There are quite a few very good games in the Games Room. There are also a couple of games that aren’t so good. Fortunately, we’ve weeded those out so you’ll never need to play the offenders. Be thankful. In this installment, we’ve got the first five games—more will be coming in the weeks ahead.

Virtual On

One of the older machines now in the Games Room, Virtual On is still a good play. Basically, Virtual On is a 3D fighting game from a third-person view. Unlike most conventional games, Virtual On uses a two-joystick control system, similar to those shown in many mecha-anime series. I found it to be a little awkward at first, but after a few rounds the controls became much more comfortable. Overall, I recommend at least giving this one a try.

Dungeons and Dragons: Tower of Doom

Dungeons and Dragons: Tower of Doom is probably the oldest machine in the Games Room. It’s also the worst. Frankly, I’m not sure what to classify it as. It’s part side-scrolling adventure game, and it’s part role-playing game. But it’s all bad. In fact, it’s not just bad, it’s horrible. The controls are unresponsive and just plain awkward, and gameplay becomes very confusing very quickly. Not only that, the graphics and the sound are terrible, even for an older game. This one should be avoided like the plague.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2

Can you say licensing gone overboard? That’s pretty much what Marvel vs. Capcom 2 reeks of. A few executives got together and saw that Street Fighter games and X-Men games were really successful, so they jumbled them all together. And the rest is history. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 features a humongous selection of characters—far too many to count. While it does have the usual suspects, such as Wolverine, Spider-Man, Ken, and Chun Li, it has a lot of other characters too, many of which are obscure or not "fighting game material." Mega Man as a fighting champion? I don’t think so.

Despite the sea of characters and options, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is a lot of fun to play. This is one to play with a friend though, as you can quickly and easily get slaughtered by the computer when playing alone. Not that that is impossible when playing with someone. This game does have its faults, but it’s still fun.

Tekken Tag Tournament

The parade of sequels continues. The fourth game in the series, Tekken Tag Tournament looks and feels an awful lot like Tekken 3, with all of the characters from Tekken 2 thrown in as a bonus. The one distinguishing feature is the "tagging." When one of your characters is getting smacked upon, you can press the tag button to switch with your other fighter, who can then come in and turn the tables. Other than that, this game is a complete rehash of Tekken 3. Also, the graphics don’t seem up to par for such a recent game. It looks almost like a carbon copy of Tekken 3 on the PlayStation. It’s a decent game, but it’s far from the best.

Daytona USA

I think that it’s easy to say that Sega is the king of arcade driving games. How did they earn that name? Simple: Daytona USA. It’s one of the best arcade driving games ever made. There are no silly gimmicks, just pure racing. Even better, you can race against a friend. It’s straightforward: Just hit the gas and go. The graphics are great, even years after its original release. My sole complaint with Daytona is that the cabinet in the Games Room isn’t built with the tall person in mind. Most people taller than six feet will have a hard time hitting the brake pedal. Other than that, Daytona USA is the best game available in the Games Room.