SuperPhillip Central

MotorStorm RC (PS3, PSV) New Trailer

2012-02-02T13:25:00.003-06:00

MotorStorm RC, a spinoff to the mildly successful MotorStorm franchise, is set to hit both PSN and the PlayStation Vita in a few weeks. Both games offer cross-platform play, a playground to mess about in, and several interesting online features. This video showcases but a small sampling of said features. I liked Super Off-Road back in the day on the Super Nintendo, so this spiritual successor has me intrigued.

Check out the direct link right here.

Top Ten Third-Party Exclusives on Wii

2012-02-01T16:06:00.009-06:00

The third-party exclusive, at least on consoles, is going the way of the dodo, but the Wii differentiated itself from the competition immediately through having motion controls. Now, with Microsoft and Sony frantically playing catchup with Kinect and Move respectively (to different degrees of success), the Wii is now coasting as it most likely lies down and dies this year while the PS3 and 360 keep on chugging. Let's look back on the underrated (at least when it comes to the highly fickle gamer market) console this gen by taking a glimpse at the system's best third-party exclusives.

Since the Wii was so underpowered, many games from the HD consoles weren't ported to it. Instead, what the Wii received were exclusives. Some were great (but didn't make the list like A Boy and His Blob, Blast Works, Rabbids Go Home and Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure) while others were not so great (see: awful) like Ninjabread Man and Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire. This list is of the best Wii third-party exclusives, so titles that were previously exclusive but are not anymore like GoldenEye 007, the duo of Resident Evil rail-shooters, and The House of the Dead: Overkill are disqualified from this list.

10) MadWorld

Platinum Games' only Wii title, MadWorld was decidedly not for the family-friendly Wii audience, but for those in the mood for some macabre fun found something to enjoy about the game. Slamming signposts through the skulls of opponents, revving one's chainsaw and carving a foe in half, and throwing a baddie into a wall of spikes were just a few activities one could participate in the Deathwatch competition. The black and white aesthetic of the game was heightened by the trail of blood "protagonist" Jack left behind of his victims. Then throw in a kick-ass soundtrack of rap and rock, and you have a solid action game on your hands.

9) Kororinpa: Marble Mania

It's marble madness up in here! I was not pleased with Sega's attempt at bringing Super Monkey Ball to the Wii with its Banana Blitz launch title (though the music was awesome, I'll give it that). Then a little-known game from the soon-to-be defunct Hudson Soft came the Wii's way in Kororinpa: Marble Mania. The game had players tilting the Wii remote to tilt the Kororinpa, or labyrinth, around. In doing so you guided a marble from the start of the level to the goal. Along the way you could pick up gems which unlocked new marbles like a soccer ball or a pig and locked levels. You could also compete against the clock to beat the target time set for each level. Kororinpa: Marble Mania is most likely out-of-print by now, but if you somehow track down a copy either in a secondhand store or online, do not hesitate to roll up a copy.

8) No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

The original No More Heroes was a breath of fresh air on Wii, and it was later ported to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 with limited success there, too. The much better sequel, however, remains a Wii exclusive. Travis Touchdown is in the market for revenge after one of his friends is mercilessly murdered in cold blood. Touchdown might have made it to number one in the United Assassins Association rankings last time, but he'll have to start the climb anew this go around. The whole getting around Santa Destroy has been streamlined. Gone is the relatively empty open world from the first game. Instead there's a map that you choose locations from. Aside from slicing up enemies with Touchdown's beam katana, you can also opt to partake in 8-bit mini-games to earn mad cash. While not perfect, No More Heroes 2 is a modern marvel from the twisted mind of director Suda 51.

7) Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon

I had a hard time choosing between this game and The Crystal Bearers, but I made my decision with some trepidation. The Final Fantasy series appeared for the first time on the Nintendo Wii with Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon. This beginner roguelike featured Chocobo as the main character on its journey to restore the memories of a broken town. A young boy named Rafaello has the ability to create dungeons out of the townspeople's memories for Chocobo to enter and hopefully reach the end to restore what the villagers forgot. Chocobo can learn different jobs like Black Mage, White Mage, Thief, and Dragoon in his quest to resolve the town's problems. The difficulty is just right for even the worst roguelike player to enjoy Chocobo's Dungeon, the remixes are some of the series's best, and the gameplay rewards forward-thinking and smart planning. It's the perfect Final Fantasy game for not only fans of the series but fans of the genre.

6) Red Steel 2

One of the first games to put Nintendo's should-have-been-there-at-the-Wii's-launch MotionPlus peripheral to great use, Red Steel 2 was a completely different beast from the launch title original. Unlike the original, Red Steel 2 didn't rely on launch day hype and bullshots to trick people into buying it. In fact, no one really bought Red Steel 2. Perhaps the foul taste of the original permeated in people's mouths and made them avoid the much superior sequel. Regardless, you were the wild west swordsman in Red Steel 2. You could deflect attacks (this was indeed necessary to survive), switch between your gun and your sword on the fly, and take down a swarm of foes effortlessly. Red Steel 2 is an underrated, overlooked gem in the Wii's library, and it is a shame that more of the gaming masses did not get the opportunity to try the game out.

5) We Love Golf!

There's no denying that the PlayStation 3's mainline installment of Hot Shots Golf disappointed me with its lack of features, content, and courses when compared to the PlayStation 2 entries. I did not know what to expect when it came to Camelot's We Love Golf!, but the developer knows how to make a good golf game. Who was I question them? Thus, I took the proverbial plunge and picked up a copy of the game. Armed with eight unique courses spanning the globe and consisting of various environments, multiple characters (including a dead ringer for both President Barack Obama and the woman that wouldn't go away Sarah Palin), unlockable Capcom costumes like Ryu of Street Fighter fame, Arthur from Ghost 'n Goblins, and Apollo Justice, online play that is unfortunately empty as the vegetable aisle on Super Bowl Sunday, and an intuitive swing system that actually works for once, We Love Golf! amazed and astonished with its entertaining gameplay and charm.

4) Boom Blox Bash Party

EA's partnership with director and producer Steven Spielberg rolls on with Boom Blox Bash Party, a game that somehow eclipsed the original. There are over 400 levels to enjoy, and with the ability to create your own and share them with your friends, it's a real Boom Blox boon. There's multiple styles of play that I enjoyed from simple chucking balls to topple towers of blocks worth varying amounts of points to carefully pulling blocks out of tower Jenga-style. New environments and gravity elements like space and underwater meant new physics entirely to take into consideration. While online play would have put this game into a whole 'nother stratosphere, what EA has in Boom Blox Bash Party is one sensational multiplayer game perfect for the Wii audience.

3) Sonic Colors

The daytime stages of Sonic Unleashed started a trend with 3D Sonic games. Who knew that they could be considered great? Then Sonic Colors came out for Wii, and it was truly an excellent game-- not just an excellent Sonic game, mind you, but an excellent game in general. Exploring Eggman's interstellar amusement park, hearing his quips over the various loudspeakers, speeding through levels in both 2D and 3D, bashing baddies, battling bosses, collecting red rings, and listening to the outstanding soundtrack were all parts of Sonic Colors that when added together made for one of Sonic the Hedgehog's best 3D excursions. Sonic Team went with an old-school mindset by having the story be as unobtrusive as possible. In fact, when you started a game, instead of seeing an intro cinematic, you were plopped right into the first level, ready to roar. Sonic Colors wasn't a one-time bout of greatness either as Sonic Generations showed that perhaps Sonic Team is learning a lesson about attractive game design.

2) Tatsunoko VS. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars

Many said that the day where Tatsunoko VS. Capcom wouldn't come over to the West. What are these people to say now? In a gaming miracle, Tatsunoko VS. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars released on Wii with minimal changes save for the replacement of a character. The two-on-two team fighting was fast and fun no matter which controller you chose to use. The cast of familiar Capcom characters like Ryu, Chun-li, Roll, Zero, and Viewtiful Joe and not-so-familiar characters from the Tatsunoko side like Ken the Eagle, Jun the Swan, Polimar, and Ippatsuman made for a diverse and entertaining roster. The combat system was easy to use and made for some intense battles. Yes, it is in Japanese arcades, but it is console-exclusive to Wii. Throw in lots of items to buy in the shop, an unlockable shooter mini-game, and online play, and you have the Wii's best third-party fighter (though that isn't that difficult of a title to take).

1) Monster Hunter Tri

When Capcom announced that Monster Hunter Tri was going to the Wii, many fans of the series were bewildered. Why on Wii? Why now? The game had been said to have been in development of the PlayStation 3, but then it was for some reason transferred over to the Wii. Nonetheless, Monster Hunter Tri has players either going it alone in the wild or teaming up online with friends or total strangers to take down behemoth-sized monsters. The fun is farming for rare items that can be turned into new and more powerful armor for your character. The game isn't simply about hacking and slashing. You'll get nowhere fast with that kind of attitude. Monster Hunter Tri is about waiting for an opening and then taking advantage of it to attack. Starting off taming wild Jaggis is fine and all, but when the Royal Ludroth starts breathing down your neck, you best be ready to do battle... or flee. Whichever is considered saner to do. The multiplayer entertainment, 100+ hours of content, and numerous quests make Monster Hunter Tri the ultimate Wii third-party exclusive.

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Just from telling by this list you can see that third-parties definitely bet on the wrong pair of horses this gen, and they suffered for it through studio closures and mass layoffs. They were so stubborn and set in their ways that most did little to rectify their mistake. They still put their B, C, and even D teams on Wii exclusives. This might be one of the biggest wastes of potential of a system considering how badly third-parties dropped the ball when it concerned the Wii. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy. "Our games don't sell because we didn't put much effort into them, so that means that third-party games obviously don't sell on Nintendo systems." I cannot wait for third-party excuses as to why they won't put their games on Nintendo's next console. What a silly industry this is.

What are your favorite third-party Wii exclusives?

The Last Story (Wii) First English Trailer

2012-02-01T15:38:00.003-06:00

Final Fantasy creator Hironobu "The Gooch" Sakaguchi is behind the latest JRPG that has yet to be announced for North America, The Last Story. This trailer is the first to be shown entirely in English, and it dabbles in the numerous characters that players will meet on their journey. No doubt North American gamers will cry and moan that The Last Story isn't being localized even though they're lucky Xenoblade Chronicles is. Gamers are greedy little savages, aren't they? I want it, too, but I'm not going to be annoying about it.

Review Round-Up - January

2012-02-01T00:19:00.004-06:00

A slap happy adventure awaits you in
Rayman Origins, SPC's new Game of January.

The first month of the year is kaput, and we had a grand total of nine new reviews to celebrate. We started off with three retro reviews of Game Boy Advance/3DS Ambassador games with The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (9.5), Mario Kart: Super Circuit (8.5), and Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (8.0). We then drove into Steelport with Saints Row: The Third which earned not only street cred, but also a terrific 9.0. However, it couldn't beat out the platforming bonanza that was Rayman Origins that leaped into a 9.25. Then we hit the slopes with 1080: Avalanche (7.5), rolled the die with Mario and company with Mario Party 6 (8.0), played with puppies and kittens in Nintendogs + Cats that got talked down to the lowest score of the month (5.25), and finally painted the town with Disney Epic Mickey which received an admirable 7.5. February is set to be exciting, too, with reviews of Resident Evil: Revelations and possibly Final Fantasy XII-2! And that's just the tip of our iceberg here at SuperPhillip Central!

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA) - 9.5
Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA) - 8.5
Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (GBA) - 8.0
Saints Row: The Third (PS3, 360) - 9.0
Rayman Origins (PS3, 360, Wii) - 9.25
1080: Avalanche (GCN) - 7.5
Mario Party 6 (GCN) - 8.0
Nintendogs + Cats (3DS) - 5.25
Disney Epic Mickey (Wii) - 7.5

The Saints went marching in, explosions, guns, sex toys, and all.

Central City Census - February

2012-02-01T00:06:00.002-06:00

Are you familiar with the Central City Census? It's a poll that is opened all month long and just begs for readers both faithful and one-timer to vote, expressing their opinion on it. Since February has the least amount of days in its month, even in a leap year like 2012, there's even less time to vote. Why am I wasting your time with formalities?! Let's get to last month's results-- quickly!

How many games are in your backlog (collection of games not yet played)?

Less than five.	10 (19%)
6-10 games	10 (19%)
11-20 games	7 (13%)
20-30 games	4 (7%)
More than 30 games	21 (40%)

Votes so far: 52

Christmas and other holidays must have been kind to our readers as their backlogs are overflowing with games. The majority of voters have at least thirty games to play through and possibly counting. On the other end of the spectrum, twenty voters have anywhere between 0-10 titles in their backlog. How I sort of envy and don't sort of envy them. Nonetheless, that wraps up the results from the first month of 2012. What question will be asked by the Central City Census for February?

The PlayStation Vita launches in North America and Europe this month. Perhaps you already have one imported from Japan (or even live in the Land of the Rising Sun-- hi from America!)... February's census asks if you are going to purchase a PlayStation Vita at any time. The launch titles are certainly there, but will anybody be biting?

Disney Epic Mickey (Wii) Review

2012-01-31T17:23:00.007-06:00

Just in time for the end of the month, I have a new review to share. With this Wii release I did not pull the trigger immediately and purchase it on release. Instead I waited a couple of years and found the game at the low price of $19.99. It's one of the Wii's biggest exclusives, Disney Epic Mickey. Should the Wii be proud to have this game in its ever-growing library?

Disney and Junction Point Paint a Pretty Pleasant Picture

Disney is synonymous with family-friendly characters such as Goofy, Donald, and of course, Mickey Mouse. In pop culture, Disney's mouse is still as popular as ever, but in the video game industry, Mickey has few cameos outside of the Kingdom Hearts series of games. Disney and Junction Point are looking to change that with the release of the Wii-exclusive Disney Epic Mickey. In an industry where dull, brown and gray shooters are the catch of the day and draw in both kids who shouldn't be playing M-rated games in the first place and adults, does a 3D platformer still have enough pull to draw in a grand crowd?

Epic Mickey begins with our hero being awoken in his bed by the sounds of sorcerer Yen Sid's magic. The magician spends his time painting over what appears to be a theme park as Mickey hides just out of his sight. When Yen Sid leaves, Mickey cannot help but try his hand at painting. He picks up the brush, dips it in the azure liquid, and begins painting over the figurines and buildings of the park. When Yen Sid hears a commotion coming from his lair, he begins to march toward Mickey's location. Knowing this, Mickey quickly attempts to return everything back to order, but in his rush to exit he knocks over a bottle of thinner into the model of the park. The mouse moves back through the mirror and into his room. Days, weeks, and months pass until one evening a giant blob's hand grabs Mickey, pulls him through the mirror, and jerks him into the model of the theme park. Mickey must right his wrong and help the forgotten characters of Walt Disney including Walt's first big creation, Oswald the Rabbit, who doesn't take kindly to Mickey at first. The story is told through beautifully rendered 2D animated cutscenes that each look like works of art.

These nicely done cutscenes tell the intriguing story.

Epic Mickey is a three-dimensional platformer that has the player running, [double] jumping, spinning to knock enemies away and to gain more air from a jump via a flick of the Wii remote a la Super Mario Galaxy, and using painter and thinner to create and remove platforms and other objects for Mickey to traverse upon. The game is controlled with the Wii remote and nunchuk. By using thinner on certain platforms by pointing at the screen and holding down the Z button on the nunchuk, obstacles and walls that stand in Mickey's way are removed. With paint (used by also pointing at the screen but this time pressing B on the Wii remote), Mickey can color in translucent platforms and objects and use them to his benefit.

Add some color to a drab world with the brush's paint.

The blotlings and Beetleworx are the baddies of Epic Mickey with the blotlings being the easier of the two to defeat. You can either unleash a continuous spray of thinner to dilute them or opt to turn them friendly through spraying them with paint. There's blotlings that explode when you're nearby them, blotlings that chuck harmful balls of thinner at you, and blotlings that call other creatures to your location. Beetleworx, however, take a more hands-on approach, usually taking multiple direct hits after dousing them with thinner to defeat.

Epic Mickey's formula has Mickey going through various 3D areas connected by 2D platforming segments. Through entering Mickey's past cartoons like Steamboat Willie, Fantasia, Thru the Mirror, The Mad Doctor, and Jungle Rhythm, you jump and traverse through 2D fairly short 2D segments. In each cartoon there is a hidden film reel to nab located in either a precarious position or a secret location. These can be viewed in the extras menu of the game and can also be traded for bonuses by the character in front of the movie theater of Mean Street, the main hub of the game.

Take a trip back in time with Mickey's classic cartoon escapades.

Meanwhile, the 3D sections have characters of note that give Mickey quests to accomplish, most mandatory to move on, but some are in fact optional. These can be as simple as finding a way across a pool of hazardous thinner to repairing a ride with paint. Optional quests such as finding all of the parts of an animatronic Goofy, Daisy, and Donald Duck add to the fun. The only problem with these is that once you leave an area in the game, most of the time you are unable to return back to it. Since the game autosaves after each area and after completing quests and seeing certain events, once the game saves, you can't go back and retry an area unless you beat the game and start the New Game+ feature. This makes missing special items such as secret pins from beating quests and finding them in treasure chests (there's over 100 to collect), parts of the animatronic trio, behind-the-scenes content, and film reels very easy to accomplish. And when you do backtrack to a previously visited area such as the hub world of Epic Mickey, Main Street (where you can accept side quests, buy goodies with E-tickets like health upgrades, item upgrades, and other helpful things), you have to play through the connecting 2D level over and over again. This is quite annoying and time-consuming.

Lonesome Manor is home to ghosts,
ghouls, and one dastardly doctor.

Then there is the camera which is a pain to deal with. It can get caught on objects, stuck in a specific direction, and just act all wonky in general. Yes, you can control it occasionally with the Wii remote's d-pad or call the camera behind Mickey with a press of the C button, but it doesn't always work. If the game has the camera programmed to be in a certain spot, you cannot control the camera at all. I can't say it caused me many deaths, but it did mess up plenty of jumps.

Moving on from the camera, at certain times in Mickey's adventure, you'll come up against junction points. These are pivotal moments in Epic Mickey where you'll have to choose between performing one action over another. One example is when you are facing off against a robotic Captain Hook. You can choose to battle and beat Hook or save Pete Pan's fairy who is trapped at the top of the pirate ship. Not only does your choice affect what happens short-term, but it also affects the story at the conclusion of the game and what ending you receive. To see the best endings, you'll have to play through Epic Mickey at least three times total, and as the game takes at least fifteen hours to beat, you'll be playing this game for a long time if you so desire.

Saving Gremlins from their prisons is also an optional task.

Mickey's Wii platformer is a particularly dark game, and I don't mean in tone. Most areas are devoid of bright colors and look quite forlorn, a result of Mickey's mess-up with the jug of thinner. This can make some levels difficult to actually see. Environments themselves are interesting enough to look at and have intriguing geometry. Textures aren't too shabby, but the Wii has seen much better. Characters animate well, especially Mickey who waves his paintbrush around proudly. On the sound side of the game, Epic Mickey has a sensational, whimsical score that will most likely stay with you long after you turn off your Wii. Character voices are well done, even though the only speaking part is by Yen Sid in the opening and ending cutscenes. Otherwise, characters just grunt and holler. All in all, the presentation is pretty nice.

One of the earliest areas in Mickey's 3D platformer.

Epic Mickey is a valiant effort by Junction Point, but it suffers from the inability to revisit old areas to collect forgotten items. If you want to get 100% in this game, you will have to be extremely careful to gather everything before you leave a given area as the autosave feature is both nice and damning at the same time. While the platforming is decent enough, the camera is PlayStation One-era awful on some occasions. Meanwhile, the presentation is fair for the hardware, but after seeing the brilliant concept art for this game, it's a shame the developers chose the incapable Wii to place their vision on. The graphics just do not do the art justice. Regardless, if you are in the mood for an above average platforming romp that for once doesn't star a portly plumber, Disney Epic Mickey might make for an enjoyable ride.

[SuperPhillip Says: 7.5/10]

Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS) Intensity Trailer

2012-01-31T16:20:00.002-06:00

Just when you thought that more secrets couldn't be revealed from the upcoming Kid Icarus: Uprising, Nintendo pulls the curtain up a little more again. This time we're dealing with the concept of betting more hearts for a higher difficulty level. If you succeed in your mission on a higher difficulty, you earn a rarer weapon than you would have if you played the mission on a lower intensity level. Check the fairly brief new trailer below, or click the creatively titled direct link!

Don't fly too close to the direct link!

SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs - A Rare Treat Edition

2012-01-30T15:00:00.008-06:00

Ever since Microsoft purchased developer Rare for an exorbitant amount of money, the company behind Windows slowly squeezed all life out of the house of Banjo, Jet Force Gemini, and Perfect Dark. You know when former staff are extremely bitter about the takeover and result from said takeover that there's a problem. Regardless, while Rare may be a shell of its former self and a company in name only, we can look back fondly on the company's past library and smile. That is the point of this week's installment of SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs.

v21. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (360) - Banjoland (Daytime)

An orchestrated medley of some of the best Banjo-Kazooie themes of the series? Where do I sign up? ...NO! Forget signing up. Just hook it directly into my veins! All kidding aside, this medley plays during the daytime in the criminally overlooked Xbox 360 game Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. Banjoland was made up of old parts of past Banjo-Kazooie stages, and the medley consisted of such themes like Click Clock Wood, Freezeey Peak, Mad Monster Mansion, Gobi's Valley, Cloud Cuckooland, Mayahem Temple, and Rusty Bucket Bay. It was the perfect way to take a loving look back at one of the greatest 3D platformers of all time. I'm talking about the original Banjo-Kazooie, of course.

v22. Starfox Adventures (GCN) - Thorntail Hollow

The last game from Rare that would appear on a Nintendo console (console, mind you, not portable), Starfox Adventures was initially a Nintendo 64 project called Dinosaur Planet. When famed game developer, director, and producer Shigeru Miyamoto asked the team to throw in Fox McCloud, Rare opted to follow his guidance and do just that. Many gameplay elements and battles would be carried over to this Gamecube title. The final product was a Zelda clone with tons of collecting items. Collect this, collect that, etc. Not the note that Nintendo fans wanted Rare to leave on, but it was an admirable effort nonetheless. This theme, Thorntail Hollow, sounds like something taken directly from The Lion King, doesn't it? It's rather soothing if I do say so myself.

v23. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES) - Snakey Chantey

Taking the melody from Donkey Kong Country's Gang Plank Galleon, Snakey Chantey plays in only one level of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, and that's Rattle Battle, a stage where Diddy and Dixie get transformed into Rattler the Snake. The snake can bounce high into the air, leap off of enemies (even the usually dreaded Zingers), and reach unheard of heights. This toe-tapping tune gets you filled with excitement as you traverse through and aboard one of the Kremlings' many pirate ships. What is your favorite theme from Donkey Kong Country 2?

v24. Kameo: Elements of Power (360) - Thorn's Pass

Performed by the Prague Philharmonic, Thorn's Pass from the Xbox 360 launch title Kameo: Elements of Power is one sensational theme. Imagine yourself on horseback as you control Kameo through a variable battlefield of ogres and trolls. For a launch game from 2005, Kameo: Elements of Power is still one excellent looking game. Kameo was originally planned as a Gamecube title, but when Microsoft bought Rare, the game turned into an Xbox title. Once it was figured that the game wouldn't make it to the Xbox, it was transferred over to the 360 to be a launch title. Aren't game development stories fascinating?

v25. Viva Pinata (360) - Night 3

Viva Pinata was Rare's chance to make an ultra-popular series. It had all the elements: a collectible aspect, cute and cuddly characters, a TV series, and three video games (Viva Pinata, Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise, and Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise). Unfortunately, Xbox 360 gamers tend to skew towards teenagers and young adults who prefer the drab, gray and brown worlds of Call of Duty and Gears of War as opposed to Rare's colorful output of titles. Night 3 is a gentle, flowing piece beginning with a comforting piano and then followed with pleasing strings and a poignant clarinet (which I used to play in middle school) that crescendo into something special.

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Another Monday in the books which means another installment of SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs is complete. Stay tuned next week when the favorite VGMs expand to ten for a special Mario & Sonic edition. There will be five Mario tracks and five Sonic tracks to listen to and enjoy. I hope to see you then!

Nintendogs + Cats (3DS) Review

2012-01-29T17:52:00.008-06:00

One of the original titles which launched with the Nintendo 3DS way back in March of last year, Nintendogs + Cats released in one of three versions. In late December I bought this game for $8.99 from Best Buy's website. The version I "retrieved" was Golden Retriever and New Friends. Here is my review of the game.

A Dog-Gone Missed Opportunity
Screenshots by SuperPhillip

Originally released in 2005, Nintendogs was a smashing success, ending the Nintendo DS's significant drought that plagued the portable's first year. Nintendogs, along with Advance Wars: Dual Strike, Kirby: Canvas Curse, and Mario Kart DS, started the onslaught of excellent software for the system that continued up until last year where the release of the 3DS, the DS's successor, occurred. With its launch came a brand-new puppy-petting simulator with the addition of furry felines in Nintendogs + Cats. Coming in one of three versions, will Nintendogs + Cats replace your desire to get the real deal?

It doesn't matter which version of Nintendogs + Cats you get as you'll eventually be able to unlock all of the various breeds available. The only significant difference between versions is what breeds are available to you to begin with. There's twenty-seven unique breeds to be had such as German Shepards, Golden Retrievers, Miniature Dachshunds, Pugs, Beagles, Cocker Spaniels, and Great Danes, to name a handful. The game begins with you going to the kennel and playing the puppies, choosing a breed, selecting a coat or color for them, and then taking them home as the newest member of your virtual family.

At first your puppy will be incredibly shy and untamed to their surroundings. After multiple petting sessions, your pet will grow accustomed to you and its new habitat, and be ready for you to give it a name. You must teach it its new name by speaking clearly into the 3DS's microphone (located under the start button). Each time you say the name you want to call your puppy, you must do so with the same tone of voice, same volume, and same distance away from the microphone. If you don't do this, your puppy will become clueless, and you will have to start the process anew. Once your pet finally learns its name, you are asked to input the name via a virtual keyboard.

Meet Peppy the Beagle. Do a barrel roll, Peppy!

After your beast has grown to know its name, you must teach it to sit down before you are able to progress further in the game. Learning tricks is a big part of Nintendogs + Cats, and learning to sit down is paramount to having your dog listen to you. Once you've followed the tutorial, gone over the steps to get your puppy into the sitting position, and you've said "Sit down" a few times to cement the command into your puppy's brain, a new trick will have been discovered. The game then asks you to write the name of the trick down for your memory.

From then on you are given free reign to do as you want with your perky puppy. You can go on to teach new tricks by reading the easy-to-follow tutorials (Your animal can only learn three tricks in a given day), go out for a walk, go shopping, pamper your pet, lounge around your house, take photos with L or R, or enter one of three unique competitions. The choices are yours. If you wish to lounge around, you can use the touch screen to call your puppy over, rub the stylus over the silhouette to give your animal a good rub down to satisfy them for a brief period of time.

"Roll over" is one of many tricks to teach your puppy.

If you opt to go for a walk, you hold a virtual leash as your pet saunters or dashes through a linear corridor of homes on a daytime or nighttime street. Your puppy will roll around and get dirty or urinate in patches of grass, take a poop (don't forget to clean up afterward), discover presents lying on the street, and meet other Miis' pets while walking the streets. Sometimes your pet will make new friends while others they'll make new enemies. Walks in Nintendogs + Cats seem downgraded from the original DS game as you no longer draw and plot a course through the neighborhood. Instead it's simply a boring linear path full of annoying distractions that your puppy will constantly stop for.

Meet random Miis during your walks via StreetPass.

Of course, taking walks not only is tiring for the trainer/owner, but it's exhausting for the pet as well. As time goes by, your breed of choice will grow hungry and/or thirsty. From the touch screen you can lay down bowls of chow and water to satiate your pet. If your puppy gets too dirty (you can check hunger, thirst, and cleanliness levels in your journal), you should bathe them. By scrubbing them with a soapy sponge and then cleaning them off with a shower nozzle, your pet will go from drab to fab in an instant. Squeaky clean, just the way I like it.

Who's a dirty puppy? You're a dirty puppy! Yes, you are!

Through spending copious amounts of time with your faithful pet, you can mold them into an obedient little creature-- at least enough to enter them into one of three contests. There's the Disc Competition where you chuck a flying disc out, and it's your dog's goal to catch it. The further away from you they catch it within their gums, the more points you get. Then there's Lure Coursing where you use a lure to lead your pet to the finish line. The best time wins. Finally, there's the Obedience Trial. Having learned multiple tricks, your puppy is tested on how well it can show off those hopefully mastered tricks. For instance, one round your puppy will be asked to sit down for two seconds while another you'll be asked to give your puppy as many different commands as possible within the time limit. The Obedience Trial uses the 3DS's prepackaged AR Cards to have the competition live in your room, your dorm, or wherever. For each contest completed (each contest has multiple levels), you earn cash that can be spent at the game's numerous shops.

Put your puppy from the virtual world
to your world with augmented reality.

Shops are aplenty in Nintendogs + Cats, and they run the gamut in usefulness. Pet Supply has food, drink, toys, and a load of other things to spend money on while the Accessories shop has hats, glasses, and other fashionable fun for your animals to wear. Meanwhile, Interior Designs has multiple furniture for your house or you can choose to completely renovate your room to one of many various themes like tropical and Asian. The Secondhand Shop takes items found on your walks with your puppy and allows you to sell them for hard cash or trade them for cool toys like an RC helicopter which your puppy will intently follow and play with. Then there's the Kennel where new puppies and even kittens can be purchased. Finally, the Pet Hotel allows you to hold a dog or feline, or you can even say goodbye to one permanently. How cold.

Cats interact and behave differently from dogs.

Kitty cats act uniquely from puppies. For one, they cannot learn tricks. They also tend to themselves much more. Occasionally, however, they will bring in presents for their owner. Furthermore, they like high spaces, so buying furniture with high ledges is always a plus for these precocious little kitties. You still have to take good care of your fearless felines, but I am of the stance that more could have been done to make owning a cat worthwhile. I am just not feeling it. Dogs are just more interesting to own while cats are just "there."

For the graphics aficionado, Nintendogs + Cats is a fine showcase of the 3DS hardware for a launch game. It doesn't have the most interesting use of the system's stereoscopic 3D (Pilotwings Resort is a launch title that beats it), but your puppy or feline comes with a fair amount of depth. Turning the 3D off gives each animal and environment less jaggies as is the usual with 3DS games. On the audio side, the coos, barks, and meows of your pets sound authentic enough, and buying CDs and music for your pups and kitties to listen to will make them act in several different ways. There's even a sweet jazz version of the Nintendogs theme to own.

Nintendogs + Cats seems more like a tech demo for the multiple uses of the 3DS than an actual full-fledged game. It is most certainly not worth the forty dollar asking price Nintendo wants for this title. Even with the addition of cats, there seems to be even less to do somehow than there was in the 2005 DS original. Calling your animal's name or commanding them to a trick can be an effort in frustration as you have to remember the tone of voice you originally uttered when you first gave their name or said the trick aloud. Even then your puppy can confuse one trick name for another (such as "right" and "left"). Regardless, Nintendogs + Cats won't replace the fun of having a real life pet, but for those allergic or not wanting to deal with the shedding, constant pampering, and so forth, this game (whichever version you get) is average at best and worthwhile if you feel the burning desire to have a virtual pet of your own (and your pet rock died a long time ago).

[SuperPhillip Says: 5.25/10]

Announcing Our Newest Affiliate: 8-Bit Girl!

2012-01-29T16:30:00.003-06:00

Not to be confused with one of our other affiliates in 8-Bit City, 8-Bit Girl is kept neat and tidy by Kayleigh, an aspiring game journalist. 8-Bit Girl is based in Britain where Kayleigh writes about her impressions about games, underrated gems, reviews, and articles running the gamut, showing off her wide range of tastes when it comes to video games and the industry. If you're looking for a gaming blog with a woman's touch, then 8-Bit Girl seems like the perfect match for you.

Check it out here.

Mario Party 6 (GCN) Retro Review

2012-01-28T15:00:00.007-06:00

Earlier in the week I posted new screens and a new trailer for the upcoming Mario Party 9. In anticipation for the game I have been playing installments that were fresh to me, and seeing how they shaped up. Let's see if Mario Party 6 is a party worth celebrating.

Day or Night, This Party is Just Right

Ever since its inception on the Nintendo 64, Mario Party has been Nintendo's cash cow. That isn't to say each installment is of poor quality. It is just that some of Mario's celebrations are better than others. Mario Party 6 brings with it a wide assortment of new mini-games, microphone support, a night and day mechanic, and six original boards to party until the sun goes down. Come see why this party is one you will want to attend. Don't forget to bring a gift!

Brighton and Twila are the sun and moon spirits of the Mario Party world. They generally get along quite well like two peas in a pod. However, when both ask one another which is more stupendous, a frenetic feud begins. Mario and the gang do their best to try to calm down the two intensely rivaling spirits, but it seems nothing they attempt helps. That is until Mario brings up the idea to collect Power Stars and place them into a Star Bank to appease both spirits. Will this be enough to satisfy the sun and moon spirits and make the world of Mario Party calm once more? And with an opening storybook cutscene, the festivities begin.

After creating a data from one of three save slots, you'll be whisked away to the realm of Mario Party 6. There's a plethora of things to do in the game. From Solo Mode to the traditional Party Mode, there is no shortage of content to be had and to partake in.

Solo Mode is one of the series's best yet. It does not require you to play it for if you don't want to, but the rewards for doing so are quite beneficial to the player. Solo Mode consists of three linear boards where the goal is to land on spaces and win mini-games against the computer. Any mini-game you win goes into your personal collection, and you win a fair amount of coins, too. However, the board is only so many spaces long, and if you roll too much, you'll fall off the end of the board, losing all of the mini-games and coins you earned. Though it's a risk, the final safe space on each Solo Mode board is a rare mini-game space. You don't even have to play it to win it. It just automatically goes into your collection, and the round ends. Your total mini-games and coins collected are tallied up, and you are awarded stars to place into your Star Bank. This mode is terrific for receiving new mini-games without having to rely on luck in Party Mode to get them.

Solo Mode boards are straight and linear excursions.

Speaking of which, Party Mode returns, and this is the meat and potatoes of the Mario Party series. If you have friends, the mode is a blast, but playing it alone sort of defeats the purpose and is less enjoyable. Regardless, the aim of the game is simple-- earn coins from landing on blue spaces and winning mini-games in order to purchase stars. The player with the most stars at the conclusion of the game is the overall winner and superstar. There's a wide range of spaces to land on that can be worthwhile or costly to the player such as blue spaces (gives the person who lands on it three coins), red spaces (takes away three coins to the player who lands on it), action spaces (can make something happen on the board such as sending the player to the start of the board or worse), Reversal of Fortune spaces (think Chance Time from Mario Party 1-3), Duel spaces (two players face off in a mini-game where the winner gets either their opponent's coins or one of their stars), DK spaces (land on this space for a special beneficial mini-game), or Bowser spaces (landing on this space starts a game where the loser(s) must give either all their coins, a star, or all of their orbs to Bowser).

Avoid these spiked balls in Pit Boss, or face Bowser's fury.

Orbs are invaluable devices that can give a player a welcomed assistance over the competition or they can cause headaches to other players. Some orbs can be used on yourself like Mushrooms that allow you to roll two or more dice blocks while others can be used on spaces to trip up opponents. The Whomp orb, when used, makes the unlucky victim that passes by stop dead in their tracks, no matter how big their roll. Other orbs can steal half of a player's coins, steal an orb, make a player lose five coins for every space they move, and so forth. Some orbs are exclusive to certain boards. Castaway Bay, for instance, has an orb that protects a player from having their coins or more importantly a star stolen by Boo, a greedy apparition who would then give his stolen bounty to the player who paid for his services.

While orbs aren't an original concept to the Mario Party series (they were in the previous installment), new and exclusive to this edition of Mario Party is the concept of a day and night cycle. After three turns, day turns to night and vice versa. DK spaces pop up during the day while Bowser spaces appear at night to replace Donkey Kong. Boards can entirely transform during night and present new hazards and dangers. For example, on Towering Treetop the tree that rests at the top of the board is friendly during the day, but if you land on his space at night he drops several thorny balls that not only hurt but they take away precious coins from all players. Even mini-games change depending on the time of day.

At night, Boo is drooling at the mouth,
ready to steal coins or stars from unfortunate souls.

After all four players have rolled, landed on their spaces, and the round is over, a mini-game begins. This can be either every man (or woman) for themselves, 2vs2, 1vs3, or a Battle mini-game where all four players put a certain amount of coins into a pool. The winner wins the lion's share of the coins. One mini-game has players inputting the button or trigger shown by a Shy Guy in order to strike a golf ball. The first to ten correct inputs wins. Another has players teaming up in pairs to leap over a fiery turnstile. The team left standing (see: not burnt to ashes) is the victor. Other games have players breaking away boulders that are in the middle of a seaside road, ground-pounding the most flashing buttons in the allotted time, jumping from raft to raft before they drop over the waterfall, and stomping on moles that come out of pipes while avoiding dangerous Piranha Plants. Most games control excellently enough, but there's the occasion one that proves to be troublesome.

I thought I already did my 1080: Avalanche review...

Aside from the normal mini-games, sometimes a mic mini-game will be played. These games can be played with a controller if you so choose to, or they can be turned off altogether. The games work by having one player (the one with the microphone that comes bundled with the game) taking on three players. In Fruit Talktail (har-har), the player with the mic shouts out one of five fruits aloud. The other players must then swiftly move to the platforms that correspond to the fruit shouted as the other paltforms will fall into a bottomless pit. During Shoot Yer Mouth Off, the goal of the game is for the player holding the mic to call out numbers which correspond to an obstacle being unleashed into the arena such as Bob-Ombs and Bullet Bills to defeat the three players who must avoid each hazard until time runs out. The mic games are enjoyable enough, but some drag on for far too long. Plus the mic can confuse vocal signals. Saying "right" in one game might make the characters move to the left instead of the intended direction.

Call the right numbers out to trip up and defeat your rivals.

There are six boards total with one of them needing the player to purchase it for 100 stars. Thankfully, every player in a Party Mode game (yes, even the computer-controlled players) contributes to the Star Bank at the end of each game. This makes reaching high amounts of stars easy-peasy. Mario Party 6 introduced new rules to the boards. The first two boards, Towering Treetop and E. Gadd's Garage follow the basic template of the series. A star is semi-randomly placed on the board, and the opponents all vie to reach it to pay the twenty coins required to receive it. Then the star moves to a new location on the board. Regardless, other boards use different rules to acquire stars. For instance, on Faire Square either Brighton or Twila rest in the center of the board. During the day, stars from Brighton cost twenty coins. During the night, stars from Twila can cost anywhere from 5-40 coins. The catch is that you can buy up to five stars at once if you can afford it. On Snowflake Lake, everyone starts the game with five stars. By paying Chain-Chomps and getting lucky rolls, you can crush other players, stealing one of their stars.

Aside from Party Mode, there's the opportunity for you to play all of the mini-games you have unlocked either through Solo or Party modes. Mini-game Tour gives you the option to play any mini-game unlocked at your leisure while Battle Bridge is a race to cross a canyon through winning games. Treetop Bingo is all about being victorious in mini-games to be able to choose numbers and aim for a BINGO. Meanwhile, Decathlon Park pits four opponents in ten mini-games in a row. The player with the most points by the end of all ten games stands victorious. These modes add to the multiplayer madness of Mario Party 6, and they are great additions to an already meaty game.

Swim for your life to avoid a grim Blooper fate.

Mario Party 6 isn't the most marvelous piece of technological wonder on the GameCube. There are plenty of jaggies on characters to be found, but backgrounds and boards are full of life and the attention to detail is there. Musically, the tracks are decent enough, but they are highly forgettable apart from a theme here and there. This isn't Mario Party 1 where every track was essentially a winner. Those days are long gone.

Some mini-games have you pairing up with
what would otherwise be your rival.

If you're looking for an interesting diversion and a fun fiesta, Mario Party 6 is most definitely worth RSVPing to. The mini-games are 90% enjoyable with the other 10% being duds. That is pretty good for a Mario Party game. The boards offer new play styles and strategies to be had, and allowing the CPU's star totals to be added to your Star Bank makes you actually root for the computer to obtain stars-- even if they're your enemy! The amount of unlockables at said Star Bank will have you partying all day and even into the wee hours of the night. This is one of the better entries in the Mario Party franchise, and it is quite worthy of your hard-earned coins. Put on your party hat, bring your noisemakers, and get ready for one hearty party!

[SuperPhillip Says: 8.0/10]

More Pushmo (3DSWare) QR Codes - Final Fantasy-style!

2012-01-27T17:29:00.005-06:00

EvilRedEye from the NeoGAF (you don't know how bad I wanted to call them NeoFAQs just now) forums posted a whole slew of Final Fantasy-related QR codes for the highly popular Pushmo, available on the 3DS eShop. Just right click each and open them in a new tab or window to see a full-sized version of each set of codes. EvilRedEye says that these codes should work, so I'm putting my trust into a total stranger. I am constantly amazed by the wonderful puzzles made by the Pushmo community.

SuperPhillip's Top Ten Games of All Time - 2012 Edition

2012-01-27T03:00:00.004-06:00

As promised I have battled in my brain the ten titles out of hundreds I have played that I deem to be the top ten of all time. My focus is on Nintendo platforms as my first gaming systems were mainly Nintendo. I did get to play Sega's Genesis off and on, but nothing really gelled with me. I was always on the Nintendo side of things in the nineties. Then when Sony came out with their PlayStation, my brother and I became two console gamers with the PS1 and the Nintendo 64.

This generation we had all three main consoles before the Xbox 360 died three months out of the warranty. Now we have our 60 gig PlayStation 3 and our Nintendo Wii which needed to be repaired once already. Consoles just aren't made like they used to be which makes me wary on going headfirst into the next generation of systems. Nonetheless, I think I have set up the following list just splendidly. Before we begin, why not take a look at my list from way back in 2008? Enough rambling from me-- let's get to the games!

~SUPERPHILLIP'S TOP TEN GAMES OF ALL TIME - 2012 EDITION~

10) Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

The all-star brawl is on! I was devastated when I found out that all of my data from my old Wii could not be restored. That meant all the work in my village in Animal Crossing: City Folk was gone, all my perfect swings in We Love Golf! were for naught, and the killer, my unlocks in Super Smash Bros. Brawl went kaput. Today I'm slowly slogging through the game. I have opened up all of the stages, I am one character away from having them all, and I am slowly building my collection of trophies. Replaying the game isn't all too bad surprisingly. I am enjoying my time once more. It is like the return of an old friend who was long gone. I love the stages, the characters, combing through my army of trophies, squealing with delight when I pick up a new trophy, sticker, or CD, and battling with the beautiful graphics. The addition of Final Smashes added a new dimension to the game. It's a mad scramble when a Smash Ball appears in thin air. Who will break it open and unleash its power on their opponents? Even with having to recollect everything all over again, I cannot help but be in a state of delight with this love letter to fans of anything Nintendo. Note: The following shots were taken by me.

