Two Can Play: Mashable fighters

Fighting game fans are the type that pride themselves on skill. Their ability to manipulate characters to their will, defeating opponents without even the appearance of effort is impressive. And it’s for this reason that the genre is so intimidating. After all, who wants to spend hours learning how to play a game only to be destroyed in seconds by a more veteran player? There is another way, however. There are several fighting games that are actually welcoming to new players, and don’t require the memorization of intricate button combinations to be successful. And while this doesn’t guarantee that less experienced players will always win over well-practiced pros, it at least gives them a fighting chance.

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Two Can Play: Single-Card Gaming on the DS

While most multiplayer gaming tends to happen in front of a TV, that doesn’t mean that handheld gaming doesn’t have anything to offer. In fact, the Nintendo DS has some truly excellent multiplayer titles fit for gamers of all stripes. And since it seems that virtually everyone already has a DS, this makes finding someone to play against a fairly easy task. But the best part is, for a large number of games, you only actually need one copy of the game to play with a friend, thanks to the DS’ download play feature. Sometimes this feature severely limits the multiplayer portion of the game, but there are a few gems that let you and a friend (or friends) play virtually unhindered with just one game. Here are four of our favorites.

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Two Can Play: Getting Active Together

For most of us normal people, the thought of getting up early and going to the gym is equivalent to eating healthy foods: we know we should do it, but, well, we don’t want to. Working out simply isn’t fun for most people, but working out with a buddy that makes it a little easier to take, and a lot harder to stop. When there’s two of you, there’s a competition. And when there’s a competition, you don’t want to lose, especially by default. Thanks to all of the fitness games on the market now, it’s even easier to figure out once and for all who really is the fitness champ.

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Two Can Play: Over-the-shoulder gaming

While multiplayer gaming nearly always involves two people playing a game at the same time, it’s also possible when only one of them is holding a controller. Let’s face it: some of the best games out there are built for a solo experience, but that doesn’t mean you can’t share them with others. Plenty of these games can be enjoyed by people simply watching, and in many cases, it can actually improve the experience. It’s an effect I’ve dubbed “over-the-shoulder gaming”: where the person (or persons) watching can be just as involved as the one controlling the game. Here are some fun games to play with someone lending help from the sidelines.

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5 Adventure Games For Grown-Ups

The adventure game genre is very well suited to telling intriguing stories. The problem though, is that as great as many of these games are, a lot of them are also a bit goofy, and sometimes you just want something a little more mature. Here’s a list of a few such games that should satisfy the needs of adult gamers, and as a bonus, they’re also fairly to easy to find and play on modern PCs and game consoles.

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7 Games for a Bad Mood

We’ve all been there. Long, stressful days lead to irritation, which leads to unconsciously taking it out on whoever is unlucky enough to cross your path. There is help out there, though, and it’s as close as the nearest video game system. There are a number of games that are perfect outlets for letting out that aggression in a safe way that won’t force your family and friends to start avoiding you.

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Two Can Play: Multiplayer Platforming

Of all the game genres out there, the platformer is certainly one of the easiest to understand. Most of the world has heard of Mario, and millions are familiar with the concept of moving him from one end of a level to the other by hopping on platforms and enemies; it’s a fairly simple idea to grasp. Unfortunately, most platforming games are solitary experiences, making it tough to enjoy them with pals. But there are a few multiplayer platformers out there, and we’ve compiled a list of four of the best to help get you started.

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Two Can Play: Bringing the arcade home

If you used to hang out at the arcade, you probably remember pumping in a few quarters, picking up a plastic gun, and letting loose. Unfortunately, the steady decline in North American arcades has caused shooters like these to virtually disappear. And it’s a shame, because they’re some of the best for gamers and non-gamers to play together. Thankfully the success of the Wii and its motion sensitive controller has lead to somewhat of a resurgence in point-and-shoot games because now you can play them with your Wii remote, though if you want a fake plastic gun peripheral, there are many to be found.

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Two Can Play: Which Mario Kart is for you?

Some of the best multiplayer experiences in existence are from the Mario Kart franchise. The best part about them is that everyone has a chance of winning a race, no matter his or her skill level. Even if you’ve been in last the whole race, the dreaded blue shell ensures that you can, at the very least, inflict some harm on your opponents, and sometimes even pull off a dramatic last-second victory. But there are a number of different Mario Kart games, each with its own positive and negative aspects. Luckily, if you own both a Wii and DS, you have access to the majority of games in the franchise. Join us as we take a look at the ins and outs of each game, in order to determine which one is right for you.

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Two Can Play: Great games for players of mixed skill levels

This situation may be unfortunately familiar: You sit down to play a game with a loved one or friend, but you can’t find a title that both of you will enjoy. While you might want to play a round of Call of Duty, it’s a little too advanced for your partner, while that copy of Wii Music in their hands has you bored before it’s even out of the case. Or perhaps you can’t get your significant other or friends to stop shooting things and join you on the Wii. Finding something that will appeal to both of you is no easy task, as most developers create games to appeal either to hardcore or casual gamers, but not both at the same time. Which is why Green Pixels is introducing this column: once a month I’ll be taking you through some of the best games to play with that person in your life who possesses a different skill level than you. Here are a few of my current favorites.

Read the complete article at Green Pixels.