Every video game has its core gameplay loop, the one main thing you’re doing for the vast majority of its playtime.
Often, though, many games will break things up a bit with the occasional mini game.
These mini games can be a simple, pleasant palate cleanser, but many of them end up being just as engaging and addicting as the full game.
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Even if playing these games over and over has little to no tangible benefit on the rest of the game, you just can’t stop playing them.
It’s these particular mini games that would be fantastic as full-fledged products.
We don’t need full triple-A productions here, just something fleshed-out that we can pay money for.
10Cabaret Club Czar
TheYakuzaseries is absolutely rife withexcellent mini games, from karaoke to disco to Pocket Circuit.
One of the biggest mini game successes is undoubtedly the Cabaret Club Czar mini game from Yakuza 0.
It seems like a simple management game at first, but in practice, it requires extensive concentration and optimization for consistent success.
You need to tailor your cast to specific needs, learn all the signals, and be ready to activate your meter when interest wanes.
It’s even got its own side story, which just proves that the concept is more than enough to carry a game on its own.
9Blitzball
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
Much like real-life sports,Final Fantasy X’s Blitzball is something that players are either completely indifferent to or absolutely obsessed with.
For those in the latter category, it’s like your typical fantasy sports game, but with various Final Fantasy twists thrown into the mix.
Playing Blitzball is less like actually playing the sport and more like managing and coaching the team, which definitely has an attractive niche.
Who knows, a full Blitzball game with some extra wrinkles and dimensions might just win over the indifferent players from the original game.
The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Everyone loves a goodfishing mini game. You can find them in all kinds of games across just about every genre.
One of the most fondly remembered fishing mini games, though, is definitely the Lake Hylia fishing hole fromThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Despite the relatively low tech of the Nintendo 64, this fishing mini game was surprisingly engaging and hectic with multiple tools, strategies, and goals like the infamous Hylian Loach.
A Zelda spin-off dedicated to fishing with this kind of gameplay would undoubtedly be a lot of fun, not to mention a nice little vacation for Link.
7Chao Garden
Sonic Adventure 2
Anyone who’s playedSonic Adventure 2knows just how terrifyingly addicting the Chao Garden mini game is.
Some have half-jokingly called the Chao Garden the real main game, with all the regular levels just being a means to get Chao-raising resources.
This is why standalone Chao Garden has been a regular request of Sega and Sonic Team since the early 2000s.
Most of the concept could be carried over, alongside Chao Racing and Karate. Just give us some little side activities to earn animals and Chaos Drives, and we’re golden.
6City Trial
Kirby Air Ride
Ever since the release ofKirby Air Rideon the Gamecube, fans have been begging for a sequel.
More specifically, we’ve wanted a return of City Trial, one of the game’s three modes.
The hectic melee of combat, item-grabbing, and secret hunting around a large city map made City Trial one of the Gamecube’s party games of choice.
Considering Nintendo’s interest in multiplayer battle royale games in recent years, an expanded City Trial with a larger map, more concurrent players, and more frequent, stranger events would fit the bill perfectly.
5Kids’ Club
Pokémon Stadium
Pokemon Stadium
In thePokémon Stadiumgames on the Nintendo 64, there were Kids’ Clubs where you could play various short-burst mini games.
It was a nice diversion from all the battling, and a generally fun way to spend some time when you had friends over.
As for which of these mini games would work best as a full package, well… how about all of them?
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It’s sushi time!
Provide a bit ofMario Party-styleset dressing, and you could very easily put together a collection of Pokémon-themed party games.
Honestly, considering how many franchises have tried the party game thing in the past, it’s kind of surprising Nintendo hasn’t tried this yet.
4Insurance Fraud
Saints Row
Starting in the originalSaints Rowand in every subsequent game, one of the available side activitiesin the open worldwas Insurance Fraud.
In this mini game, you hurl yourself into oncoming traffic and obstacles, ragdolling spectacularly into the sky as you accumulate insurance money.
This particular mini game wouldn’t even need to be Saints Row-themed to be fully realized.
Just an arcade-style game where you hurl yourself into increasingly dangerous and ridiculous situations would be more than entertaining enough on its own.
3Gummi Ship Missions
Kingdom Hearts 2
The Gummi Ship transitions between worlds in the originalKingdom Heartswere a rather obnoxious chore, offering little in engagement or excitement.
This was remedied in Kingdom Hearts 2, where the Gummi missions become surprisingly fun on-rails shooter segments.
Getting to build your own ship and equip it with weapons allowed you to pursue high scores and unlock newer, better parts.
This particular iteration of the Gummi Ship missions would work great as a standalone arcade-style game.
You could even use Uncle Scrooge and his burgeoning Gummi travel network as a framing device.
2Monkey Target
Super Monkey Ball
Super Monkey Ballhad a respectablearray of mini gameson offer for when the gang came to visit.
You had the usual races and arena fighters, but surprisingly, the one with the most enduring appeal is Monkey Target.
You roll your monkey down a long slope and launch into the sky, gliding over the sea to land on small scored targets.
Add some leaderboards, maybe rotate in a few different course layouts, and you’ve got a perfect game for the casual, yet competitive crowd.
1Triple Triad
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy 8
When it comes to mini games breaking containment and becoming their own thing, card games have a pretty strong track record.
Card games like The Witcher’s Gwent or Warcraft’s Hearthstone have gained player bases from even those who have never played their source materials.
With that in mind, it’s a little surprising Square Enix hasn’t taken a proper shot at realizingFinal Fantasy VIII’sTriple Triad.
While Triple Triad is playable in Final Fantasy XIV and the Final Fantasy mobile app, it has never been a completely standalone video game.
It’s got its own systems and audience ready to go, all Square needs to do is pull the trigger.
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