9) Perfect Dark (N64, XBLA)

Unfortunately my 360 died before Perfect Dark went old school on Xbox Live with online play, a new and super impressive graphical engine, and nothing in the way of slowdown, unlike the N64 original. Regardless, I cannot count how many hours I played multiplayer in Perfect Dark, unlocking awesome new arenas with perfect vantage points, hideouts, and shortcuts. I loved the Villa, Area 56, Skedar, and the 15+ large-scaled arenas that were the locations of many a fierce and intense shootout. Who didn't love having matches with proximity mines only or rockets only? Playing with bots that could be given different personalities like a pugilist, a simulant that always goes after the person in last place, or a bot that stocked up heavily on ammo so no one else could take it. The Combat Simulator portion of the game was meaty and could have been its own title, but no, Rare was ambitious and included an excellent single-player campaign with many missions and objectives to tackle. The objectives changed or more were added pending on your chosen difficulty level. I will always remember the day I beat the game on Perfect Agent, one of my favorite feats in my 20+ year gaming history. Perfect Dark took the formula GoldenEye 007 laid down and-- forgive me-- "perfected" it to make the best FPS in the history of the genre... at least of what I've played. The shots below come from the XBLA version that I did not get to try out.

8) Banjo-Kazooie (N64, XBLA)

With a preorder of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, a fine game in its own right (many fans would disagree), I received a download code for the Xbox Live Arcade version of one of my favorite 3D platformers of all time, the original Banjo-Kazooie. Yes, it even beats Super Mario 64. How's that for a controversial opinion? The game was divided up between nine unique and diverse worlds such as Mumbo's Mountain (introductory level), Treasure Trove Cove (pirate's realm with sandy beaches and one ornery shark), Mad Monster Mansion (your worst fears come alive), and Click Clock Wood (made up of the four seasons). Speaking of Mumbo, this shaman could transform Banjo and Kazooie into one of many transformations that were pertinent to not only survival but to acquiring Jiggies, the power stars of the game, used to open new worlds. You could become a termite, a crocodile, a walrus, and even a flying bee. Each world had Bottles placed in various locations to slowly teach the bear and bird duo new moves like the Talon Trot, made for walking up steep slopes that Banjo would otherwise slide right down. I vastly prefer the XBLA version as it not only clears up and makes the Stop 'N Swap mystery useful, but it also allows you to collect musical notes (100 in each world) and not have to gather them all in one go. This means dying at 99 notes won't make you have to collect them all over again. Add in HD visuals, and you have the Xbox 360's best platformer.

7) Mega Man X (SNES)

Classic Mega Man is my brother's favorite, and seeing Capcom's treatment of him by putting the North America Mega Man from the original game's cover in Street Fighter X Tekken, it's a shame how blatant they are trolling Mega Man's fanbase. Regardless, Mega Man X was a more serious storyline and setting for the blue bomber, placing him in a faraway future where the Sigma virus has infected reploids, turning them into Mavericks. It's up to X and his partner (no, not that kind of partner, sickos) to lead the charge against them. With twelve or so levels, eight of which are able to be played in any order, new bosses that instead of being men or women (Top Man, Star Man, Gravity Man, etc.) were animals like Launch Octopus, Chill Penguin, and Storm Eagle, and hidden secrets in the form of armor upgrades from Dr. Light, heart tanks which boosted X's health, and sub tanks used to give X extra help in case his health goes dangerously low in battle, Mega Man X meant business. There was just more to do in Mega Man X, and now you don't even need sixteen digit passwords to save your progress. You can pick up either the PS2 or GameCube version of the Mega Man X Collection, and save right to a memory card! Now that's progress!

6) Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

I was originally blown away by this game, but the more I played one of the next titles on this list, the less impressive this one was. It was very easy in difficulty save for some daredevil and timed runs. Regardless of this, Super Mario Galaxy is still one of the premier games of the generation as well as one of the best games of the generation. The presentation alone is unlike any Mario game before it. It is one of the Wii's greatest looking games and has a stellar soundtrack to boot, composed mostly by Mahito Yokota. There's plenty of great moments in Super Mario Galaxy such as spinning rocks into the face of Bouldergeist, ground pounding stumps to make gigantic worms pop out of planetoids made out of apples in Gusty Garden Galaxy, carefully balancing the Wii remote so you can guide a ball Mario is running on safely to the goal, and launching from a star pad and having a volcano erupt in all of its fiery glory behind Mario in Melty Molten Galaxy. Then there's the glorious galaxies Mario explores such as Good Egg, Freezeflame, Buoy Base, Beach Bowl, Dusty Dune, and so many more. Make no mistake about it, Super Mario Galaxy is living, albeit virtual proof that Nintendo knows how to make genre-defining games. Forgive me if you think that this is hyperbole, but I stand by it.

5) Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (Wii)

I have played Resident Evil 4 on so many platforms now, I think there's more varieties of the game than there are Starbucks Coffee shops in the world. Nonetheless, I first encountered Resident Evil 4 in the pages of Nintendo Power. The game was touted as a big exclusive for the GameCube, one of the Capcom Five. Most of know how that turned out... Anyway, I opted to get my grandma (bless her heart) to purchase the game for me at the Galleria's GameStop location for my birthday back in 2005 or whenever the game came out. I wasn't expecting much as I had never played the series until then. When I finally placed that small DVD into the GameCube, shut the lid, and powered that tiny box on, my jaw hit the floor. Not only were the ambient environments breathtaking (the European woods with its fog, many dead leaves on the ground, and dilapidated houses), but the action was intense as well (the first villager encounter with the tense music made me almost wet myself. Thankfully I had my diaper on just in case). Then came the PlayStation 2 port with prerendered cutscenes instead of using the game's engine like the GameCube version. This port added an Assignment Ada mode. Fast-forward a few years later and the Wii gets its own installment, the one I consider to be the definitive version (and also one of the first games on SPC to be given a perfect 10/10). Not only did it have all of the bonus content such as Assignment Ada and the unlockable weapons and costumes for Leon and Ashley, but it had precise pointer controls for easy sniping, shooting, and slaying. Don't like it? Then use a traditional controller. That option alone makes Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition to best version of the bunch, SD or HD.

4) The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)

I had dabbled a bit as a naive young child with the original Legend of Zelda only to always get my butt kicked by those lion enemies and Darknuts. It was either that or I'd get routinely lost with no assistance but the map inside the instruction booklet. Seriously, how obtuse is using a flute to empty a lake or burning a seemingly random bush to enter a dungeon? I'm getting off track. The first Zelda that I truly enjoyed was on the Super Nintendo. It was the third Zelda, and it was much more newbie friendly indeed-- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. The game started off on the right foot with an... I hate to say this word as it's overused everywhere now... epic start. Link wakes up to find his uncle gone to Hyrule Castle as flashes of lightning goes off, rain pours to the ground, and darkness fills the air. The game had incredibly designed dungeons and two terrific overworlds which made you think in multiple dimensions. Couldn't reach an area of a dungeon? Perhaps you had to fall from a higher floor to reach it! And just when you thought the game was over after battling the sorcerer Agahnim, a whole new dark world opened up to explore! There was a myriad of items to help Link on his quest like the hookshot, multiple canes, the Pegasus Boots, the ice and fire rods, and multiple medallions. Heart Containers could be found high and low for the adventurer who pursued them, and maybe even other secrets, too. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is without a doubt my favorite 2D Zelda, but is it my favorite of the franchise?

3) Super Mario World (SNES)

Welcome to Dinosaur Land! Mario, Luigi, and newcomer Yoshi team up to tackle Bowser's ill-conceived children in Super Mario World. I loved the map of this game, being able to choose my own path to Bowser through discovering hidden exits in levels. This kind of freedom was uncommon in a platformer at this point in time, and Super Mario World definitely delivered in that regard. Moreover, World controlled sensationally and was truly challenging in every sense of the world. The difficulty curve is almost unmatched to this day. From battling Super Koopas on Butter Bridge to going inside a Koopa Kid's castle and taking on Magikoopas, there was a wide variety of locales and places to visit and venture to in Super Mario World. The benefit of playing with two players added to the fun. If one player couldn't complete a level, maybe the second player could. The addition of having the ability to store an item and have it given to either Mario or Luigi at any point in time allowed even the worst SMB player a chance to triumph over Bowser and his Koopa offspring. Many love Super Mario Bros. 3 the most, but I'm in the camp of cool kids that dig Super Mario World the best.

2) Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

It's an adventure that's out of this world. The game that somehow eclipsed Nintendo EAD's already impressive and outstanding work in Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2 took everything to an entirely new level. It hit the ball not just out of the park but out of the atmosphere (space joke #2). The galaxies were more plentiful, the boss battles were more entertaining, and the challenge was more difficult. It was the game that fans of the original like myself were clamoring for. Another thing players were wanting was the return of Yoshi, and Mario's faithful dino returned in a big way, helping Mario or Luigi traverse large gaps as well as gobble up annoying enemies. The gravity element from the original continued to make the series look and feel unlike any other on the market. Mahito Yokota came back to compose the music for the game, and he somehow created an even better score than the original with bombastic boss themes, catchy galaxy themes, and other fun melodies that feel like they came from a space opera and not a Mario game. Even after the original 120 stars have been collected, the game isn't over just yet. 120 more green stars appear in hard-to-reach locations for the completionist to gather. The greatest game of this generation (why it didn't win many Game of the Year awards besides from SuperPhillip Central and a few other places is criminal and proves this industry has a short attention span), Super Mario Galaxy 2 is nothing if not phenomenal, and that might even be short-selling it.

1) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS)

What do you get when you take my favorite game of all time, update the graphics, add a new boss rush mode, throw in a completely different quest after the original game has been beaten, and remove all of the framerate issues and slowdown from the Nintendo 64 classic? You get The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for the Nintendo 3DS. It was the first 3DS game in my collection, and it was the main reason I wanted the system to begin with. A game has to be powerful and desirable enough to make someone purchase a system for one game. Well, Ocarina of Time 3D managed to do just that for me. Sure, it was a gift, but still. Having the option to assign items and equipment like the Iron Boots to one of four buttons (two face buttons and two touch screen buttons) made shuffling through said items and equipment a breeze and no longer a hassle. It made trekking through an already difficult dungeon in the Water Temple less taxing on the player. Remember the original and always having to pause the game to equip and take off your Iron Boots? No longer a problem with Ocarina of Time 3D. Chuck in (but ever so carefully) some fabulous stereoscopic 3D visuals, tried and true gameplay from 1997 that has withstood the test of time, and all of the aforementioned fresh content, and you have a game that I will perpetually be returning to and consider my favorite game of all time.... of all time!

Honorable Mentions:

LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3)
Mega Man X4 (PS1)
Mega Man X2 (SNES)
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES)
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)
New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)
Metroid Prime (GCN)*

*was number ten on my 2008 list

===

Now that you have perused my list of favorite games, what are your top ten games of all time? Don't be shy now. Share your list with your fellow SPC readers in the comments section as well as your thoughts on the games in my list. Too Nintendo-heavy for your tastes?

Announcing Our Newest Affiliate: Play Nintendo!

2012-01-27T00:04:00.005-06:00

SuperPhillip Central continues its mission to grow a healthy, thriving community of blogs with a new affiliate to join its ranks, Play Nintendo. It is a site that is similar to another Nintendo blog *cough* GoNintendo *cough* (one run by a lumberjack wannabe) but without the tripe, sensational headlines, and fanboy arguments. If you like the latest Nintendo news, reviews, and articles, then Play Nintendo is the obvious choice for you. It's been running for at least a year now, and more amazingly it is all run by one man, Parko, who is a reader of SPC. Feel free to click on the following link and subscribe to his excellent work.

Check it out here.

Most Overlooked Wii Games - Part Seven

2012-01-26T17:05:00.007-06:00

We move on from Most Wanted to Most Overlooked with the seventh edition of the Most Overlooked Wii Games. Every one of these titles was released in the second half of last year, and was not received well commercially, at least in the West. I hope that through giving these games some recognition that perhaps you'll pick one or more of these Wii wonders up.

Fortune Street

Mario meets Monopoly as well as Dragon Quest in this stock market-styled board game. Play on boards with themes like Delfino Plaza, Mario Stadium, Bowser's Castle, and a pirate ship as you either compete against the computer, against friends, or against total strangers through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Buy stocks, purchase properties, and outplay your opponents as you aim to reach the target capital goal in Fortune Street. Needless to say, stocks aren't typically the way to sell your game to the masses, and this game had niche all over it from the word "go" even with the combo of Mario and Dragon Quest being featured in the game.

Go Vacation

Go Vacation has sold approximately 200,000 copies in Japan which is quite good for a title at the end of the Wii's lifespan, but in the West it is a different story. Apparently even in winter Wii owners are fine about not taking a virtual vacation to Kawawii Island to play one of fifty unique activities such as skydiving, ATV off-roading, skeet-shooting, surfing, snowboarding, scuba diving, mini golfing, skateboarding, and many more. Exploring the four unique resorts for hidden treasure and new activities, beating high scores, and pimping your villa with new furniture and goods are all feats that can be performed in this above average mini-game collection from Namco Bandai.

Rayman Origins

Already listed in both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 Most Overlooked lists, Rayman Origins was also glanced over by the majority of consumers this past holiday season. A combination of being a platformer not named Mario, a hefty price tag, poor marketing, and being released in the thick of the busy shopping season made for a sales disaster for poor Rayman. That's a shame, too, as while it's not better than New Super Mario Bros. Wii, it is definitely a capable platforming adventure. Whether you're rescuing Electoons from their cages or slapping your friends in local four player multiplayer, Rayman Origins has got the goods for one enjoyable journey. Note: The screens below are from the HD versions of the game.

Fishing Resort

The creator of Sonic the Hedgehog goes from the blue blur, a boy who rolls eggs to squash enemies, and a game where you tap, tap, tap to the Wii's best fishing game, and there's been a bucket full of them. Go into marshes, lakes, rivers, and oases in search of fish of all shapes and sizes to add to your personal aquarium. Fishing Resort released at the low price of $19.99, but one could opt to get bundle at $29.99 that came with a fishing rod shell for ultra-immersion. Who needs to go outside and fickle with tangled lines, messy bait, and annoying flies when you can lounge in a chair and play Fishing Resort?

Bit. Trip Complete

A darn good deal if there ever was one, Bit. Trip Complete takes all six WiiWare Bit. Trip games and puts them into one compendium. Join CommanderVideo through his rhythmic quests in Bit. Trip Beat, Bit. Trip Void, Bit. Trip Core, Bit. Trip Fate, Bit. Trip Runner, and Bit. Trip Flux with no need to use up precious blocks of Wii system or SD card memory. All of the games are on one disc for your entertainment. What a steal! Regardless, the game had no marketing whatsoever and was limited to stores like GameStop which did their best to hide the game behind their counter. The total first month sales of Bit. Trip Complete was a pitiful 1,000 copies.

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Just in case you missed a previous installment, I have all six in one convenient place right here:

Wii - Part One
Wii - Part Two
Wii - Part Three
Wii - Part Four
Wii - Part Five
Wii - Part Six

Until next time, SPC faithful!

12 in '12: Most Wanted Games

2012-01-25T16:43:00.013-06:00

If you hadn't realized it by now, it is a new year. Maybe you were still in your Y2K bunker, or you were still on a New Year's Eve bender. Regardless, with a new year comes new games for the masses to play and enjoy. This list of twelve games is my most anticipated titles (that have been announced thus far) for the year 2012. 12 in '12. Makes enough sense, does it not? Note: The games that follow are really in no particular order.

Resident Evil 6 (PS3, 360)

Announced late last week for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 (I hope it's coming to Wii U as that platform needs all the third-party support it can get), Resident Evil 6 takes it to the player like an axe to a zombie's forehead. Leon S. Kennedy returns as does the boulder-punching Chris Redfield in what looks to be a return to the zombies of old. The action is faster with swifter zombies, the story seems even more convoluted, and the set pieces (at least from the trailer) look to be incredible. Resident Evil 6 appears to conclude the triple does of Resident Evil with Revelations (3DS), Operation Raccoon City (PS3, 360), and this game. If you still haven't had enough RE by the end of this game, perhaps you should see a specialist about your condition...

Tales of Graces f (PS3)

Originally appearing on the Wii in the form of simply Tales of Graces, Namco Bandai couldn't resist getting the game into more people's hands with the upgraded Tales of Graces f. Unlike the Wii iteration, however, f is actually coming stateside in mid-March. I've been craving a colorful action RPG, so Tales of Graces f seems to fit that mold just perfectly. Sure, I might have to sit through a trope-ridden game full of anime cliches and preteen characters, but as long as the gameplay is up to snuff, I will persevere through. It helps that the art style is immensely captivating.

Tales of the Abyss (3DS)

I have been craving for a 3DS RPG since I received the system in late August of last year. Soon my wait will soon be over when Namco Bandai releases Tales of the Abyss 3D to North America. Most PAL players have already been able to snag a copy and encompass themselves into the world the game presents. Tales of the Abyss originally came out for the PlayStation 2 in 2006. Many were knee-deep in the 360, PS3, and Wii by then, so the game was forgotten by most, yours truly included. Now I will rectify my error through playing this game in full 3D with little in the way of framerate problems and poor loading times that plagued the PS2 original.

Resident Evil: Revelations (3DS)

Some critics of recent Resident Evil titles such as Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5 have complained about the larger focus on action than suspense. RE4 managed to walk a fine line between the two, but RE5 pretty much featured action front and center. Capcom aims to put the horror back into survival horror with Resident Evil: Revelations, a game currently exclusive to the 3DS. However, we all know how port-happy Capcom can be. Just look at RE4 which has appeared on everything from the current gen consoles to iOS. Putting a greater emphasis on frights, close quarters combat, and claustrophobia-inducing corridors, Revelations seems to hark back to the olden days of the franchise where horror didn't take a backseat to the action.

Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS)

After twenty-five years or so, Pit is back in a starring role! Sakurai-san (I find it to be better than Mr. Sakurai) and his team at Project Sora have developed one half an on-rails shooter a la Star Fox 64 and one half a ground combat game in Kid Icarus: Uprising. The game offers the ability for Pit to earn new weapons like claws, daggers, and bows in his quest to oust the evil Medusa and her many minions. Thankfully, Pit isn't alone as he has the guidance of Palutena to assist him in his journey. Personally, I'm concerned about the controls of the game as any game that comes packed with a stand can't have optimal controls. Regardless, I am still excited for this game even more so than I was when it was first announced alongside the 3DS.

Mario Party 9 (Wii)

Since Hudson is being killed off by those jerks at Konami, ND Cube, the team behind the stellar and fun Wii Party, are taking their shot at developing the newest Mario Party. Unlike 8, this one is built exclusively for Wii and not just putting GameCube assets and transferring them over to the Wii. New to the series is Party Adventure mode where four opponents travel together, competing against bosses and taking on one another in mini-games to earn Mini Stars. The player with the most Mini Stars at the conclusion of the board wins. While there is no online play to speak of, I am really looking forward to Mario Party 9. It's always a hot series to play with friends or family, and nine looks to be no different.

Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)

Fans were crying (maybe even literally) for Nintendo of America to localize this game for North American audiences. Somehow they got their wish albeit with a caveat. The game will only be available on Nintendo's online shop or through GameStop. Since I cannot stand GameStop, I'll be going with the lesser of two evils and ordering the game through Nintendo directly. Many have been stating that this isn't just a tremendous RPG because it's on Wii, but it's a tremendous RPG because it blurs the line between JRPGs and WRPGs. Add in some intense combat and a plethora of quests to partake in, and you have a highly anticipated title on your hands.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3, 360)

Set three years after a game I haven't even played yet, Final Fantasy XIII-2 tells the tale of Serah and Noel who go searching for Lightning, the heroine of the original game who has gone missing. Gone are the corridor dungeons and areas of XIII that limited exploration severely. The world is much more open and nonlinear. It just begs for players to invest hours upon hours combing every corner, every inch, every plateau in search of adventure. I'm hoping that I don't need much knowledge on the plot of Final Fantasy XIII to fully enjoy its direct sequel. Regardless, as long as the fun is there, so will I!

Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational (PSV)

Fooooooore! Chip, drive, and putt all in the palm of your hand with Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational which is essentially Hot Shots Golf 6. You know, Sony gets flak for not investing their A teams to develop games on their hand-helds, but what do you call this? Clap Hanz is definitely a first-tier developer for Sony, and I have no doubt it will show with World Invitational. Yes, I probably am not getting a Vita anytime soon (at least not in the year 2012), but I can still anticipate its titles. I love arcade golf games, and even though Out of Bounds was depressingly disappointing, I have faith in the team behind this game.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss (PSV)

Sony Bend might not be as well as the caliber of Naughty Dog, but they are doing their best to emulate the source material. Uncharted: Golden Abyss takes the dashing charm of Nathan Drake to the small screen in one big adventure. Chuck grenades, put the accelerometer to ample use, and take down baddies both large and small in this journey into the Golden Abyss. I heard that Sony Bend was wanting to perhaps patch online play into the game post-launch. That would add even more of an incentive to plop down the cash and pick up what will probably be one of the Vita's first excellent games.

