5) Prince of Persia
Nobody likes losing lives/having to go back to your last checkpoint. Fortunately Ubisoft saw their way around this. Time travel. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time did away with all that pesky death by allowing you to rewind time. Who could ask for more? We could. Add to list of the Prince’s abilities the power to manipulate the elements and a speed and agility rarely seen outside African felines and you’ve got yourself a hero who, despite apparently forgetting about his magical powers between games, is more than a match for any crafty desert-dweller.
4) Super Mario Galaxy
In terms of its physics the Mario universe had always been pretty tame. I mean, sure you could breathe underwater for an impossibly long time or use your dress as a parachute, but they’re things to be taken up with your doctor or your tailor. Then along came Super Mario Galaxy. Suddenly we’re running upside-down across the surface of tiny planets and being blasted through space, all the while enjoying the Wii’s brave new world of infrared.
3) Bayonetta
What beats physics? Magic. Magic beats physics hands down. Bayonetta is proof. Seriously. Came out this morning without your clothes on? Weave them out of your sentient hair. Why not walk up walls powered by the light of the moon or slow down time to run across water? If you’re looking for Bayonetta you’ll find her sucking lollipops and kicking Newton squarely in the crotch.
2) Portal
If you haven’t played Portal yet, then you can’t be helped. Find it. Buy it. Love it. Then hate it for melting your brain.
1) Braid
This little Xbox Live Arcade game is one of the most innovative and challenging things we’ve seen in quite a while. Your protagonist’s ability to control time is crucial to solving every puzzle in the game. This little gem will get you stretching parts of your brain you didn’t know you had. From opening doors for yourself in the past to crossing bridges you haven’t built for yourself yet, Braid is by far the most fully realised middle finger to physics around.
