the number of times I've unlocked Hyper Sonic/Knuckles over the years, and yet whenever I return to the game after a few years of having not played it, the fourth Special Stage for Chaos Emeralds always manages to mess me up.

Every single time.

It's one of the only games I repeatedly return to, especially for longer than an hour or two, though.

 

[Alcamonic]

A cup of coffee in the morning. You addicts can't imagine what it's like!

As far as gaming goes. Just playing some RPG game with some decent difficulty, preferably something with turn-based combat or with a lot of puzzle solving and exploration.

Edit: Since adding a game seems to be a thing, I will add something which trigger Nostalgia overload. Like Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Fallout series or Mario Kart series. Also Mario Tennis! God such a wonderful game, especially multiplayer.

 

[Worgen]

The last one that made me really happy was Wonderful 101, its just got so much damn style and happy to it.

 

[FPLOON]

Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction

The only hulk game I'm willing to dick around in with a happy smile to my face...

Also, any DDR game does the trick of making me happy at any time... (Yes, that includes Mario Mix...)