LittleBigPlanet (PSV)

I must have spent around 100 hours tinkering with own levels and playing other people's creations in both LittleBigPlanet and LittleBigPlanet 2. LittleBigPlanet 2 won runner-up at the SPC Best of 2011 Awards this past month, so it is only natural that I look forward to the all-new Vita iteration. Nearly all of the Vita's functions are put to good use. Need to get a platform over to Sackboy? Tilt the device towards Sackboy. Need to get some platforms to protrude forward for Sackboy to jump on them? Use the back touch screen to push them forward. If online play is a feature, then this installment of LittleBigPlanet seems like a no-brainer.

Wipeout 2048 (PSV)

The earliest edition of Wipeout offers wider tracks and 30 fps for some fast and frenetic racing action. While I am in the camp that Wipeout doesn't hold a candle to the F-Zero series (Who can beat Captain Falcon after all?), the series is still an outstanding one definitely. I might not be a pro at the franchise (Wipeout HD kicked my butt all over the place), I still have a lot of fun playing the games. Pure and Pulse on the PSP were great in this regard. If the track design of the demo is anything to note, then there are going to be some insane and devious designs to the courses indeed. Top it all off with online play, and you have a must buy for me.

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So, now you have my list of twelve games for 2012, and we haven't even seen what E3 holds for the industry! Do you have a list of your own of twelve games that interest you for the year? If so, hit me up with it in the comments section.

Mario Party 9 (Wii) New Trailer

2012-01-24T18:37:00.004-06:00

Continuing the Mario Party 9 fun, here is a new trailer for the game coming out in March. It shows off the captain-based gameplay of the boards. I like it so far as it is something fresh for this somewhat stagnant series. Also featured are a slew of mini-games such as diving through rings on the backs of dolphins, running away from Mechakoopas, and chucking and dodging Bob-Ombs while aboard a raft. Are you planning on RSVPing for Mario's latest fiesta?

A direct link to the festivities

Mario Party 9 (Wii) New Screens

2012-01-24T18:32:00.005-06:00

Last week Nintendo revealed new screens and a trailer for Kid Icarus: Uprising, so I figured they would put up a trailer and some screens for another March release, Mario Party 9 for Wii. Catch these colorful screens in all of their SD glory. With this and Xenoblade Chronicles, the Wii is going out not with a whimper, but with a slightly better thing than a whimper... And how!

1080: Avalanche (GCN) Retro Review

2012-01-24T17:05:00.006-06:00

As you know well by now, it is winter here in Central City. It seems like the perfect time to pretend I'm going down a rocky slope, tricking off ramps, and grinding on rails to impress several onlookers. This wish comes true with NST's 1080: Avalanche for the Nintendo GameCube. Received by a trade, I was wanting to have this game as part of my collection, and now I finally have it. Let's see if my time waiting for it paid off.

A Hot Time on the Cold Slopes

When it originally released back on the Nintendo 64, 1080 Snowboarding, along with Tony Hawk Pro Skater, was one of the main pioneers of the extreme sports genre in gaming. The game allowed players to shred down slopes, race with up to four players, and play in a variable winter wonderland. Now the genre is much more crowded with EA's SSX and its many sequels taking top honors when it comes to virtual snowboarding, so Nintendo's answer, 1080: Avalanche, has a lot to work for if it plans to overcome EA's snowboarding beast. Does 1080: Avalanche manage to stick a perfect landing, or does it wipe out?

1080 2 offers a wide range of modes for players to participate in and shred the slopes with. There's Match Race, Time Trial, Gate Challenge, and Trick Attack. Match Race has three difficulties: Novice, Hard, and Expert. In each of these you race one-on-one against a computer controlled opponent down various slopes in an effort to make it to the finish line before the AI manages to do so. For each race you receive three lift tickets. These are essentially lives. If you restart a race or fail to beat your opponent, you surrender one of your tickets. If you run out of tickets, you get a game over and must start the series of races from the beginning. Unique to Match Race is the ability to perform tricks to build up your power meter. When it is full, not only can you knock down your racing rival, but you can also recover from nasty spills and falls much more easily.

The final challenge in Novice, Hard, and Expert Match Race has you facing off against not an AI rival but the mountain itself. You will be chased relentlessly by the titular avalanche as you zoom down the mountain in a frenzy. Falling down is without a doubt certain doom, so it's best to keep your board centered and your mind focused.

You only get three lives, so make them count.

Time Trial requires you to beat a target time and try to achieve the record time for the course. This can be easier said than done on later courses where the time needed is much stricter. As a side mission you can collect five pieces of a gold coin that are hidden or placed in out-of-the-way locations. This is where the course design really shines in 1080: Avalanche as the pieces are usually placed in areas that require you to explore the courses. Thankfully, you need not try to beat the record time and obtain all five segments of the gold coin in the same run. The prize for gathering coins is that new boards are unlocked for the five snowboarders the game possesses.

Own the mountain.

Another mode in Avalanche is Gate Challenge. This is a slalom-like mode where you race against the clock, going through gates, earning points, and trying not to bail. Each of the game's courses are split up between zones. Each zone is divided up between multiple gates and concludes with a checkpoint. When you reach a checkpoint you receive valuable bonus time. If you managed to pass through all of the gates in a given zone, you get a perfect zone bonus added to your score.

Finally, there's Trick Attack. This mode grants you the ability to perform tricks as you gun for the high score before you reach the goal or time runs out. There's various environments on the courses such as large ramps to trick off of, half pipes, and terrain parks full of moguls and smaller-scale ramps.

1080: Avalanche's controls may take some players some getting used to, but once they click, they become second nature. For starters when you reach a ramp or a place you want to jump, you need to hold the A button down. However, you need to time it so the jump meter is at full capacity when you wish to make your leap, otherwise the meter might reset and you won't catch as big of an air as you desire. With the control stick you can steer your boarded left and right, hold it back to brake, and even brake and press left or right to make sharper turns in exchange for some speed. The L button proves to be a lifesaver as not only can you hold it down to tuck, allowing you to achieve a higher top speed (but your maneuverability greatly lowers), but you need it to stick landings. Without doing so you'll either crash or get off balance. When this scenario occurs, you must quickly rotate the control stick in the proper direction to lower a meter. If the meter fills, you crash and burn... well, burn as much as you can on the frozen slopes at least.

You must rotate the stick in the right
direction to keep your balance.

Of course, there's more to Avalanche than just the basics. For instance, your boarder can grind on rails and Tony Hawk Pro Skater-style you use the control stick to center the cursor on a meter to stay balanced. Meanwhile, tricks are performed by holding one of the face buttons. Your boarder can only do grabs, unfortunately, which gives little in the way of variety. As you grab, you rotate the control stick to perform spins. I still am not used to this even after multiple hours of practice and play.

Don't worry that he's not dressed for the slopes.
The adrenaline keeps him warm.

From speaking about controls to conversing about courses, 1080: Avalanche has a wide selection of slopes to shred down. They're full of shortcuts, hidden paths, and dangerous obstacles to avoid. Sometimes avalanches are a beneficial thing as they open up new routes to explore. There's also caverns that cave in, buildings that can fall apart, wildlife such as deer to dodge, deep powder that slows you down, ice that speeds you up in exchange for traction loss, and rock slides to outmaneuver. You'll board through sawmills full of moving logs, nighttime ski villages composed of secret paths through lodges, and outrun astonishing avalanches that will have your heart pumping as you speed and snowboard for your life.

This nighttime course is one of my personal favorites.

1080: Avalanche contains the option for up to four players to take each other on in splitscreen action. And since this was the Nintendo that did not know that the Internet and online play existed, the only option for more players to participate in races and shred fests is LAN play. Yes, connecting multiple GameCubes with multiple copies of the game with multiple controllers and multiple memory cards and multiple broadband adapters. Trust me when I say it isn't worth the trouble.

Avalanche features some impressive visuals. When your boarder crashes, the snow routinely piles on and gets stuck to their clothes and outfit. Snowboarding on the courses does not feel as fast as it should most in part because the game runs at 30 fps and not 60 which is a bit on the disappointing side. Regardless, small features like your boarding shooting out particles of snow from behind, trees that come crashing down and kick up snow, and wildlife that scamper away as you slide down the slopes towards them are all truly great. What's not so great is some of the textures that still remind me of the Nintendo 64 days. That said, the draw distance is breathtaking and graphical glitches like pop-up are seen rarely if ever. Speaking for the soundtrack, NST has included a mostly rock-centric flair to accompany your boarding experience. Such bands like Seether and Cauterize lead the small sampling of songs available to listen to on and off the slopes.

1080: Avalanche overall is a relatively short game that lacks a lot of depth. The races and modes are exhilarating, the boarders animate well, the attention to detail is tremendous, and the controls are mostly up to par, but this is a game that does not have enough content when compared to other games in the same genre and the same sport. Sure, there's cool unlockables like new boards in the form of a penguin and an NES controller, but you'll be done with the game within 3-5 hours. It is still a worthwhile purchase for anyone who is a fan of snowboarding and is either too lazy or not near a snow-covered mountain to do so themselves.

[SuperPhillip Says: 7.5/10]

SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs - Winter Wonderland Edition

2012-01-23T16:00:00.006-06:00

The season of winter is deep-seeded into North America, and with it comes chilly temperatures, snow, sleet, and a myriad of other inconvenient weather-related elements. Have no fear, however, as SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs are here to save the day! On today's docket we have music from Katamari Damacy, Wild ARMS, and Tatsunoko VS. Capcom, for starters.

v16. Jet Force Gemini (N64) - Rith Essa

Jet Force Gemini was a third-person shooter with plenty of platforming elements to it. Juno, Vela, and Lupus took on the sinister alien bug known as Mizar in this sensational shooter. Some didn't like the forced Tribal collecting the game threw at you, but I didn't mind it at all. Then again, I was one of the brave souls who completed Donkey Kong 64 100%, so maybe collect-a-thons don't bother me that much. Regardless, JFG's soundtrack was and still is phenomenal to this day. It sounds like something out of space opera AAA blockbuster Hollywood movie. These were the times when Rare was still deemed a tremendous developer before being destroyed by Microsoft. Nonetheless, we will always have Rare's SNES, N64, and early 360 efforts to remember them by.

v17. Nier (PS3, 360) - Hills of Radiant Wind

This lovely vocal piece comes from Nier, an underrated RPG from Square Enix. It is rare that we see a Japanese-RPG that doesn't feature someone the age of twenty or under. Instead what we received was a JRPG starring a parent on a quest to heal his ill daughter. This theme, Hills of Radiant Wind, plays on the world map of sorts with the titular character taking down boars and enemies of all shapes and sizes. If you are looking for an above average RPG that is beyond the typical JRPG story and tropes, check out Nier for either the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360.

v18. Katamari Damacy (PS2) - Que Sera Sera

Charlie Kosei lends his vocal talents to this jazzy piece from the eclectic Katamari Damacy soundtrack. It provides excellent music to roll everything from household objects like paper clips to pets, wildlife, and even people! Unfortunately, Namco Bandai opted to squeeze the Katamari Damacy sponge dry, even going so far as to make the creator of the series leave the company in disgust. The newest Katamari game will be coming out next month in the form of Touch My Katamari for the PlayStation Vita. Let's hope that there's more changes in store for this stagnant franchise.

v19. Wild ARMS (PS1) - Morning of the Journey

Capping off a tremendous adventure, Rudy, Jack, and Cecilia head home. This piece begins with an electric organ starting us off. Following that is the main beat accompanied with flutes and strings. Then comes an orchestrated version of Adlehyde Castle, one of the main themes of Wild ARMS, an underrated PlayStation One RPG. I never did beat the game legit. I always used the glitch where one could clone Might Apples (or whatever item gave you more strength), and cheat that way. Though to be fair I haven't played Wild ARMS since I was quite young. Regardless, the memories of this game still stay with me to this day.

v20. Tatsunoko VS. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (Wii) - Orbital Ring Systems Cargo Bay

Did I hear someone say "rave?" This techno theme for Tekkaman Blade's stage gets the blood and adrenaline pumping as you duke it out against anime company Tatsunoko's and video game publisher and developer Capcom's characters. I find this theme to a perfect workout theme, personally. This could just be me, though. I also find that I liked Tatsunoko VS. Capcom way more than Marvel VS. Capcom 3 or its expansion pack. The combat was more enjoyable, the unlockables were more entertaining, and even if the voices weren't dubbed in English, the game was just better than Capcom's 2011 efforts.

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We have once again reached the point where must temporarily say "goodbye" to my favorite VGMs. No worries, though, as next Monday I will have five more fitting favorites to share from my collection of lovely VGMs.

SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs Database

2012-01-23T15:48:00.009-06:00

Perhaps you love video game music as much as I but have failed to check with all of my instances of my VGMs. That's all right as now you have a one-stop shop for all episodes of SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs. Every week it will be updated with the newest five video game tracks that I adore, and all you have to do is keep up to date on this post!

v1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii) - Romance Theme
v2. Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, 360) - Saber's Edge
v3. Kirby's Return to Dreamland (Wii) - Aurora Area
v4. Sonic Colors (Wii) - Asteroid Coaster Act 3
v5. Skies of Arcadia (DC) - Credits
v6. The World Ends With You (DS) - Calling
v7. Mario Kart 64 (N64) - Staff Roll
v8. Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (PS2) - Mission to the Deep Space ~ Sail Against the Wind
v9. Perfect Dark Zero (360) - Rooftops Escape - Main Theme
v10. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Wii) - Althea's Waltz
v11. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - Wind Garden
v12. Viewtiful Joe (PS2, GCN) - Standing Ovation
v13. Mega Man X3 (SNES) - Cast Roll
v14. NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (Wii) - Queen Bella's Ball
v15. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) - Final Destination
v16. Jet Force Gemini (N64) - Rith Essa
v17. Nier (PS3, 360) - Hills of Radiant Wind
v18. Katamari Damacy (PS2) - Que Sera Sera
v19. Wild ARMS (PS1) - Morning of the Journey
v20. Tatsunoko VS. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (Wii) - Orbital Ring Systems Cargo Bay
v21. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (360) - Banjoland (Daytime)
v22. Starfox Adventures (GCN) - Thorntail Hollow
v23. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES) - Snakey Chantey
v24. Kameo: Elements of Power (360) - Thorn's Pass
v25. Viva Pinata (360) - Night 3

Have a favorite VGM of your own that you'd like to see in a future installment? Let me know in the comments section.

Curious As to SuperPhillip Central's Traffic? Look No Further!

2012-01-22T22:58:00.006-06:00

Some of you were interested in how much traffic SPC gets. If you only know one thing about me by now, it should be that I love data and information pertaining to said data, what with all of the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo 3DS playtime result posts and whatnot. Tonight I thought I would start off the week with a behind-the-scenes display of SuperPhillip Central's hits and unique viewers since May 2009 up until now. For some reason Blogger does not cover when I started SuperPhillip Central in June of 2008. That would have been interesting to see how the viewership progressed since then. Anyhow, let's begin by seeing the readership since May of '09.

July of 2009 had 9,874 views in total. Our lowest viewership was during my hiatus in July of last year with 8,244. I'm particularly pleased that the last two months of SuperPhillip Central (November and December) have had the highest unique viewership of any months tallied by Blogger with 27,857 and 30,258 respectively! Thanks, everyone, for their continued viewership of SuperPhillip Central. Your views help make this blog worth writing, and as long as someone keeps reading, I will keep writing.

Moving onto nation demographics:

United States

112,402

United Kingdom

17,504

Canada

11,988

Germany

11,048

Brazil

8,435

Australia

4,887

India

4,456

France

4,294

Russia

2,423

Italy

2,329

SuperPhillip fever seems to have hit the entire world pretty much! Not surprising the U.S. leads with Britain in a distant second. I'm surprised more Canadians and Australians aren't visiting SPC. I thought I was hip enough for those cool cats!

Finally, here's the breakdown of what browsers and what operating systems our guests are viewing SPC on:

I hope this little diversion was enjoyable for you. SuperPhillip Central, much like Wi-Fi World before it, is my baby. Unlike the other site, there's no one here to act immature here other than myself! I hope you will continue to peruse my blog and find interesting stories, reviews, articles, and lists to read and be entertained by. Until tomorrow, have a pleasant start to your weeks!

LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3) The Muppets Premium Level Kit Trailer

2012-01-21T02:21:00.000-06:00

The Muppets are going from the big screen to LittleBigPlanet with The Muppets Premium Level Kit. It brings with it five brand-new Muppet themed levels, seven new trophies, two mini-games, a new material that allows Sackboy to walk and run on walls and ceilings, and an assortment of other objects, stickers, and more! The Muppet madness on the world of LittleBigPlanet comes January 25th for £4.79 / €5.99 / US $5.99 / AUS $ 9.95.

Get your Muppet on with the direct link.

Bowing Out From Xbox: Why I Won't Be in the Market For Microsoft's Next Console

2012-01-20T16:21:00.020-06:00

In 2011 Microsoft's Xbox 360 had top honors as the best-selling console for the year. That's all fine and dandy, but I certainly am not impressed. I mean, all they had to do was copy the Wii's success, turn their back on the gamers that got them to their current position, and con gamers out of their hard-earned money with god-forsaken, horribly-made hardware. The following are reasons why I will not be buying whatever Microsoft has in store for next gen anytime soon.

1) Shoddy hardware

I do not believe that there has been a console with as huge and pathetic of a hardware failure rate as the early Xbox 360. The SuperPhillip household in Central City was one of the families hit by this curse, and we received the Red Ring of Death a mere two or three months once the darned system was out of warranty. I cannot help but shake my head furiously when I hear or read reports of people buying second, third, fourth, and even more 360s to replace their RROD'd one. Way to teach Microsoft that gamers like us will reward them for their miserable broken hardware! It's pitiful that Microsoft was allowed to reap the success because of their design flaws. Though to be fair, all three current generation platforms have had their share of failures. RROD, the Yellow Light of Death on the PS3 (apparently gamers aren't that creative with their names of these things), and the Wii's disc read errors (of which I suffered from) are all prominent this go around which makes me hesitant to go guns blazing with my wallet into the next generation of consoles.

2) The FIFA hack

If you are not familiar with this hack, it involved hackers stealing other people's Xbox Live accounts through an exploit in one of the popular FIFA games, charging an incredible amount to their victims' credit cards, and leaving the victim to pay the debt. Just because this isn't affecting as many people as the PSN fiasco doesn't mean it is not worth reporters' time. This is yet another example of the incompetence of Microsoft. You'd think that after having the luxury of paying sixty dollars just to be able to hop online, be called names by bigots and racists, and experience poor sportsmanship that Microsoft could control this egregious oversight.

3) Worst exclusives of any current gen platform

Xbox wins two gens in a row. Whether it is the Wii (which in my view has the best exclusives this gen, or does that invalidate my opinion on everything, trolls?), the PS3 (close behind along with...), the DS (...this platform), or the PSP, the Xbox 360 sits at the bottom of the ladder with the worst exclusives. Unless you cannot get enough of the most over-saturated genre this gen, the shooter, then you probably yearn for more from your console(s) of choice. When they weren't moneyhatting Japanese developers early on in the generation in a failure of an effort to sell software and gain Japanese mind share, they were putting out shooter (Gears of War) after shooter (Halo). Besides, most of the worthwhile games of this gen can be found on both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.

4) They essentially killed off Rare and many other of their developers

It seems any and every studio that Microsoft get their hands on they kill. The most disturbing example is Rare which originally made some of the best games on the Nintendo 64 like Banjo-Kazooie, GoldenEye 007, Perfect Dark, Jet Force Gemini, and Blast Corps). Now what do they do? After awesome games that failed to light up the charts like Kameo: Elements of Power, Viva Pinata and its sequel, and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. This is apparently because the Xbox userbase only cares for shooters and racing games as evident by sales charts. Rare has now been relegated to making Kinect games and running Microsoft's Mii ripoff, Avatars. Just another reason to have a distaste for Microsoft.

Rare... Good night, sweet prince.

5) They seem to care more about money than actual games.

This could be said about any company, but it is most true for Microsoft. They entered the industry for the pure reason of making more money-- games and developers (why buy devs only to gut them?) be damned. Who needs to develop great games when you can just moneyhat devs to create the games for you? Who needs the core anymore after you've used them like a cheap call girl and turned your back on them-- going with the casual audience with Kinect? And don't even get me started on Kinect. I don't care if it is selling well. Of the 40+ games available for the blasted device, maybe 3-5 are worthwhile or are actually selling. Again, just look at sales charts (and not VGChartz as the owner just pulls numbers from his rear and then fixes them when actual official numbers come). There seems to be a reason critics of Microsoft use the "M$" moniker.

Kinect Sports and its sequel are one of
the few games worth owning a Kinect for.

6) Pay-to-play online

Xbox Live = sixty dollars, avatar clothes = five dollars, getting called the "n" word or the "f" word on Xbox Live by a seven year-old boy = priceless. As if I needed a reason not to go online, there's a charge for services for Xbox Live. I already don't enjoy online multiplayer, so this turned me off even more. At least with PSN, I can play any game I want online and have most of the features of XBL. Unfortunately at this rate, Sony is probably going to charge next gen for their online service thanks to the greed of Microsoft.

Bitter much, SuperPhillip? Definitely. Hopefully my vitriol towards Xbox wasn't too harsh. Regardless, for these aforementioned reasons I have no desire to buy Microsoft's next console at launch. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. That's how the old saying goes, and I intend to live by it. Let me just say this-- with their current business practices and attitude towards the industry, I fear for an industry where Microsoft is considered the leader.

