Happy Listmas, one and all! It’s that awesome time of year where we take a break from serious fare to share our gaming thoughts and feelings through the joy of lists. (And you know we love a good list!) And of the lists, ever, anywhere, this week’s Listmas topic is bound to the silliest of them all, as it is all about favorite comedic moments in games! Yes, these are those times during which we chuckled,  guffawed, and laughed-out-loud in between all the leveling and boss fighting. What are some of my most memorable funny moments in games, funny or otherwise? Why, I’m so glad you asked!

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Earthworm Jim and All the Cows

On the many running gags of the classic Earthworm Jim series involves cows. I have no recollection of exactly why cows came to play such a pivotal role in this worm’s universe, but they constantly pop up, usually as obstacles to something Earthworm Jim is trying to achieve, which could be something as simple as progressing through a level in a game. Early on in the original Earthworm Jim game, he’s faced with such an obstacle in New Junk City – a bovine beast lays between him and the rest of the level. What must he do but…! Launch said cow into the stratosphere? Yes, he must. And when I first saw that, with the cow’s reaction to boot and the “COW LAUNCHED” announcement, I nearly keeled over in laughter. It’s such as silly gag, one that surely the cow didn’t appreciate, but it worked quite effectively in this absurdly fun game.

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Conker and Gregg

Conker’s Bad Fur Day is full of so much silliness, you can’t traverse a level without running into something hilarious (or hilariously uncomfortable). But among its more memorable scenes is what occurs upon Conker’s first death, which would be a meeting with Death itself…or rather, Gregg the Grim Reaper, who might be a little short for a grim reaper. While Gregg might not seem that lovable – he is Death after all, and he hates cats, which is a big no-no in my book – he is nonetheless quite charming, in his own bony way, in his first meeting in Conker. Their first scene together is weirdly delightful and still makes me laugh to this day.

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Link’s a Barrel of Laughs

If I say the words “Wind Waker” and “Forbidden Fortress” together, I can’t say they conjure up the happiest of memories. However, the moments just before Link must tackle this very frustrating fortress in The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker are pretty doggone laugh-worthy, if at poor Link’s expense. After meeting up with a band of pirates led by the outspoken Tetra, Link ends up on the short end of a questionable plan when they determine that he must get into the fortress, but how? Easy – by catapulting him in a barrel over its walls, of course! The scene in which Link finds himself tied up in a barrel on said catapult is grim but very funny, thanks mostly to his wild reaction. But really, you can’t blame him, because HE’S TIED UP IN A BARREL ON A CATAPULT.

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Happy Birthday, Claptrap!

Borderlands 2 has a ton of good things going for it, not the least of which is that it’s a really funny game. This is especially bolstered by the game’s interplanetary ninja assassin, Claptrap. Only he’s actually a somewhat sarcastic robot who’s more full of zingers than ninja skills, but never mind. In the game, there comes point where Claptrap wants to celebrate his birthday and you must help! While the whole quest is simply strange, the part in which you get to enjoy the festivities is something even stranger, and sadder, and oddly funnier than the rest. It’s quite possibly the best, and worst, awkward birthday party ever!

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The Most Soothing Restaurant in all of South Park

In South Park: The Fractured but Whole there lives Freeman’s Tacos, a restaurant that emits calming vibes and great food thanks to its proprietor, Morgan Freeman. Wait…Morgan Freeman? Like THE Morgan Freeman??! Oh yes, indeed. And I simply couldn’t get over myself upon first finding his shop. After calming down, I quickly learned that Freeman’s Tacos had the best and most helpful food around.  With plenty of patience and reassurance, he showed me, a budding superhero, how to craft food items and make the wondrous “enchirito,” the perfect meal for any superhero during times of low…um…vitality. Oh South Park, you so silly, always.

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Lede image taken by author during Xbox One gameplay of Conker’s Bad Fur Day on Rare Replay (© Rare, Xbox Game Studios).