Thursday, December 4, 2014

Where do gamers play casino games?

If you’ve got a preference for playing on a games console but you enjoy playing casino games, you’ll have probably noticed that gambling is an area that’s definitely underserved in the console gaming range. Of course, there have been various different casino games released over the years, such as Hard Rock Casino, Poker Master and Vegas Games 2000. Then there’s the PS Casino that you can access via PS Home, where you can play a selection of different casino games. But one thing all these casino games have in common is that you can’t play them with real money bets.

And anyone who wants the buzz of playing casino classics such as roulette, poker or baccarat will know that the excitement in playing those games is tied up in the fact that you’ve got the chance to win or lose real cash. Of course, you can have the fun of playing without any financial risk, but where’s the fun in winning a gambling game when you don’t win real cash?

That’s why casino gaming is one area you should not bother with on a console. Instead, save your casino gaming for when you’re online or on the mobile. If you join a site such as Unibet, you can play a whole range of casino games such as roulette, poker, and blackjack as well as lots of different slots whenever you have a few minutes. And when you first join a casino site, you can also cash in on a welcome bonus that matches, or doubles what you put in as a first deposit, so you can triple your initial playing fund without placing a single bet.

And if you’re sensible with the bonus cash, only placing minimum bets, you can get great entertainment value out of a really small amount of your own cash. There’s also the possibility that you can make a profit on that initial amount of money, if you have luck on your side.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - Back from Cybering Edition

The most important unofficial holiday of all time was yesterday, so SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs had to be out of the office for that! Of course, I'm talking about Cyber Monday. How else do you expect SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs to get half price cutting boards shaped like ducks?! Do you think that kind of deal happens any other day? No way!

Nonetheless, this favorite music-related feature of mine is here for your Tuesday instead of Monday this week. Such games featured this week include Shadow of the Colossus, Tales of Legendia, and Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean. Let's go!

v751. Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) - To the Ancient Land


I start off this edition of my favorite VGMs with the introduction song of Shadow of the Colossus. The composer of this game, Koh Otani, might be familiar to anime fans, as he wrote the music to both Gundam Wing and Outlaw Star. Those are two of my favorite non-Yoko Kanno anime soundtracks. Regardless, Otani-san's (I don't usually do the "san" stuff, so beg my pardon this one time) approach to the Shadow of the Colossus soundtrack is a soundtrack full of raw emotion. It's as moving as the game itself.

v752. Tales of Legendia (PS2) - Enemy Attack


Before Motoi Sakuraba became pretty much the de facto composer for the Tales series, Go Shiina had his talented hands on the Tales soundtrack with Tales of Legendia for the PlayStation 2. This lively and energetic Enemy Attack theme is showcased by a brilliant, fast-paced piano melody, followed by lovely strings. It's a gorgeously designed piece, for sure.

v753. Hot Shots Golf 3 (PS2) - Main Menu


Moving away from epic scaled games to the links for a short respite here, the Hot Shots Golf series is one that rarely disappoints. The music also stays strong game after game in the series. Rather than choose a theme from one of the golf courses in the game, I figured I'd share the main menu theme. Not only is it heard a lot obviously while playing, but it constantly gets you in high spirits and in the mood to play another round of golf.

v754. Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (GCN) - House of Cards


We return to "epic" games and sounding stuff with Baten Kaitos's House of Cards, composed by a name I mentioned in the Tales of Legendia Enemy Attack VGM, Motoi Sakuraba. Not only does this fantastic and masterful composer get around, he consistently makes quality soundtracks. I guess that would be a great reason as to why he gets around so often!

v755. Breath of Fire (SNES, GBA) - Battling


Breath of Fire was one of my first RPG's I ever played. Thus, it has a certain nostalgia I appreciate, but even then, the game still holds up rather well-- at least much better than its poorly-translated sequel. Battling is the second battle theme that plays after Ryu's party has reached a certain point in their adventure. Its much more uptempo than the first battle theme, making it my personal favorite from the game.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Review Round-Up - November 2014

Nintendo's all-star fighter leads the
charge this month at SuperPhillip Central.
SuperPhillip Central didn't just stuff its gut with food this past month. No, the site also filled itself to the brim with reviews-- 11, to be exact!

Over half of SuperPhillip Central's November reviews was dedicated to Wii U eShop games from indies, such as Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones (9.0), Art of Balance (8.25), Teslagrad (8.25), Ping 1.5+ (7.25), The Swapper (8.0), and Tengami (7.0). Following the indie Wii U eShop titles, I turned to the Virtual Console offerings the system possessed with two offerings, Super Mario Advance (7.25) and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (7.0). After that, I posted a fashionably late review of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, giving it a 9.25. Little Deviants on the PlayStation Vita didn't review as favorably, getting only a below average 4.0. Finally, one of the most compelling and content-heavy multiplayer games, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, brawled its way to a near-perfect 9.75.

That's the Review Round-Up for November 2014! If you ever want to look back in SuperPhillip Central's past at one of the previous 500 or so reviews, check out the review database here!

Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones (Wii U eShop) - 9.0
Art of Balance (Wii U eShop) - 8.25
Teslagrad (Wii U eShop) - 8.25
Ping 1.5+ (Wii U eShop) - 7.25
The Swapper (Wii U eShop) - 8.0
Tengami (Wii U eShop) - 7.0
Super Mario Advance (GBA, Wii U eShop) - 7.25
Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (GBA, Wii U eShop) - 7.0
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (3DS) - 9.25
Little Deviants (Vita) - 4.0
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U) - 9.75

While Smash Bros. celebrates Nintendo's history,
Theatrhythm celebrates Final Fantasy's.