The weather is pretty unpredictable, and rather than go outside and enjoy the sunshine we here at the @rcade prefer to lurk in our dark corner, compiling lists about games that see you playing with the weather and nature – and there is nothing we like more than having God-like powers and using them to crush our enemies and rule the world… in the video game world of course… we are well aware that we don’t have god powers… yet….
Captain Planet and the Planeteers
A platformer from the early 90’s, released on the Amiga and Atari ST, the video game that allowed you to take control of the world’s most eco-friendly teenagers and the superhero Captain Planet. Gaia the Mother of Earth frantic in her mission to save the world from pollution she bestows five young people with the ability to control the elements and summon earths champion. The game allowed you to control each one of the planeteers as you saved seals, repaired holes in the ozone layer and took down some of the most dangerous villains from the cartoon series.
Populous: The Beginning
Nothing says God problem like being possessed by an ancient and powerful deity and then rampaging across the surface of the Earth taking your wrath out on neighbouring tribes. Developed by Bullfrog and released in 1998, the player takes on the role of a shaman, granted the powers of a God to shake the very foundations of mountains, tear the winds into a furious tornado and force lava to boil from the surface of the ground. To attain the full powers of God, your shaman must first destroy all enemy tribes.
Harvest Moon
After a hard days slog on the farm, pulling crops, mending fences and taking care of more animals than a zoo could shake a stick at, there is nothing more relaxing than sticking on Harvest Moon and taking of the cyber farm. Harvest Moon was first released for the Super Nintendo in 1996 and from there has gone on to spawn over 19 different sequels. You take on the role of a young farmer who has usually inherited the farm from a distant relative and you must use the seasons and weather to make the greatest farm imaginable.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Ok so it’s not really about the weather but we like any excuse to play the Song of Storms, and you better believe we are going to use it:
The Legend of Zelda was released for the Nintendo 64 on the 21st November 1998 and has sold 7.6 million copies worldwide.
Flower
Developed by thatgamecompany and released last year on the 19th February via the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3. In the game, the player takes command of the wind, using the controller to guide the direction it blows all the while a single flower is carried in the breeze and as the wind continues to move through the fields and valleys it gathers more petals. There is no real objective in the game, the designer Jenova Chen had designed the game to be about the emotional responses brought out by gamers as they play the game. Flower is the gaming man’s way to meditate.
