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What To Play While Watching Something Else
With the current media landscape including technology like Hulu, Netflix instant stream, and DVR, we all have a huge backlog of stuff we'd like to watch but just don't have the time. We also live in a time where there are more great games coming out more frequently than ever, so how do we manage to squeeze everything in? If you're like me, you enjoy catching up on old Daily Show and Conan episodes while playing a mindless video game (or section of a game) on another screen. If you're like Tim Turi, you bring your PSP to monster truck rallies so you can slay werewolves while monster trucks are doing super-sweet stuff right in front of you. Well, maybe you shouldn't be like Tim in that regard.
If you're looking to break out the laptop to watch some shows while still working through your gaming backlog, here are some suggestions on what to play.
Mass Effect 2 - Mining Sections
While Mass Effect 2 is almost universally praised, one particular part of the game drove many gamers nuts. Mineral scanning is tedious and time-consuming, yet it's something you definitely want to do if you want to upgrade your weapons or get the best ending. Considering it has no important dialogue or cutscenes attached to it, it's the perfect thing to do while you're watching something on your laptop.
Any RPG - XP Grinding
Fans of the RPG genre are no doubt familiar with grinding for XP. Whether you're trying to prepare yourself for a tough boss in a Final Fantasy game or trying to level up in World of Warcraft, we've all had those moments where we're just hacking away at the same enemies over and over. Since the point of grinding isn't to reach cutscenes or move the story along, it's a great opportunity to make some progress while your real attention is focused on the latest episode of 30 Rock.
DS Puzzle Games
The DS is perfect for when you're riding a bus or waiting for your doctor's appointment, but it's also great if you just want to shut your brain off and play some puzzle games. Games like Picross 3D, Picross DS, and Brain Age's sudoku are perfect for playing if you've got something else on in the background. Professor Layton is a possibility as well, but its occasional cutscenes and voice acting make it slightly more questionable.
Puzzle Quest
When you play Puzzle Quest, time can fly by without you even realizing it. Your brain kind of shifts into autopilot mode, which makes it easy to turn down the game volume and bring up your Netflix queue on another screen. You won't be missing any awesome cutscenes, and any semblance of story is usually communicated via text.
Sports Games
When you start a new sports game, you might be interested in new commentary and other audio improvements. However, you've probably heard it all after you've played through half a season. This is the perfect time to make progress with your franchise while simultaneously whittling down your Netflix queue.
Cell Phone Games
The very nature of cell phone games doesn't lend itself towards cutscenes or important dialogue, so the majority of them will work for this purpose. Some standouts include Angry Birds, Fragger, Doodle God, and Cut the Rope. These allow you to take all the time you want in between turns or attempts, so they're a better choice than constant-action games like Doodle Jump or Fruit Ninja.
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