Despite NASA having an FAQ on their website titled "Beyond 2012: Why the World Won't End" and NASA releasing a video called "Why the World Didn't End Yesterday: December 22, 2012," many people still believe that the Mayan calendar predicts the end of the world tomorrow, December 21. If you want to see NASA's video, scroll to the bottom of the article.
While I am of firm belief that this is even sillier than Y2K, people are really taking this sh*t seriously. I've heard everything from the lizard people rising up to overthrow humanity and Planet X crashing into us, to a polar shift that causes massive earthquakes, volcanoes and huge waves to destroy cities. To each their own. But that got me thinking — if these people seriously believe the world is ending tomorrow, then today is their last day alive, and some of those lunatics are probably gamers. If I was of their batsh*t crazy mindset, what would I do with my last day on Earth? The answer would be to spend time with my family and friends, with a secondary goal of getting my wife to finally agree to a threesome with another woman before the clock strikes 12. But since I write for a video game site, I'll say that I'd play some of my favorite video games of all-time.
My brother and I have each made a list of the five games we would play before tomorrow's Armageddon. This list is not necessarily the best games ever made that deserve a playthrough before the Mayans f**k it all up; instead, it's a list of games that mean a lot to us and that we'd like to play one last time.
Lance Liebl's 5 Games to play before the Armageddon
1. Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt
Okay, so this isn't the best Super Mario game ever made, but it's the first one I loved. Picture me, a little Polish boy living in Flushing, Queens in New York, no friends, sitting in front of the television with only a tiny Italian plumber with a creepy 'stache keeping me company. And Mario was there too. Also, Duck Hunt! Come on!
2. Mass Effect 2
For me, Mass Effect 2 is the best game in the Mass Effect trilogy. I must've beaten it three or four times. It's the Empire Strikes Back of the series. I've invested so much time into that game and its characters that it only seems appropriate that I have one last go at it.
3. N64 GoldenEye 007
I was tempted to put the first Halo here, but GoldenEye on the N64 was my first favorite multiplayer FPS game. I can't put the amount of fun that my friends, dad, brother and I had playing this game into words. Instead, I'll give you four words that justify playing this on your last day alive: Oddjob and proximity mines.
4. Skylanders Giants (Wii U)
This one isn't just for me. My son is getting to the age where he's enjoying video games and pointing out characters. Right now, he's obsessed with Skylanders Giants on the Wii U and the toys that come with it. We take a little time every other night and play it together, as the Wiimote controls are easy for him to grasp. Hearing him laugh is a sound I want to hear as a wall of flame engulfs North America… wow, that got dark.
5. League of Legends
Might as well get pissed off and trolled in Solo Queue before I die.
Matt Liebl's 5 Games to play before the Armageddon
1. Ultima Online
This was the first game that really got me hooked into online gaming. I spent countless hours in front of my computer with Ultima Online as the only thing lighting my room, and I'd like to spend the remaining few slaying Dragons in Destard. No MMO has yet to live up to what Ultima Online offered, and it doesn't look like we'll be getting one before the end of the world.
2. Flower
With the whole world going to sh*t, why not attempt to breathe life into a virtual one? Flower, developed by Thatgamecompany, will allow me to do just that. Think of how peaceful it would be to control the wind and blow a single flower petal around, bringing vibrant colors to a dead world — all while fire and brimstone is raining from the outside skies above. Tranquil.
3. The Last of Us
I refuse to go out without getting at least SOME hands-on time with this game. For the past year, I've been teased with screenshots, trailers, and even live gameplay demos (which I could only watch, not touch). I'd hope with all the chaos ensuing, I could sneak into Naughty Dog's studio and get a few minutes with The Last of Us. Also, how fitting is it that the game takes place after an apocalypse?
4. Terminator 2 Judgment Day Arcade (SEGA Genesis)
Who's to say the world will end by some act of God? I still believe there's a good chance humanity's own technological creations will rise up and destroy us all. As a kid, I grew up playing this game, always wanting to become the "John Connor" of our time if the robots were to attack us. Hopefully, tomorrow will give me the chance.
5. Diablo II
I'd like to go out remembering the good Diablo game, not the crap Blizzard pushed out this year. Also, a good Mephisto run could yield me a highly coveted SoJ. That could be a hot trading commodity among the remaining survivors after the apocalypse.
So there's the five games each of us would like to play one last time if the world really is ending tomorrow. What five games would you play if today was your last day on Earth? Also, as promised, here's NASA's video "Why the World Didn't End Yesterday: December 22, 2012":
You can follow Senior Editor Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ. He likes talking sports, video games, movies, and the stupidity of celebrities. Email at [email protected]
