Top 10 "Pick Up and Play" Games

10. Space Megaforce (SNES, 1992)

Space Megaforce, also called Super Aleste in Japan and Europe, is a shoot-em-up game released for the Super Nintendo in 1992 by Compile, a development studio that is renowned for their work within the "shmup" genre. Out of all the shmups out there, Space Megaforce has stuck with me because of its graphics, music, and replayability. The game has very good pixel art graphics for the time, which I think still hold up well today for what they are. The soundtrack is also really nice, from the chilled out intro theme to the techno bangers that populate each area of the game. Space Megaforce's gameplay also makes it very replayable. It's a top down shooter similar to Raiden or 1942, with multiple weapon types to collect for your spaceship. These different weapons offer different play styles to experiment with, and you can pick your favorite or try them all out. Unfortunately, a physical cartridge for Space Megaforce costs a lot of money, as it's one of the more expensive SNES games out there (and that's saying something!), leading me to primarily play this one through emulation. 

9. Mega Man (NES, 1987)

Pretty much everyone knows Mega Man. The Blue Bomber has been a mainstay in video games for nearly forty years, bringing tight controls, difficult platforming challenges, and legendary soundtracks along the way. But why have the very first Mega Man as my choice here? It's a near universal opinion that it's been surpassed by its numerous sequels on the NES and beyond. While it's true that follow-ups like Mega Man 2 offer a lot more, I often come back to Mega Man 1 because of its simplicity. There are only six Robot Masters to defeat, making it an overall shorter experience. It's perfect to jump in and play a couple stages or fully beat in an afternoon. Although it's not Peak Mega Man, the first game offers a lot more in terms of fun than its reputation may suggest.

8. Ridge Racer 6 (Xbox 360, 2005)

It's Ridge Racer! RIIIIIDGE RACER!! Remember that one? Awkward PSP presentation references aside, this neglected racing series by Namco is one of my favorites in a genre that I play very often. Although Ridge Racer as a series offers numerous great entries from its history, such as the masterpiece that is R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 or even Ridge Racer V (my first foray into the franchise), Ridge Racer 6 is the one that I find myself picking up and playing the most. A launch title for the Xbox 360, Ridge Racer 6 brings many innovations to the series, such as the Nitrous Gauge mechanic, where you can acquire speed boosts through drifting, and the main campaign mode, World Xplorer. World Xplorer is where the pick up and play factor shines for me. In this career mode, you must complete races along a map to unlock new races and cars. You can choose any number of races for a session in World Xplorer, making it great for both having a good amount of time or only enough time for one or two quick races. All of the races in World Xplorer matter when it comes to overall completion of the game and the acquisition of new cars, accompanied by an always exciting cutscene. 

7. Frequency (PS2, 2001)

Frequency is a rhythm game for the PlayStation 2 that I like to bring up every so often simply because I don't see it really talked about. Released by Harmonix in 2001, Frequency is the studio's first release, and its ideas and gameplay mechanics had a major influence on their ultimate smash hit, Guitar Hero, later in the decade. Frequency's gameplay involves hitting notes in time to rhythms, but with extra complication in the form of separate instruments. Each song's instrument parts are on a different side of the tunnel, and you must switch between them in addition to hitting the notes on time. This makes Frequency a pretty challenging and involved rhythm game, but very fun nonetheless. The game's soundtrack (very important for a music-focused game) has lots of quality electronic tunes to play, featuring acts like No Doubt, The Crystal Method, and Freezepop, which is one of my favorite bands and the reason I discovered this game to begin with. Frequency's sequel, Amplitude, expands on the ideas of this game with new songs and altered mechanics. 

6. Pokémon Pinball (Game Boy Color, 1999)

You may or may not know this, but I'm a big fan of Pokémon, having written numerous reviews for the original games, ROM hacks, and spin-offs here on this site. However, starting a Pokémon game is a pretty long endeavor, with opening cutscenes, choosing a starter, and getting yourself into the gameplay. For a quick fix of Pokémon fun that I can play for a short amount of time, I turn to Pokémon Pinball, originally released for the Game Boy Color in 1999, at the height of Generation 1 Poké-mania. This game is pretty simple, with it being just pinball, but it has some additions that make it unique. For starters, the pinball table is Pokémon-themed, and it has some charming visuals. Pokémon Pinball also has different "environments" to get to, and the ability to catch Pokémon through the pinball, with the ultimate goal of catching 'em all and completing the Pokédex. 

Like the previously discussed Mega Man 1, Mario Kart Super Circuit is definitely not seen as the peak of its series. In fact, this entry generally ranks lower on people's rankings of Mario Kart games, which is understandable in a series containing juggernauts like Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart Wii. I consider Super Circuit to be pretty underrated, and perfect to pick up and play. As the first ever handheld Mario Kart, it released on the Game Boy Advance and provided numerous game modes for flexible gameplay. Super Circuit has the Grand Prix mode like any other Mario Kart, where you complete a series of four races to win a Cup, but it also has the Quick Run mode, which is just jumping right in and doing one quick race. Quick Run is perfect when you want to play some Mario Kart for a couple minutes without committing the time to completing a Grand Prix, which is especially useful on the go.

4. Tetris DS (Nintendo DS, 2006)

Tetris is one of the quintessential "pick up and play" games ever made. Originally developed in the Soviet Union by Alexey Pajitnov in 1985, Tetris reached new heights as the pack-in title for the original Game Boy. Although Tetris is on basically everything, it's particularly great on handhelds, providing fun that can last as long as you need it to. My personal favorite version of Tetris is Tetris DS, which features homages to numerous NES games while maintaining that perfect Tetris gameplay. I wrote a full article on why I love Tetris DS so much here on this site.

3. Windjammers 2 (Multiplatform, 2022)

Windjammers 2 is basically Pong on steroids. A sequel to the 1994 Neo Geo game, Windjammers 2 brings back the unique flying disc game with new mechanics, beautiful hand-drawn graphics, and bonus mini-games. Windjammers 2 is great to boot up any time for a quick game of skill, and also works great as a handheld game on platforms like the Nintendo Switch. I wrote a full article on Windjammers 2 here on this site.

2. Neo Turf Masters (Neo Geo, 1996)

Golf is not the most exciting sport in the world. It's a bunch of rich dudes using massive swaths of land to hit a tiny ball into a tiny hole with a metal club. And yet, I love golf video games. They're fun to pick up, play, and eventually master, with my favorite of the bunch being the aptly named Neo Turf Masters. Neo Turf Masters is a game I knew about as a child, often watching my dad play it on PC (somehow), before I eventually rediscovered it for myself. The game has incredible pixel art graphics, as it's on the ultra-powerful (for the time) Neo Geo system. The gameplay is fast-paced arcade golf, making a generally slow sport faster and more exciting. Neo Turf Masters is perfect to pick up, choose a golfer and course, and play for a little while.

1. Wave Race 64 (Nintendo 64, 1996)

Could it possibly be anything else? Wave Race 64 is one of my favorite games of all time, and one of the reasons I love it so much is because I can pop in the cartridge (or Wii channel) and play it any time. Wave Race 64 has a few singleplayer modes that are great for quick fun, mainly the Championship, Stunt, and Time Trial modes. If I have about a half hour or so to kill, I can just get into the familiar waters of Wave Race 64, playing through the beautiful courses and listening to that incredible soundtrack. Although it's not on any handhelds I own, it would work very well on platforms like the Switch (through the online subscription I don't pay for) and more powerful emulation handhelds. After all, this site is literally themed around Wave Race 64. It's one of the greats, and it's number one on this list.