My five desert island games

One of my favorite YouTubers, Scott The Woz, recently posted a video titled, “Desert Island Gaming.” In this video, he explores the idea of being stranded on a desert island with only five games to play for the rest of your life. I’ve always wanted to do one of these lists, but never sat down and dedicated the necessary time to choose five games to play forever. Last weekend, I spent almost an hour coming up with this list, and it was not easy! These are not my favorite games of all time, necessarily, but the games I feel I would never get tired of. There are a couple of caveats: Let’s assume that there is no Internet access on this island, but we somehow have access to a television, power, and any video game console.

1. Super Mario 64

When I sat down to compile this list, I knew I’d have to choose a Mario game. Super Mario Bros. on the NES is the first video game I have ever played, and I still thoroughly enjoy Mario games to this day. Choosing just one was incredibly difficult; my favorite Mario game is Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario Odyssey is a close second, but I had to go with Super Mario 64 for this list. Super Mario 64 is a downright fun game with endless replay value. Just thinking about all the rooms in the castle containing levels with endless fun makes me want to run out and pop it in my N64. Admittedly, I’ve never actually beaten Mario 64, and being on a desert island would actually allow me to have time to beat it.

2. Grand Theft Auto V

I’ve said this before and I’ll keep saying it until I die: Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) is one of the most fulfilling video game purchases I’ve ever made. I bought it on both PS3 and PS4, and I’ve poured hours upon hours into it and it just never gets old. There’s so much to do, even without playing through the main story. Since it’s been a while, I wouldn’t mind playing through the main story again, and it’s strangely comforting knowing I’ll probably never truly complete the game. Hell, I could spend hours just using the Skyfall cheat over and over.

3. Persona 5

I hate that it took me so long to start Persona 5. I’ve never given a JRPG a fair shot, but from the moment I saw gameplay of Persona 5, I knew it was a game I wanted to play. I was hooked from the start, and even went so far as to platinum the rhythm game based on it - Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight. The characters are so well-developed, the story is incredibly in-depth, and the MUSIC...don’t even get me started. I find myself humming songs from Persona 5 everywhere I go, and I can definitely see myself playing this game for hundreds of hours, even after completing it.

4. Pac-Man

Pac-Man is a classic. It’s a game that I love, but I’m not very good at it. If I were stranded on a desert island, maybe I’d actually have time to hone my skills and “git gud” at Pac-Man. As bad as I am at the game, I never, ever get tired of playing it.

5. Yakuza 0

By now, you all know how much I love the Yakuza series. Yakuza 0 is my favorite in the series, but I mostly chose this one specifically because I can switch between Kiryu and Majima, giving me even more hours of play time. On top of the lengthy main story, there’s karaoke, Club SEGA (where you can play Hang-On, Fantasy Zone, Space Harrier, and Out Run), the batting cages, and so many weird, but awesome side missions.