The entire world is highly concerned about COVID-19, Coronavirus disease. Everyone is afraid of large crowds, coughs, Tom Hanks, professional sports, and the lack of supplies at Costco. The best way to keep your health at top of mind and not get the Corona is to actually stay home, avoid people, and stockpile the toilet paper. So if you are staying at home, letting your introvert shine through, here is a list of games you can play to bust virtual viruses.
Dr. Mario
Probably the best way to stay healthy is with Mario’s help. Using pills to literally kill viruses trapped in a jar, this puzzle game was specifically designed to eliminate these microscopic creatures. There have been many versions of Dr. Mario since the original NES release but all are essentially the same game – match same colored pills to bust viruses. Also, if you grow tired of the pill-dropping gameplay, you can always smack the snot out of your friends as Dr. Mario in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Dr. Mario – NES
Dr. Mario – Gameboy
Dr. Mario Express – DsiWare
Dr. Mario Online Rx – WiiWare
Dr. Mario World – mobile
Dr. Mario & Puzzle League – GBA
Tetris & Dr. Mario – SNES
Dr. Mario 64 – N64
Dr. Luigi – Wii U
Puchi Puchi Virus – Nintendo DS
Published by NIS America in 2009, Puchi Puchi Virus is another match’em-up puzzle game only this time the goal is to create triangles to remove viruses. It is also possible to create combos and wireless multiplayer is available even with a single game card. While it isn’t the best puzzle game ever made, it is a decent distraction from any Dr. Mario title to get your virus fix.
Virus – Playstation 1
Released in 1999 in EU only, Virus is a terrible survival horror title loosely based on the Dark Horse comic and film of the same name. An alien life form with electrical powers takes over a space station and infects the crew with a contagious disease, becoming a threat to all of humanity. Critics at the time blasted this title, saying it was buggy and featured terrible control and graphics. But with a game simply named “Virus,” it should probably be on this list despite its quality.
Pretty much any Resident Evil game or anything with zombies:
The entire Resident Evil and survival horror genre started because of the T-virus. While there were definitely zombies before Capcom’s flagship series, this was a launching point into the zombie craze. Other popular titles can include: Days Gone, The Last of Us, L4D, zombies mode in CoD, Zombies Ate My Neighbors, and Dead Nation.
Escape The Virus Shoot’em Up & and Escape The Virus Swarm Survival – DSiWare
Forgotten, low-cost DSiWare titles, you play as a strand of DNA trying to rid the play field of viruses. Both titles are essentially the same game only with different play modes. Neither are especially good but worry not, you cannot play these games anyway as the DSiWare shop was shut down years ago.
Parasite Eve – Playstation 1
This technically is cheating since Parasite Eve focuses on a parasite, not a virus. But this fan favorite title features scientific parts of the cell that acts as a decent biology lesson for those with an open mind. Too bad this title was not included in the failed Playstation Classic console.
Extermination – PS2
Considered the first survival horror game on Sony’s sophomore system, Extermination is another Resident Evil-style game in which the player must survive an artic climate. Instead of fighting, running is often encouraged since ammo is always short on supply. In addition to a typical health bar, there is also an infection system that stutters the overall health of the main character. It might not be the best survivor horror title on the system but features deadly diseases just the same.
Infected – PSP
This neglected PSP title is probably the game that hits home the hardest today. You play as one of the few people not infected by a killer sickness. Combat in this 3rd person shooter is unique as it requires two guns. The first must be used to weaken enemies then they can be finished off with the viral gun. There are even different stages of infection, some of which cause more infected enemies to storm the player. However, the most unique aspect of this title is having the ability to infect other player’s consoles over wireless communication. It is a super innovated feature that really has not be replicated to this day.
Ice Nine – GBA
Created as a tie-in for the movie The Recruit, the game is based around an infectious computer virus. Hey hey, it is still virus related, just not the body infecting type. Ice Nine stands out because it is one of the few First-Person Shooters on Nintendo’s handheld. Unfortunately, the opening training level is not skippable and features a high difficulty curve so players might not even make it to the second level.
Halo series – Microsoft consoles and PC
Yes, I know, Halo doesn’t truly belong on this list because the Flood is actually a parasite, not a virus. But when you have to fight through armies of zombie-like creatures, it starts to fit the bill. And with Halo: Master Chief Collection on Xbox One and PC with pretty much all the Halo games, that compilation makes it easy to experience the saga in one convenient place.
So what do you think? Are you concerned about Coronavirus? Are going to quarantine yourself and play video games all day to stay safe? What are you favorite virus-filled games that are not on this list? What is your preferred brand of toilet paper?
Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter.
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz