Though many supposed hardcore gamers might challenge the idea, almost everyone enjoys the occasional casual game. Whether it's Pokemon, the latest Zynga game or even Minesweeper; everyone has at least one casual orientated game they can't get away from. We're celebrating the Xbox 360's arrival of Bejeweled 3 by asking our staff what their favorite casual game happens to be; as well as what we're all playing this weekend.
Austin Cox: Mine would have to be Bubble Breaker on the old Windows Mobile. I think that's about as guilty as it gets, but for some reason I still play Bubble Breaker a lot. Maybe it's the simplicity and it reminds me of Sega Swirl for the Dreamcast. (Playing: Transformers: Dark of the Moon)
AJ Lysiak: Call of Duty. Though I don't dump as much time in it as some other games, I do genuinely like the series regardless of how stale it's become. Before you argue how "casual" CoD is, consider how many children, soccer moms, parents and little British lads have played at least one game in the franchise. Black Ops offers more customization than the prior titles, and that keeps my interest. (I'll be playing Lucha Fury for XBLA and some more Mortal Kombat.)
Samuel Evans: My casual guilty pleasure has to be Bejeweled. It's a simple title of matching gems that really is addicting. Why? I havent the slightest clue I just know I'm ready to match colored gems at the drop of a hat. (Playing: Half Minute Hero: Neo Super Mega Climax, LA Noire)
Nick Gearhart: Well, I would have to say Pokemon for me (especially the classics). Ever since I was a little kid I haven't been able to completely stop playing the series. I don't play it all the time anymore but when I do, I have the best time in the world. (I will be playing Record of Agarest War a lot and maybe some Castlevania Harmony of Despair.)
Sean Talarico: I think my casual game guilty pleasure is still Team Fortress 2. Its just one of those games that has a sufficiently goofy tone and accessible game mechanics that even people who are huge PC FPS fans like me can still have fun playing every so often to relax. If I had to pick one other it would be minecraft which although can be quite hardcore depending on what you are building is really just a relaxing little fantasy mining game for me. I don't spend too much time on normal time-waister games but this one is my exception. (This weekend I will be playing Minecraft.)
Erin Gibson: Bejeweled Twist for the Nintendo DS. I traded in bunches of DS games once I get bored with them, but Bejeweled continues to hold my interest. That's just my favorite because I play a lot of casual games. (Playing: Cars 2 for Nintendo DS)
Carnage: Angry Birds. It's just a casual, addictive, can't put it down kind of game. I have all 3 versions of the game on my iPod, iPad, my Droid X, and my Mac. I just love the game. (Playing: Battlefield BC2, Angry Birds Rio, infamous)