Resident Evil 6 (PS3, 360) First Trailer

2012-01-19T20:47:00.003-06:00

After rumors of a big reveal, Capcom has pulled up the curtain on Resident Evil 6, the next chapter to their popular survival horror series. Not only is Leon back in action, but so is Chris Redfield. Will these two titans partner up somewhere along the line? The game is set to launch on November 20th this year, and we're bound to see more at E3 this year for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC (I don't cover PC, so it isn't listed in the story heading). Hopefully a Wii U release is also on the way. Goodness knows that platform needs all the third-party support it can get. As it stands, though, scope out this intense trailer full of speedy zombies, bright cities, and debonair special agents delivering axes to foreheads.

Resident trailer

SPC Showdown - 1/19/12

2012-01-19T15:28:00.007-06:00

Our last SPC Showdown was back in August of last year, so why not bring this feature out of retirement and bring forth some battles to end all battles? SPC Showdown is where I take two like-minded games, companies, etc., and pit them against one another to see which one achieves supremacy. It won't be pretty-- blood will be spilled, bones will be crushed-- Just kidding! This is a family-friendly affair, after all! Let's see what is up first!

Round One: Grand Theft Auto IV VS. Saints Row: The Third

Pretty much the top dogs when it comes to open-world sandbox-styled gameplay this generation, which out sandboxes the other?

Grand Theft Auto IV

Join immigrant Nico Bellic on his exodus to the crime-filled corners of Liberty City in pursuit of the American dream. Of course, Nico won't let anything get in his way of his dream, including gangs, mafia members-- you name it. Focusing more on realism than past Grand Theft Auto games, GTA IV introduces a living, breathing city to explore. Sure, there isn't much to do in it unless you REALLY like searching for pigeons and racing fast cars, but it is a testament to Rockstar's undying love of creating entertaining playgrounds for players to explore.

Saints Row: The Third

While GTA IV narrowed its view towards realism, Saints Row: The Third does just the opposite. What can you say about a game with a weapon called fart-in-a-jar, allows you to streak for money, vehicle surf, operate a tank to earn cash and respect, take over neighborhoods in the name of the Saints, and provide some testicular manslaughter to unlucky adversaries? Well, you could say a whole heck of a lot. From flying VTOLs to entering cyberspace to do battle with a huge tech head, Saints Row: The Third provides plenty of gameplay variety and some unapologetic humor along the way.

Winner: Saints Row: The Third

Round Two: New Super Mario Bros. Wii VS. Rayman Origins

This pair of pleasant platforming experiences are both available on the Wii where the genre has found a lovely home. Which jumps ahead of the other?

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Mario's return to 2D on consoles was a grand occasion, and consumers rewarded him with millions upon millions of sales. You had your typical grass world, desert world, ice world, jungle world, sky world, and so forth, but the level design was sensational. Hidden in each level were three star coins that opened up the way to the ultra-difficult ninth world-- purely optional, of course. And don't forget four player multiplayer, the return of the Koopa Kids, and one of the best final battles with Bowser ever seen, 2D or 3D!

Rayman Origins

This game reminds me heavily of Donkey Kong Country Returns. In each level there are bonus areas where the goal is to defeat all enemies to rescue the caged Electoons. Also placed in secret locations are Skull Coins which give you 25 lums. Get enough lums and you earn medallions which open up the way to the super-fun treasure chest chase levels. These levels test your dexterity and platforming know-how. Like NSMBWii, Rayman Origins offers up to four players trekking it through the whimsical levels together. Rayman's latest is one of the best platformers of this generation, and it's a crime that more people didn't play it.

Winner: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Round Three: Sonic CD JPN and PAL Soundtrack VS. Sonic CD NA Soundtrack

Sonic CD recently released on PSN and XBLA, so a new generation of players were introduced to one of Sonic's best 2D outings. However, the JPN/PAL and NA soundtracks differ in sound and melodies. Which is the superior sound?

Sonic CD JPN and PAL Soundtrack

Composed by Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata, the Japanese and PAL version of the Sonic CD soundtrack has many fine tunes such as:

Palmtree Panic Zone (Good Future)
Stardust Speedway Zone (Present)
Special Stage

Sonic CD NA Soundtrack

The North American soundtrack utilizes more of a rock sound. It was composed and produced in part by Spencer Nielsen and David Young. Some of my favorite tracks include:

Collision Chaos Zone (Good Future)
Quartz Quadrant Zone (Present)
Stardust Speedway Zone (Bad Future)

Winner: Sonic CD NA Soundtrack

Round Four: Super Smash Bros. Melee VS. Super Smash Bros. Brawl

A debate that Nintendo fans argue to the death, which is better-- Melee or Brawl?

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Melee introduced a slew of new characters such as Peach, Zelda/Sheik, Bowser, Ice Climbers, Ganondorf, Marth, Roy, Falco, Dr. Mario, Young Link, Pichu, Mewtwo, and Mr. Game and Watch as well as had the best adventure mode the series has seen. The concept of trophies was brought in which made collecting a high goal for most players. Add in new items, new and classic stages, and the tactic of wave-dashing, and you have one competitive clash for the ages.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

The all-star brawl is on! New characters this time around included Pit, Wario, Metaknight, King Dedede, Wolf O'Donnell, Toon Link, Pokemon Trainer, and many more. Brawl featured a new adventure mode in the form of the Subspace Emissary, had awesome stages like Mario Circuit, Delfino Island, Mushroomy Kingdom, Bridge of Eldin, Pirate Frigate, Norfair, Rumble Falls, Skyworld, Distant Planet, and a plethora of other wild and wacky stages to knock opponents off of. With more trophies, characters, stages, options, and modes than ever before, Brawl takes my pick as the better game.

Winner: Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Round Five: Super Mario 3D Land VS. Super Mario Galaxy 2

Our final battle this go around puts two titans of platforming together in a fight to the finish. Which 3D Mario will leave the other falling down a bottomless pit?

Super Mario 3D Land

The game that will no doubt outsell previous 3D Marios as this game perfectly mixes 3D Mario with 2D Mario for one experience that is surely unforgettable. Just when you think you've bested Bowser and your journey is complete, the game throws a curve ball and gives you even more gameplay goodness to leap through. Whether you're collecting star medals, knocking Bowser into the fiery abyss below, or teaching Pom Pom or Boom Boom a lesson in civility, there is no shortage of memorable moments in the newest Mario adventure.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Continuing the tradition the original Galaxy set by offering imaginative worlds and sectors of space to trek through, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is indeed a love letter to fans of Mario. The music and presentation are just the icing on this delicious, scrumptious cake and show that Nintendo could get a lot out of the underpowered Wii. Like Super Mario 3D Land, even after all 120 stars are gathered, you think you're finished with the game. And then Super Mario Galaxy 2 opens itself up considerably for even more spectacular gameplay. One of my favorite games of all time, Super Mario Galaxy 2 reigns supreme in this battle.

Winner: Super Mario Galaxy 2

===

Once more five rounds are over and one with. The battles have concluded, the swords have been sheathed, and the fighters are going to their neutral corners. And thus that wraps up an action-packed SPC Showdown. Do you agree/disagree with my choices? Let me know in the comments section.

Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS) New Trailer

2012-01-19T15:09:00.005-06:00

Kid Icarus: Uprising soars onto the Nintendo 3DS in late March, and the hype train has started rolling. The game will come with a stand, and it's been revealed that if North American gamers pre-order the game, they will receive a download code for 3D Classics: Kid Icarus. The MSRP for Uprising is $39.99. For now, check out this all-new trailer showing off the sky and ground battles Pit will encounter.

Take flight with Pit here.

SSX (PS3, 360) Online Features Trailer

2012-01-19T00:28:00.004-06:00

It seems this gen is prime for revivals. We've seen Turok, Mortal Kombat, Donkey Kong Country Returns, New Super Mario Bros., and a slew of others. Next on the list is SSX, a series that made its debut as a launch title for the PlayStation 2. This video shows off an online mode called Explore. I'd explain it, but that would be redundant, would it not? The fine fellow in this trailer does an excellent job discussing the ins and outs of Explore mode and the ability to play against user-created ghosts.

Shred the slopes here.

Rayman Origins (PS3, 360, Wii) Review

2012-01-18T15:18:00.006-06:00

The next game I'll be reviewing won runner-up for Best Multiplatform Game at the SPC Best of 2011 Awards, so you know it's of quality. If you have any hesitations in picking this game up, stop it and run to your local game retailer of choice. Toys 'R Us had been selling the game at the drastic price of $19.99. My pleas aside, here's my review of Rayman Origins which is also coming to Nintendo 3DS and the PlayStation Vita.

No Limbs? No Problem!

The 2D platforming genre has seen a bit of a resurgence as of late with everyone from Nintendo to Capcom to indie studios producing and developing games cut from the same 2D cloth. After an extended hiatus and a profusion of games starring the precocious Rabbids, Rayman is finally returning to the spotlight and starring in his own game, Rayman Origins. Coming from Ubisoft of all places who are not known for their high quality games of late other than Assassin's Creed, Rayman Origins is certainly one pleasant surprise worthy of your gaming time.

Rayman Origins starts out with the limbless hero and his trusty friend Globox resting heavily in their home in the Glade of Dreams. However, when their loud, obnoxious snoring bothers their downstairs neighbors in the Land of the Livid Dead, all-out war begins! The villains then capture the small creatures known as Electoons in small cages and imprison the ability-giving Nymphs as well. Rayman, Globox, and two Teensies all join up to explore worlds big and small to right the wrongs of the patrons of the Land of the Livid Dead so they can get back to what they love doing-- resting and snacking back at the Glade of Dreams! The story of Rayman Origins is unobtrusive for the most part with small portions of dialogue scattered throughout the game. Most of the time, though, actions speak louder than words, and that is the case with Rayman's latest adventure.

Rayman marches to the beat of a different drum.

No matter which character you choose, they all have the same amount of moves at their disposal. As you progress through the game and rescue Nymphs from their cages, they teach you new moves such as the ability to hover for a limited amount of time, the ability to swim, to run up walls, and to shrink at specially marked locations. There are four characters to select from: Rayman, his overweight buddy Globox, and two Teensies. There might be some small differences between characters, but it's nothing major. You can sprint, slap enemies or other players even, wall jump, and of course since this is a platformer, leap into the air onto platforms and enemy heads.

Like New Super Mario Bros. Wii and LittleBigPlanet, Rayman Origins allows you to team up with up to three other players and venture through the 9+ unique worlds and 60+ levels the game has to offer. Players can interact with one another by slapping each other. This can actually help by giving you extra height during a jump to reach otherwise-inaccessible items and areas. When someone perishes (you can only get hit once before you die unless you are carrying a heart), they turn into a bubble a la New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Unlike that game, however, you can control the bubble 100% completely and have your alive friends rescue you. If all players end up inside bubbles, you begin from a checkpoint, and as there are an ample amount to be found, retrying areas of the game is never a chore. Playing with friends is much easier than playing alone as there's a much wider margin for error when teaming up. Unfortunately there is no online play to speak of which is a huge oversight. A game like this begs to have online play. Regardless, get a roomful of buddies, and you're bound to have a slap-happy good time.

The first five worlds are played in a linear fashion, but once you clear that fifth world, you gain the choice of going to any of four worlds. You get to clear them in any order you wish. The levels are highly creative, ranging from deserts full of instruments like drums, oboes, and guitar strings to frozen glaciers infested with deadly fruit. Each level introduces a new gameplay element to spice things up. One level you'll be cautiously avoiding being squished by gears, mashers, and pistons while another you'll be running from a incredibly hungry creature or flying on top of mosquitoes (these on-rails shooter segments occur in every world). In this regard Rayman Origins reminds me very much of Donkey Kong Country and its three sequels.

These shooter segments break up the platforming gameplay.

The comparisons to Donkey Kong Country don't end there, either. In each level there are Electoon cages hidden away in bonus rooms. These are hidden in fiendish locations usually just off the screen in a secret area of a level, but the faint cry of "help me" usually assists in knowing the coordinates of a bonus room. In these bonus rooms the goal is to clear out every enemy and then bust open the cage to free the Electoons. There are three cages in every platforming level with two being in hidden rooms and the third being the conclusion of the level.

Apart from Electoons, there are Skull Coins found in hard-to-reach, dangerous, or hidden locations in the game's levels. If you can manage to hold onto them for a few seconds, you'll earn twenty-five Lums (pronounced "looms"). Lums are yellow specs of light that are like the coins of the Super Mario Bros. series. The point of Lums is to gather as many as possible so at the end of a level you earn Lum Medallions for reaching a certain total (100, 150, 200, 250, 300, etc.). Collecting enough of said medallions opens the way to the most challenging levels in Rayman Origins.

Now I know what a tin can feels like!

These levels have you chasing after a rogue treasure chest who flees from Rayman and friends when it gets the thought in its head that our heroes want to clobber it open. The trick to these levels is to constantly be at top speed as you navigate falling platforms, deadly obstacles, and try to keep up with the treasure chest until the conclusion of the level. Catching up with the treasure chest nets you one of ten Skull Teeth. When all ten have been collected, the way to the most difficult world in the game, the Land of the Livid Dead, is opened. These treasure chest levels are mostly about trial and error as well as high precision platforming. One small mistake can be the difference between victory and defeat, but the levels are built around the idea of "just one more try" and "almost have it" that repeated tries are never too annoying. The skills you get from completing these levels assist you in the main game. Not all is well with these levels, however, as one early level has a glitch near the tail-end which can instantly kill all players if the jump isn't exactly right. This caused a lot of frustration, and there's no excuse for it. How could the developers not find this?

Moving on, the first half of the game does not feature many bosses at all, if any. Instead the game slowly introduces you to new gameplay concepts and trials. It's a steady challenge and a fun adventure. When you reach the second half, however, that is when each world concludes with a traditional three-hit-and-they're-dead boss battle. Each one has you dodging the boss's attack, and then hitting the giant sore that stands as its weak point. One battle has you hovering in the air while avoiding being sucked up by a colossal cuckoo bird while another has you fighting inside the belly of a beast with a severe and hazardous case of heartburn! The encounters are enjoyable enough and divides up the game quite nicely.

The boss fights are your typical three hit affairs.

After a level has been finished, you can opt to try out a Time Attack challenge. These have you racing against the clock and competing to best a set time. You earn a medal for each time you successfully beat. Between trying to finish the Land of the Livid Dead and gathering every Electoon Medallion, there is no shortage of things to do in Rayman Origins.

There is no question that Rayman Origins is one gorgeous game. Using a new graphics engine, the UbiArt Framework, has allowed Michel Ancel and his team to create lush worlds teeming with beautiful backgrounds and crisp and colorful characters. The fact that it is all hand-drawn is astounding as well. If you needed a pick for the "are games art?" debate, you should definitely choose Rayman Origins as your evidence. The game's soundtrack is as crazy and insane as the visuals of the game, featuring vocals (Chipmunks, anyone?), percussion, brass, and a myriad of memorable melodies that you cannot help but bop your head to. Case in point, Rayman Origins delivers and delivers big time.

Leave it to Rayman to slap some sense into his enemies!

Rayman Origins is a nice cross between New Super Mario Bros. Wii and the Donkey Kong Country series in that it has awesome local multiplayer play, it constantly introduces new gameplay mechanics into the fray, and the presentation is without a doubt one of the best-- if not the best-- of 2011. From the "just there" story to the ingenious level design, Rayman Origins is sadly an overlooked gem that should without question be in every serious platforming fan's library. Rayman might not have limbs, but he undoubtedly has heart.

[SuperPhillip Says: 9.25/10]

SuperPhillip Presents: The Countdown to 300

2012-01-18T00:08:00.005-06:00

No, this has nothing to do with the movie of the same name. It's been a long time coming. It seems only yesterday I was celebrating my 100th review, and then my 150th... and then my 200th! I am fast approaching my 300th review on SuperPhillip Central, and I hope you will join me in celebrating. There will be some grand reviews in the pipeline for the site, so you won't want to miss it. It all leads to the big kahuna-- review #300! Stay tuned in the coming months for the festivities, and join me for this great occasion!

To relive past reviews, check out the SPC Review Archive! It lists every and all reviews I have ever written. You can probably tell which ones were my earliest! See you at 300!

Saints Row: The Third (PS3, 360) Review

2012-01-17T19:20:00.009-06:00

Saints Row was a new IP from this generation that has done well for itself. Volition, too, has done well for itself even with past rumors of THQ perhaps cancelling off its (THQ's, that is) 2014 lineup. THQ has commented and stated that these rumors are false, thankfully. There's been enough closures of studios thanks to the HD twins and the Wii (mostly the HD twins and the broken publisher/developer system). That said, this all-new review is based on nearly thirty hours of playtime, so I've explored the ins and outs of Steelport to the very best of my abilities. Let's see if it was worth it with my review of Saints Row: The Third.

EDIT: To view my Saints Row: The Third profile, click here.

The Secret to the Saints' Success

The sandbox genre was immensely popular last generation thanks to the help of Grand Theft Auto III. Since its release there have been plenty of imitators, some good, some bad, but they failed to capture the spirit of the original source. This generation we've seen Just Cause and Saints Row try their hand at the open-world formula to varying degrees of success. This time around Volition is at it again with the third installment to the popular Saints Row series. The Saints go marching in with their third outing, but should you go marching in with them?

The Saints have moved from the cramped city streets of Stilwater and have traveled to the expansive metropolis of Steelport. However, they have completely sold out. Members of the Saints appear in TV commercials, they have their names plastered on clothing stores, energy drinks-- you name it, and the Saints probably have their collective hands dabbling in it. When a bank heist goes wrong, a rival group of gangs known as The Syndicate move in while the Saints are at their most vulnerable. They kill off Johnny Gat, the face of the Saints, and proceed to make life miserable for the gang, cutting off their access to funds and much more. The goal is clear for the Saints: it is to get revenge for the death of Johnny, cause hell for The Syndicate, and take over Steelport in the name of the Saints. The story itself is completely off-the-wall and bonkers. It never takes itself seriously which is somewhat refreshing. Nonetheless, there are places in the story that I wish the developers didn't go. Without spoiling anything, most sections with Zemos, a pimp who always speaks with autotune, I found to be completely distasteful and almost embarrassing to sit through. Thankfully no one was around me when I was playing.

The gang's all here.

At first you create your character, choosing a sex, altering everything from the skin color to the shape of your avatar's nose. You can also select one of seven voices for your gang member of choice. One is your typical Anglo-Saxon male, another is a chick with a 'tude, another is Hispanic, while one just growls and moans for brains as the voice is called "Zombie." Several stores throughout the game allow you to purchase new clothing for the upper body and lower body (or you can forgo clothes altogether and go streaking), obtain new tattoos, or get some plastic surgery for a low cost. Character customization is paramount in Saints Row, and the tradition continues with this third installment.

From freaky to fly, outfit your character your way.

Saints Row: The Third begins with a bang. After the heist at the beginning of the game goes awry, you're blasting SWAT team members raining in through the windows with your firepower, using civilians as human shields, and aiming for head shots to take foes down in one bullet. Then comes a scene where a helicopter grabs the bank's vault while you're standing on it, it rises up, and suddenly you're doing battle while suspended in the air, hanging for your life from the edge of the vault. Other missions have you free-falling through an airplane's wreckage, stealing parachutes from unsuspecting baddies as you attempt to catch up with a fallen comrade. Some missions give you a choice of two options to decide upon. The rewards given differ for whichever choice you do, and sometimes they have dire consequences. You can choose to blow up a rival gang's building to garner Respect from your fellow gang members, or opt to keep it standing for yourself to earn a permanent cash percentage bonus for every mission you complete from then on out. The choice is yours and yours alone.

Who needs a parachute when I already look this good?

Unfortunately, throughout the story there are a number of missions that are simply there to introduce you to the many activities Saints Row: The Third offers. There are a myriad of activities to take part in in this game. There's Snatch, Escort, Mayhem, Tank Mayhem, Insurance Fraud, Heli Assault, Trafficking, and Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax. Snatch has you picking up hos from their abusive pimps and bringing them back to a specific location. Escort either has you driving around with a tiger riding shotgun-- yes, a tiger-- or has you driving two people exchanging pleasantries while dodging news fans who attempt to capture footage. Other activities like Mayhem and Tank Mayhem have you doing as much damage to vehicles, buildings, and civilians as possible before time runs out, while fan favorite Insurance Fraud gets you going limp in front of a car and being ran over by as many cars as possible. One of the newest activities in the form of Professor Genki's S.E.R.C. is a deadly obstacle course where killing mascots, hitting certain signs, and avoiding traps like flames and pulsating electricity awards cash. The goal is to get to the finish of the course without dying, with enough cash, and before the clock reaches zero. There are six instances of each activity, and they are spread out all over Steelport. For each activity finished, the Saints take over and occupy a small percentage of gang territory.

Completing activities is just one way to take over gang territory in Saints Row 3. Hidden throughout Steelport on the various islands that make up the metropolis are gang operations. When found, the objective is to eliminate all gang members with a red icon over their head to gain that section of Steelport. Additionally, there are a plethora of properties that can be purchased for a set price. New cribs can be accessed where you can park vehicles, change clothes, and escape police and/or gang notoriety. Establishments such as clothing stores, plastic surgeon offices, car customization garages, tattoo parlors, and gun shops give discounts for stores you own. As more sections of Steelport are owned by the Saints, less rival gang members hang out and more Saints arrive, mingling on the streets.

Grab a civilian and use them as a shield.
This is a turf war we're talking about!

