Five More Big Games To Play Instead Of Watching The Big Game

Last year I put together five big games to play instead of watching tonight's important football game. Here are five more.

These games within video games aren’t necessarily large in physical size. Rather, they play important roles in the context and stories in which they exist making them big, important games.

If you don’t plan on watching tonight's big game, but want to join the inevitable work conversations surrounding it on Monday, you can play one of these big games. You may not be able to talk about the big game, but at least you will be able to talk about a big game.

Earthworm Jim 2 - The Villi People
The Earthworm Jim games are known for basically making no sense, constantly taking the player in random nonsensical directions, but the Villi People level of Earthworm Jim 2 might be the strangest level of the whole series. In the level, Jim becomes a blind cave salamander exploring intestines, which is weird on its own, but at a certain point the level turns into a trivia game show full of bizarre questions with even stranger answers.

Jak II - Metal Head Mash
In Jak II, the Time Map – one of the most important items needed in the game – isn't found on the outskirts of the city deep in a dangerous cavern, or in the pocket of a recently defeated boss. Instead, it's found in a Metal Head Mash arcade game (a whack-a-mole equivalent) that Daxter must beat the high score in order to obtain. The Time Map is needed to craft the Rift Rider, whose properties I won't spoil here if you haven't played Jak II.

The Adventures of Willy Beamish - Monster Squad and Super Space K'noidtrix
Willy Beamish is a trouble-maker and the titular star of The Adventures of Willy Beamish, and he's also a hopeful Nintari video game tournament winner. In the game, as you battle vampires and a sweetener magnate, you must also practice playing Monster Squad and Super Space K'noidtrix so you can win a Nintari tournament at the end of the game. Winning the tournament is how you officially beat the game.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World - Rock, Paper, Scissor
Alex Kidd was Sega's platformer mascot before Sonic showed up. Instead of fighting a few of the bosses in the traditional sense, you played Janken matches, which was basically a game of rock, paper, scissors.

Psychonauts - Waterloo World
In setting up this feature, I wrote that these games within games aren't literally big, but this one is an exception. While exploring the mind of Napoleon Bonaparte ancestor Fred Bonaparte, you shrink down onto a game board and move around giant pieces to play Waterloo World. You must help Fred defaet Napolean so that he can achieve peace of mind.

For the non-football fans, you now have some worthwhile alternatives. For football fans, you now have a list of big, important games to play after the excitement of the Super Bowl wears off.