NPD 2010 Results - Top Ten Games for Each Platform

The year of 2010 was a wacky and wild one. That goes for sales, too, y'know! Courtesy of the NPD Group, the top ten best-selling games for each platform were unveiled on this day. I'd like to share my own insight on each platform starting with the Wii and ending with the handhelds.


Here we see that once again, third parties just do not sell on Wii. Oh, wait. Actually, without the snark and sarcasm, over half of the best-sellers for Wii are from third-parties. You have casual experiences like Just Dance 2, Michael Jackson: The Experience, Wipeout: The Game, and Wii Party (which sold about a half-million), and you have your more substance-filled titles such as the GotY 2010, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Disney Epic Mickey, uDraw Studio, Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, and Call of Duty: Black Ops which is surprisingly near or has reached one million sales.


An interesting list compared to the Wii's mix of casual and hardcore experiences, Call of Duty: Black Ops reigns supreme at the top of the list followed by annual favorite, Madden NFL 11. God of War III, Red Dead Redemption, and Final Fantasy XIII show that traditional experiences are still favored despite Sony's plans to dive in on Nintendo's casual-friendly Wii with the Move peripheral. Not too much that's exciting on this chart, but it's good to know that both first and third party software has a home on the PS3.


Looking like deja vu, Black Ops hits the number one spot followed by the ever-popular, Halo Reach. Madden NFL 11 takes the third spot followed by Red Dead Redemption. The 360 managed to squeeze out a victory over every third party game on the PS3 save for Final Fantasy XIII and, surprisingly, NBA 2K11. Even with eleven months as an advantage, Mass Effect 2 was outsold by the Metacritic-inferior Fable III. Also of note is that no Kinect software hit the charts.


Nintendo dominated their DS platform with a handful of third-party software making the list including the improved Super Scribblenauts, Toy Story 3, LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Zhu Zhu Pets, and Sonic Colors (which combined with the Wii version have shipped two million copies). Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies shows that the franchise can work well on handhelds and wonderfully so.


I do not care how many hardware units the PSP has sold. It's software sales are a failure making the PSP, in my eyes, a failure as well. You have to wonder when your top game sells only 300,000 units what the problem is. How can Sony get third parties on-board with the PSP NGP with higher dev costs and the potential for lesser sales? Especially when its main competition has an eight month lead on it? Regardless, it's sad to see such titles fail so badly. Ghost of Sparta performed well below expectations, and that's the theme with PSP software for the year. 2011 isn't looking any better.

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The results have been analyzed to death, so now it's your turn. What surprises you on the top ten best-selling games for each platform? Anything come out at you? Let me know in the comments section.

Review Round-Up - December

Well, crap. We didn't have any reviews for the month of December. I hope to change that with the new year, but who knows. Damn that red ring of death and damn you, Microsoft. That's why you won nothing during my annual awards show! Make better hardware next time, Microsoft, and maybe I'll buy it. Probably not. Assholes.

What was I talking about? Oh, yes. Reviews. There weren't any this month, but next month I have at least three in store for you fine readers. Until then, see you in 2011!

Central City Census - December

It's the final month of the year. December is the time where the leaves are dead, the snow is white, and we're freezing our asses off. Unless you live in the Southwest, of course, or in another country where the seasons are different. Regardless, let's see last month's Census!

Yes, two or more.	3 (7%)
Yes, just one.	9 (23%)
Maybe.	7 (18%)
No, not at all.	19 (50%)

Votes so far: 38

The question asked was whether or not SPC users would be getting a new platform (Wii, DS, etc) this holiday season. Most of you are not. All right! More money for more games! Three of you lucky bastards are getting two or more! Call Richie Rich, junior! A near half of you are or maybe are receiving at least one console this holiday season. Good stuff, and thanks for your votes. Now onto December's question.


The console wars are in full steam, and are heading down the finishing tracks. Or are they? Regardless, which console do you think had the best year?

Review Round-Up - November

These Kongs could do no wrong this month.

Remember that time when I was on hiatus for, like, three months, and I came back? That was awesome. But it gave me a LOT of work to do with new reviews to quench your thirsty selves, yes? Well, let's take a look at November's eight reviews. PokePark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure set the bar low with an average 5.5. Meanwhile, our top games are Donkey Kong Country Returns (9.5) and Sonic Colors (9.0). Man, who could have seen a 9.0 going to Sonic Colors coming? Certainly not I, dear friends. Additionally, I reviewed several other Wii titles like Sin & Punishment: Star Successor (8.0), Goldeneye 007 (8.25), and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (8.75). Lastly, the DS and PS3 got some game-reviewin' love with Mega Man Zero Collection (8.25) and ModNation Racers (8.75). A great month after a long hiatus, wouldn't you say?

Sin & Punishment: Star Successor (Wii) - 8.0
ModNation Racers (PS3) - 8.75
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Wii) - 8.75
Goldeneye 007 (Wii) - 8.25
PokePark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure (Wii) - 5.5
Mega Man Zero Collection (DS) - 8.25
Sonic Colors (Wii) - 9.0
Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii) - 9.5

Sonic speeds into a great score from SPC.

Top Ten Most Anticipated Games From E3 2010

All the big reveals and announcements from this year's E3 have come and gone, so now it's time to make a list of my most hotly anticipated games from this year's floor. Some we've seen before from past E3s, while most are brand spanking new. Here's my top ten personal picks based on anticipation and excitement solely. Let's get this started!

10) Golden Sun: Dark Dawn (DS)

The Golden Sun trilogy comes to a close with Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, the third installment of this fun RPG series. This time touch screen support and full 3D visuals. Join Isaac and the gang as they battle a new evil that threatens Weyard.


9) Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)

Given an early November release date, Gran Turismo 5 promises lots of driving simulating action including online play and night racing. It seems like forever, but Gran Turismo 5 is finally coming out to racing-hungry PlayStation 3 owners.


8) LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3)

Build the levels of your dreams with improved game control via PlayStation Move, new tricks and gadgets to tinker around with, and new game types to play in. No longer are you just confined to 2D platforming as you can even take on the shoot-em-up genre!


7) Disney's Epic Mickey (Wii)

Receiving a hefty graphical overhaul, Disney's Epic Mickey in part by famed developer Warren Spector takes the mighty mouse to new heights on a brand-new adventure exclusively for Nintendo Wii. Part 3D, part 2D, the platforming renaissance is on and it's on Wii.


6) Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii)

We haven't seen a full-fledged console Kirby game since Kirby 64 way back on the Nintendo 64 funnily enough. Nintendo aims to correct this with the visually astounding Kirby's Epic Yarn with backgrounds and characters made up of yarn and carpeting.


5) Metroid: Other M (Wii)

Originally due out later this month, Metroid: Other M is hunting the Metroid menace on August 31st for lucky Americans. For everyone else, a September release seems likely. Join Samus Aran after the events of Super Metroid and learn the secrets of her mysterious past.


4) Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS)

The first shown game for Nintendo's new 3DS handheld, Kid Icarus: Uprising marks the decades old return of everyone's favorite winged hero, Pit. From the trailer we can see 3D battles taking place in land and by air. A graphically impressive game, Kid Icarus: Uprising aims to whet the appetites of hungry handheld fans.


3) Marvel VS. Capcom 3 (PS3, 360)

I loved Tatsunoko VS. Capcom, so this game quickly jumped to my list. If you saw the gameplay trailers posted last night you'll understand why. High-octane 3-on-3 warfare is what Marvel VS. Capcom's third offering is all about. Here's hoping Mega Man joins the fray!


2) Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)

It's been over a decade since Rare put the finishing touches on the original Donkey Kong Country. Now another Western developer is taking their touch on the franchise with a brand-new installment to this widely popular and successful franchise.


1) The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)

While the E3 presser demo was less than spectacular, word is on the show floor is that the newest Zelda title from Nintendo delivers in spades. With a gorgeous cel-shaded art style, MotionPlus support, and promised retooling to the classic formula, Skyward Sword is definitely one title to look out for when it launches some time next year.


There's my top ten abbreviated. Which games from this past E3 of 2010 are yours? Drop me a line in the comments section to let me and everyone else reading know.

Marvel VS. Capcom 3 (PS3, 360) E3 Gameplay

The videos from E3 keep pouring in on this busy week at SuperPhillip Central. Sort of makes up for my mini-vacation last week. Our specimen here is Marvel VS. Capcom 3, a game I'm hotly anticipating since I adored Tatsunoko VS. Capcom for Wii. Fortunately, the HD twins get their turn at a brand-new VS. Capcom title, and it's shaping up to be a doozy. Don't want to take it from me? Watch this trio of gameplay videos and come back and see me! The backgrounds are extremely busy, and in an interactive entertaining way, and the fighting is as hectic as ever!

SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs - E3 2010 Edition

Welcome to a special E3 edition of SuperPhillip's favorite VGMs. You don't need no press pass to enter here! This week we have Sonic the Hedgehog, Tatsunoko VS. Capcom, and NiGHTS to start us off right. Enough banter from me, let's get listening to some good music.

v576. Sonic Advance 3 - Route 99 Acts 1-3

This is a rare three-fer here on SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs. The specimen this time? Sonic Advance 3's first zone, Route 99-- all three acts of it. The Sonic Advance series was a fun trilogy of games that had a good amount of speed and some slow sections of platforming thrown in for good measure. However, it did have a lot of unforgiving pits and spike traps that may frustrate some gamers.



v577. NiGHTS: Journey Of Dreams - Drifting Donbalon

How was NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams? Beats me. I stopped by the third world. What I did play was enjoyable enough, though playing as the kids in the overworld was pretty piss-poor. Let's talk about something better-- the sensational soundtrack! This theme plays for the first boss-- the drifting Donbalon. It has an Arabic feel to it, does it not? Hope you enjoy it more than the critics enjoyed the game.



v578. Xenogears - Stars of Tears (Out Take)

Xenogears was a game that I once again tried to force myself to play through, but alas, it was all for naught. I couldn't complete it. Regardless, I did enjoy the soundtrack immensely, and I remember playing my brother's data just so I could listen to the game's jukebox. Yasunori Mitsuda, you, sir, are a genius. And this beautiful main theme of Xenogears with enchanting vocals proves this.



v579. Tatsunoko VS. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars - Shop

The Shop menu in Tatsunoko VS. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars is where players can purchase all sorts of things from different colored costumes to comic pages. The song itself is quite catchy full of a wonderful poppy melody. Tatsunoko VS. Capcom is an awesome fighter, and it's a terrific Wii title for fighting fans. Heck, even Tatsunoko and/or Capcom fans!



v580. Mario Superstar Baseball - Mario Stadium

The first of six stadiums in Mario's original baseball outing, Mario Stadium, is a ballpark without any gimmicks. It's just straight-up classic baseball fun with bright, vivid colors and on Isle Delfino. The game itself is quite fun though fielding can be a bit problematic. Regardless, this theme is peppy and perfect for three to nine innings of baseball fun-- especially now that baseball season has started!



There you go with another installment of juicy, delicious video game tracks. Until next week, check out past installments of the Favorite VGMs by clicking on this link here.

SPC Mailbag - June 2nd, 2010

E3 2010 is but two glorious weeks away. Today's installment of the SPC Mailbag is entirely made up of questions revolving around E3. There will be predictions, desired games, and favorite moments to be touched upon. Let's get right to it!

What are your predictions for this year's E3?

Right to Double Jeopardy, eh? Alright. Well, I'm no Nostradamus, and I won't pretend to know what I'm talking about. Nor will I see in the future if my predictions come true, but here goes:

Nintendo:
Big focus on Wii Party and new Zelda
Golden Sun DS secretly moved to 3DS
New Pokemon games will have some function with 3DS
Nintendo 3DS will be the final name and will come out this winter in at least one territory.
Metroid: Other M gets a lot of attention, too.
No mainline Mario game for 3DS launch lineup

Sony:
Move will focus more on casual games, and what core games there will be will underwhelm
Move will launch for $60 US in September.
LittleBigPlanet 2 will be a media darling as will Killzone 3.
InFAMOUS 2 will be unveiled formally.
PSP will gain new announcements towards its already robust catalog.
No new PSP to be announced/shown until TGS.

Microsoft:
Natal will impress.
Natal will cost $99 US.
Natal will release in November.
Rare will show off a new IP exclusively for Natal.
More gun games for Microsoft's userbase. SuperPhillip will roll eyes and groan.

So there you have it. Some "duh" responses, but others much more ballsy. It's sure to be an exciting E3 regardless of whether my predictions come true or not.

What games would you like to see announced for E3 2010?

I'll just do a laundry list for you guys to make it simpler on me.

Mega Man Powered Up 2
Zelda Wii
Perfect Dark 2
A new IP from Nintendo EAD
Hot Shots Golf for Move
We Love Golf 2
Tatsunoko VS. Capcom 2
Sly Cooper HD
Jak HD

What are your favorite E3 moments of all time?

There's so many to recall and forget about. Let's go with these:

1. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess reveal.



2. Sony's 2006 E3 performance.
3. Sony's much better LittleBigPlanet demonstration.
4. Microsoft's Final Fantasy XIII announcement.
5. Wii Music unveiling.

Thanks to all of you who sent questions via e-mail to your good friend SuperPhillip. If you have a question you'd like answered from yours truly, hit me up with an e-mail at superphillip32@hotmail.com.

Review Round - Up - May

Super Mario Galaxy 2 ended our month in style.

You can tell it's approaching the summer months as the number of reviews dwindles to a paltry handful. However, this month it was all quality instead of quantity with Super Mario Galaxy scoring SPC's first (or second?) perfect 10/10 score. Boy, was that game a blast to play! Then we had Monster Hunter Tri, also on Wii, scoring well with a 9.0, we took a trip to a simpler time in gaming with both Donkey Kong Country 3 (9.25) and 3D Dot Game Heroes (8.0) which received the lowest score this month. If 8.0 is the lowest score, we're not doing too badly! Finally, two perplexing puzzle games rounded out the proverbial package with Picross 3D (8.5) and a late-to-the-party review of Tetris DS (9.0)-- both for the Nintendo DS. I have several games planned for next month, but nothing concrete, so no hints this time around! Oh, heck. Maybe just one that you can be sure-ruken will be good. What a horrible pun. I apologize for that!

All scores are out of 10.
5 = Average

Picross 3D (DS) - 8.5
Tetris DS (DS) - 9.0
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble (SNES) - 9.25
Monster Hunter Tri (Wii) - 9.0
3D Dot Game Heroes (PS3) - 8.0
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii) - 10

While big nasties in Monster Hunter Tri
attempted to stand in our way!

Central City Census - June

The marvelous of May has passed with higher-than-normal temperatures here in Central City. It turns out last month's Census was just as hot! Let's check out the results, shall we?

Which first party do you think will have the best E3 this year?

Microsoft	10 (13%)
Nintendo	34 (47%)
Sony	28 (38%)

Votes so far: 72

Asking which first-party would have the best E3 for 2010, the majority of votes went to Nintendo who has a new Zelda and handheld to unveil including some fresh new software. Second place, in close fashion with 38% of the vote, went to Sony whose Move might move some readers into purchasing one. That isn't to mention LittleBigPlanet 2 and Killzone 3 to be shown either! Finally, poor Microsoft only received 13% of the vote even with code name Natal in the works for this year's E3. Enough banter from me, let's check out June's Central City Census!

Some denizens in the game industry are saying that Japanese game developers are losing their touch. Do you agree? We'll solve this conundrum by putting it to a vote on which side of the world has the better game developers in your opinion-- East or West? Voting closes June 30th.

SuperPhillip's May Pick-Ups

May was an eventful month for your good friend, SuperPhillip. It started off with picking up Picross 3D for the DS which I gave an 8.5 to in my review. I then branched off and purchased 3D Dot Game Heroes off of Amazon since no store in the area had any copies remaining. A kind soul on CheapAssGamer bought a copy of Super Street Fighter IV for me for only $35 shipped. That was abundantly kind of him. A user on GameTZ traded me Pac-man World 2/Pac-man VS. for my copy of Trauma Center: Under the Knife. Finally, the coup de grace this month is my purchase of Super Mario Galaxy 2 with player's guide. You can expect reviews of all of these games sometime within the next month or so.

April 2010 NPD Results

What a sucky month for the game industry. Don't believe me? Check out the sales of hardware as well as software!