Speaking of guns and vehicles, there are a vast variety of weaponry and rides at your fingertips. As you complete missions you earn new goodies such as tanks, VTOLs, and bizarre weapons like a Mega Man-styled hand cannon, a giant fist that punches people across long distances, a shock hammer that sends ripples wherever it is slammed on, a fart-in-a-jar which causes opponents to gag, throw up, and become dazed as you off them, and yes, even sex toys. Stay classy, Volition. Weapons can be upgraded at any Friendly Fire location. For instance, a normal everyday wooden baseball bat can be upgraded to have barbwire encircling it.

Decidedly, Saints Row: The Third is not grounded in reality.

While we're on the subject of upgrades, these are dealt out differently than in past Saints Row games. No longer do you obtain them from completing activities. Instead, you gain them from purchasing them via your phone. You just need the right amount of Respect (received from completing missions, activities, and doing odd tasks like power-sliding, nearly hitting other cars, popping a wheelie across a long distance, vehicle surfing, killing cops and rival gang members, etc.) to buy them. Your character can obtain higher stamina, more health, and when you reach level 45 Respect or higher, unlimited ammo. You'll be able to feel free to pop a cap in someone's hind parts as often as you like!

Take it to the fuzz with an attack chopper.

Aside from the 47 missions and 60-something instances of activities, there's still a lot to complete in Steelport. The city might not be as ambitious as say, a San Andreas, but it has a fair amount of stuff to offer. There's assassination missions where you follow instructions to lure out the target and then kill him or her, vehicle theft missions that have you going to a certain part of town to steal a vehicle and bringing back to a marked location, survival missions that happen randomly as you play, and challenges (reaching a set amount of streaking time, big air time, travel distance, boats/cars/aircraft/tanks destroyed, and so forth). You'll be spending plenty of time in Steelport-- over thirty hours if you plan on achieving everything there is to accomplish.

The gameplay mechanics of Saints Row 3 are relatively top-notch. The driving controls are some of the genre's best. Of course, a truck doesn't have the agility and swiftness of a sports car, and that is to be expected. One thing that did bug me was how slow rising and lowering in a helicopter felt. It took far too long for it to rise and sink in the sky. Meanwhile, being on-foot had its ups and downs. The game utilizes a stamina meter and a regenerating health system. Occasionally I'd get caught up on the geometry of a fence or building and be a sitting duck to fire or explosions. Thankfully, if my character got caught under an insurmountable object or obstacle, the game would instantly refresh and put my character out of harm's way. If this wasn't done, I'd have lots of frustration and anger, for sure. Gunplay in Saints Row: The Third feels tight enough. Pulling off head shots (and the sporadic nut shot) is a breeze, and close encounters never were irritating either. Holding a button popped up the weapon wheel which made exchanging weapons beyond simple. There would be nothing worse than trying to shift weapons in the middle of a firefight and being unable to do so.

Saints Row: The Third is an above average-looking open-world action game. As you would expect with a game of this magnitude and scale, there is a large amount of graphical bugs and glitches such as pop up, pop in, and every type of pop except soda pop and popcorn. Characters can glitch through walls, sometimes making completing missions an impossibility. I've had it where I had to restart a mission because the game glitched and wouldn't allow me to progress. Other times the game froze and I had to hard reset my system. These problems aside, Steelport is a living, breathing city, and while not as memorable as Vice City or Liberty City, it invites players to explore every nook and cranny. The level of detail in Steelport is phenomenal even with all of the graphical bugs. Characters animate well as evident by the various taunts your character can do. Shifting to sound, the voice acting is incredible. Each line is delivered convincingly, and the soundtrack was something I came into hesitantly. I'm a classic rock kind of guy, but some of my favorite tracks on Saints Row 3's many radio stations came from The Mix, Gen-X, and the classical music station. Also, after each "big" event in the game, a news broadcast would chime in chronicling what had just occurred making for a greater sense of realism in an otherwise totally surreal game.

Obviously not dressing for the occasion, is she?

Saints Row: The Third might just be a title that-- at least for this gen-- out GTAs GTA. It harks back to a less realistic open world experience that focuses more on fun than "how serious can we make our game be." Although there are plenty of distasteful moments and sophomoric humor (the kind you see on an average message board) and there are a grand amount of glitches to be had, the good far outweighs the bad in this third outing of the Saints. While the main campaign may be short, Saints Row: The Third manages to somehow be entertaining for the majority of the wild, wacky, and whimsical ride. Suit up and strap it on. The Saints are back and they mean business.

[SuperPhillip Says: 9.0/10]

SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs - Mid-January Edition

2012-01-16T12:37:00.004-06:00

We've reached the beginning of a new week. Some of you at least in the United States might be off school and/or work today with it being a holiday and all. Nonetheless, the VGMs are not, and they are happy to be here, back on Mondays where they belong. Today I have music from Super Mario Galaxy, Viewtiful Joe, and Mega Man X3, to name a few. Just click on the song name to move to the corresponding YouTube video. Let's get started!

v11. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - Wind Garden

Who could have expected Nintendo EAD to give a Super Mario game a full orchestra? Well, that is exactly what they did with Super Mario Galaxy. Without a doubt one of the best themes from the game is Wind Garden which is heard playing in the gorgeous Gusty Garden Galaxy. This galaxy has worms that feast upon apples, winds that blow flowers in the air, and a stubborn mole that refuses to surrender.

v12. Viewtiful Joe (PS2, GCN) - Standing Ovation

After vanquishing Captain Blue in the original Viewtiful Joe, our unlikely hero winds up at the precipice of a new battle. But this time the girl that Joe saved wants to tag along in the form of Sexy Sylvia. Sure, why not? That opens up the way to the somewhat disappointing sequel and the credits where faux movie posters, cast, and credits are listed. Stand up and take a bow, Viewtiful Joe. You've earned it.

v13. Mega Man X3 (SNES) - Cast Roll

Sigma has once again been defeated thanks in part to the efforts of Mega Man X, Zero, and even Dr. Doppler. The Sigma Virus has been contained for the time being, but Mega Man X fans know that this wouldn't be the final time that Sigma would show his ugly mug. That's what the five sequels of Mega Man X3 were for. As Mega Man X runs through a futuristic metropolis, this rocking theme plays and the cast and crew light up the night sky. If you ever wanted to know how much Blizzard Buffalo weighed, this was the perfect opportunity to find out the answer.

v14. NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (Wii) - Queen Bella's Ball

I didn't get to play much of the sequel to NiGHTS Into Dreams, but what I did get to play wasn't too terribly bad. There was plenty of variety in the gameplay from flying in the sunset sky as NiGHTs to exploring a map as one of the two children to racing to disarm a bomb. However, the most impressive part of the package was without question the music. SEGA once again delivered in spades with a variable pantheon of pretty and pleasant music. Queen Bella's Ball is just one of these terrific tracks. It gets you with its jazz flair and has you dancing in your seat as you play the boss battle that accompanies it.

v15. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) - Final Destination

As you'll discover, unlike most YouTube commenters, my vocabulary doesn't only consist of the word "epic", so I will attempt to not describe this song as that. Instead, I will talk about the incredible chanting backing this song that will send shivers down your spine. It borrows the melody of the main theme of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a game that might be listed in my favorite games of all time. But that's a discussion for another day. Whether you're battling Master Hand or taking on opponents in this flat, featureless arena, this track will get the blood pumping... to your loins! Oh!

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This concludes the third installment of my favorite VGMs. Stay tuned next week for five more excellent themes from possibly your favorite video games of all time. Stay tuned later in the week for an all-new review and a new edition of the SPC Showdown!

Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (GBA) Retro Review

2012-01-13T23:40:00.006-06:00

It's Friday the 13th, and what could be scarier than a pink blob that consumes everything? Nothing, that's what. Is it a coincidence that tonight is Friday the 13th and the next game I'm reviewing has to do with a broken mirror? ...Why, yes, it is. Tonight I have a retro review to share for a game that 3DS Ambassadors have been enjoying since the end of last month. It's Kirby & the Amazing Mirror.

A Mirror Image of Something Above Average

The character of Kirby has generally been introduced to the most different types of gameplay mechanics than any other main character in Nintendo's stable of well-known mascots. We've twisted and titled our Game Boys to move the pink puffball through a series of mazes, we've earned high scores with a pinball version of Kirby, and we've even played through a Tetris-like game with falling blocks with the pink hero. For the Game Boy Advance, however, Nintendo and their many partners opted to take the normal, more traveled route with their mascot. Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land was a remake of Kirby's Adventure, the NES classic, and the subject of this review, Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, takes the traditional and familiar gameplay of the Kirby series and adds onto it a Castlevania flair. Is the end result amazing?

Once upon a time there was an amazing mirror. A dark force emanates from it, unleashing a Dark Metaknight to go up against the real Metaknight, a protector of Dream Land. Not only does the Dark Metaknight swipe his sword and slashes Kirby, splitting him up into four alter egos, but he also shatters the amazing mirror into nine different pieces, spreading them across the various lands. That about does it for the narrative. But then again, if you're playing a Kirby game for the engaging story, then you must the live-action Transformers movies for Shia Lebeouf's stupendous acting skills. Oh, snap! Regardless, the story is just a means to get the player interested in the game, and it managed to do so, at least for me.

Somewhere... over the Rainbow Route...

Despite having nine worlds, you might believe that this adventure will be like Kirby's other some-odd journeys-- a linear progression from world to world, collecting mirror pieces. This would be where you are dead wrong. Sure, the game starts you out in the clouds, chasing after Dark Metaknight, but as soon as you enter the room where the amazing mirror rests, the decisions are all up to you on where you wish to go. The game is completely nonlinear, offering multiple areas to visit, doors to enter, and secrets to uncover.

At the beginning of the game you are limited to entering the first area, but there are numerous choices in the form of doors to pass and venture through. The areas of Kirby & the Amazing Mirror are essentially large, elongated rooms to explore. Some doors lead to completely different areas while others lead you through a labyrinth of passageways. Getting lost is incredibly easy, and this is one part of Amazing Mirror that I detest. The general feeling of frustration as you think you're making progress only to end up in a room you have already been in. The map does little to assist you in moving forward. I had to use a guide to assist me which not only slowed the game down to a crawl, but it was annoying looking up at the computer, looking down at the hand-held, and doing this time and time again.

Hitting big switches gives Kirby
shortcuts to the different areas.

There are nine areas in total to explore. There's a palace made of ice, a haunted mansion, the typical nature/forest area, a red hot volcano, and many more. If you somehow manage to find the correct path, you will end up in a room leading up to the boss-- not to be confused with the many sub-bosses that patrol various sections of levels. You'll know you're close when you reach a room with a series of abilities just waiting for Kirby to consume. Boss battles can range from laughably easy to surprisingly difficult. Kirby will clash with giant elder trees made of stone, Master and Crazy Hand of Super Smash Bros. fame, and even Kracko makes his much anticipated return to kick some pink puffball fanny. Well, he doesn't have legs to kick with, but be quiet. Don't ruin the colloquialism. After beating a boss, Kirby earns a shard of the amazing mirror. Though if you return to a place where a boss fight occurred, you will once again have to face the boss. There's no way to opt out of battle which is obnoxious, personally speaking.

I mentioned abilities, and Kirby comes full force with the power to inhale enemies, digest them, and take their ability right from them. There's all sorts of abilities in Amazing Mirror such as Beam, Ice, Fire, Wheel, Spark, Burning, Sword, and many more. As long as Kirby does not take damage he will keep the ability. If you press Select or get hit, the ability will disappear from Kirby, and bounce away in the form of a star. Kirby can suck it back up to reclaim it, but it will completely vanish after a few seconds.

The puns write themselves when referring to the Ice ability.

Since Kirby was split up between four versions of himself, pink Kirby can at any time (as long as he has juice on his walkie-talkie) call the other Kirbys to take on enemies and play through areas with him. Some obstacles like giant gray blocks can only be moved when all four Kirbys are sucking in air simultaneously. The problem with doing this solo is that the AI is terribly brain-dead. They push you into hazardous traps and enemies, get in your way, and do a poor job of actually assisting you. Thankfully, you can team up with a human friend or friends and play through the game with them via link cables and extra Game Boy Advances. Sorry, 3DS Ambassadors, but you are stuck trekking through the game alone.

Even after all of the mirror shards have been restored and evil has been vanquished once more by everyone's favorite pink blob (seriously, what other pink blob can you think of that wouldn't hurt the feelings of a famous actress?), there is still plenty to do. Gunning for 100% is a task that should give most players something extra to do. Treasures are hidden and placed in inconvenient and/or secret locations, just waiting to be opened. These contain maps of the area, CDs for the Sound Test, new colors for you to paint Kirby (who doesn't love a goth-looking Kirby? Ugh.), health, and batteries to charge up our hero's walkie-talkie. In addition to gathering treasure, there are several sub-games to try out with or without human opponents. The fun just never seems to stop with Kirby & the Amazing Mirror.

Each enemy comes with its own health bar.

The worlds of Kirby's second and last Game Boy Advance entry are full of vibrant colors. Backgrounds are gorgeous and glamorous, characters are well-detailed and animate wonderfully, and little effects like rain and splashes when Kirby and others enter water are nice touches. All this and a steady framerate make for a splendid-looking game that is easy on the eyes and a testament to the ideology that you don't need high-powered hardware to make great-looking software. I think I've nailed that point home enough in every review I write, so let's move onto sound. The tunes heard in-game are pleasant, and they're what you'd expect from a Kirby title. Don't be surprised if after countless hours retracing your footsteps because you don't know where to go that you begin humming selected songs.

The backgrounds are something to marvel at.

Kirby & the Amazing Mirror is one of the odd games out when it comes to Kirby adventures. Normally when terrific Kirby titles are brought up, Amazing Mirror is seldom mentioned. I can see why some might want to forget about the game (i.e poor map system, easy to get lost, high difficulty for a Kirby game, awful teammate AI, etc.), but there is enough positive content to justify picking up this underrated gem. It might have a few cracks in the mirror (whoever did those is bound to have some bad luck), but don't let that deter you from trying out Kirby's Castlevania and Metroid-inspired outing.

[SuperPhillip Says: 8.0/10]

Misunderstood Marvels - Part One

2012-01-12T21:59:00.007-06:00

I was going to title this article Misunderstood Masterpieces, but that would be stretching it quite a bit all things considering. You'll see why once you peruse the entries. Regardless, tonight I am showing off a series of games that happen to be misunderstood, in my opinion. There might be one or a series of glaring flaws that make the games impossible to enjoy for many. Perhaps through my arguments you'll find something to like about a game you already made up your mind about.

Metroid: Other M (Wii)

The common complaints about Metroid: Other M are that the story is silly (which I won't argue against) and the means of Samus Aran gaining abilities is also ridiculous. The argument is that this game ruined the character of Samus Aran, as if she had any resemblance of a character to begin with. The strong silent type is hardly an archetype we haven't seen before, and it's not Samus Aran is your character anyway. It's Sakamoto's, the creator's. He can do whatever he wants with it for better or worse. You'll see many making fun of "the baby, the baby, the baby", etc. It seems Sakamoto insisted that Nintendo of America call the baby Metroid "the baby" and not "the infant" which would have been much better and easier on the ears.

However, the complaint about how Samus Aran gets abilities is somewhat unwarranted. In some regards it makes sense. Samus is just starting out and Adam is her boss/mentor. The space station they are on is mysterious and could fall apart at any moment. Using Samus' ultra-powerful moves might blow the entire place or survivors up. Getting new abilities and having Adam allow them should have been done better in all honesty. Nonetheless, those who call the game garbage because of it didn't give Other M a fair shake.

The gameplay of holding the Wii remote on its side for standard fighting and movement and pointing it at the screen to go into first-person mode worked well. Only one instance where it annoyed me and that was a purely optional part (where you slide down a slope and have to aim a hatch on the ceiling to reach-- if I recall correctly-- a missile expansion). The action was fast and fluid, Samus moved elegantly, and battles were always enjoyable. Metroid: Other M might not reach the levels of the Prime franchise, but it is hardly the death of the Metroid series that so many pathetic drama queens and pitiful message board users argue. We'll see, I guess!

Wii Music (Wii)

Another Wii title that the message board community once again embarrassed themselves over-- something they are very wont to do, Wii Music had a less than stellar E3 presentation, and many accused Nintendo of turning their back on the "hardcore" gamer. It's the typical "wah! Nintendo isn't focusing on me 24/7, so I'm going to whine like an entitled little baby whenever they try to reach out to an untapped market" syndrome.

When the game released, critics slammed the game without so much as even playing an hour of it. Wii Music has you shaking the Wii remote and nunchuk and hitting buttons as a melody plays. Your inputs vary how the melody is heard. You can play as little or as much as you want. You can also add up to six or so tracks. For instance, if you play the clarinet your first time, you can choose to play the trumpet the next. Your performance with the trumpet will go on with your clarinet performance playing alongside you. The end result is a symphony of sounds that you helped manufacture. It doesn't allow total creative freedom, but there's enough there to enjoy for even the most tone deaf player. The hate for this game was disappointing. Not everyone who disliked the game was a "hardcore" gamer, but that faction helped in damning Wii Music before it ever hit shelves. A struggle of sound, indeed.

Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (PS2)

There were two reasons some players didn't like the way Star Ocean's third outing unfolded. The main one was the twist near the end of the game. Without spoiling anything for those interested in playing the game, it pretty much ruined the universe of not only the third game but the past two entries. The other reason was that if a party member's MP went down to zero, they perished in battle.

For the twist, it's difficult to argue about it without spoiling it, so I will just say that video games already have poor stories, so why are some of you taking Star Ocean's mythos so personally? Those who say that the twist ruins the first two Star Ocean games just make me laugh like watching an early episode of Roseanne. The gameplay is still there, and that is all that matters. Regarding the MP issue, I can see the disappointment in that design decision, but as long as you didn't overly spam spells and abilities and had plenty of MP restoring items, you were golden. Thus, it wasn't too grand of a problem.

Star Fox Assault (GCN)

The final game we will examine is Star Fox Assault. It put Peppy behind the scenes and Krystal from Adventures took his place. Many didn't like how the game was a short ten mission affair, but the missions were a blast to play over and over again for high scores and for new medals. The all-range mode, hopping in and out of vehicles, and the feeling of being behind the controls of the Arwing and Landmaster felt just fine. I didn't have any problem with the tank or on-foot controls. Am I just a better player? I don't think so. Meanwhile, the on-rails sections were Star Fox goodness that we all know and love. Who didn't love entering the enemy's core or flying through Meteo once again?

Then there was the marvelous multiplayer that on any other system would have had online (why couldn't you get it in gear earlier, Nintendo?). There were maps based on geometric designs, Zoness, Corneria, Sauria, Titania, and so many more planets and areas. Changing vehicles, exchanging weapons such as rockets and grenades, and unlocking new options and maps from simply playing the game made for tons of fun in the SuperPhillip household. Don't forget the excellent orchestral soundtrack-- one of Nintendo's earliest uses for a symphony orchestra. Definitely an underrated and under-appreciated game, Star Fox Assault deserved GameCube owners' love.

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Do you agree with my picks of Misunderstood Marvels? Perhaps not my reasoning, but do you agree? What games do you like that you believe are misunderstood? Type them up and place them directly in the comments section!

December 2011 NPD Results

2012-01-12T21:43:00.002-06:00

We might be in the year 2012 now, but that doesn't mean we cannot take a look back at 2011. That is exactly what we're going to do with the NPD, showcasing the last month of sales in the United States. Which titles performed the best? Let's find out! Data courtesy of NeoGAF.

NPD Group's U.S. Games Industry Sales (New Physical Sales Channel*) - December 2011 & Annual 2011
5- week month; December retail reporting period 11/27/11 through 12/31/11

Software:

December 2011 Top 10 Games (New Physical Retail only; across all platforms incl. PC) Rank Publisher
1.) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (360, PS3, Wii, PC)** 1 Activision Blizzard
2.) Just Dance 3 (Wii, 360, PS3) 2 Ubisoft
3.) Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (360, PS3, PC)** 3 Bethesda Softworks
4.) Mario Kart 7 (3DS) 4 Nintendo
5.) Battlefield 3 (360, PS3, PC)** 5 Electronic Arts
6.) Madden NFL 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2)** 6 Electronic Arts
7.) Assassin's Creed: Revelations (360, PS3, PC) 7 Ubisoft
8.) NBA 2K12 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2, PC) 8 Take 2 Interactive
9.) Super Mario 3D Land (3DS) 9 Nintendo
10.) Batman: Arkham City (360, PS3, PC)** 10 Warner Bros. Interactive

Annual 2011 Top 10 Games (New Physical Retail only; across all platforms incl. PC) Rank Publisher
1.) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (360, PS3, Wii, PC)** 1 Activision Blizzard
2.) Just Dance 3 (Wii, 360, PS3) 2 Ubisoft
3.) Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (360, PS3, PC)** 3 Bethesda Softworks
4.) Battlefield 3 (360, PS3, PC)** 4 Electronic Arts
5.) Madden NFL 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2)** 5 Electronic Arts
6.) Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, Wii, NDS, PC)** 6 Activision Blizzard
7.) Batman: Arkham City (360, PS3, PC)** 7 Warner Bros. Interactive
8.) Gears of War 3 (360)** 8 Microsoft
9.) Just Dance 2 (Wii) 9 Ubisoft
10.) Assassin's Creed: Revelations (360, PS3, PC) 10 Ubisoft

**(includes CE, GOTY editions, bundles, etc. but not those bundled with hardware)

Hardware:

Xbox 360: Over 1.7 Million (-8.6%) [Best selling platform for the full year.]
Wii: 1.06 Million (-55%)
PS3: ~936K (-22.6%) [Math from 46% of console sales are Xbox 360 and above numbers.]

