Well, it’s been a while hasn’t it? Yeah, I haven’t put up a top list in a while, mostly because of the holidays, and the fact that the Universe has a really sick sense of humor.

So I was simultaneously enjoying my Christmas while sliding in and out of the local health center, attempting to push back a 104-degree fever and a rapidly swelling throat. And, as I lay there, IV pumping into my arm, waiting for about three different drugs to take effect, all I could find myself thinking about was what kind of games I would love to be playing now.

So, here I am, to discuss what I think are the best games to play when you’re sick. If you’re bedridden for any reason, and hopefully not as sick as I was, these are the games that are most approved by Dr. Mario after you’ve taken his strangely unlabeled red and blue pills.

Rules for this list: first off, as usual, only one game per series and spinoffs are counted as separate entries. Second, I’m also limiting this to experience that I have had, meaning every one of these games is one that I’ve played while I was sick, so I’m speaking from my own personal tastes and experiences. I’m sure you have your own, but before you criticize, remember, this is a personal list. Disagree? Give your own list. We’re all different, and therefore, all special. Now that I’ve finished reciting lessons from Sesame Street, let’s start the list.

Number 10: Devil May Cry

This one can be thought of as a placeholder for pretty much every hack and slash or beat ‘em up game out there, as they all pretty much serve the same purpose here. But out of all of them, I come back to Dante’s original adventure the most. There’s just something so satisfying about pulling off powerful combos with all the different guns and melee weapons available. The game, while difficult, never reaches that threshold of putting extreme stress on the player.

It’s a pretty relaxing experience, just carving up everything that comes your way, or just blasting it out of the sky. However, in later stages, much like other genre series, it starts to get stressful. Those last few bosses are extremely annoying, and do start getting the heart rate up, which I suppose is good for some illnesses, but when you’re sick, you don’t really want to get your adrenaline pumping too much.

You want my personal recommendation? Play the game to the halfway point and then switch over. After that point, the game stops being a relaxing combo-fest and starts becoming the pulse-pounding experience that you really want to be in the best of health for. You know, when you’re not half nerve-dead on Nyquil. Or is that just me? Ah well.

Number 9: Super Mario Bros.

Two words: Muscle Memory.

This is always a game I play whenever I want to feel better, no matter what the situation is, whether I’m sick or just in a bad mood. What’s the reason for this? Because even with my senses dulled to hell, I can still play this game well, and actually beat it really quickly. I’ve played through this game so many times (and I’m willing to be most other gamers have as well) that my body has pretty much memorized everything that happens in this game and knows exactly how to react to every situation that comes up. It’s awesome.

Some people might say that takes the fun out of a game. Well, I can’t argue that, because unlike other Mario games, replaying the original while I’m well and in a good mood is actually kind of boring at this point. But when you’re sick? When you’re lying in bed, asking for a pick-me-up? Well, then it just makes you feel good because you know that you can beat it, regardless of your physical condition.

From world 1 all the way to the castle in world 8, your body is on perfect auto pilot to the end, and it feels great to see that ending screen when you’re laying back in bed, sipping ginger-ale through a crazy straw. Oh, and then there’s just the Mario theme music. So dang soothing…

Number 8: Pac-Man: Championship Edition II

I love the original Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man games quite a bit, and I still feed plenty of quarters into the arcade cabinet at the few locations around here that still have them. However, I don’t really play the game too much when I’m sick because, like most classic arcade games, the difficulty spikes early on, and it’s designed to suck quarters from our pockets. It’s made for high-stakes, high adrenaline gaming, and it doesn’t lend itself well to being played in an impaired state.

The Championship Edition II, on the other hand, is a different story. The game is designed to be friendlier towards newer gamers, and it feels like that. Sure, it can still be a great challenge, especially on higher difficulties and speed levels, but the game overall has a more appealing difficulty curve and some very helpful additions to the gameplay to make it easier to play. You have bombs that you can use at any time to send all the ghosts back to the middle of the board, the dots and fruit always appear in a specific pattern, and the ghosts follow you in a giant train instead of wandering around the board of their own free will (most of the time). And man oh man, is it a great feeling to grab a power pellet and munch down on a huge train of ghosts following after you.

The game offers plenty of varied modes and areas to play in, as well as several different difficulty levels for each, so you can adjust the challenge to how well you’re feeling at the time. The only real pressure in the game is trying to beat your own record for each mode, which is something that can easily be ignored for the sake of just having a good time. And, for me at least, this seems to be one of the few games I’m actually better at while I’m sick. Don’t know what that says about my Pac-man skills, though.

Number 7: Pokémon Snap!

RPGs, despite being one of my favorite genres, don’t really lend themselves well to being played when you’re sick. Sure, they are very long, epic adventures that often require you to invest a lot of time and plan out a good time to play them, but at the same time, they require a level of concentration that I just don’t have when I’m hacking up my own lungs. Still, I want to see some cute critters.

Pokémon Snap is one of those games that were just made for a relaxing, lazy afternoon. It’s so simple that if I tried explaining the premise now, it just might sound stupid to anyone who hadn’t tried it before. But no, it’s actually a fantastic game about taking pictures of Pokémon, with no real way to ‘lose’ and there’s no rush and nothing to really stress you out. You basically just take pictures while riding one of those rail-bound amusement park rides. And for the Nintendo 64, the creatures look great, and are actually very expressive.

It’s just a game where you take pictures. Unlike fatal frame, however, you don’t have to worry about being attacked by ghosts while you’re trying to snap shots of the local wildlife. And for those of you who wants some stress relief, why not just throw pester balls and apples at the Pokémon all day long instead of actually taking any pictures? That’ll work too! Hard to believe such a simple, low risk concept would amount to anything fun, but this is a game that I just have to play every now and then and it always makes me smile. But when I’m sick? Well, let’s just say that smile is a whole lot more valuable.

Number 6: Sonic 3 & Knuckles

Yes, I count these both as a single game. Got a problem with that? Then take it up with management.

Any classic Sonic game could probably fill this spot, but the third did it the best, in my opinion. It gave you the option of playing as three different characters, had a huge amount of unique worlds to traipse through, and had one of the best bonus stages ever committed to the Genesis.

The high-speed, roller coaster gameplay and zooming speed actually works well when you’re sick, and even the basic platforming gives you a good sense of accomplishment in the games. Plus, playing as Knuckles, it’s always fun to just float around and climb up the walls, now isn’t it?

There isn’t much to say here except its one heck of a ride from start to finish, and even if you can’t get very far when doped up on cold and cough medicine, it’s still a whole lot of fun to try. Heck, just playing that bonus round is enough for me!