SPC Highlights

Friday, March 1, 2013

Review Round-Up - February 2013

Two RPG series led the charge for the month
of February: Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy.
February was a short month for everyone, and that included SuperPhillip Central. However, we managed to post five new reviews this month, two of which introduced a new segment, Better Late Than Never Reviews! We gave our first subject, Mutant Mudds for the Nintendo 3DS eShop an 8.0 out of 10. That followed with an 8.75 for Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy. There were also two retro reviews, which one could say are even later than our Better Late Than Never Reviews! Luigi's Mansion was reviewed as Dark Moon is coming out next month. We gave the game an 8.0. Meanwhile, the release of Skyfall on DVD and Blu-ray saw James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing getting the review treatment with an 8.5. Finally, our game of the month, Fire Emblem: Awakening, earned its score with a 9.0! Next month SuperPhillip Central will have its 400th review! So many reviews, so little time. We'll see you then!

Luigi's Mansion (GCN) - 8.0
Mutant Mudds (3DSWare) - 8.0
James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing (PS2, GCN, XBX) - 8.5
Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS) - 9.0
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy (PSP) - 8.75

Lightning leads the hero side of Dissidia 012.

Central City Census - March 2013

Welcome to March at SuperPhillip Central. As always, a new month brings a new Central City Census. Before we delve into a new census subject, let's look at the results from last month's poll.



Now, for this month. The PlayStation 4 was unveiled at an event on February 20. What game most interested you for the platform?

March Madness: Ten Games to Look Out for This Month

It is the start of a brand-new month, and it is certainly one packed full of interesting software. Like we did for the first time in February, SuperPhillip Central is naming the greatest games of the upcoming month. Use this gamer's guide to see which ten releases set for this month are worthy of further investigation. Note: These release dates posted are for North American use.

Tomb Raider (Multi) 
Release Date: 3/5


A full-fledged reboot of Lara Croft and the series she is known for, Crystal Dynamics's Tomb Raider is the first game in the series to reach the ESRB's M rating. The game is set to show Ms. Croft's earliest exploits and how she grew from an innocent young girl to an unsubmissive woman, ready to destroy any enemy that stands in her way. The game will include an open world setting, filled with side quests and a main campaign that will last a dozen or so hours. The early reviews have this game being a welcomed addition to the Tomb Raider series, and perhaps a welcomed addition to your video game library.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate (3DS)
Release Date: 3/5


Mercury Steam, Konami, and Nintendo have been giving our next game a lot of time under the spotlight. While it is not the Koji Igarashi directed Metroid-styled Castlevania that 3DS owners were clamoring for, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate is an intriguing title all the same. It features 3D character and enemy models, an in-depth combat and combo system, and takes players under the control of multiple characters. For those who want to play the game now, the Nintendo 3DS eShop has a demo of Mirror of Fate live for you to try out.

MLB 13: The Show (PS3, PSV)
Release Date: 3/5


Baseball season is approaching like a 99 mph fastball, and the boys of summer are raring to return to the diamond. If you personally cannot wait for the real deal to begin, then why not try out the next best thing? Sony's MLB: The Show franchise is gaming's best baseball simulator. You cannot get a deeper, richer, more realistic or more accurate simulation than The Show, and this year's game comes overflowing with content. With MLB 13: The Show, if it happens in baseball, you can most likely relive it in the game. Both PlayStation 3 and Vita owners can have a hand (or is it glove?) in this year's game.

God of War: Ascension (PS3)
Release Date: 3/12


A prequel to past God of War games, God of War: Ascension promises to showcase a Kratos that is more grounded in his humanity than seen before. If you have played a previous game in the franchise, then Ascension will feel familiar. There's the standard action-adventure combo-based combat, puzzles to solve (whether simple or complex), and quick-time events to enjoy, but there's also one feature that the franchise has never been present, multiplayer. It is the developer's hope that the multiplayer will keep players engaged with God of War: Ascension long after the single-player campaign has been completed. Judging by the looks of things, their hope may soon be realized when the game releases on March 12.

LEGO City Undercover (Wii U)
Release Date: 3/18


An oddity in LEGO games, as the title is not tied to a licensed property, LEGO City Undercover is an upcoming Wii U exclusive that brings an open world city to players. Take the role of Chase McCain as he is tasked with finding and taking down the crafty criminal Rex Fury. There's countless things to do in LEGO City, such as side missions, platforming challenges, and new costumes for Chase to try on, each giving him different abilities. Wii U owners have been waiting patiently for anything to play, but that isn't the reason why LEGO City Undercover is of serious interest to them. No, it's simply because LEGO City Undercover seems to be brimming with fun and charm and an engaging open world setting that unlike Grand Theft Auto, is one that everyone can enjoy.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Wii U, 3DS)
Release Date: 3/19


Essentially an expansion to the original Monster Hunter Tri, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS gives players the ability to play on one version of the game and send their character to the other effortlessly. Capcom recently announced that both North American and European players would be able to join up for online monster hunting, something that the original Wii game lacked completely. Additionally, off TV play was announced, so one does not need a television screen to play the game. They can simply use the Wii U GamePad. While the demo does not do a fantastic job of introducing beginning players to the world of Monster Hunter (instead it simply thrusts them into a hunt with no explanation), it is still recommended playing, especially if you cannot wait until the March 19 release date!

Gears of War: Judgment (360)
Release Date: 3/19


Like God of War: Ascension, Gears of War: Judgment is also a prequel and the fourth major game in its respective franchise. The story's focus is on Lieutenant Damon Baird and Private August Cole (a.k.a. The Cole Train) with various new supporting characters being introduced. If you are unfamiliar with the franchise, Gears of War is a third-person cover-based shooter with a heavy emphasis on teamwork. The game's multiplayer will feature two all-new modes: a free-for-all mode and something called OverRun. Look for more information regarding Gears of War: Judgment as its March 19 release date comes closer.

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (3DS)
Release Date: 3/24


The first title to celebrate the so-called "Year of Luigi," Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is a hotly anticipated game starring everyone's favorite cowardly plumber Luigi. Instead of just one main mansion to explore, there are several with different themes and ghostly guests. Not only is sucking up these ghosts mandatory, but so is solving puzzles within the various environments. For this 3DS sequel, multiplayer for up to four players either locally or online has been included, sporting three unique modes. Dark Moon is seriously shaping up to be a superior game to the 2001 GameCube original. Here's hoping the game is as fun to play as it looks in videos.

Pandora's Tower (Wii)
Release Date: 3/26


Pandora's Tower is the last of the three Operation Rainfall games that fans wanted to see localized in North America. Play as Aeron as you do your best to collect flesh from monsters to feed to Elena. Why, you ask? It's because poor Elena has a curse that will only reverse if she is fed monster flesh. Hey, if all Aeron had to collect was penicillin, then the adventure wouldn't be anywhere near as fun! Each of the thirteen towers that Aeron must climb features its own brand of challenges and shortcuts, and Aeron will need to find these shortcuts as he is always racing against the clock and the speed of Elena's illness. Depending on how well the player does, they will see one of several endings. Pandora's Tower hits the Wii as one of its final big games on March 26.

BioShock Infinite (Multi) 
Release Date: 3/28


The final of ten games we'll be talking about for the month of March is one of the biggest games on this list. It's also one that many have been clamoring for for quite a while now. It's BioShock Infinite. The BioShock series has already plundered the ocean depths with a city underwater, so the next logical step is a city above the clouds in the form of Columbia. Using a series of weapons, telekinetic powers, and gear, the main character Booker must find a way to escape the cloud city. He isn't alone, however. In BioShock Infinite, an AI companion known as Elizabeth at times assists in combat. The setting of the game all to itself has me excited for it, and knowing how ambitious Ken Levine and his team have been with the game have myself, among many others, greatly anticipating BioShock Infinite's March 28 release date.

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There you have it-- ten different games that are ones that North American gamers should be eyeing carefully. Which of these ten interest you the most? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Better Late Than Never Reviews: Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy (PSP)

The final review for this short month is another Better Late Than Never Review. It's Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, a game packed to the brim with content-- just what Final Fantasy fans ordered. How does it play? How is it overall? Let's find out with this review.

A Rapture for Final Fantasy Fans


The Final Fantasy franchise has seen better days to many fans. Final Fantasy XIII is seen as inferior to many mainline titles before it, and Final Fantasy XIV is seeing a relaunch because the original launch was so terrible. That said, the spin-offs the series have seen are anything but terrible. 2009's Dissidia Final Fantasy brought the franchise into uncharted territory, a three-dimensional arena fighter, quite unlike anything anyone had ever seen before. Two years later and Dissidia 012: Final Fantasy launched on Sony's PlayStation Portable. Is the experience one of harmony or one of discord?

Chaos, the god of discord, and Cosmos, the goddess of harmony, are locked in an eternal conflict. To the victor goes the fate of the world. Fighting alongside each deity are familiar faces from the Final Fantasy franchise-- both heroes and villains. With little in the way of memories, the heroes, including the likes of Warrior of Light (FFI), Cecil Harvey (FFIV), Terra Branford (FFVI), Cloud Strife (FFVII), Squall Leonheart (FFVIII), Tidus (FFX), among many others, yearn to end the conflict and return to their home worlds. While the plot sounds interesting in theory, it amounts to little more than Final Fantasy fan-fiction, and a pretty poor one at that. You know when the newest element to the story is focused around an obnoxiously jaded Lightning, you are in for a disappointing and immensely groan-worthy story. The mode you'll be playing in the most is, in fact, the story, following along the plot of the game full of shallow conversations and dialogue.

The new members of the Dissidia roster star
in the all-new 012 Scenario.
The story of the game consists of switching off between the numerous Final Fantasy heroes of the series, scouring the traverseable world map for treasure chests and gates. These gates lead to grid-like dungeons where you enter battles. Dissidia 012 features three unique scenarios: the all-new 012, the returning 013 (which makes buying and playing the original Dissidia pretty much pointless), and the special open-world Scenario 000, which is pretty much the new content of the game's meat. Scenario 012 introduces new characters into Dissidia including Lightning (FFXIII), Vaan (FFXII), Laguna (FFVIII), Tifa (FFVII), and Kain (FFIV). The new characters are fun to play as, but their stories, too, do little to set itself apart from the fan fiction stigma the plot has.

A new feature of Dissidia 012 is 
this 3D world map.
That said, however, Dissidia 012 does a delightful job of keeping players invested via its gameplay, despite its plot and script problems. Battles are relatively set up the same way as in the original Dissidia. They are one-on-one skirmishes that take place in three-dimensional arenas. Fighters start with a set amount of Bravery, which gets increased after they hit a successful attack or combo. Meanwhile, a stage's Bravery also increases as attacks hit opponents. Think of a stage's Bravery like the pot in a poker game. It's essentially a tug-of-war match between the two fighters. When one player's Bravery goes up, the other player's goes down. If the player's opponent's Bravery hits zero, the player earns all of the stage's Bravery.

Final Fantasy V's hero and villain face off.
When an HP attack is unleashed and comes in contact with an opponent, their HP drops depending on how much Bravery the fighter who hit them had. For instance, if a fighter's Bravery was 2,314, and they hit their opponent who had 1,000 HP left with an HP attack, the fight would be over. It's not as complicated a system as it may seem, but like the game mechanics and controls themselves, there is quite a learning curve to be found.

Garland makes contact with Bartz.
And it's a home run!
Returning to battles in Dissidia 012 from the original game are summons and EX Mode. Each character in Dissidia 012 can have one summon equipped to them. Depending on the summon, it can be brought into battle when the fighter equipped with it calls on it, when a set condition is met, or to counter the attack of an opponent. They have a multitude of uses, such as increasing the wearer's Bravery and/or decreasing their opponent's Bravery. Summons need to be recharged for a given amount of battles after a few uses.

While Tifa's EX gauge is full...
Meanwhile, EX Mode is performed when your character's EX gauge is full. This mode enables helpful benefits such as HP regeneration, increased critical hit probability, and the ability to unleash an EX Burst, reminiscent of limit breaks in various Final Fantasy games. These EX Bursts are essentially quick-time events that when the correct prompts are performed accurately, deliver a powerful blow to an opponent's HP.

...She can let loose a wild EX Burst attack.
New to this sequel of Dissidia are assist attacks. When used strategically, a player can summon an ally into battle to help to assault an opponent or defend against an attack. They're also useful for stopping a foe in the midst of their EX Mode. Like regular attacks, there are two types of assist attacks: one that goes after Bravery and one that goes after HP.

Call in some backup for when times get tough.
By now you must be realizing how complex the fighting is in the Dissidia series. However, it is not without its own hindrances. One of the most notable problems regarding Dissidia 012 is one that was prominently featured in the original Dissidia a few years back, the abhorrent at times camera. While you're always able to lock onto your opponent, combat in close quarters can be quite troublesome as walls and ceilings block your viewpoint, setting you up for some frustrating combat. Another issue with the game that carries over from the first Dissidia is the various jumps in difficulty from one battle to another. In one battle you will easily take out the boss while another you will find yourself cursing the AI out, even on the easiest of difficulties.

Therein lies the biggest problem of all with Dissidia 012. As I alluded to earlier, the game's learning curve is relatively high, and it is one that will put off a lot of players who are too impatient to learn the intricacies of the game. After constantly losing, not knowing when to block, not knowing how to evade consistently well, and continuing to make little headway, I know I was very close to putting off the game entirely. However, I am very glad that I pushed onward.

Guarding and evading are just as 
important as hacking and slashing.
One reason for that I'm glad is that I would have missed a ton of goodies the game possesses. If you thought that Dissidia Final Fantasy was full of content, then prepare to be blown away by all of the options, modes, and unlockables Dissidia 012 has inside it. What makes the game so great is that you are constantly earning things, whether it's money to buy new equipment; PP to buy new content in the game like character costumes, player icons, and music; new accessories; new levels; new moves; or what have you, and constantly making progress.

Come up with your dream Final Fantasy 
match-ups in Dissidia 012.
Regardless of how corny the dialogue is or how shallow the characters are, the voice work makes it almost work. Big emphasis on almost. That said, with the material given the voice actors more than did their jobs well. On the music side, Takeharu Ishimoto (The World Ends With You) provides a myriad of rearrangements, giving numerous fabled Final Fantasy themes a new lease on life. While they are not the best rearrangements to grace a Final Fantasy game (Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon wins that award), they are still great.

Graphically, Dissidia 012 is one of the best looking games on Sony's first portable hardware. Characters are highly detailed, battlefields are destructible and have grand effects tailored to them, and everything occurs with nary a drop in frame-rate. Regardless of whether you think the Final Fantasy franchise is going in the right direction or not, I think many of us can still agree that Square Enix knows how to present their games.

The cut-scenes are remarkably well done.
The actual script? Not so much.
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy is pure joy in gaming form for Final Fantasy fans. Even if you're a casual fan like myself or perhaps have never touched a Final Fantasy title at all, there is still plenty to love about the game. There is an abundance of characters, equipment, summons, modes, unlockables, things to win, and things to gawk at and listen to making up the game. The learning curve will isolate a good number of players from the experience, but if you stick with Dissidia 012 and learn the ropes, you will find a piece of software in the PSP library that will deliver upwards of 100 hours of enjoyable content; just realize that the aforementioned experience is far from perfect.

[SPC Says: 8.75/10]

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS) Review

Let's celebrate SuperPhillip's birthday with a brand-new review for a big game for Nintendo 3DS owners, Fire Emblem: Awakening. We've played many hours, unlocked many characters, and completed the game's many chapters to come up with our verdict. Will you agree with it? Read on and find out!

Reawaken Your Strategic Mind


Fire Emblem is a series steeped in tradition. For such a heralded and long-lasting series, the West has only seen five of the eleven Fire Emblem games released thus far. The latest, and the first that has hit the Nintendo 3DS, is Fire Emblem: Awakening. I have very limited experience with the franchise. I am talking about someone who owns all of the North American releases yet have completed zero of them. That has changed with Fire Emblem: Awakening, and for good reason too. Find out why with my review.

You start Fire Emblem: Awakening creating your own character, something not seen often in games of this sort. While the creation options are limited in what you can do (hair style, color, gender, and voice are pretty much it), it gives you a personal touch and better attachment with the story. Speaking of the story, it starts with you waking up in a field. Travelers Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick allow you to join them on their cause to stop an impending war. Little do they know (and you probably too) how big your seemingly innocent meeting will matter in future events. The majority of the story is presented with in-game cinemas with brief moments of voice acting, but the really important scenes are displayed with CG graphics that look absolutely spectacular. These are fully animated and fully voiced, quite unlike the rest of the game. What ties everything together is the masterful script. Then again, what else would you expect from Nintendo's Treehouse?

See what I mean regarding the cut-scenes?
As stated in the intro, Fire Emblem is a series steeped in tradition, and one of such traditions was the permanent deaths of characters who pass on in a given mission. Bucking the tradition, Fire Emblem: Awakening sports an incredibly welcomed (and incredibly optional) casual mode. In this mode, units that die will return after a given mission is complete. Of course many fans will yell at you for even thinking of turning on such a mode, as they believe that the true essence of the entire Fire Emblem franchise hinges on the permanent deaths of your characters. That said, don't listen to them-- just play as you want. You can choose to play casually on any difficulty, offering a true Fire Emblem game that can be said is for everybody.

Playing Fire Emblem game is a lot like playing any tactical turn-based role-playing affair (what a mouthful that was!). If you've never touched a game in the genre, then let me relieve your feeling of ignorance. First, it's okay because we were all ignorant about the genre at one time, so don't feel bad about it. Second, Fire Emblem is a lot like a game of chess. You're strategically maneuvering your units to get the better of your opponents.

You see, each unit that joins your noble cause for world peace has their own set of stats and weapons that determine a wide range of things: who they are strong against, who they are weak against, how far they can move on the grid-like battlefields of the game, and so on and so forth. For instance, archers are very strong against flying enemies such as pegasus knights and wyverns. However, they cannot defend themselves against melee attackers, which just happen to be most foes.

Nothing like a warm sunset to complement
the cold blood pulsating through your veins!
When it is your turn to move your units, you have a wide assortment of options and things to think about. For one, when you decide to attack an enemy, you can see on the bottom screen the outcome beforehand (i.e. how much damage you will deal, if they will counter with their own barrage of blades or spells, etc.). This is a must for knowing the right unit to send in attacking. And even when you do decide to attack a foe, you don't have to do it alone. Fire Emblem: Awakening has an aspect to it where a unit can team up with another. This will occasionally increase their attack, their ability to dodge, and even sometimes your partnered unit will completely block the foe's counterattack for you. Additionally, you can call upon the useful X button to show enemy ranges, shown in pink. This is essential to knowing where to arrange your men and women soldiers. Sometimes it's useful to purposefully send a few stronger units into the pink zone to lure enemies towards you to pick them off. Failure to carefully plan your actions is the difference between a mission's success and a grim game over.

See what will happen before it happens.
You're like a Psychic Friend!
In Fire Emblem: Awakening, most weapons and spells have a specific amount of times they can be used before they are thrown away. Each unit can carry five different pieces of equipment, items, or spells (what they can carry depends on their class). When a weapon, item, or spell has had all its uses up, it disappears from that character's selection.

As units gain experience, their stats grow stronger. Once they have reached level 10 (20 is the maximum), you can change their class with a special item called a seal. Make it so your starting avatar can grow from a Tactician to a Grandmaster (it goes with my chess analogy, after all) with increased magical capabilities and strength, Chrom can grow from a Lord to a Great Lord-- it's all up to you what jobs you decide to expand your units into. Just be weary of stat changes.

I talked briefly about how units can team up together and form partnerships. Well that is just one piece to this proverbial puzzle. When units continually support one another in battle, their relationships become better. Through accessing the Support menu on the world map or before a battle, you can see exclusive conversations between close members. All relationships start at C, and if they are the same sex, it can go up to A. However, if the two involved are of the opposite sex, then their relationship can reach an S level, allowing them to get married and have a kid. These kids will show up in completely optional paralogue chapters with the option to unlock them to aid your cause and play as them. This is one reason why many Fire Emblem veterans chastise the idea of casual play. You lose the feeling of consequence-- that is, if you were playing with normal rules (see: not casual), then every death would mean something as you had an emotional bond with that character. All the leveling up, all the battles, all the improved relationships, etc.

Better to fight with someone than alone.
Outside of the paralogue chapters, there are 26 for the main story, but the game is far from over once you reach the end. Nintendo is constantly (as in on a weekly or biweekly basis) providing DLC chapters to purchase, offering new maps, scenarios, and teams to face. The earliest chapter grants you the ability to play with Prince Marth and even recruit him to your side. There are also SpotPass teams to take on. Unlike the DLC missions, these teams are free to play (and tough to boot!).

Shops around the world offer many
interesting wares. Buy till your heart's content!
Fire Emblem: Awakening has a terrific presentation to it. It looks phenomenal for a Nintendo 3DS game. I mentioned the story elements and cut-scenes, but I wanted to further clarify about the voice acting. The majority of it are one-off statements either in an in-game cinema or in battle. As for battles, you will see plenty. Perhaps too many, as I found myself simply pressing the Start button to skip them all as I drew closer and closer to the end. They're nice to begin with, but they become increasingly more and more as wastes of time, especially if you are in a hurry. As for the character models, they look great, but the choice of having them looking like they have no feet might perplex some players. I thought the models were clipping into the ground until someone set me straight that it was an artistic decision. On the music side of things, Fire Emblem: Awakening features a sensationally wonderful soundtrack, full of emotion and perfect for setting each scene and conflict.

A colorful cast of characters await
you in Fire Emblem: Awakening.
For anyone who has been hesitant to enter the series because of its punishing difficulty, Fire Emblem: Awakening is a grand starting point. Perhaps after you've played through this game fully (that will take enough time as is) you will find yourself wanting to try out the other Western releases of the franchise. As is, Awakening is a tremendous entry in the series and the genre. Whether you play it old school with permanent deaths or casually without them, Fire Emblem: Awakening is the perfect place to see why this franchise is so loved in Japan and gaining traction worldwide.

[SPC Says: 9.0/10]

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

God of War: Ascension (PS3) Single Player Trailer

The next big PlayStation 3 title is fast approaching. It's God of War: Ascension, a prequel to the numerous God of War games. Take the fight to Ares as Kratos in this positively epic adventure. The demo for the game is available on PSN now, so if this trailer isn't enough to whet your appetite, then perhaps the demo will. God of War: Ascension launches in North America on March 12.

SPC's Favorite VGMs - Birthday Week Edition

This week holds a very special day. Wednesday is my birthday, and to celebrate we have five brand-new VGMs to share with you. On today's edition of SPC's Favorite VGMs, there is music from the original Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.

v321. The Legend of Zelda (NES) - Underworld


A haunting little ditty, The Legend of Zelda's Underworld plays in the game's numerous dungeons. It is a short tune that loops frequently. I recently went back to play the original Zelda, and I had my behind handed to me. It's an old school challenging game for sure.

v322. Final Fantasy IV (Multi) - Long Distance


Long Distance is a vocal and orchestrated arrangement of Final Fantasy IV's main theme. The song comes from the Love Will Grow vocal album, one that I cannot recommend enough. It features sensational renditions of Nobuo Uematsu's works, from Relm's Theme from Final Fantasy VI to a jazzy version of the Prelude theme.

v323. Final  Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA) - Walking in Ivalice


Walking in Ivalice is a battle theme from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, a release that sent the Final Fantasy Tactics series into a much more whimsical setting than its PlayStation war-torn one. The music, too, is quite whimsical and fitting for the fairy tale world the game takes place in.

v324. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2) - Yell Dead Cell


A theme that plays during various boss encounters in Metal Gear Solid 2, Yell Dead Cell's main melody is played on strings with an electronic backing. Hearing this theme provides memories of taking down Fatman and other bosses as Raiden in the game.

v325. Shadow the Hedgehog (PS2, GCN, XBX) - Lethal Highway


The Lethal Highway has Shadow the Hedgehog taking on an alien menace while cruising down dilapidated roads aboard a motorcycle. Yes, that is as stupid as it sounds, as was the entire premise of Shadow the Hedgehog. That said, somehow, someway I managed to beat the game 100%. Don't ask me how I did it. I think I repressed those memories.