Call of Duty is a monster of a franchise that appeals to males young and old as well as some of the female persuasion. Speaking of monster franchises, how about that Just Dance? I'm guessing the Wii version of Just Dance 3 sold the best as evident by seeing Just Dance 2 in the top ten of games sold for 2011. Skyrim (hopefully not the PS3 version) sold well enough to reach third place with Mario Kart 7 coming in across the finish line in fourth. I can only imagine the legs that will come from that title. Super Mario 3D Land also charted, another 3DS exclusive. Does this mean that the 3DS is out of the danger zone?

Hardware-wise nothing has really changed. Kinect helped the 360, Wii is on cruise control, and the PS3 camp is doing fine, too. I'll update the 3DS, DS, and PSP numbers if and when they show up.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA) Retro Review

2012-01-11T17:34:00.007-06:00

3DS Ambassadors late last month received ten Game Boy Advance games for purchasing the 3DS before a set date. The following game is but one of these ten games, Mario Kart: Super Circuit. Here is my review.

Off to the Races-- Portable-Style!

Mario Kart 7 recently released onto the Nintendo 3DS and brought with it 32 tracks total, 16 new, 16 old. Before Mario Kart: Super Circuit, the concept of putting a Mario Kart game on a portable was unheard of. That was until the Game Boy Advance iteration of Mario Kart came to the system and blew people's expectations away. Both Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart DS have Super Circuit to thank for giving a hand-held Mario Kart game a chance. Somehow the developer of Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Intelligent Systems, managed to recreate the MK experience from the big screen and transplant it to the small screen in the form of Mario Kart: Super Circuit. Does this title burn rubber, or is it in dire need of a pit stop?

Right away when you pop in Super Circuit you will notice a flurry of options available. You can pick from the Grand Prix which has three difficulties in the form of 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc, Time Trial where racers ride for their best times on the various tracks and courses the game has to offer, and Quick Run which puts players in a race against the computer, with or without items, with or without coins, and on a track of their choosing. With the Game Boy Advance's link cable and multiple systems, players can race against one another, trade ghosts in Time Trial mode, and duke it out in one of many battle arenas in Battle Mode. Unfortunately, finding someone with a Game Boy Advance, a copy of the game, and a link cable is easier said than done, especially in 2012.

Mario Kart returns, but this time it's gone portable!

Unlike past Mario Kart games, there are actually five unique cups to choose from in Super Circuit instead of the usual four. There's the Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Lightning Cup (this is the new one), Star Cup, and Special Cup that unlocks after the previous four cups have been won. As a bonus, once players have completed a given cup in first place, they can return to that cup and try to earn at least 100 coins across all four races (each cup is comprised of four races) to unlock a series of tracks from Super Mario Kart. There are five retro tracks in all made up of twenty tracks, giving Mario Kart: Super Circuit the most tracks the series has ever seen. This is a record that still has not been beaten.

Races in Mario Kart: Super Circuit all take place in a Mode 7 setting. Backgrounds revolve around when you make a turn, and they are busy with animations such as a giant Cheep Cheep leaping into the air or a myriad of tubes filled with lava all pulsating in unison. Meanwhile, other backgrounds of tracks are impressive even without having any movement in them such as Boo Lake's ominous haunted houses, Lakeside Pier's volatile volcanoes, and Mario Circuit's fabled Peach's Castle resting among the colorful scenery. In the foreground there are special effects such as rain falling in Luigi Circuit, for instance. Furthermore, even though you are playing in a 3D space, the characters, objects, and items that litter the track are all 2D in design. Moving along to the sound, Mario Kart's cast of kooky characters (eight in all-- Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Toad, Wario, Donkey Kong, and Bowser) all have various voice samples such as when you hit another racer with a shell, your character will taunt in victory. Additionally, the soundtrack is full of happy-go-lucky tunes that are standard fare when it comes to the Mario Kart series. You won't necessarily be blown away, but you might find yourself bopping your head to a tune or two.

Mushroom Kingdom traffic is always a nightmare.

Along with the twenty unlockable Super Mario Kart tracks available there are twenty brand-new tracks to race on. You'll be zipping along beaches infested with sidestepping crabs while avoiding being pelted by cannonballs being launched from a ship in the distance, you'll be weaving through Thwomps and Mechakoopas in one of four versions of Bowser Castle, and you'll be swerving and launching yourself over parts of the track in a colony made up entirely of cheese. Lactose intolerant racers need not apply for the latter. Whether you're racing along Ribbon Road, dodging falling shooting stars that will spin you out upon contact on Rainbow Road, or narrowly escaping sinkholes where hungry Piranha Plants want their lunch in Yoshi Desert, the course design is always top-notch and interesting-- at least far more enjoyable in comparison to SMK's tracks. There also just so happens to be plenty of shortcuts to discover when speeding through the twenty tracks, too. Moreover, while racing you will see signs pop up indicating what kind of turn is fast approaching such as hairpin turns, right or left turns, and U-turns.

Ah, where the streets are paved in cheese...

So now that we've decided that the tracks are stellar, how is the actual racing? Well, it takes some getting used to, and even with enough practice and hours logged into the game, I feel that the controls are simply way too slippery for my taste. Executing power-slides and mini turbos is needlessly complicated, requiring you to be in a power-slide for at least a couple of seconds before you can jostle the control pad back and forth to start the boost. The slippery feeling of the controls aside, I found myself easing off the accelerator on turns when I couldn't count on drifting through them (you end up making a really wide turn otherwise).

Of course, it wouldn't be Mario Kart without items to spice things up. This tradition continues with Super Circuit. The mainstays from Mario Kart 64 all make their return such as banana peels that will slip up whoever rides over them, invincibility stars, lightning bolts, green shells, as well as homing red shells that this time around can be shot from behind, but instead of just launching back with momentum, they stop, waiting for the first unfortunate soul to pass them and then home in on their victim. Unlike every other game in the series, items that home in on you give you a second or two to allow you a chance to deflect them before they zero in and attack. This makes for an easier, less frustrating go of it.

The Boo item will slow you down, steal your item,
steal your coins, and de-friend you on Facebook!

Returning from Super Mario Kart and what would be seen in Mario Kart 7 are coins. They are strewn in groups and individually all across the various tracks, just waiting to be picked up. To my knowledge there is no maximum amount that you can carry, so grab as many as possible to increase your speed. Every time you bump into another kart, you lose a coin. Bump into a kart without any coins in your possession and you spin out. At the end of each cup you are given a rank-- either a letter grade or one, two, or three stars-- based on how fast you sped through each race and how many coins you collected. For ultimate longevity, players should attempt getting three stars in every cup in every cc.

Tracks from Super Mario Kart make
their reappearance in Super Circuit.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit is certainly a less aggravating kart experience when compared to future installments in the series, but it also lacks the tight controls said installments, too. This makes for slippery controls that do not feel quite right. Regardless, when you factor in that this game has forty tracks total (half new, half from Super Mario Kart) and lots of replay value, you really can't go wrong in racing to pick up this game or-- if you're a 3DS Ambassador-- downloading this game now. While not coming across the finish line with a record time, Mario Kart: Super Circuit still manages to complete the race by a close margin.

[SuperPhillip Says: 8.5/10]

January Nintendo 3DS Playtime Results

2012-01-10T14:29:00.006-06:00

If you recall, back in October I posted my first list of Nintendo 3DS playtime results showing that I put the most time into Golden Sun: Dark Dawn. Now that it is a new year and months after the fact, let's take a peak at the new top ten of games I have most played on Nintendo's stereoscopic 3D wonder.

10) Star Fox 64 3D (9:42)

With Star Fox 64 3D I got to relive one of my favorite on-rails shooters of all time. Revisiting areas and planets like Corneria, Katina, Zoness, Macbeth, and Bolse with updated, gorgeous visuals (oh, that water) gave the game new life even if I had played it seemingly to death on the Nintendo 64 and Virtual Console. I played through the Easy and N64 modes, collecting all of the medals for shooting down a certain number of enemy fighters. Expert proved to be a challenge with wingmates who would perish much more easily than in the previous difficulties. Add in a robust but offline multiplayer, and Star Fox 64 3D gave me a lot of fun.

9) Mario Kart 7 (11:23)

While I didn't get sucked into the online as much as other owners of this game, Mario Kart 7 offered plenty of enjoyment and excitement through racing on some of my favorite new tracks of the series including my personal most loved version of Rainbow Road. Then came the sixteen retro tracks which are the best the franchise has seen yet such as Luigi's Mansion, Waluigi Pinball, Coconut Mall, Koopa Cape, Dino Dino Jungle, Daisy Cruiser, and Koopa [Troopa] Beach. Online in Communities is a blast, but it could be refined even better. We'll see if Nintendo succeeds in doing so with their next online offerings.

8) Pokemon Rumble Blast (12:15)

There's only one 3DS in our household and I know no one else who owns a 3DS, so I had to play Pokemon Rumble Blast solo. That was alright as the fun came from battling a flotilla of Pokemon in linear stages, pounding on one or two buttons to attack, and sometimes getting a new Pokemon from defeating a toy Pokemon. This game is all about collecting new Pokemon through battle, and while I didn't care for the triple battles (they're kind of cheap), Pokemon Rumble Blast possesses a lot of content-- at least much more than its WiiWare counterpart.

7) Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (12:17)

Beating Pokemon Rumble Blast in playtime by only two minutes, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is the appetizer before the main course in the form of Revelations, coming to the 3DS next month. This game is an arcade title at heart with the goal of keeping your kill combo up, gaining high scores, earning new loadouts and medals for great performance, and surviving until the clock hits zero. That's easier said than done with sickle-wielding foes, chainsaw-carrying madmen, and giant hammer-slamming maniacs. Online proved to be an engaging experience with myself teaming up with a random stranger, vying for a high score and survival.

6) The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (13:00)

As of this entry I have played three Game Boy Advance 3DS Ambassador games. One of these has had a review while the other will have one tomorrow. The former of these is The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, one of the original games in the official Legend of Zelda timeline. It follows Link as he teams up with a hat named Ezlo in his quest to collect all four elemental stones to power up his blade enough to take on the sinister sorcerer Vaati as well as rescue Zelda from her stone entrapment. While the amount of dungeons isn't too large, there is plenty of activities and side quests in the form of Kinstone Fusions and Heart Container collecting to accomplish, making for one memorable Zelda.

5) Kirby Mass Attack (15:27)

Remaining at the same number of playtime as October's results, Kirby Mass Attack appears on my list at the number five position. It's a game that came late in the life of the original Nintendo DS, and it split up our pink hero into ten copies. The goal of the game is to guide your army of Kirbys through obstacle and enemy ridden levels, flicking and tapping the screen to move them around. Finding hidden medals unlocks various mini-games such as a full-fledged shmup, pinball game, Whack-a-Mole title, an RPG, and even a memory match game. There's an extensive amount of content jam-packed into Kirby Mass Attack.

4) Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift (16:25)

While I didn't complete Final Fantasy Tactics A2, I did get relatively far and finished off a plethora of side quests during my time with the game. The whimsical story and setting might put off players looking for a game with the seriousness of Final Fantasy Tactics or Tactics Ogre, but if you don't mind the aesthetic, you'll find a game that will pick at your brain with its strategic battles. Luso might be wielding a giant pizza cutter, but don't let that put you off of the game. It's a competent tactical title, and it is worthy of your attention. Take it from me.

3) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (16:38)

With my game data I finished off the main story, not collecting everything possible but coming close. My next data I want to take on the Master Quest and see how much I like it if at all. Difficult games and SuperPhillip rarely go hand in hand. Regardless, I'm interested in the reconfigured dungeons, mirrored world, and new challenges that go with the new difficulty. It is no question that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is one of my most cherished games growing up, and this remake on a hand-held is a dream come true. No more do I have to suffer with N64 textures and graphics and low framerates!

2) Golden Sun: Dark Dawn (25:01)

While not the greatest entry in the Golden Sun trilogy, it was awesome seeing this franchise return in some form. Golden Sun: Dark Dawn takes place decades after the events of The Lost Age with Isaac and Garet having children. These children are the stars of the game and on a new adventure to save the world. The game itself is relatively easy for the most part, and there are several items and spells in the game that can be permanently missed which I didn't like. However, if you are in dire need of a new RPG, then you can't go wrong with Camelot's latest role playing adventure in Golden Sun: Dark Dawn.

1) Super Mario 3D Land (25:08)

It is important to note that with this game it is the only 3DS title that both my brother and I played to completion. That is why the time is higher than the rest. Super Mario 3D Land was named the best hand-held game of 2011 as well as the Best Nintendo 3DS Game at the SuperPhillip Central Best of 2011 Awards, and for good reason-- it is a 3D Mario that everyone can get into. Nintendo made this game accessible to all without being overly dumbed-down. Just when you think you've beaten the game 100%, Super Mario Land 3D throws a curve ball and changes things up considerably. No doubt one of my favorite Mario games, 3D Land is one of the 3DS's must-have games.

===

What are you currently playing the most on your Nintendo 3DS? If you don't have one (which is just fine and dandy), do you plan on getting one? And what games most interest you for 2012? Let the SPC community know in the comments section!

SPC Mailbag - January 10th, 2011

2012-01-10T00:05:00.009-06:00

It's the first time we open the SPC Mailbag for the new year, so let's wear our funny looking hats, get out our noisemakers, and celebrate in style! ...Or I could just answer three e-mails from SPC's faithful readers as honestly as possible without offending anyone or any group of people. Good luck with that, SP!

Recently (or at least in the past couple years) you gave Game of the Year awards to LittleBigPlanet, Skyward Sword, and Super Mario Galaxy 2. Have these games moved onto your top ten games of all time list?

That's an excellent question, and it brings up an announcement. In the coming weeks I will be creating a brand-new top ten of SuperPhillip's Top Ten Games of All Time - 2012 Edition. They will have new titles along with old ones that just managed to hang on to the top ten by the skin of their teeth. Will Super Mario Galaxy 2 bump off the original SMG, or will LittleBigPlanet 2 take top honors on the list? Only one way to find out, and that's to stick around to SuperPhillip Central for the answer!

Can Mario maneuver his way to the top
of my Games of All Time 2012 list?

On your Christmas Eve post you named message boards as one of your least favorite things. Is there any message board out there that you actually like?

Most message boards are the seamy underbelly of the Internet, full of fools, trolls, and people who get off on being jerks to others through the anonymity of the web. I'm probably just going to the wrong places. However, there is one site that I do indeed like. It's called GameTZ. I should link to it even though they're too big time to affiliate with a site of my standing. Regardless, they're like CheapAssGamer except for the fact that the owner isn't a bald manchild, the community is full of reputable traders and not a bunch of scam artists, and there are practically zero trolls to speak of.

GameTZ has it where you can search for game, see who is in possession of said game (how much they value it for, how much Amazon has it for, the condition of the game, if it comes with the box and/or manual, etc.), and who wants said game. The message boards are just a means to an end, an alternate way to communicate. Instead of just using a feedback system, GameTZ uses an offer system. One party sends an offer (what game(s) person A will send to person B and vice versa), and the second party either accepts, rejects, or performs a counter-offer. One can send a tracking number, select when they have shipped/received, and the deal goes off usually without a hitch. If a problem does arise, an incident is reported, but these are so few and far in-between that these aren't commonplace. To check out and perhaps make an account of your own, check it out here.

You said message boards are one of your least favorite things. Which ones do you hate the most?

Aren't you the same person who asked last question? ...No? Anyway, oh, that's easy. There's three main ones:

GameFAQs - There is a typical GameFAQs poster that people use to make fun of this awful community (I only post reviews and top tens there as a means to draw users-- this works truthfully). To be a user at GameFAQs, you have to be 15, chubby, overuse memes like "over 9,000" that stopped being funny years ago (if they were ever funny), post Confirm or Deny topics constantly, continuously overuse the words "epic" and "fail", fall for blatant trolling all of the time, think that if something isn't to your liking it is the worst ever, think anyone who has a different opinion than you is a troll, and pretty much be a little pissant to everyone.

To be a mod, you must be anal, oh-so desperate for the power you lack in real life so you can bully the 15 year-old users who make up the majority of the GameFAQs community, and must not mod the trolls but everyone else instead.

If for some reason you are older than 15 and still use GameFAQs' message boards, what the hell is wrong with you?!

NeoGAF - Is there a site more in love with itself than NeoFAQs-- I mean, NeoGAF? The elitism is almost painful to read, and the majority of the posters there are really a mere step away from becoming GameFAQs users. Seriously, this is the best message board community that the industry can come up with? As Bender from Futurama would say, "We're boned." Full of trolls that the mods (some of the trolls are actually mods as evident by rampant title changes, unfunny and inappropriate tags they give to members, and rude posts) keep around because they amuse them, fanboys who all fall on my ignore list, and console wars coming up in every other topic, NeoFAQs... er... NeoGAF is hardly the ultimate when it comes to gaming forums. It'd be great if they could back their undue elitism up somehow, but this is one forum that fails to do so in every instance of the word.

CheapAssGamer - This was my experience on this pitiful trading site:

*posts Nintendo-related article*
"You are a fanboy! Herp derp!"
*posts Sony or Microsoft-related article*
*crickets*
*someone trades with me and doesn't send me their end of the deal; I get screwed over*

Do this ad infinitum until I finally left to GameTZ, a much better community with forums I don't cringe while reading.

===

There you have it-- an edition of the SPC Mailbag with as little hatred as possible. ...I really need to try harder next time. If you have a question that you are just burning inside to discover the answer to, hit me up with an e-mail at superphillip32[at]yahoo[dot]com. I'll look forward to answering your most heated queries. I need them, too, as it is pretty cold here in Central City!

Top Five Most Wanted PlayStation Vita Games

2012-01-09T16:59:00.006-06:00

Sony's sequel to their PlayStation Portable, the PS Vita, is set to release in North America on February 15th. In Japan, it released mid last month, but its sales have died down considerably, and that isn't good when the weeks it was available in were generally when gaming platforms perform well. Add to this that last week no PSV titles appeared in the Media Create top twenty, and Sony's newest hand-held isn't starting off incredibly. Nonetheless, we can only hope that the launch sales go better in the West than Japan.

Much like I did with the Nintendo 3DS, I have decided to make a top five list stating which PlayStation Vita titles I am most looking forward to. These are the most interesting of the interesting, the best of the best, the grandest of the grand, etc. Perhaps you will find a new title to look forward to from my list!

5) WipEout 2048

Little has been divulged about the latest in this futuristic racing franchise, but from videos and trailers the game looks much faster than the PSP entries. You can be for certain that the weapon-based action, quick thrills, harrowing hairpin turns, and races through futuristic forests, metropolises, and factories will all be on display on the gorgeous PlayStation Vita screen. Despite not knowing much about the game, we won't have to wait long to get it in our mitts as WipEout 2048 veers onto the PSV on launch day.

4) ModNation Racers: Road Trip

Another racer as well as another launch title for the Vita, ModNation Racers: Road Trip. Not only will this SCEA-developed game have all-new tracks, customization options, and a story mode, but the ability to create tracks of your own will not be streamlined even further thanks to the touch controls. Just draw the basic track design with the tip of your finger, and then plop in objects, obstacles, and scenery to craft a masterpiece of a track. Then challenge your friends to try it out. [UPDATE: It seems Road Trip will NOT have online play after all.] ModNation Racers: Road Trip appears to continue the tradition of speedy karts and great customization.

3) LittleBigPlanet (tentative title)

I seem to have a bit of a habit picking games for my most wanted list that the gaming public (including yours truly) knows next to nothing about. This continues with LittleBigPlanet (tentative title). What we can expect according to the box art of the game are touch controls making for easier creation of custom levels, objects, and characters as well as a new story campaign full of creative levels. Detractors of the series won't find anything to fall in love with this game, but fans of the franchise will have plenty of activities to do and levels to make.

2) Uncharted: Golden Abyss

Nathan Drake returns, but this time he arrives on a portable thanks to the efforts of Sony Bend. This hand-held entry has Drake teaming up with an old friend as well as the granddaughter of an archeologist gone missing in their search of the Golden Abyss in Central America. Use the touch screen for a multitude of actions, climb cliffs and ledges, and participate in intense gunfights in this bite-sized treasure hunting adventure. Sony Bend has done their best to recreate Naughty Dog's IP for the small screen, and I cannot help but anticipate this title. It comes out on launch day, too.

1) Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational

It is no secret that Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds for the PlayStation 3 disappointed me with its lack of modes and options when compared to its PS2 predecessors. However, the PSP installments of Open Tee 1 and 2 were quite good and offered a myriad of modes, courses, and characters to unlock for me to continue playing into the hundreds of hours. Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational introduces optional touch controls to make chipping, putting, and driving even easier than before. Clap Hanz brings a golf bag full of crazy characters, picturesque courses, and online play for owners of the game to challenge friends and rivals over the net. For these reasons I list World Invitational as my most wanted Vita game.

===

Sure, I'm probably going to wait for the PS Vita to drop in price (at this rate it is a given it will), and even then I won't be able to afford one, but the quality of quantity of titles is very much apparent. This is one of the best launch lineups of any platform in recent memory.

But what about you? What PlayStation Vita games excite you the most? Pick my brain (not literally) and list your most wanted PSV games in the comments section.

Announcing Our Newest Affiliate: 8-Bit City

2012-01-09T01:30:00.002-06:00

SuperPhillip Central's network of friends knows no bounds. It grows and expands like a black hole in the galaxy... except this one won't kill anybody. I digress. SPC welcomes 8-Bit City, a site dedicated to classic and retro games from the Nintendo Entertainment System (old trusted) to Atari and Intellivision! Get your 8-bit gaming fix on at 8-Bit City, a metropolis of classic gaming gold!

