Welcome digital legends to another video game article. Today, I come to talk to you about a topic that may not be as popular, but is present in many of the titles we’ve played. I’m referring to mini-games within other video games.
More than once, we’ve found ourselves irresponsibly betting in Red Dead Redemption 2’s Blackjack, forgetting about Arthur Morgan’s tuberculosis, or completing the entire Gwent collection in The Witcher 3 and putting aside the urgent mission of finding Ciri.
Join me on this list of video games, and if any of your favorite mini-games are not included in this video, feel free to add them in the comments. Without further ado, let’s get started!
Grand Theft Auto Saga
The Grand Theft Auto series has been characterized by being a satire with unforgettable characters, some of few words and others with a lot to say. But when it comes to the mini-games we can play throughout the campaign, the list is extensive. From playing pool in a bar, delivering pizza, extinguishing fires, bowling, and not to forget tennis and golf that we can play in GTA 5.
Uncharted 4
Uncharted is the lost sibling of Lara Croft and takes the adventurer as inspiration; however, this does not make it an inferior game.
In this game series, we live countless adventures with Nathan Drake and accompany him on his quests for the greatest treasures. However, something we didn’t expect is that Naughty Dog, their founding studio, paid homage to their beginnings in Uncharted 4.
In this game, we can relive the unforgettable Crash Bandicoot and play a small segment right at the beginning of the adventure, with the goal of beating Helena’s score in a couple of attempts. It’s worth mentioning that, upon completing the main chapters of this game, we can try again to break the score.
Spleeping Dogs
Sleeping Dogs, this game mistakenly landed on my Xbox 360 back in 2013. I wanted the highly anticipated GTA V, but life had something very different in store for me.
Speaking of Sleeping Dogs, it’s a game with a compelling plot and a gripping story. It captures the aesthetic of China very well, and overall, this video game would warrant a discussion in another video.
Sleeping Dogs features a Parkour system that always gives a sense of speed, along with a unique way of deciphering passwords for safes. However, without a doubt, the mini-game I remember the most is the Karaoke.
Although it has only 8 songs, and the gameplay is very simple, it’s a mini-game that I replayed many times just to sing “Take On Me” at the top of my lungs alongside Wei Shen.
The Witcher 3
Gwent, this game is one of the first things they offer you when you start The Witcher 3. Many tried it at the beginning, but others like me decided to continue with our main story and forget about it. Only when I realized it was a side quest around 40 hours into the game did I decide to give it a try, and definitely, with Gwent, once you’re in, you can’t get out.
In Gwent, we have a card game where units have point values, and some others have effects either passively or on the playing field. It’s straightforward at the beginning but can get quite complicated, and there will be different strategies depending on which faction we choose.
I had so much love for this game that I replayed the story from the beginning just to get the card I could take from the Baron of the Bloody Baron if I beat him in a match. This game gained so much popularity that CD Projekt Red released a Stand Alone version of this title that we can find on Steam, Google Play Store, App Store, and obviously on GOG, CD Projekt Red’s store.
The Last of Us part 2
The Last of Us is a game with a captivating atmosphere where you can encounter the worst of human nature while finding hope at the same time. Ultimately, it is a game that focuses on telling its story, and that will always be the most important aspect.
Despite the seriousness of the plot and its characters, in part 2 of this game, we have the mini-game that fulfilled the dream of everyone who wanted to play a musical instrument, referring to the guitar mini-game.
The game is simple, and although it may seem complicated initially with that chord wheel, it’s nothing more than using the touchpad of the controller to strum the guitar. Most likely, after some time, you’ll find yourself playing your favorite songs and momentarily forgetting about the apocalypse outside.
Mortal Kombat Armageddon
Now, going back in time to the sixth generation of consoles, we find the legendary Armageddon. This Mortal Kombat was one of the less loved, primarily due to the changes in Fatalities. Putting that aside, this game had two mini-games. One called Konquest, which is the single-player adventure where we control Taven. In this mode, there’s an adventure game where we collect coins to spend on our character in The Krypt.
In the second additional game mode, we have one that is completely unexpected called Motor Kombat, which is like a Mario Kart.
Here, you will have to race with one of the Mortal Kombat characters in Karts, although it may sound crazy, it worked very well and felt like a game mode that, when played locally, could bring smiles to those who played it.
Mario Party Saga
Now, what would be a mini-game top without the king of mini-games? Indeed, the Mario Party series is a compilation of many mini-games. The concept of Mario Party has evolved over the years, and we can say that there are better-received installments and others not so well remembered.
But yes, this is where we find more variety in how it is played; it has also been the life of many parties. Among its notable releases, we can recall the birth of the version for Nintendo DS and the most recent remake that has come out for the Nintendo Switch.
Which one do you like?
With this, we conclude the list of minigames within video games. I know there are many more, and this list doesn’t include all of them, but it’s a personal selection. And of all, the Gwent minigame is the one that hooked me the most, making me spend more time on this minigame than on the main missions, until dawn!
If you know of any mini-game within a video game that you really enjoyed, leave it in the comments; I would love to hear about them and know your preferences.
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Greetings, digital legends! I’m Gabriel Gutiérrez, the backstage accomplice at Joystick Latino. A licensed musician with a photographer’s eye, I’ve been venturing into the gaming world from my Atari 2600 since the age of 6. I’m addicted to anime, a fan of the irreverent humor of ‘South Park’ and ‘Rick and Morty,’ and a fearless explorer of cinematic horror.
