10. Briana Loves Jenna

“Brianna Love Jenna” was directed by Jay Grdina, stars Jenna Jameson and Briana Banks and was released in 2001.  It was the first movie produced by Club Jenna and marked a return for Jameson to the big screen after a break of almost two years.

Plot:

Obviously it centers around the love affair of Briana and Jenna.  They end up having relationship problems, and although plot-wise this lacks a bit than others in the list, the cinematography makes up for it, which lands it on this list.  Jenna had, at this point, agreed only to do boy/girl if it involved her husband, Grdina, at the time, so the chemistry on set is unbeatable.  There’s a connection between Briana and Jenna right off the bat, and of course between Jenna and Grdina.  This, along with the cinematography, makes the film one of Jenna’s best ever.  It gets so steamy on set; you can’t help but get turned on.

9. Behind the Green Door

“Behind the Green Door” was directed by Artie Mitchell and Jim Mitchell, stars Marilyn Chambers and was released in 1972.  It can be credited to one of the three films Dirk Diggler is known for appearing in, and is part of the “Golden Age of Porn”.  The title is a reference to the 1956 hit song “The Green Door”.

Plot:

It begins with two truck drivers being asked to tell the story of the green door.  In it Gloria (played by Chambers) is kidnapped and taken to a “sex theatre” where’s she’s placed behind a thick curtain.  When the curtain rises, she’s forced to act out various sex acts with the people on stage while a masked audience looks on.  At one point, women in robes come out and begin molesting her.  The audience is so turned on; they begin having sex with each other.  The story ends with the truck driver saving Gloria, after which they end up making passionate love.

This movie is said to be the first to ever feature an interracial scene and even boasts a facial shot that lasts for seven minutes in slow motion

8. Space Nuts

“Space Nuts” was directed by Jonathon Morgan, stars Stormy Daniels and was released in 2003.  Obviously loosely based on the epic movie “Star Wars” mixed with a bit of “Star Trek”.  Touted as many as some of the best makeup and special effects put into an adult film.

Plot:

Princess Hubba Hubba has been given the task of defending the universe against Evil Overlord and his assistant, Darkwitch.  Princess Hubba Hubba’s only companions are Android Jeeves and Buzz StarFockker.  They have a very exciting, sex-filled adventure through the solar system before Princes Hubba Hubba gets kidnapped by Evil Overlord with the intention of marrying her and becoming heir to the Clitorian solar system.  Android Jeeves and Buzz StarFockker join forces to rescue her before it’s too late.  This is a complete parody, but one done very well.

7. Island Fever

“Island Fever” was directed by Joone, stars Tera Patrick and was released in 2001.  Though not exactly plot-oriented, the cinematography has been noted as being excellent making up for lack of dialogue.  Shot on location in Tahiti and Bora Bora, the exotic locations themselves will suck you in through every breath taking shot.

Plot:

The whole story surrounds three beautiful island goddesses, Tera Patrick, Brianna Banks, and Julie Ann.  They’ve enjoyed the island to themselves for some time, and are interrupted in their own pleasure making by two men who get stranded on their island and soon find themselves in over their heads with these sex craved immortals.  Each sex scene takes place in a different setting, allowing you to not only see the beauty that these islands have to offer, but also what the beauties have to offer in different scenery.  From waterfalls to deserts, forests to rocky mountains, these goddesses are up for a good, wet time no matter where the men travel to.  It’s not just lust, it’s purely island fever.

6. Dream Quest

“Dream Quest” was directed by Brad Armstrong, stars Jenna Jameson and was released in 2000.  This movie marked her twenty-fifth film of Jameson’s career.  It has been called a combination between “Legend” and “Labyrinth” and Jameson maintains an ethereal presence throughout the movie.

Plot:

Sarah is lying in bed one night with her cat pondering whether love really exists.  She suddenly finds herself pulled into another world by magical fairies.  They need her help to save fantasy from the evil Vladmir.  She finds herself a sudden extrovert when she encounters a three-some shortly after entering the realm.  She finds her way through a castle and into some woods where she finds herself involved in many sexual exploits before finally being captured by the evil Vladmir.  He forces her to become his wife, yet she somehow still manages to free fantasy, defeat Vladmir and make it back to her reality.  She comes back a changed woman and decides to show her boyfriend exactly what she’s learned while in the other realm.

Reviews were mixed as some touted this to be Jameson’s finest work and other’s thought it lacked a lot of content.  Either way, with the empire Jameson built for herself, it is still one of the most popular movies, not only of hers, but overall and does have a good plot.

5. Pirates

“Pirates” was directed by Joone, stars Jesse Jane and was released in 2005.  The movie references several times to the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”.  The producer, Joone, was quoted as saying that this was the most expensive adult film of all time.

Plot:

The movie takes place is 1763 and opens with Captain Edward Reynolds on the hunt of pirates.  His only ally, though being the captain, is his first mate, Jules.  They end up picking up a woman lost at sea, Isabella, who tells them their ship was destroyed by the feared Captain Victor Stagnetti.  Reynolds takes after Stagnetti.  Stagnetti is on a hunt, himself, for a map that will lead to a secret island somewhere in the Caribbean.  Supposedly, this island holds a secret “staff” that Isabella’s father had unlocked.  Stagnetti becomes so desperate to find this, he summons up spawns of darkness.  His crew then turns on him, bent on escaping what he’s unleashed.  Oh, and there a bunch of sex mixed in with all the action.  Although the sex scenes are not the best, the plot line and acting are far better.

The New York Times described the film as “a relatively high-budget story of a group of ragtag sailors who go searching for a crew of evil pirates who have a plan for world domination. Also, many of the characters in the movie have sex with one another.”

4. Flashpoint

“Flashpoint” was directed by Brad Armstrong, stars Jenna Jameson and was released in 1998.  This is one of Jenna’s most favored features.  Though in the beginning of her career, she was simply known for her “skills”, by the time she made this particular film, she had already established herself as an actress (though primarily in adult films) as well.

Plot:

Jenna is introduced after an accident kills someone close to her.  She works as a firefighter and along with fellow firefighters attend the funeral of their friend.  Her boss hits on her, and though we find out later they used to have a “thing”, she turns him down and turns to one of her coworkers who ends up consoling her later at the firehouse.  The other firefighters hear the commotion and decide to console each other as well.  There’s a huge orgy scene (has been hailed as one of the best shot orgy scenes ever) that takes place on, in, and around one of the trucks.  Throughout the tireless sex scenes, Jenna is being investigated by the arson squad in connection with several fires after her nametag is found at a scene her company did not put out.  At one point, she’s helping put out a fire when she freezes up, later chalking it up to a flashback of when her sister drowned.  Her character is extremely complex, and a bit crazy, maybe?

3. The Devil in Miss Jones

“The Devil in Miss Jones” was directed by Gerard Damiano, stars Georgina Spelvin and was released in 1973.  Georgina Spelvin was considered fairly old for the industry when she made this film at the age of thirty-six, but that didn’t stop it from grossing over seven million in the box office.  This was also the third film Gerard Damiano directed, the others being “Deep Throat” and “Behind the Green Door”.

Plot:

Justine Jones is a lonely spinster who takes her own life due to loneliness.  Though she led a pure life, she committed suicide which left her trapped in Limbo.  She makes a deal with an angel named Mr. Abaca that will allow her entrance to Hell if she returns to earth as the embodiment of lust.

She learns the ways of passion and pain from someone name “The Teacher” and embarks on an escapade of sexual encounters.  Her time on earth comes to an end with a wild three-some after which she’s pulled back to Limbo.  Mr. Abaca promises her that her time in Hell will be “quite comfortable….”, however, she soon finds herself trapped in a room with an impotent and uninterested man who’s only focus is the imaginary flies.  She begs and begs him for sex, given her new-found lust for it, but soon realizes she’s doomed to an eternity of celibacy.

2. Debbie Does Dallas

“Debbie Does Dallas” was written by Jim Clark, stars Bambi Woods and was released in 1978.  It’s regarded as one of the most popular adult films of all time, next to “Deep Throat” and was released during what’s being called the “Golden Age of Porn”.  The team Bambi’s character is wanting to try out for is the Texas Cowgirls; Bambi had, in real life, tried out for and been rejected by the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.

Plot:

A young cheerleader, Debbie Benton, is the head cheerleader at her high school when she’s accepted to try out for the Texas Cowgirls.  Unfortunately, her parents refuse to pay for the trip out there, so Debbie and her friends decide to get jobs and refuse sex with their boyfriends until the money is raised.  They form “Teen Services” and offer to do work around town.

Things don’t go as well as they’d hope and their boyfriends get a little tired of being turned down.  On a whim, Debbie makes a few bucks off of her boss for allowing him access to her breasts and convinces the other girls they should start earning the money by offering sexual favors.  Between sex-starved boyfriends, and a group of young, hot cheerleaders offering sex for money, the movie turns into one crazy sexual adventure.

1. Deep Throat

“Deep Throat” was directed by Gerard Damiano, stars Linda Lovelace and was released in 1972.  After its release, it was heralded by many prominent actors and actresses as well as several large newspapers.  The pseudonym “Deep Throat” was even given to an informant during the Watergate controversy.  It grossed between thirty and fifty million dollars in the box office.  It’s also widely known due to the appearance of the actor known as Dirk Diggler.

Plot:

A young woman, Linda (she plays herself, Linda Lovelace) is upset over never having experienced an orgasm.  She goes to her friend, Helen, to seek advice on how to achieve one, so Helen sets up a sex party, but nothing seems to help.  Linda then turns to a doctor who ends up discovering that her clitoris is actually located in her throat.  He proceeds to help her learn how to achieve climax by “deep throating” as part of her treatment.  She’s so overwhelmed and excited by this that she asks him to marry her.  He declines, but offers her a job as his secretary so she could try to find a husband by “deep throating” the male patients – the whole time the doctor is documenting all of her exploits and having sex with his with his nurse, Carol, while doing so.  The movie ends with: “The End. And Deep Throat to you all.”

Though the most popular, and undeniably the best written were the ones from the era where acting was actually required alongside the sex scenes, some of the directors in the last decade have been trying to bring back the storyline, as some are simply getting tired of meaningless sex… well, maybe not meaningless, but a good backstory always helps build the hype.

Of course, some of these people are or were together for love. Then there are those who are rather questionable. Their actions or the circumstances of the relationship, make some wonder what the man’s motives were when he decided to take up with his lady love. This isn’t a man-bashing list, it’s a list of men who would probably not be as noticeable as they are if it weren’t for the lifestyles that they share with their signficant other’s, that is afforded on the finances of their partner’s. Here are 10 men, who live or have lived the life of luxury and splendor, coutersy of their Mrs:

10. Kendu Issacs

If you aren’t into “urban” music, you probably have no idea who this is. Well, meet Mr. Mary J Blige, Kendu Issacs. Mr. Issacs met the super star singer when he was married to another woman. After an intense romance, he parted ways with his wife, to take up with the R&B songstress. He swept her off her feet and to the altar.Issacs is credited with some creative work in relation to his wife, however, he doesn’t have much to stand on of his own. With a wife that is one of the hottest acts in the music industry, he probably doesn’t see the need to have his own foundation. The two seem to be very happy. However, when you leave one wife to take on another, especially one with loads of cash, questtions about motive are sure to arise. For the moment, Mr. Issacs is enjoying the good life with the Queen of Hip Hop Soul.

9. Rene Elizondo Jr.

In 1991, Janet Jackson secretly married her longtime friend, Rene Elizondo Jr. That secret was kept for nine years and only became public because Mr. Elizondo filed for divorce. Within his filings were claims that he was one of the creative forces behind Janet’s success. He also claimed that he was manipulated into signing papers that were designed to keep the assets of the couple separate and cheated from money that was rightfully his from work he had done for his wife, over the years.

All of that aside…can you imagine the life that this man had!?!? He had to keep his marriage to one of the sexiest women on Earth a secret, in order to protect her. Not only a home in Malibu but this man had access to any and everything he wanted, especially since he was giving up his entitlement to anything dealing with his spouse; including his work credits.

No wonder the man was able to be kept silent for 9 years. However, even that gets tiring. Eventually, an artist needs artistic freedom. Whether his “mental: condition, that he claims makes him easy to manipulate, was cured; or he simply got tired of being a secret…..Rene no longer wanted to be anyone’s best kept secret. Kept husband or not….

8. David Furnish

David Furnish is a producer/director that was introduced to Elton John by a mutual friend, during a dinner party that was held flamboyant star’s mansion in 1993. The two were married in a civil ceremony in the UK in December of 2005, formalizing their union in a small ceremony that was attended by close friends and family. The couples’ parents served as witnesses. The couple strengthened their union by becoming parents of baby boy on Christmas Day 2010.

It’s no secret that Sir Elton John loves the good life. It would only make since that his Canadian born husband enjoy the living in the lap of luxury with him. Truthfully, it probably makes him the envy of all of his friends! Very few people may know David for what he actually does but everyone in the world knows him for who he is….Elton John’s husband.

7. Howard K. Stern

This familiar face wasn’t anyones  husband. However, he was someone’s well-kept boyfriend. As boy toy and attorney to the late Anna Nicole Smith, Howard K. Stern lived the good life via proxy. Upon the death of the troubled star, he became the acting executor of her sestate. Yet, Stern enjoyed all of the benefits of being Anna Nicole’s long-time partner throughout their relationship.

Although he had a career of his own, Howard K. Stern is far from Johnny Conchran. Honestly, not many people knew or remembered that the man was an attorney. Not until there was a reason for Anna Nicole to go to court. His role as her legal advisor was very low key until her unfortunate death.

Howard K. Stern fought for the estate of Anna Nicole after she died, claiming that it would be in the best interest of her daughter to have someone with knowledge of the woman’s business to remain in control of it. That may be very true. Yet, it’s quite ironic that Stern may not be living as comfortably as he did before his lady love died; but he’s damn sure living a good life on what little legal practicing he’s doing.

6. Al Reynolds

Prior to marrying lawyer and television host, Star Jones, Al Reynolds had a career of his own; as a banker. Not a bad living at all. However, that money was nothing compared to Star’s money. You can be certain that he thought about that when he married her. During their very public marriage, the couple shared a life of luxury. Surely, it was a life that the former Wall Streeter couldn’t have afforded on his own income.

However, the marriage didn’t end on a nice note. Although reasons for the divorce were never made public, there was a lot of speculation. Among them, questions of his sexuality and whether or not the relationship was really based on love. Many believed that Ms. Jones had finally become aware of her husband’s love for her lifestyle and not her.

5. Frederic Prinz Von Anhalt

Frederic Prinz Von Anhalt was born Hans Robert Lichtenberg. He was Zsa Zsa Gabor’s ninth husband and her longest lasting marriage. He was also 26 years her junior. The late star may have been under the impression that she was marrying royalty at the time of her marriage. However, there have been reports that Frederic got his title when he paid the Princess of Anhalt, Marie Auguste to adopt him.

Still, it’s no secret that Zsa Zsa loved to live. And it’s no secret that she didn’t mind sharing her wealth and good fortune with her lovers. Her young husband has openly admitted to his desire to marry a Hollywood star and Zsa Zsa’s desire to marry a prince. In the end they both got what they wanted. Unfortunately, marrying this man didn’t make the famed glamour girl royalty since he wasn’t legally heir to anyone’s throne.  Frederic has no problem publicly admitting that everything he owns, even the things he has two of, are because of his wife.

4. Bobby Brown

Not all kept husbands are unknown names. Bobby Brown came to fame as one of the five members of New Edition. As popular as the group and their songs were, it’s safe to say that Brown will be collecting royalties from that era in his life until the end of his time on Earth. However, he had lost his relevance in the creative world, even after a successful solo career.

It was his marriage to mega-star Whitney Houston that put Bobby’s name back in circulation. And let’s just say…he milked it for all it was worth. Aside from the couple coming into legal troubles together, they did a lot of other things that aided in boosting the former male sex symbol back into superstardom. Singing duets together and doing a reality show put the couple at the forefront of pop culture.

However, people may not like to admit that the lifestyle Bobby lived once he married the powerhouse vocalist was far beyond the one that he had lived on his own. Whitney’s money was way longer than Bobby’s. Trying to prove a point to all of the people that disagreed with the marriage, she put her husband on a thrown. He lived a royal lifestyle for the duration of his marriage to the queen of songbirds, mostly on her bankroll. Since the divorce, Bobby is never too far gone from the public eye. Still, he isn’t as visible as his marriage to Whitney made him. Truthfully, it would take more than a miracle for him to ever be again.

3. Nick Cannon

Nick Cannon is familiar to many for his acting and different appearances on various television shows. He has held the title of host, Dee Jay and comedian. Nick’s fame was never really minimal but it wasn’t maximal either. That is until he became Mr. Mariah Carey and the father of her beautiful twins.

Granted, Nick’s acting career put him in a position to explore other talents; such as acting, producing and directing. A love of music has him now trying his hand in the music industry but he is far from super stardom. He is a recognizable name in his own right. However, his marriage to one of the biggest stars in the world has taken his name and lifestyle to a whole other level. Where he may have been able to afford nice things before, Mariah is known for her extravagant taste and diva desires. Frankly, she has earned it.

Being Mr. Carey has to come with some of the best benefits in the world. Needless to say, no man likes to be called by his wife’s last name. Yet, in this case, you can be sure Nick brushes it off and deals with his frustrations through retail therapy…on his wife’s accounts.

2. Kevin Federline

What can be said about K-Fed? Well, let’s be honest…the only reason his name is recognizable is because he’s the ex-husband of one of the world’s biggest pop stars, Britney Spears. This is evident since prior to Britney, he was the boyfriend and children’s father to another star; actress Shar Jackson. Obviously, her name wasn’t enough to do what he wanted to do and this creep left his girl and 2 children, when the opportunity to be with Spears presented itself.

From the beginning of their relationship, it became evident to the world what Mr. Federline was after. He tried to seize any and every chance that presented itself as an opportunity for fame of his own. Although he was quite handsome when he came on the scene, the man had no true talent of his own. Instead, he enjoyed the life of a superstar on his wife’s dime.

After the split, K-Fed made use of a few opportunities offered to him. Still, he will always be known as the man who rode Britney’s name to stardom…or should we say her bankbook.

1. Steadman Graham

Anyone who is asked to think of a kept man would most likely think of this man first. Although Steadman Graham is a business owner and has quite a bit of money of his own, his money doesn’t come close to the money of his long-time lover and partner, Oprah Winfrey. Steadman and Oprah have been together for more than two decades. They are more than a couple; they are also partners in various business ventures.

There was an engagement and plans to be married in 1992. The world was shocked when it didn’t happen. However, the couple is still together and going strong. It may be a sad thing but Steadman is primarily known for his relationship with the media mogul. They share a lifestyle that is the envy of nearly everyone in the world. Of course, it would only make sense to believe that the majority of that lifestyle is paid for by Ms. Money Bags, herself. Still, you can be sure that Mr. Graham could care less what the world thinks and who could blame him?

There is no doubt that some will look at this list and debate some of the men on it. Still, you have to admit that these men are or were in a far better position than they could have ever been on their own because of the women they were with. Although a few may have not been too bad off; the love and money of their woman made them way better. This is especially true for those who came from nothing to something.

So, as you can see, the world is full of both kept women and kept men. Sometimes it’s love, sometimes it’s money. Unfortunately, the ones with the money will have a hard time trying to learn the difference. Hopefully, the majority of them find that the love is for them as a person, not a check book.

Have you ever heard songs whose lyrics made you think about past or present similar events that happened or are happening in your life? Those songs probably made things a lot better for you at the moment because you knew you weren’t alone and that others could identify with your situation. There are even some songs that take you to a higher level of understanding how things work in this world.

Music can be a basic education about life when you really think about it. Those songs let you know that throughout everything that may arise in life, you’re human, mistakes are to be made yet there are always chances to correct them. When your favorite music entertainers sing songs that touch on emotion often times they’re from the heart. Think about that the next time you listen to a song similar to what’s in my Top 10 Well Written Songs List and make the connection by allowing yourself to feel through the lyrics.

10. Britney Spears – I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman

If you’re familiar with the young pop star Britney Spears you’ll know that she’s had lots of problems throughout her career. Her problems started at a really young age in the entertainment industry and the media just ate it all up almost making them worse. I chose this song because it was one of those unique songs speaking to teenage girls who are trying to find themselves and in a very positive state.

The song really touches base for young women who realize that they’re either at or entering the middle stage of life where they’re not grown women and they’re not small children. Britney has had many major hits but this is the one where the public could feel she was truly speaking out about who she was at the time and who people wanted her to be. The message was to be comfortable with who you are, not to be in such a rush to grow up, analyze things for yourself and be happy.

9. Tim McGraw – Don’t Take the Girl

You’ve just got to love this song especially if you’ve ever experienced love at a young age. Tim tells the story of a young boy probably six or seven years of age, his dislike of girls, and how as he grew older his feelings changed. It’s normal for boys to reject girls as friends at those ages but when they grow older into the teens and become adults they soon realize they can’t live without them.

Don’t Take the Girl was your basic love story told through music and lyrics. This song had me also saying please don’t take the girl when they came across the robber at the picture show. I was thinking to myself please do not take that girl, this song draws you in. You have to see and hear this one.

8. Tina Turner – What’s Love got to do with it

This song was based on Tina Turner’s real life experience of being in an abusive relationship with ex husband Ike Turner. The song helped Tina’s solo career soar. It also showed women who were in or leaving abusive relationships that they could survive. Whatever the story was with Tina and her ex she proved that she was a strong individual not embarrassed of her past.

This song made you wonder if love was really just a second hand emotion. I also felt that for many women at the verge of giving up on finding true love, this song pushed them further to do that which might not have been such a great thing. Everybody needs love in their life, nobody wants to be alone.

7. Stevie Wonder – I Just Called to Say I Love You

How often do you call friends and family just to say I love you? There are not many people that do that type of thing because they feel their loved ones should already know how they feel. Listening to the lyrics of this song could warm even the coldest of hearts and make you feel that you should pick up the phone at the very moment to scream those words.

The song says is basically saying that you don’t need a special holiday to say I love you and to say it as much as you can before it’s too late. This song quickly hit the top of the charts when released but all Stevie Wonder songs do this. Call your loved ones to say I love you.

6. Bee Gees – How Deep Is Your Love

Anyone who’s ever seen the movie Saturday Night Fever knows that this song was on the soundtrack and that the Bee Gees were behind it. They have a habit of making you love every last song and to feel and understand each individual song. This is a song telling the story of how someone feels towards someone else but asking him or her if the feelings are mutual.

5. Brian Adams – Everything I Do I Do It for You

Everything i do (i do it for you) by mangaspassion00

The title of this song lets you know exactly what it’s about. This is a song that is not one sided because it could be dedicated to your kids, your grandparents, your husband, wife and anyone in your life. Everything I Do I Do It for You is saying to someone that no matter what situations arise I will always have your back.

4. John Lennon – Imagine

The late John Lennon definitely had a way with words as a person and through his music. The song Imagine gives you images of what the world could be like without corrupt government, people, and things. Could you imagine living day by day in a peaceful world? We all can and hopefully one day it’ll get there.

3. Dionne Warwick and friends – That’s What Friends Are For

This song spells out the true definition of a friend. For good times and bad times I’ll be on your side forever more is one line from the lyrics of the song that really captures the heart. Having one friend that you can count on for anything at anytime as in the lyrics of this wonderful song beats having ten friends that you can’t. After listening to this song many will rethink their so called friendships with either good outcomes or bad.

2. Michael Jackson – Human Nature

No matter how weird you probably thought the late Michael Jackson was or your opinions on the controversy surrounding his life, the one thing the world knows is that when it comes to music that makes you feel real emotion Michael is amongst the best. Human Nature was Michael’s way of showing the world that we are all human and it’s in our nature to do the things we do to one another.
If you can really understand the lyrics of this song then you’ll understand that Michael is basically telling his story of how he just wants to live, just like the lines in the song that say…

Get me out into the nighttime
Four walls won’t hold me tonight
If this town is just an apple
Then let me take a bite

Michael Jackson throughout all his fame and fortune wanted to be able to just go out and live life normally without all the eyes on him. He wanted to be able to walk to a store or go to a regular theater with friends and family. Michael Jackson just wanted to be like you and me in the end.

1. Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie – We Are the World

This was a 1985 charity song that sold over 20 million copies. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by the great Quincy Jones. The song gained worldwide popularity and went on to win numerous awards and Grammys.

What made this song really special was the fact that it featured many of music’s greatest entertainers such as Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Ray Charles, and Bruce Springsteen. Who has been able get all the music greats together in one place without any problems arising? Nobody has been able to do that although few have tried. Plus I believe that when something as great as this songs turnout was should never be secondly attempted. The recent release from today’s major artist covering the song We Are the World was a bummer not because of the artist but because some originals are not meant to be touched.

The criteria of the list isn’t quite the same as Western games. It isn’t fair to compare games made in the West; to those made in Africa because of the difference in money, interest, and technology. One of the key elements of games made in Africa is showing other developers that it is possible to make games in Africa. Other key elements to what makes a great African video game is availability, cost, and platform, and technology.

1. Africa

Africa is a MMORPG (Massively Multiuser Online Role Playing Game) set in 13th century Africa. The premise of the game is that you want to protect your people and conquer enemies while participating in the everyday activities of the time like farming. The game was created for PC by the grandson of a Ghana king who now lives in Atlanta Georgia. What qualifies it as one of the top African video games is that it allows the Western world to be connected to and understand Africa. This in turn, spurs more interest in the African gaming industry.

2. Final Armada

Final Armada is a Transformeresque game in which the main character’s vehicle is called Aggressor. She is a powerful and sophisticated transforming combat vehicle of mass destruction that can transform between a wheeled vehicle and a hover craft. The game is set in the future where humans and aliens fight over energy sources. It is put out by I-Imagine out of South Africa. The game is the first PS2 game to come out of the region. The game has been reimaged and released for PSP, making it also the first PSP game to come out of South Africa.

3. Adventures of Nyangi

Adventures of Nyangi is a 3D action-adventure video game where the main character, Nyangi, has to find some rare African artifacts. It was created by a Kenyan programmer, Wesley Kiriiny, out of Nairobi. By Western standards, the game is lacking, with no music, little story line and little character development. The game is unique because Kiriiny created the engine that powers the software’s code, rather than downloading one of the many serviceable engines available on the Internet. The makers tried to focus on African traditions and myths in the games rural setting. Although the game doesn’t meet the full requirements of a Western story, it shows the potential of the untapped stories that can come out of Africa with its unique and rich culture.

4. Toxic Bunny

Toxic Bunny’s protagonist is a jack rabbit named Toxic. The premise of the game is that Toxic is on a hunt for the person or animal responsible for interrupting his coffee break, brainwashing all his friends, and covering the planet with a decaffeinated goo. It was produced by a company based out of South Africa called Celestial games. It was originally released for PC in 1996. There was supposed to be a sequel released for Xbox, but the game was canceled. Recently the makers of the game had another opportunity to continue game by revamping it into a HD version, one of the few to come out of Africa, with a more in depth and more comedic story line.

5. 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa’s subject is pretty self explanatory. The game was developed in the states. So why is it a top African video game? First off, the game is set in South Africa. Second, Soccer, or as it’s called in Africa, futbol, is as popular as football is in the states. The game’s popularity in Africa is like Madden games in the states. The game is also available on multiple platforms, including PC. This availability helps make the game quite popular.

6. The Sword of Sygos

The Sword of Sygos was made in Ghana, but is set in ancient Rome. The King of Rome, Aribanis and his son Horutius, has their kingdom under attack by an evil dark force, Antobis, and his army. Only Horutius, with the Sword of Sygos, can destroy him. The game was created in Ghana for a contest to try to promote the IT sector in the country. Even though the founders of the competition did not get the response they were looking for from the students of Africa, a great game was created. It was one of the first 3D games to come out of Africa, if not the first. It is great in that it shows that it is possible to make games in Ghana, a country with almost no video game industry, and threats of banning video game centers. The 3D game is now also used as a learning tool.

7. Chase

Chase was put out by I-Imagine, South Africa’s first console developer based out of Johannesburg. Set in Hollywood, the main character, Chase, is a woman stunt driver. It focuses on stunts of four movie sets. The game did not fare well with Western players, whom complained the game was too short and was not multiplayer. Despite this, it is a great African video game. It is a little dated now, but it is one of the few games made in Africa for Xbox.

8. iWarrior

iWarrior is a game for iphone with great African art and sounds. The goal is to protect the village from Africa’s most feared wild animals. The game is created by Leti games out of Ghana. Mobile phone games are the most widely played games in Africa, especially in the poorer regions. This is one of the top games in Africa because of its availability and rural African scenes.

9. Far Cry 2

Far Cry 2 takes place in a modern-day African nation which is in a state of anarchy and civil war. The goal of the game is for the protagonist mercenary to take out the arms dealer, the Jackal. The first person shooter game features beautiful scenes from Africa. When the game first came out, it was popular in South Africa. This was in part because of its availability on the PC. But since its release, the western game’s popularity has declined, with few people still playing online.

10. Circus Pomché

Circus Pompché calls itself an out of the box puzzle game. The protagonist, Mr Pomché, is on a quest to save the life of a helpless soul. During this quest he encounters thirty levels of puzzles in this tropical African setting. The game was released by Bash Games out of South Africa for Windows. Despite the popularity of flash games in Africa, the availability of this free downloadable game makes it able to compete with the flash game market in Africa.

15. Great Gig in the Sky

The song began life as a Richard Wright chord progression, known variously as “The Mortality Sequence” or “The Religion Song”. During 1972 performances of the Dark Side of the Moon song cycle (prior to the album being recorded), it was simply an organ instrumental accompanied by spoken word samples from the Bible and snippets of speeches by Malcolm Muggeridge, a British writer known for his conservative religious views.

14. I Believe I Can Fly

“I Believe I Can Fly” is a 1996 song by R&B singer R. Kelly. The song was written, produced and performed by Kelly and was featured as the soundtrack to the 1996 motion picture Space Jam.

13. Somewhere over the rainbow

Somewhere over the rainbow song is number one of the “Songs of the Century” list compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. The American Film Institute also ranked “Over the Rainbow” the greatest movie song of all time on the list of “AFI’s 100 Years…100 Songs”. It was adopted (along with Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas”) by American troops in Europe in World War II as a symbol of the United States.

12. Holding Back The Years

“Holding Back the Years” is the 7th track of Simply Red’s debut studio album Picture Book. The song was a smash success for the group and quickly rose to the top of charts across the world. It remains their most successful single, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending July 12, 1986. It is one of two Simply Red songs (the other being their cover of “If You Don’t Know Me by Now”) to reach number one. “Holding Back the Years” reached #2 in the UK and was a worldwide hit. It had initially been released in the UK the year before, reaching #51.

11. Unchained Melody

“Unchained Melody” is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages.

10. Wishing on a star

“Wishing on a Star” is a slow ballad written by Billie Rae Calvin and produced by Norman Whitfield. The lyrics concern a woman longing for the return of an ex-lover so that they can resume their relationship. The original version of “Wishing on a Star” was not a big hit, peaking at number fifty-two on the Billboard R&B charts in the United States. However, the song was a big chart hit in the United Kingdom, reaching number three in March 1978. The album, In Full Bloom was also successful as a whole.

9. Loving you

“Lovin’ You” is a 1975 hit single by Minnie Riperton. The song became the 400th #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 5, 1975. Additionally, the song reached #2 in the UK, and #3 on the R&B charts in the US. The song is especially noteworthy due to the unusually high pitches that Riperton reaches during the song. It’s also noteworthy for the sound of the chirping songbirds that are heard throughout the song, which Riperton phonates by use of the Whistle Register.

8. Yesterday

“Yesterday” is a song originally recorded by The Beatles for their 1965 album Help!. According to Guinness World Records, “Yesterday” has the most cover versions of any song ever written. The song remains popular today with more than 1,600 recorded cover versions, the first hitting the United Kingdom top 10 three months after the release of Help!

7. Amazing Grace

“Amazing Grace” is a Christian hymn written by English poet and clergyman John Newton (1725–1807), published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God, “Amazing Grace” is one of the most recognizable songs in the English-speaking world.

6. We Didn’t Start The Fire

“We Didn’t Start the Fire” is a song by Billy Joel that alludes to headline events from March 1949 (Joel was born on May 9 of that year) to 1989, when the song was released on his album Storm Front. The song was a number-one hit in the US.

5. Ave Maria

The Angelic Salutation, Hail Mary, or Ave Maria (Latin) is a traditional biblical catholic prayer asking for the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Hail Mary is used within Roman Catholicism, and it forms the basis of the Rosary.

4. Star Spangled banner

“The Star-Spangled Banner” is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from “Defence of Fort McHenry”, a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812.

3. Wuthering Heights

“Wuthering Heights” is a song by Kate Bush and released as her debut single in January 1978. It became a No.1 hit in the UK singles chart and remains her biggest-selling single. The song appears on her 1978 debut album, The Kick Inside, and was also re-recorded in 1986 for her greatest-hits album The Whole Story; this version also appeared as the B-side to Bush’s 1986 hit “Experiment IV”. The B-side of the original 1978 single was another song by Bush named “Kite” – hence the kite imagery on the record sleeve. “Wuthering Heights” came 32nd in Q magazine’s Top 100 Singles of All Time

2. I Will Always Love You

Dolly Parton wrote the song in 1973 and it was released a year later, having been produced by Bob Ferguson. She has told numerous interviewers over the years that she wrote it for her one-time partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, with whom she was having a business splitting at the time. Recorded on June 17, 1973, in RCA’s Studio “B” in Nashville, the song was included on Parton’s album Jolene, and was released as a follow-up single, after the country chart-topping success of the title track, in April 1974. The single reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs a month later, but had just modest success on the pop charts. The lyrics express a bittersweet and poignant ode to an ex-lover, and are delivered with Parton’s distinctive twang.

1. O Holy Night

“O Holy Night” (“Cantique de Noël”) is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem “Minuit, chrétiens” (Midnight, Christians) by Placide Cappeau (1808–1877), a wine merchant and poet, who had been asked by a parish priest to write a Christmas poem. Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight, editor of Dwight’s Journal of Music, created a singing edition based on Cappeau’s French text in 1855. In both the French original and in the two familiar English versions of the carol, the text reflects on the birth of Jesus and of mankind’s redemption.

Bonus: No One

This little girl has an amazing voice and mastered controlling her voice at a very young age. Singing No One by Alicia Keys has proven this.

10. Jackie Chan vs Hwang Jang Lee

Snake in Eagles Shadow

If you like old school kung fu flicks this movie is for you. I am really not a fan of Jackie Chan movies but this movie in particular has always had my attention. You have two grandmasters of opposing fighting styles battling it out. Siu Tien Yuen, grandmaster of the snake fist style chose a disciple and trained him in the snake fist technique. I have got to tell you this scene is awesome.

9. D Day Normandy Invasion

First off — I must give thanks to all the soldiers that are serving and have served in Americas armed forces. The operation was the largest amphibious invasion of all time, with over 175,000 troops landing Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000 ships arrived on the frontline. The invasion required the transport of soldiers and materiel from the United Kingdom by troop-laden aircraft and ships, the assault landings, air support, naval interdiction of the English Channel and naval fire-support. Hitler knew this day would come and tried to convince Mexico to declare war on US. But Mexico was smart knowing US would use nuclear means to quickly end the war between US and Mexico.

8. Rock Lee vs Gaara

Naruto

Both Rock Lee and Gaara are badass fighters. These fighters are taking a chunin exam to earn the next higher ninja rank (chunin). Although these fighters are not compatible with each other it turns out that this one he11 of a fight. With Rock Lees incredible speed and Gaaras pure taste for blood makes these fight jaw dropping. If you watch this video you must watch the whole thing and I assure you — you will not be disappointed.

7. Leroy VS Sho’ Nuff

The Last Dragon

The last dragon was produced by Barry Gordon so you know this is a good film. He did a very good job of on the final fight which is the fight above. In the movie Leroy goes on a quest to attain the “final level” aka the last dragon. When a martial artist reaches the last level his body will glow which means he is the greatest fighter alive. For Leroy to reach the last dragon he must face Sho’Nuff.

6. The most beautiful fight

House of Flying Daggers

Set in a similar time to Hero, the plot revolves around the mysterious House of Flying Daggers, a group of assassins leading a rebellion of sorts, against the rulers of their land. News has reached the local military captain Leo (Andy Lau) that the leader of the House can be found plying their trade in the local brothel. Sensing that this could be the key to ending their resistance he sends one of his men, Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro), to infiltrate the establishment posing as a customer.

5. Jet Li vs. Billy Chow

Fist of Legend

By now everyone knows Jet Li. But this film and in particular this scene is a rare one by the one and only Jet Li. I hold this scene as Jet Lis best fight of his career. If like this video you will love the video of him in the beginning of this movie fighting black belts in a dojo.

4. Itachi VS Sasuke

Naruto

Itachi is BAMF. Very few people in the naruto series can take him on equal ground. His little brother Sasuke is determined to kill him after itachi single handedly destroyed the whole Uchiha clan leaving only Sasuke alive. Sasuke trains for years preparing for a fight against his brother. When Sasuke and Itachi finally meet all he11 breaks lose and it is one of the beautiful fights in any anime.

3. Sing vs The Best

The choreography in the scene is spectacular. You also must see the previous fights in this film too. They are really awesome

2. Yamamoto vs Allon

Bleach

No one can test Yamamoto power in the whole series of bleach except probably Aizen but I kinda doubt that. This is a rare occasion that we actually see this guy fight and when he does fight he really goes all out.Even when standing against a powerful enemy such as Allon — Yamamoto just slices him up effortlessly. Truly, amazing.

1. IP vs 10 Black Belts

IP Man

IP is one of the few top ranked Kung Fu grandmasters in china. As the trainer of Bruce Lee he stands up against the top Japanese general that invaded and killed many chinese citizens.

Parents need to be extra vigilant now, not just about what their kids watch and read, but what they’re playing too.

Just a few short years ago though, before modern technology allowed the creation of super realistic characters and scenarios, that suck even adults into their fantasy worlds with the hyper realism they display, there were simpler game stations, like the SNES, or Super Nintendo.

In the nineties, when the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was release, most games were kid friendly, although there were a few that were targeted at an older audience. Parents, however, had lots of options for their kids, and didn’t have to search through racks and racks of games about criminals, horrors or other grown up material to find one or two they could safely buy.

While no one would ever dream of suggesting a return to the bad old days of the Atari (heaven forbid!) with its giant pixels, monotonous theme songs and stilted game play, older machines line the Super Nintendo do still offer lots of great options for kids, that won’t leave parents panicking, and here are our top ten favorites:

10. Rock ‘N Roll Racing

One thing you can’t go wrong with, when choosing a game for kids, is a racing game. Whether it’s bikes, cars or imaginary vehicles, the thrill of racing is great fun, and you’re usually guaranteed no outright violence or other questionable elements. Just make sure your kids understand that while they may be the masters on the console, taking your car for a joy ride is a definite no no.

Rock ‘N Roll Racing is a track racing game, set in the future, with a pretty unique viewpoint – you watch the action from an isometric angle, giving it a more three D feel – not behind or inside your car, as usual.

It’s got a soundtrack of rock classics, like “Bad to the Bone” so it lives up to its name, and aside from racing, there are other things to do, like set traps or oil slicks up to foil your competitors, or even fire lasers or rockets at those in front of you. Rest assured though – it’s harmless and innocent, with no gore, so it’s perfect for kids!

9. Earthworm Jim

It’s a classic theme, that’s been used for years – immortalized by the Mario Brothers, and followed by many others. Ordinary guy needs to rescue princess from evil monster / boss.

Of course, in this instance, it’s not a guy, but an earthworm, called Jim, who finds a robotic suit that gives him some pretty special powers. Still, he does set off to rescue Princess What’s-Her-Name from Queen Slug-For-A-Butt…

Aside from being based on a classic, can’t go wrong gaming story line, it’s got some really cool cartoon style graphics, and nice, smooth animation, making it fun to play. Besides, what kid wouldn’t enjoy the prospect of getting to be an earthworm with super powers for a while?

8. Super Mario All Stars

I don’t think there’s a person alive who grew up in the eighties or nineties who didn’t play at least one of the Mario Brothers’ games. I mean, come on, they made a movie out of the game, so it’s gotta be one of the top games ever right?

Of course, no Nintendo would be complete without Mario and Luigi, so with the SNES, they’ve obliged by packaging all three together, remastered and with updated graphics and sound. Plus, they’ve added a few “lost levels” and the “real” Mario Bros 2, previously only available in Japan.

It’s a fantastic game for kids, but be warned, hearing the classic theme tune and seeing the games again might have you jockeying for a chance to play. Can I get a “but it’s my tuuuuurn…?”

7. Kirby Superstar

You had to love the old games. In Kirby Superstar, you were the same lovable little pink bubble guy, and even when you fired at the bad guys, there was never much more than a fire ball. No blood, guts and other horrors like there are in newer games at least!

This one came out on the game boy, and the NES, and was recreated pretty much the same as the originals, with a few new twists. There are 8 mini adventures on the game, with five actual adventures, and three games. One of them, the Great Cave Offensive, is actually a big world to explore, gathering treasures.

When it comes to good clean fun for kids, you can’t do much better than good old Kirby.

6. Super Mario Kart

Again, the Mario Brothers were the stars of this classic. Unlike the other Mario games, this one was on the race track, and was actually the precursor to all other kart racing games.

Dating back to 1992, this little racing game quickly become one of the best selling SNES games, because it was just so fun to play! Racing each other in two player mode, around the track, tossing turtle shells and collecting invincibility stars was a blast. Other features, like the lightning bolts that shrunk other players, allowing you to ride over them, squashing them and gaining time.

For such a simple concept, this game really is addictive, and you, and your kids, are likely to spend hours playing against each other, just as we all did way back in the nineties.

5. Donkey Kong Country 1 and 2

For their time, the Donkey Kong Country titles boasted some world class, 3D like graphics. They were also a lot of fun to play!

Donkey Kong Country 1 was a Mario Bros style platformer, with Donkey Kong and his sidekick, Diddy Kong, off to retrieve the banana horde back from the Kremlings (crocodile looking baddies!) There are lots of bonus levels and little surprises in this one, making it ideal for endless hours of fun!

Building on the success of Donkey Kong Country 1, and released just a year later, Country 2 achieved what most sequels attempt, but fail: it was actually better than the first! Bigger, with better graphics and really cool levels like pirate ships, mine shafts and amusement parks, it’s a super fun romp once again, where you lead Diddy, and Dixie, his girlfriend, on a quest to rescue Donkey Kong from the Kremlings.

Both of these games have become classics, and offer some really enjoyable game play, that kids and grownups will love. As with the best games out there, they’re not too easy, but also not impossible, and combine thinking with action, so you’re constantly stimulated.

Then again almost as long as there have been video games, there’s been Donkey Kong. Innocent, but fun, these are perfect games for kids.

4. Secret of Mana

This little role playing game starts out like most – a boy, destined to be a hero, yada yada yada. Then it gets more interesting. As you travel through the game, you meet a girl and a sprite, who become your companions. Instead of being just an ordinary slash and chop type adventure, where you indiscriminately make your way through the baddies on your quest though, they’ve made it interesting, by adding a power meter.

As you use up your power, it depletes, giving you a weaker attack, and making it tricky to navigate through the game. Your quest is to save the world from being over taken by an evil empire, and despite being a well used theme, it’s got enough originality in it to still make it fun.

The game is long, giving around twenty hours of uninterrupted play, and extra things like spells you can learn, and being able to name your own player all add to the uniqueness. Plus, there is a three player mode, so you can play with a couple of friends – always fun! You will need a multi tap adapter to take advantage of that feature though.

Since there’s no real violence, as with most SNES games, and since it’s got all these little extras, and is actually quite an interesting little quest, it should keep kids occupied for days on end.

3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

When talking classic games, The Legend of Zelda will almost always come up. Realizing this when they created the SNES, there was absolutely no question that another Zelda title had to be brought out, and this is it.

With a similar look and feel to the original Zelda, this has the improved graphics of the SNES, and gives Link two worlds to explore, plus loads of new features, items and game elements. In this game though, an evil wizard is plotting to take over Hyrule. Link has to find the Master Sword to stop him. His quest takes him from Hyrule to the Dark World, where the scheming wizard lives. Portals, magic, the fight of good versus evil, and the winning Zelda graphics, updated for the SNES all combined to make A Link to the Past one of the best SNES titles ever – whatever your age.

Classic adventure, fantasy and intrigue, all packaged with nice graphics, and perfect for kids.

2. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island

Not surprisingly, like most cult classics, the Mario Brothers got a prequel, and this is it. As Yoshi, your quest is to reunite baby Mario and baby Luigi, who has been kidnapped.

Yoshi runs through the game gobbling up enemies with his long tongue, and laying eggs. He throws the eggs at his enemies, but, if he misses, baby Mario gets knocked off his back, floating in a bubble as a timer runs. If you don’t catch him in time, he floats off to baby Luigi, locked in the dungeon.

A really cool game, with some nice graphics, it’s entertaining enough to keep kids, and grownups, busy for a long time, and with virtually no violence, apart from the egg throwing, parents can rest assured that it’s kid friendly.

1. Super Mario World

Yup, yet another Mario title, but being Nintendo, and being for kids, that’s to be expected! This was the game that the Mario Brothers introduced Yoshi for the first time though. Similar in many ways to Mario 3, with a cape that let you fly like the raccoon suit did, and a map system, that this time allowed you to travel back to world’s you’d already visited, it also has the most hidden levels and alternative routes, making it a big game, that’ll keep you busy for a while.

The reason the Mario Brothers games did so well, with kids and with parents, is that they combined fantasy with adventure, gave you a concrete goal: save someone from the bad guys, and packaged it all in a colorful, non violent, kid friendly game. If only modern game manufacturers would take a leaf out of that book, there’d be a lot more titles that are kid friendly on the shelves today.

Then again, with the explosion in grown up gamers, game manufacturers are probably following the money, but anyone who grew up in the nineties almost certainly played Super Mario World, or one of the other Mario’s, and everyone I know has fond memories. Heck, just hearing the theme song brings on a nostalgic smile. Maybe we’ll see more of these sometime, but if not, dust of the old Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and let your kids find out what we were all up to all those years ago.

Many of these games I played very frequently myself as a child growing up. Because these games are very regional, you may not recognize all the names or all the rules, but chances are that if you are around 40 years old, you will recognize most of the elements as similar to the games you played as a child.

Read this list thoroughly. I have tried to include games for all ages and both boys and girls. As the list progress’s I will begin to add more physically challenging games that may cause some minor scrapes and bruises in special cases.
This list is for adults. The reason I don’t recommend children just look at this list and pick out a game to play is because some of these games have a very physical and sometimes downright violent element to them.

As a father to 3 girls, I fully appreciate how easy it is to be a squeamish, over-protective parent. But I also recognize that my kids are missing out on some important life lessons I learned as a child. Some of these lessons sometimes come with a bloody nose and a scraped up knee. Nobody wants their child to get hurt in any way, but do any of us want our children to grow up socially stunted? I firmly believe that social skills are as important as the ability to read and write. Human interaction is simply a part of life, and these games will enhance our children’s social abilities.

10. Ambush

Preferably in a wooded area, the group of children agrees on the boundaries of a large area. The group then splits into two teams. Team “A” gets a 10 minute head start to run into the wooded area while team “B” waits.
While team “A” is heading into the play area, they must leave clues behind that will lead team “B” to them. Once at the ambush area that team “A” chooses all the kids hide and wait for team “B” to find their way there.

When team “B” hits just the right spot, all the kids from team “A” scream “AMBUSH” and 1 of 3 things can happen:
1. The kids simulate battle by Indian wrestling to determine winners.
2. All kids are wearing ‘flags’ which are removed and the team with the most flags wins.
3. When “Ambush” is screamed, the kids race back to the home area and the last person there is the representative of the losing team.
The winners start over as the ambushers while the losers are the ambushee’s.

9. Blind Volleyball

Same as regular volleyball only you add sheets over the net. This way you cannot see when or where the ball is coming from.

This not only makes it infinitely more difficult, but it will actually give a lot of people a fright when that ball suddenly appears!

Be extra careful of teammate collisions in this version of the game.

8. Bombardment

This one is like a cross between Dodge ball and Bowling.

In an area about the size of a tennis court, define a center line. Divide the kids into two equal groups. At the back of each team’s area, line up 5 pop cans or some type of “Pins”.

Each team takes turn throwing a ball at the other team’s pins as hard as they can.

As the defending team, you must block the ball in any way possible. Get in front of the ball or catch the ball. If the ball bounces off of a player and rebounds across the center line, the throwing team throws again, so watch your rebounds.
The smaller the ball, the harder the game. In most cases a volleyball is used, but the game gets a little more brutal with a tennis ball. The first team to knock down all of the opposing teams pins wins.

7. Catch, Don’t Catch

This one is simple and playful for little kids but painful for older kids.

All children form a circle with their arms crossed. One person is chosen as the thrower and stands in the middle. The thrower says either “Catch” or “Don’t Catch” and throws the ball at the torso of someone in the circle. If the thrower says “Don’t Catch” you are supposed to catch the ball, and if he says “Catch” you let the ball bounce off of you.

For smaller children, the thrower just tosses the ball. For bigger kids they can throw it harder.

Whoever catches the ball becomes the thrower.

6. Poison

This one is simple but very physical. Be careful.

A group forms a circle locking arms. In the center is a cup of water. A leader is determined and proceeds to push and pull the circle around until someone is forced into kicking over the cup of water. Whoever kicks the cup over is ‘Poison’. Everyone then runs from the poisoned person.

The poisoned person chases all of the runners until he or she catches one and that person becomes the new leader in the next round.

5. Frisbee 500

This is a very simple game really. You may have grown up playing a version of this game with a baseball and a bat and everyone has a baseball glove.

Get a group of kids (Ideally 5 or more) and take them and a Frisbee to a field. Determine who the first Frisbee chucker is. Eenie-meeny-miney-moe is generally used.

That person throws the Frisbee as hard as he can out to the field of other players. The first person to retrieve the Frisbee off the ground gets 25 points. If the Frisbee is rolling and someone catches it before it stops, it is worth 50 points. If someone catches it after it “Skips” off the ground but before it hits again it is worth 100 points. If you are lucky enough to snatch the Frisbee out of the air before it touches the ground at all, you get 150 points.

The first person to reach 500 points becomes the ‘Frisbee Chucker’ and the game starts over with everyone resetting to zero points.

4. Capture the Flag

This one is one of those games that you can teach a bunch of 5 year old children to play and they will have a blast playing it, but as they get older, the game seems to grow with them getting harder and more challenging to play.
There are of course several different variations on how this game is played. I am going to explain how I played it in my younger years growing up in Toronto Canada.

Most of the rules can be changed slightly in one way or another to better suit both the ages of kids, and the area in which you have to play.

In this game “The more the Merrier” truly applies. A good game will consist of at least 10 kids, but I have seen as many as 40 kids play.

First you must determine the play area. The boundaries are determined at the start of the game and are respected and adhered to by every player. Any variation on this rule causes a loss to the respective team. The overall area is then split into 2 separate areas, Opposing and Defending. Think of a football field with houses in it. The neutral line is the 50 yard line.

Split the kids into 2 equal teams. Each team places a flag (usually a bandana) in the back of their area in a way that every single kid playing can see it and grab it easily.

We would usually set a pre-determined time as to the game start. For example: Teams are chosen at the center or the neutral line of the area, then at the word “GO” you have exactly 10 minutes to get your team back from the dividing line to the back of your area and post the flag in a fair and visible place, determine where “Jail” is, and also huddle to discuss your strategy to capture the opposing teams flag.

The general objective is to cross from your defending area into the opposing team’s area, grab their flag and bring it back to your own area without getting ‘tagged’ by members of the opposing team.

If you are ‘tagged’ by the opposing team, you are escorted by the person that tagged you to the defending teams ‘jail’. You must stay in this area until another person from your team comes and touches you. At that point you must run across the neutral line into your team’s area before you can attempt to “Capture the Flag” again. However, the player that performs this ‘Jailbreak’ is allowed to then continue on and attempt to capture the opposing team’s flag.
This is a tough game to explain. But hopefully I have explained enough that you can get the concept down and get a game going in your neighborhood.

I like to think of it as real life chess with real life kids. The strategies are endless, and every game is different.

3. British Bulldog (Red Rover)

This game goes by several different names but the game itself has been played by several generations in several different cultures and countries.

I knew this game as “British Bulldog”. My wife remembers the game as “Red Rover”.
The basics are the same. Get a group of people together and split them into 2 teams fairly. This game is best played by at least 10 kids.

Each team links arms together the best they can at least 50 feet from the opposing team that is facing them.
Team ‘A’ calls for a member of team ‘B’ to come and get some. The kid that has been called must run as fast and hard as he can to break through the human chain of the team that called him. If the kid succeeds in his mission of breaking through the human chain, he then gets to choose any member of that team to join his own. If that kid fails to break through the chain, he then becomes a member of that team.

2. Salad

This game is brutal. It hurts no matter how good you are at it. I played this at every lunch break in my junior high school with a lot of young men and women that were far more athletic than me. The better you get at this game, the better your chances are to get your ass kicked…Literally! My school outlawed this game, but we played it every day anyway. We were like a bunch of adrenaline junkie inmates craving our next hit. We went to great lengths to hide the fact that we were playing this inherently dangerous game.

The rules are simple. Get a bunch of people together in a concrete or paved area with one tennis ball and a nearby wall. The game starts with everyone at least 10 feet from the wall.

Drop the ball and the game is on! Everyone kicks the tennis ball at everyone else with one goal in mind…Get it between open legs. If you are able to kick the ball through the opening of two legs of any player, you scream “Salad!” at the top of your lungs and every player gets to kick that player in the butt until they can make their way to the wall and yell “Home!” as loud as they can.

We would make the game incredibly tougher by altering the rules so that if you got “Salad” called on you, you had to make it to your locker to get everyone to stop kicking you in the butt. My locker from 7th through the 9th grade was always on the 3rd floor of my junior high school…I still have bruises on my rear today.
It is a tough game. And you have to be tough to play it. If not, you will become tough while you play it. In the end, I believe it helps to make a teenage boy a man by playing ‘Salad’.

1. Red Ass (Jackass)

This is the most painful and most satisfying game I ever had the pleasure to play with my peers. It is brutal and barbaric, but leaves every young man with a sense of accomplishment and camaraderie that most other activities could never hope to accomplish.

You need a tennis ball, a tall wall and preferably a half pavement and half grassy area to play in.
This is another game where the more kids that participate the better. You will need at least 5 kids.
You establish “The Line” approximately 20 feet away from the playing “wall”. This is best served by a 20 foot high wall that has about 20 feet of concrete or paved ground from its base out to a dirt or grassy area, that way you have a definable ‘line’.

The person that has the ball throws it as hard as they can at the wall with the objective of the ball bouncing off of the wall and past ‘the line’ without touching the ground. If your throw hits the ground inside ‘the line’, every kid will run towards the wall and you get a letter and the last kid to touch the wall gets a letter and has to be the next ‘thrower’.
If you are not the person throwing the ball you have two choices. Catch the ball, or run towards the wall.

If you catch the ball, you get to throw the ball as hard as you can at the other kids running towards the wall. If you hit a kid, they get a ‘letter’ and are the next ‘thrower’. If you miss, the last kid to reach the wall gets a letter and is the next thrower.

If you are not in an area where you can catch the ball simply don’t be the last kid to touch the wall once the race towards the wall starts. The race always starts when the ball lands (past the line) after it bounces off the wall. False starters are given a ‘letter’ and are next to throw.

If nobody catches the rebound from the ‘thrower’, every kid must run towards and touch the wall after the ball has rebounded off of the wall and lands past ‘the line’. The last one to reach the wall gets a ‘letter’ and also retrieves the tennis ball and become the next thrower.

Remember, every throw at the wall starts with every kid behind ‘the line’. Sometimes the thrower may “fake” a throw and cause someone to cross the line prematurely. In this case the ‘false starter kid’ is given a ‘letter’ and becomes the next thrower.

By ‘letter’ I mean you are issued the letters required to spell “Red Ass” or in other regions “Jackass”. Once you have received enough ‘letters’ to spell out either “Red ass, or Jackass” you then go up to the wall, bend over and grab your ankles exposing your rear end to every other player who stands at ‘the line’ and gets one free throw at your butt! When this happens, your letters reset to zero but nobody else’s does. That way everyone eventually gets to grab their ankles and experience “Red ass”!