Take the road to 8-Bit City right here.

SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs - Doubling Down Edition

2012-01-08T21:56:00.004-06:00

Let's continue our celebration of the return of SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs, and just make the entire weekend part of the festivities. You know the drill-- five of my favorite themes from video games both classic and modern. Just click on the name of the game and song to be whisked away to the YouTube video. Let's do it!

v6. The World Ends With You (DS) - Calling

The World Ends With You was quite unlike anything from Square Enix's output this past generation. It was innovative and aspired to something higher than SE's usual efforts. Players had action on both screens during battle as they followed the story of Neku, an originally unlikable character who later grows on you. Calling is one of many catchy vocal themes heard throughout the game. This particular song plays as you cruise though Japan's busy streets.

v7. Mario Kart 64 (N64) - Staff Roll

Mario Kart 64 was the Nintendo 64's first real multiplayer masterpiece. Four players could race or battle against one another on a variety of courses and maps such as Koopa Troopa Beach, Kalimari Desert, Choco Mountain, Freppe Snowland, Sherbet Land, Wario Stadium, Banshee Boardwalk, and of course, mainstays like Bowser Castle and Rainbow Road. The Staff Roll theme was on my ending theme list of favorites, and rightfully so. It is an outstanding piece that sends chills up my spine, especially when synced with the ending footage. Give it a watch, maybe you'll get the same reaction from it.

v8. Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (PS2) - Mission to the Deep Space ~ Sail Against the Wind

A song that appears in every Star Ocean "big" hidden dungeon, Mission to the Deep Space is but part of this arranged track from Star Ocean: Till the End of Time. It's a jazzier version full of keyboard and brass with Sail Against the Wind being an interlude of sorts. It's without a doubt my favorite version of Mission to the Deep Space, and encompasses all of composer Motoi Sakuraba's inherent musical genius.

v9. Perfect Dark Zero (360) - Rooftops Escape - Main Theme

Perfect Dark Zero may have been a disappointment to some (not to me as it received a 9.0/10), but this launch title for the Xbox 360 proved that Rare still had it even after being bought out by Microsoft. Sure, they don't even anything now, but that's beyond the point. Rooftops Escape had Joanna Dark, inexplicably turned American, and her father running from DataDyne goons. It all culminates with a battle with an attack carrier that can tear a player up in an instant. This rockin' tune pumps adrenaline throughout the body as you pick off snipers, ride ziplines, and pass through sewers.

v10. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Wii) - Althea's Waltz

From what could be considered as a glorified mini-game collection, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers for Nintendo Wii was one of the first titles announced for Nintendo's current flagship console. It has players steering an airship through a tight canyon, fending off a horde of Zus, exploring ancient ruins, riding Chocobos in races, and sneaking on board a train. The amount of varying activities makes for a mini-game collection that stands out from the rest. Althea's Waltz is a majestic-sounding piece full of sensational strings.

===

That does it for my specially patented VGMs. They will return a week from tomorrow on a normal weekly schedule. What are your favorite themes from games? Give me a holler in the comments section. Until tomorrow, adieu!

SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs - The Great Return Edition

2012-01-07T00:17:00.007-06:00

They're baaaaaaack~ Long time SPC readers know well of my favorite VGMs. I had an entire YouTube channel dedicated to them. However, one copyright infringement too many suspended my account permanently, so we suffered long bouts without any music to speak of. I thought a new year would be the perfect opportunity for this well loved and popular segment to return. Instead of using my own channel, I'm just going to use videos from other users. I just hope their accounts don't have the same fate as my old one.

Generally, SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs appeared on Mondays to kick off the work week in a splendid way. I intend to keep this tradition alive, but I couldn't wait to reveal the return of this beloved feature. The long time readers know how this works-- five songs, five descriptions, but instead of posting the videos directly on the site, I'm just going to link to them to save bandwidth and you from having to load them. There will be still photos or wallpapers of the games to take the videos' places. Just click on the song title to be instantly transported to the selected video. Now with all of that introduction out of the way, let's listen to some awesome video game music!

v1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii) - Romance Theme

In the latest in my favorite franchise (no worries, I was impartial as usual in my reviews of all games in this series), Zelda is the type of person that you want to save. Other games it was more like, "yeah, I guess I'll do it while I increase the strength of the Master Sword." Moments with this poignant theme with a harmonious and lovely chorus made Skyward Sword special. The bond between this game's Link and Zelda were immediately apparent, and that was no doubt in part helped by NoA's excellent localization of the game. Take a listen to this theme and you, too, will be in wonder. There's a reason this game won SPC's Best Original Soundtrack award.

v2. Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, 360) - Saber's Edge

Usually when a song from a game I haven't played jumps out at me, grabs me, and doesn't let go, the song must be something special. This boss theme from Final Fantasy XIII, a game that it seems fans either love or hate (no wiggle room in the middle), is full of increasingly bombastic sounds. You have the tense sounds of the piano, the full blare of the brass, and the ascending and descending notes of the strings. I feared for the fate of the Final Fantasy series' music when Nobuo Uematsu left to pursue his own interests, but those fears were put to rest when I heard the soundtrack for this divisive game.

v3. Kirby's Return to Dreamland (Wii) - Aurora Area

Starting off with an otherworldly breeze sound whistling through the air, rising and falling, Aurora Area then kicks in with the main beat. This theme plays during a level in world four of Kirby's Return to Dreamland, my favorite console Kirby game. Yes, even beating fan favorite Kirby Super Star. The level the song plays in is divided up between several rooms in a labyrinth-like pattern. I wouldn't mind getting lost as long as this theme accompanied me along the way!

v4. Sonic Colors (Wii) - Asteroid Coaster Act 3

This variation of Act 1 is absolutely and positively rocking. The electric guitar guns for top position in this piece that moves and grooves as Sonic rides along Dr. Eggman's untested Asteroid Coaster. Could this wild ride be the blue blur's last? Of course not as there was Sonic Generations released a year later. Sonic couldn't have died if he was in a game that came after Sonic Colors, right? The manic pace of this piece makes going high speeds in this level all the more intense as you leap from coaster to coaster and defeat badniks of all sizes.

v5. Skies of Arcadia (DC) - Credits

If you recall, this ending credits theme was listed as one of my favorite ending themes a few months back. If you don't remember or weren't here, then you have a second chance to listen and feel the warmth. Beginning with a quaint and quiet piano phrase, the credits theme eventually builds up to feature the entire orchestra, ending with a crescendo of brass and strings playing the main melody in magnificent fashion. It is one for the ages, and a perfect send-off to this glorious RPG.

===

So what did you think? Were you surprised/excited to see my VGMs return? They'll be back in a week or so to start your work week off right, so look forward to that. If you have any suggestions for the VGMs, let me know in the comments section.

Announcing Our Newest Affiliates: Volatile Mode and DaisyFAIL

2012-01-06T20:21:00.005-06:00

Another week, another affiliate or two added to SuperPhillip Central's ever-growing list of fun friends and affiliates! This time I am spotlighting two new affiliates, Volatile Mode and DaisyFAIL. Ladies first, so let's start with DaisyFAIL.

DaisyFAIL is a video game centric blog with a female perspective. I didn't think there were any women on the internet. I thought it was a genuine sausage-fest. Regardless, Daisy who runs the site is ultra perky and polite, and she knows her stuff. For instance, what other girl do you know that can ramble on about Mario Kart 7 and know all of the memes regarding Skyrim? That's what I thought. Just don't embarrass yourself because she's a girl and you have zero social etiquette skills, gentlemen.

Check it out here.

Volatile Mode

Meanwhile, Volatile Mode is ran by Jeff who occasionally posts in SPC's comment section, but NOT ENOUGH! Ahem. My caps lock key got stuck for a moment there. He doesn't bother with news as that's what IGN, GameSpot, and all of those games journalists who are PR for game companies are there for. He posts thoughtful articles about anything and everything game-related such as the missing element of surprise in gaming and thought-provoking reviews. Go check it out, and if you like it enough, subscribe.

Take a volatile glance here.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA) Retro Review

2012-01-06T16:04:00.009-06:00

3DS Ambassadors are able to download the following game for free via the eShop. It was listed in my Rank Up! segment in the top half of Zelda titles, so you can be rest assured that this game is good. But wait! Don't skip this review and go to the score! Read the entire thing and relive this Game Boy Advance classic as this is the first review of 2012! It's The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, the only original Zelda game on Nintendo's final entry in the Game Boy line.

Big Things Come in Minish Packages

Capcom is no stranger to the Zelda franchise. Their first effort was the terrific pair of Game Boy Color titles in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages. Then they helped to co-develop the Game Boy Advance port of my favorite 2D Zelda, A Link to the Past. Flagship, the main company within Capcom that assisted in the creation of the above mentioned games, might now be defunct, but their memory lives on and continues to do so. Their final game is perhaps their most fantastic masterpiece-- forgive any hints of hyperbole-- The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. This big adventure performs well on the small screen.

It is the day of the Picori Festival in Hyrule, and Princess Zelda meets with our hero Link at his home. Link's grandfather asks him to deliver a sword to the king as the prize for the festival's swordsman tournament. After seeing the sights and sounds of the festival, Link and Zelda meet up with the king and Link delivers the specially honed blade. The winner of the tournament, Vaati, arrives and uses the sword to open a box that unleashes monsters all over Hyrule. Vaati is power-hungry and turns Zelda to stone. Leaving the scene in ruins, Vaati vanishes in search of a fabled light power. Meanwhile, the clad in green boy Link agrees to search in the Minish Woods for the Picori people, small denizens of Hyrule that can only be seen by children, who can help him figure out how to restore Zelda to her natural stoneless state. It is there he meets a talking cap named Ezlo, one of the most entertaining and humorous companions Link has ever had. Ezlo was transformed into a cap by Vaati, and wants nothing more to right all of the wrongs of his former apprentice. The story is unobtrusive, charming, and delightful overall.

With evil intentions in mind, Vaati strikes while the iron's hot.

The Minish Cap follows the standard Zelda formula, so those wanting a fresh experience should look into Majora's Mask or Skyward Sword as they mix things up better. However, for a tried and true structure, you cannot go wrong with Minish Cap. The formula goes like this: you venture through an overworld finding clues on where to go next, you talk to NPCs, you do quests both optional and mandatory, and you enter treacherous dungeons full of monsters, puzzles, and traps to receive elemental pieces to power up your sword.

The main mechanic introduced to The Minish Cap is only possible thanks to the titular headgear and your faithful and ever-complaining partner Ezlo. Certain objects like tree trunks, vases, and rocks can be stood upon. A crack in the center (and the power of the Minish Cap) can shrink Link to Minish size. Formerly inaccessible areas can be reached in small form, and plenty of puzzles require you to switch between both sizes to clear obstacles and areas. You can explore the rafters of houses, pass through paths infested with Minish-sized monsters, and enter rooms too tiny for regular-sized Link. However, it is important to note that even the most normal-sized nonthreatening enemy can be dangerous in Minish form. Also, household cats don't take too kindly to the Minish people. Such prejudice!

See the world through Minish eyes.

Hyrule is divided up between many sections. There's Hyrule Town in the center of the overworld which you will be continually returning to for new items to buy, mini-games to play, and NPCs to help, the Minish Woods to the southeast, Lon Lon Ranch and Lake Hylia to the east, Castor Wilds to the southwest, Mt. Crenel to the west and northwest, Veil Falls to the northeast, and a myriad of other unique areas. Monsters such as Octoroks, Moblins, and Chu Chu call Hyrule their home, too, so take them out when necessary.

Mt. Crenel is a rugged and rocky area.

There are six dungeons total in Minish Cap, a meager amount compared to other 2D Zeldas like Link's Awakening, A Link to the Past, and the Oracle games. However, in this instance it is quality over quantity. Forgive the cliched phrase. You will be trekking inside the deepest of dungeons, searching for keys, looting treasure chests, fending off monsters, solving puzzles-- some of which are spread out among more than one room, and battling bosses to the death. As is customary for every Zelda, there are small keys that unlock doors, big keys that open the doors leading to the boss, treasure maps that show the layout of the dungeon, compasses that reveal the locations of treasure chests and where the boss resides, and treasures, from rupees to important items. These items include things like the Cave of Pacci that flips certain enemies and objects over on their back, the Flame Lantern that sets flammable objects on fire and lights torches, the Gust Jar that blows away dust on floors and spider webs as well as sucks up enemies and objects (one puzzle has you sucking up a grounded mushroom to fling you to the other side of a chasm), and Roc's Cape that is similar to Link's Awakening's Roc's Feather, but it allows you to glide after leaping into the air. Meanwhile, puzzles consist of small things like clearing out a room full of enemies to larger challenges like hitting every switch with one well-timed swing of your sword.

At the conclusion of every dungeon comes a boss encounter. These are the meanest of the mean and the deadliest of the deadly when it comes to enemies. Some fights are large versions of normal enemies, but to a Minish-sized hero, they're gigantic. As is tradition, the item you acquire in the boss's dungeon is generally needed to fight the crooked creature you are facing off against. For instance, the first battle has Link taking on a giant Chu Chu. With the Gust Jar found in the dungeon, you can suck up the slime at the base of the boss. This causes the green Chu Chu to lose its balance and topple over, setting you up to slash it repeatedly with your sword before it stands back up and the process starts all over again.

From abnormally large Chu Chus to
shelled monstrosities, Link has got it rough.

Most dungeons award you with an elemental fragment (Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water). When returned to the Elemental Sanctuary in Hyrule Castle, your sword gets upgraded. You can then stand on specially marked panels, charge up your blade, and produce copies of Link. These copies are paramount for pushing large blocks out of the way that a lone Link couldn't do by himself. Additionally, you earn a full Heart Container for beating the dungeon's boss. This ups your health by one heart.

Speaking of which, there are an abundance of Heart Container pieces hidden throughout Hyrule. Collecting four gives you an increase to your heatlh. Some are found sitting in caves and dungeons, some are handed out by NPCs for helping them out, and some are unlocked by performing a Kinstone Fusion. Kinstone Fusions are the main side quest of The Minish Cap. Throughout Link's journey you'll no doubt come across Kinstone pieces (either blue, red, or most commonly and found dropped by monsters, in blades of grass, or in bushes, green). When you come across an NPC with a bubble over their head, you can press the L button to start a fusion. You must piece together two Kinstone fragments that fit together to complete a fusion. The effects are immediate. Sometimes a cave or a passageway will open, leading to a Heart Container or other treasure, sometimes a certain NPC will react differently, sometimes a golden enemy (a faster, harder version of a normal enemy) will spawn in a select location, while other times a treasure chest will pop up in the overworld for you to find and open. It's an enjoyable side quest, and there are nearly 200 different fusions to complete.

Another side quest consists of collecting Mysterious Shells, found in treasure chests, purchased in Hyrule Town's shop, and discovered in the wild through cutting down grass and bushes. These can be traded in the figurine shop. Each time you get a new figurine (these are dioramas, characters, monsters, bosses, etc.), the probability of you earning a new figurine the next time to pull the switch to receive one goes down unless you pay more Mysterious Shells. Perhaps a certain goodie will occur if you collect all 130+ figurines...

While we're talking about certain goodies, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is certainly a nice looking game. The 2D art style looks well, the environments are detailed and pleasing to glance at, and the characters mesh well with the world. Everything runs at a steady framerate as well. The music of Minish Cap is full of memorable melodies, remixed classic tunes, and a mass amount of original works. It may sound tinny to some, but I found it to be quite spectacular all-in-all. Patches of voice work in the form of grunts, yells, and gibberish are natural parts of Zelda games, and that tradition continues with this title, too.

Unfortunately for Link there is no booze in that barrel.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is a tremendous portable entry in this illustrious franchise. There is little in the way of filler, the dungeons are remarkably designed, there is an extensive amount of side content in the form of Kinstone Fusions, figurine collecting, Heart Container finding, and sword ability upgrades, the characters (especially Ezlo) are charming, and the world is a joy to explore. If you own a Game Boy Advance, The Minish Cap is a must-have game for your collection. If for some reason this game is to ever be for sale on the eShop's Virtual Console service, this should be one of your definite downloads. Just like viewing Hyrule between regular-sized and small Link, your enjoyment of this hand-held Zelda will all be a matter of perspective.

[SuperPhillip Says: 9.5/10]

Rank Up! - Kirby (Hand-helds)

2012-01-05T18:21:00.008-06:00

Kirby is an ever-versatile character full of cute cuddliness and ever-present charm. This past Tuesday I ranked his top mainline console entries, so today we're going to be checking out his best mainline portable installments. Rank Up! is where I take a series or set of games and rank them from worst (or not the greatest) to best. What games will I be ranking on this Thursday evening? Let's find out:

Kirby's Dream Land (GB)
Kirby's Dream Land 2 (GB)
Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (GBA)
Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (GBA)
Kirby: Canvas Curse (DS)
Kirby: Squeak Squad (DS)
Kirby: Super Star Ultra (DS)
Kirby Mass Attack (DS)

We're celebrating twenty years of all things Kirby in style with this second edition of Rank Up! Kirby is more known for his hand-held roots than anything, and have the years been kind to Kirby! Every new adventure seems like it brings something new to the proverbial table from splitting Kirby into ten to using lines to guide the pink blob around. Here's to twenty more, Kirby!

8) Kirby's Dream Land (GB)

Kirby's very first game, Kirby's Dream Land was before the pink puffball actually became pink. Originally he was a white ghostly blob venturing in Dream Land to save the day as well as gobble up enemies in the process. The reason it is ranked so low on this list is because the game is incredibly short with little in the way of replay value. A second mode opens up once the game is completed which is most likely the hardest challenge a Kirby player will ever face. Still, you can't go wrong with downloading this game off of the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console.

7) Kirby's Dream Land 2 (GB)

Face off against the sinister Dark Matter and rebuild the broken Rainbow Bridges. But this time Kirby won't have to do it alone-- he has a trio of animal friends to assist him in his journey including Rick the Hamster, Coo the Owl, and Kine the Fish. These animals would return in the much better Super Nintendo sequel of Kirby's Dream Land 3. Regardless, the second installment isn't half bad by any stretch of the imagination, and it features seven worlds unlike the ultra-short original game.

6) Kirby: Squeak Squad (DS)

All Kirby wants is cake, and when the Squeak Squad gets in his way of his goal, Kirby gets pumped and primed to once again save the day-- and his cake! The main gameplay mechanic of Squeak Squad is the ability to use the touch screen to store five individual items such as new powers, treasures, and food for restoring health. While on the easy side and quite forgettable as a whole, Kirby: Squeak Squad is still worth tracking down if you're an avid collector of Kirby games or ecstatic fan of all things pink puffball.

5) Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (GBA)

Metroid in design, but that is where the similarities end, Kirby & the Amazing Mirror for the Game Boy Advance takes players on an adventure across nine lands to restore the broken, titular mirror. Call in four friends (hope you have link cables!) or use the computer to assist you in getting past obstacles one lone Kirby couldn't dare get past. Search through labyrinthine levels for treasure, food, and bosses patrolling various shards of the mirror. Getting lost is commonplace in Amazing Mirror as is frustration as this is one difficult game.

4) Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (GBA)

Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, the other Game Boy Advance Kirby title, is a remake of the NES classic Kirby's Adventure. It follows the tale of King Dedede stealing the fabled Star Rod and using it for dastardly deeds. Like Amazing Mirror, you can link up with up to three other friends to play cooperatively together or go it alone against bleak odds. The updated visuals are incredibly gorgeous and eye-catching, showcasing that art not high polygon counts matters the most. For a remade masterpiece with bonus content, Nightmare in Dream Land is one dream you won't want to wake up from.

3) Kirby: Super Star Ultra (DS)

A port of Kirby Super Star from the Super Nintendo's heyday, Super Star Ultra on the Nintendo DS takes all of the beloved games of the original collection and adds bonus content to it. There's still all of a Kirby fan's favorite games including Spring Breeze, Dyna Blade, Revenge of Metaknight, Gourmet Race, and of course, the Great Cave Offensive, something that Kirby & the Amazing Mirror reminds me heavily of. In addition to the old, new touch-screen exclusive modes have been included as well. This is the ultimate version of Kirby Super Star without a doubt.

2) Kirby Mass Attack (DS)

One Kirby is great, but ten Kirbys? Yes, please. Control an armada of pink puffballs in Kirby Mass Attack. The game is controlled solely with the stylus, having you flick Kirbys at enemies, on switches, and poking the screen to have them move to that location. The main adventure mode of five worlds is only the beginning, There's medals to obtain, challenges to complete, and mini-games to play. These are so astonishing that they could fit into their own game, and no one would be any the wiser! Runner-up for DS GotY for 2011, Kirby Mass Attack is gaming gold.

1) Kirby: Canvas Curse (DS)

The most nontraditional Kirby game on the list, like Kirby Mass Attack, Kirby: Canvas Curse is also controlled by stylus only. You draw lines to guide the Kirby ball through treacherous obstacle courses, stealing enemy powers, collection three medals in each level, and doing everything in your ability to become a whole Kirby (see: not a circular blob with no hands or feet) once again. The art style is impressive as it usual is for a Kirby game while the difficulty is just right. This was one of the first games on the Nintendo DS to start the bumper crop of excellent DS games that we saw in the system's first year on the market.

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With this edition of Rank Up! over, I ask you what would your order of mainline portable Kirby game be? Feel free to go into as much or as little detail as you desire. I appreciate any and all comments. Tomorrow we will have our first review of 2012. Hope you will look forward to that.