I decided to step a little further away from all the inspirational guru-type articles I usually write to talk about something a little more easy-going: video games. They're my play, my passion, and my non-prescription anti-depressants. I've been playing them since I was about 4 years old on my sister's original Gameboy, and I even stream on Twitch occasionally with my friends (viewer discretion is advised). I figured that in honor of all the self-love I've been promoting, I'd list my top 10 favorite games from childhood that beginning gamers and veterans alike can throw their controllers at in frustration, just like I used to.

10. Super Mario Sunshine (Nintendo GameCube)

This is the perfect summertime game, and one I played for years, even after the GameCube's life cycle had ended. Super Mario Sunshine puts Nintendo's senior mascot on Isle Delfino with his mechanical companion, FLUDD. The two attempt to clean the entire island of colorful slime-like graffiti by platforming, spraying water, and collecting Shine Sprites, which are the Stars of the game. Sunshine has got some of the most beautifully designed world in the Mario universe, in my opinion. Some levels are nod to the platforming and challenge that Mario's previous adventure, Super Mario 64, like the infamous Noki Bay. I had skipped most of the Nintendo 64 era of gaming because the only person I knew who owned one was my cousin, and I rarely ever got to see him. Though, I did kick his ass at the original Smash Bros. when I did.

9. Kirby Nightmare in Dream Land (Gameboy Advance)

I got this game for Christmas of 2002 when it first came out. A remake of the popular Kirby's Adventure, this game had tighter graphics, updated music, and most importantly: a smaller console to play it on. I won't lie, I didn't even know Kirby could copy his enemy's abilities until months after I'd gotten the game. It certainly made beating the game a lot easier, and it was always cool to see what powers I'd get from eating something. I spent many a car ride playing this gem, as well as Kirby and the Amazing Mirror, but this game came first in my heart, so it gets the spot instead.

8. Super Smash Bros. Melee (Nintendo GameCube)

Before it became a highly competitive e-sports title, Melee was the game I spent playing with my sister and some friends from school. Running through Adventure Mode (a new addition to the series at the time), learning combos with different characters, playing through event matches- so many memories. This game had it all, and was much more accessible than other 2D fighters that made you mash buttons and spam low kicks until someone won the match.

You take a lot of skill, Mortal Kombat.

Smash will always be number 1 in my heart, and this is the game in the series that I knew best.

7. Mario Kart: Double Dash (Nintendo GameCube)

You can tell I really loved the GameCube. This installation of Mario Kart was the one that I won a tournament for in school, and I spent hours on it trying to unlock King Boo and Petey Piranha, the game's 2 hardest characters to access. And yes, I did eventually do it. I loved that you got to carry more than one item while you were racing, as well as the extra courses you could unlock through the game's Special Cup. Gameplay-wise, it still holds up to this day, and I'll still race anybody who's up for it.

6. Pokemon Trading Card Game (Gameboy Color)

This pick may be a bit more of a wild card (no pun intended, I'm not a terrible person). A lot of kids I knew collected Pokemon cards growing up, but never knew how to play with them. I was one of the few kids that did, and in the early 2000's, this was the game that taught me how. It was a lot like the regular Pokemon games: you went around collecting medals from various clubs that all used one specific type of Pokemon card (except the Science Club, but they're weirdos). I took comfort in collecting the in-game cards in real life, and then trying to make my virtual deck into a real one. I'd recommend this for people with patience, nostalgia, and a knack for strategy. And yes, there's an Elite Four in this game, too.

5. Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360)

The first Mature-rated title on my list and the latest to be published, Gears 3 is one of the games that I've spent a ton of my life on. I even got my account reset thanks to Epic Games's (now the Coalition's) fantastic data saving methods. Luckily, a friend was able to help me glitch all of my unlocked characters and weapon skins back, save a few, and I was right back to kicking ass online with my Gnasher shotgun. This game is also the most frustrating to play out of all my listed titles, but it had so much replay value. It's the only game in the series that released Beast Mode, where you could play as any of the savage Locust Horde creatures, and you could use modifiers in Horde Mode to enable things like infinite ammo, or super reload which quadrupled your gun's damage. I tried so hard to perfect the game for every achievement in high school, but came up short. I did, however, manage to unlock every character and simultaneously destroy my social life. Thanks, Gears. With your help, I don't remember a thing about Algebra 2.

4. Kingdom Hearts 2 (PlayStation 2)

My first and only PlayStation title on this list, Kingdom Hearts 2 is a game I remember playing more in high school than when I was a child. My friends had always owned the game, and I remember sitting in one of their houses watching them use magic and Sora's Drive forms to blast through Heartless, wishing I could do the same. Then, I remembered my sister bought a PS2 that she never used, so I commandeered it and asked for a copy of this game for Christmas. I ended up with it and beat the thing in only a few days. I've played every subsequent title since (except Re:Coded because let's face it, what's the point). It's got the best combat system in the series, the best bosses, and the most memorable lines.

"Dance, water, dance!"

3. Halo 3 (Xbox 360)

The only other M-rated title on my list goes to this landmark behemoth, the game I've spent more time on than any other. Halo 3 was the first game I played on my own Xbox, which I proudly bought after my eighth grade graduation. I've made countless friend over this game and countless enemies. I even played multiplayer competitively for a short period of time that I'd rather forget. Many fans of the series praise Halo 2 as the pinnacle of the sci-fi shooter's history, but I think this title deserves it more. With the glitches that plagued Halo 2's online modes finally gone, as well as a new Forge mode that allowed you to make your own custom maps and game modes, Halo 3 is an FPS masterpiece. Were I to ever speedrun a game professionally, or do it for an event like Awesome Games Done Quick, I'd have to pick this one.

2. Super Mario World (SNES)

A game my sister once deemed "too hard" for me to finish, Super Mario World was one of the first games I ever remember playing. It was the introduction of Yoshi, it had some of the most vibrant colors and exotically designed levels in Mario games yet, and a soundtrack that I hear in my head to this day. I even remember getting the Gameboy port when it came out. This is the kingpin Mario game for me, and I have since beaten it and know all of its secrets.

Take that, sister.

1. Pokemon Crystal Version (Gameboy Color)

Another game with a memorable soundtrack, characters, and the first one in Pokemon history to let you choose between playing as a boy or a girl, Pokemon Crystal is my all time favorite video game. I spent hours driving around with my parents, going out to restaurant, and at day camp playing this game. I was amazed with how many of my friends were as obsessed as I was, and we would have daily discussions about the mythology of Pokemon and how we could get our hands on the elusive Celebi. In the time since, the internal battery in my original Crystal cartridge has run dry, so I can no longer save, but I'm prepared to have that cartridge framed and placed on my wall. I can still play this game through emulators, and maybe I'll stream it on Twitch one day, but it's a part of my childhood that I'll never let go.

"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw