Here’s a little secret: Video games aren’t all evil.
You may have noticed this as more of your friends and family are playing them on phones and tablets (yes, Angry Birds and Candy Crush count just as much as Call of Duty or World of Warcraft).
But even traditional console games on the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 are getting more interactive and user-friendly. Since going outside is often a dicey proposition this time of year, why not catch up on some of the recent best? And why not make it a group effort while you’re at it?
Activity and fitness games
(Xbox, PlayStation, Wii U and mobile platforms, $50-$60)
Unless you’re a snow- sports or sledding nut, there isn’t always a whole lot to do during bouts of extreme cold. That’s where games like Just Dance 2015, Wii Sports Club and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2014 come in. Whether you want to have an interactive karaoke party or play virtual tennis, bowling or baseball, these titles will pull you off the couch and get your limbs and heart pumping. Some require the Kinect motion-control system.
Most titles rated E for Everyone
Super Smash Bros.
(Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, $60)
As our Game On blogger Hugh Johnson noted , the new Super Smash Bros. is the best installment of Nintendo’s cartoonish, fast-paced fighting series. Ever. It includes tons of characters (new and old), customizeable gameplay, and the option of battling it out with up to eight opponents — online or in your living room.
Rated T for Teen; nintendo.com
Grand Theft Auto V/The Last of Us (reissues)
(Xbox One and PlayStation 4, $60 each)
It’s hard to think of two games from 2013 that were more deserving of a rerelease for next-gen consoles. The violent but technically stunning and endlessly entertaining Grand Theft Auto V is an immersive open-world game that looks even better with the improved graphics and smooth gameplay of newer systems. The apocalyptic survival game The Last of Us (a PS-exclusive title) was an artistic triumph and leap ahead for gaming, and its graphics now match the deft writing, voice work and performance capture of the original release.
Both rated M for Mature; rockstargames.com or thelastofus.playstation.com.
John Wenzel: 303-954-1642, jwenzel@denverpost.com or twitter.com/johnwenzel
