Before I head off to spend the evening reading (just for fun) I was inspired by gordon_r_d‘s video game post to write a bit about the games that I currently enjoy playing.

1. Insaniquarium: A Popcap Game (the folks who brought us Alchemy and Bejeweled) that I got from Real Arcade. I joined Real Arcade’s Gamepass membership over a year ago now and so every month, I get a free game. Of course, membership is $6.95 a month, so really I get a $6.95 game every month. Works for me! Insaniquarium is my latest addiction. So much so that I fear I may get carpel tunnel syndrome if I don’t watch it. You click like mad, but you get to have fish in your virtual aquarium. And you get to protect those fish from aliens. You have to feed the fish and you get money as your fish grow. And you can even buy fish that eat other fish. It’s crazy, manic, and sometimes painful. But I love it. In my virtual fish tank I now own 8 fish and can keep 7 pets (which I won as I played through the game) in with them.
2. Diablo II: Lord of Destruction (expansion pack): From Blizzard Entertainment – which I bought when judiang got herself addicted to it. I don’t blame her, really. After a hard day’s work, it’s nice to come home and kill dead things. Thanks to Insaniquarium, I’ve not played a lot of Diablo lately, but I figure when the newness of Insaniquarium wears off, I’ll get back to my Assassin and her battles. Plus I’ve got several online games started with friends. This one isn’t nearly as painful to play, either. The expansion pack is even better than the regular Diablo II because with it you can be an Assassin or Druid.
3. Ultraball: Another game-of-the-month from Real Arcade. I love pinball games (see below). I love Breakout. So why not combine the two? That’s what Ultraball does. I’ve gotten up to level 74, but it only lets you start at every 5th level. So I keep having to start back at level 70. Eep! One day, I shall get to level 75! I hope! (Um, should I admit that I’ve only gotten to level 74 using the Easy mode?)
4. Hoyle Board Games & Hoyle Card Games: One of these I bought a proper CD of, but the other is yet another Real Arcade version. I’ll let you look at the links to figure out which is which. 🙂 (You can, BTW, get the Card Games from Real Arcade, too.) In the Board Games, I love the Rummy Squares (aka Rummikub) best of all. But thanks to the program I’ve learned how to play Backgammon and Dominoes. I’m great at the MasterMind-style game, too. I loved that game when I was a kid – still do. And am still good at it. (Someday I’ll challenge Judi at it.) In the Card Games, I love Canasta and Euchre. I love playing Spades, too, but I prefer playing that with the online version of Hoyle Card Games. The computer partner is much better there and I can bid double nil and have a chance of my partner not screwing me up.
5. 3D Ultra Pinball: I have ’em all! Well, most of ’em, that is. As it’s nearly Halloween time, I’ll soon be playing 3D Ultra Pinball: Creep Night once again. I do it every season. Real Arcade got me access to 3D Ultra Pinball: Thrillride, based upon Hershey’s theme park. I’ve nearly completed Creep Night and I have completed Thrillride before. Not as much luck with the other two – the original and the dinosaur one. I think there’s a NASCAR one, too, but I’ve no interest in that. I love pinball games – hope to someday have one for my finished basement. Have to finish the basement first, however. And get a Galaga machine.

Now these are just the top five games that I’m currently playing. But I’m a fickle person. I used to be gung ho about Lemmings (just about every version of it). Beetle Jr was one of the games that converted me to Real Arcade. And as I mentioned in my previous paragraph, I’d love to own a Galaga machine someday. Perhaps my most favorite arcade game of them all! And let’s not forget the various games that I have for my Gameboy Advance. (Which I haven’t played in a long while now.) Fickle, fickle treen. Someday my poor little fishies from Insaniquarium will all be belly up as I’m off playing the latest and greatest video game to steal my heart.