Some of these are literally ‘tricks’ you will probably never get the chance to use, like two move check-mate, others are more a general way to play the game. Hopefully they will be as useful to intermediate players as well as beginners. So here we go:

10. A Fools Mate – Two Move Checkmate

Lets get this one out the way. There is a three and four move checkmate that will happen more often, but most people get so dizzy when they hear about a two-move checkmate, (if you can imagine anyone getting that excited over a board game), that I thought I’d share this one first. In order for it to work your opponent either has to make a mistake. But then again, mistakes are probably the best way to win at chess, that, and making sure you take advantage of them.

You can only do this if you are playing black and it goes a little something like this:

White 1: Your opponent moves the Pawn in front his bishop; it does not matter if it is one or two spaces. (This is the bishop closest to their King)

Black 1: You move the Pawn in front of your King, again either one or two spaces.

White 2: The other guy moves the Pawn in front of his Knight, the next one down the line. (This move has to be two spaces.)

Black 2: you move your Queen as far as it can go diagonally, as in the picture, and say ‘check mate,’ sweetly.

9. Control the Center of the Board

This has to be one of the best pieces of information you can get about winning at chess. We all know that most warfare can be demonstrated as a development of flank tactics. (Don’t we?). Sure. But in chess the best way of winning is to fight for, and win, the center. It doesn’t seem to offer you much in the way of actual strategy, and that’s probably for the best, if you had to remember a bunch of moves and board codes then you probably wouldn’t learn as you played. But keeping that in mind it is best to move the Pawns in front of your King and Queen first and bring the Knights and Bishops out to support them in a tight square. Most often you will not be able to complete this square before you are already responding to the other player, and of course there are other ways to fight for the center. But trying to control this area early brings the focus of the game where you are and gives you a chance to fight on your chosen ground.

8. Castling

Castling is the only instance in which the King can move two spaces. The King does this by moving towards his Castle, either left or right, when there is no other piece between them. The King cannot move through check, (through a space covered by an opponent’s piece), and only if neither the castle nor the King has moved before. The King cannot castle to get out of check, or checkmate. The King moves two spaces, either left or right, and the Castle he moves towards ‘jumps’ over him and lands in the next space. It is worth mentioning because sometimes you might not be sure when to castle. It is best to castle as early as possible, as a general rule, because there are so many provisions for the move and it ties up the Rook while you wait. Castling early also puts you in a strong position because it leaves your King in relative safety and lets you move ahead with the game. Also it is often a good idea to move a Pawn out one space after Castling because this can make it more difficult to break the security of the King’s defense.

7. Develop your Pieces Early

The best way to plan a victory is to develop your best pieces as quickly as possible. You can do this by bringing out your Knights before the bishops on the same flank, and always try to develop your central Pawn’s first. (See tip 9.) It is important in chess to take note of the other person’s moves, a lot of beginners get to focused on the opening and miss things. Try to ask yourself if a particular Pawn is worth saving, or taking, in regards to the over all game. Try not to move a piece twice in the opening, but keep an eye out for what the opponent might be trying to do. Don’t get caught in two/tree/four move checkmate!

6. Four Move Checkmate

Okay, it’s time for another ‘move’ check mate. You can do this as either color. Most beginner’s benefit from learning the four-move checkmate because they will be able to get something like it further into the game. But again the chances of you getting four-move checkmate are slim. The thing about four-move checkmate is that your opponent can make any number of moves to let you in. In fact the only necessities are that they move the Pawn in front of their King, and they don’t move the Pawn in front of their Queen. You might also want to make sure they don’t bring the King’s Knight out to cover the Bishops Pawn. But these are the moves you will need to make four-move checkmate like the picture:

White move1: You move the Pawn in front of your King forward any number of spaces.

Black move 1: Brings the Kings Pawn out, any number of spaces.

White move 2: Bring the bishop next to your King out three spaces.

Black Move 2: Moves the Queens Knight out in front of the Queens Bishop.

White move 3: Bring the Queen out four spaces diagonally.

Black Move 3: Bring the King’s Knight out in front of the Bishop.

White move 4: Bring the Queen in to take Pawn in front of King’s bishop.
Say ‘check mate,’ to wake the person up.

For this checkmate black could do these moves in any order. The main thing to see is that you can get checkmate by using a piece, the bishop in this case, to hold a square next to the King. Then you just have to let the King get trapped.

5. Sending a scout – what to do with him

Often players will test each other by sending a piece over the middle of the chess bored to see what they will do. The best advice in this situation is to threaten the adventurous piece. For one thing it is not a good idea to leave your opponent with an attacking piece to build around in the future, even if they don’t have a plan for it now. For another thing it means that if they want to save the piece they will have to retreat or play a holding move. In either case you have helped develop your own position and they have lost the momentum. If they choose to trade the pieces the worst that can happen is that they lose an active and threatening piece. So try to threaten them with pieces you wouldn’t mind trading. Equally you might want to keep you pieces from going across the center of the board in the beginning of the game so as not to lose the momentum yourself.

4. Leave your Queen Behind

I know a lot of these tips are focusing on the opening part of the game, and there’s a reason for that. To start with it is hard to give advise about the middle of the game, past tip 9, because without delving into gambits and time honored moves it is hard to predict with any certainty what you might face. But there is also some truth in the idea that a good start will most often lead to a good end. While a game of chess can see the balance of power sift several times, the essential thrust of a victory is to gain the momentum, and keep it! To start strong then, is an obvious advantage, and it will become clear that many of the tips here will also help out in the middle and end games the more you play. To this end it is important to keep the Queen at home. Most openings last around 6 moves, and for this time the Queen, often considered the most valuable piece by beginner, is more of a liability then an advantage. Okay, you can get two-move checkmate, but it is extremely rare and in the mean time a threat on the Queen can take your attention away form anything else, often causing you to break with your plan and start moving pieces more then once, which stunts your opening.

3. When to Exchange

By and large it is a good idea to keep your pieces safe, right? Yes. And to every rule there is an exception. In the case of exchange you have to be careful and sure that you are getting what you think you are. To often when a person exchanges a piece, say a Knight for another Knight, it reveals a concealed protector, say a bishop, and you end up losing two pieces for the price of one. The again, mistakes happen, and there are some times when you might want to consider exchanging pieces. It is a good idea to exchange pieces when you are under attack. If you can get an equal, or close to equal trade you effectively slow your opponent’s attack and lose pieces rather than the game. It is also worth exchanging pieces if for some reason you have not been able to open as well as these tips have suggested and you find your self in a crammed position. In short it is better to lose a piece, for the price of another, then to be too restricted. Finally it is generally a good idea to exchange pieces if you are in a better position then your opponent. If you eliminate the Queens when you have more pieces then the other player.

2. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Pawn’s

While you shouldn’t go around saving Pawns for the price of a Queen or Rook, you should also not take them lightly. In the opening moves it is best not to move more then two Pawns, (the ones in front of your King and Queen), but Pawns play a central role in a winning game. For example, if you look, a lot of chess guides will explain that to win without Pawns you must be ahead by at least a Rook or two other pieces. That’s no mean feat for a Pawn! Pawns can tie things up, they can work as a surprisingly tough defense screen, they can be exchanged for you fallen pieces, and they can check mate a King (something two Rooks can’t do!) But you should be as mindful of your own Pawns as you are wary of you opponents, and try not to let them get double filed, (one Pawn in front of another), this not only makes them relatively useless but it serves to complicate your defensive line and leaves an opening for your opponents bigger pieces to get through.

1. Play Someone (a little) Better then you

You are not going to learn much when the person you play beats you in 5 moves or less every time. You may be able to learn a lot from that type of player but when will you ever get the chance? It is equally difficult to develop you game and learn how to win games of chess if you only play someone worse then you are. If you beat them every time, even if it does last a while, there is a limit to the things you can learn because they will not challenge you to come up with new ideas. The tip is to try and find a player, or players, that are better then you, but not by too much. You will likely still get beaten a lot but you will find that your game develops quickly and that your understanding of how you are getting beaten improves dramatically. Eventually you will find that you are winning around an even amount of games, and then you will start to develop together as you try different tactics and ideas to beat each other. Or you will have to find someone else to play. In the end the only way to develop experience and improve you game is to be challenged, but not too much.