Data care of NPD Group
Reporting Period: 4/04/2010 through 5/01/2010

PlayStation 3 180.8K
PSP 65.5K
Xbox 360 185.4K
Wii 277.2K
Nintendo DS 440.8K

1. TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION* 360 UBISOFT Apr-10 486.1K
2. POKEMON SOULSILVER VERSION NDS NINTENDO OF AMERICA Mar-10 242.9K
3. NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA Nov-09 200.3K
4. POKEMON HEARTGOLD VERSION NDS NINTENDO OF AMERICA Mar-10 192.6K
5. GOD OF WAR III* PS3 SONY Mar-10 180.3K
6. WII SPORTS RESORT W/ WII MOTION PLUS* WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA Jul-09
7. BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 360 ELECTRONIC ARTS Mar-10 166K
8. WII FIT PLUS W/ BALANCE BOARD* WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA Oct-09
9. JUST DANCE WII UBISOFT Nov-09
10. SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV PS3 CAPCOM USA Apr-10 143K

*. SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV 360 CAPCOM USA Apr-10 108K

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

I'm tearing up, it's so abysmal. Wii leads the carnival of tears with under 300,000 consoles sold. On the other end of the spectrum, the PSP is pretty much dead in the water. Now is the time to unveil a successor, Sony. Like anyone from Sony reads SPC, but you know what I mean. Software-wise, the biggest surprise is not seeing Monster Hunter Tri in the top ten. I hate to say I was right, but this does support my statement that third parties squandered the now absent hardcore Wii userbase. Splinter Cell: Conviction takes the top prize with over 450,000 total sales with both Pokemon titles following closely behind. Meanwhile, SPC's Game of the Year for 2009, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, continues to tear up the charts (even in Japan, too). Throw in God of War III and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 with the usual suspects, and you have your April 2010 NPD. Hopefully, next month jumpstarts things with several anticipated titles coming out with Super Mario Galaxy 2 headlining.

Central City Census - May

April showers bring May's Central City Census. It's time once again for a brand-new poll for my readers to respond to. Before we do that, however, let's check out last month's results first.

Which type of PC do you primarily use?

Desktop	36 (50%)
Laptop	25 (35%)
Both	9 (12%)
Other	1 (1%)

Votes so far: 71

It seems we have more desktop users browsing the blog than anything else taking up half the vote. Meanwhile, 11 votes back, laptop (my personal choice), hit 25 votes. Nine of you use both generally, and one person and percent of you use other. Whatever the hell that means. With that out of the way, let's get to May's census.

E3 is set to kick off in the middle of June. May's Central City Census has to do with E3 performance. Since E3 will be starting around the time this poll ends, it's the perfect time to bring this question up. Which first party do you think will have the best E3 this year?

Review Round-Up - April

The month of April had several recurring themes. Well, two to be exact. Can you guess what they were? For one, it was a month of retro reviews-- five in all. The best scored retro game, and actually the best scored game of the month, was Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest with a score of 9.0. We also reviewed Mario Golf (9.0), Donkey Kong Country (9.0), Pokemon Snap (7.75) and Yoshi's Story (6.5) which received our lowest score for the month. The other theme was an unintentional one of the Sony variety. Four Sony themed reviews were made. The first being our featured game of April, God of War III, which scored an impressive 9.25. Before that we had SingStar pouring out its heart and soul with stirring vocals at 8.0. Jak and Daxter returned in The Lost Frontier to give us an epic adventure on our PSP, and rightfully receiving an 8.5. Finally, we had some browsing and judging my PSP collection in SPC Quickies - Volume Seven. As for next month, I hope you'll be sticking with SuperPhillip Central because I have some big reviews planned including but not limited to Monster Hunter Tri, 3D Dot Game Heroes, and Super Mario Galaxy 2!

All scores are out of 10.
5 = Average

Pokemon Snap (N64) - 7.75
SingStar (PS3) - 8.0
God of War III (PS3) - 9.25
SPC Quickies - Volume Seven - PSParty
Yoshi's Story (N64) - 6.5
Donkey Kong Country (SNES) - 9.0
Mario Golf (N64) - 9.0
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES) - 9.5
Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier (PSP) - 8.5

March 2010 NPD Results

March had the release of no less than four big blockbuster titles. What is this-- the holiday season suddenly? I'm eager to see the results, so let's get to them, shall we?

Data care of NPD Group


PlayStation 2 118.3K
PlayStation 3 313.9K
PSP 119.9K
Xbox 360 338.4K
Wii 557.5K
Nintendo DS 700.8K


GOD OF WAR III* PS3 SONY Mar-10 1.10M 1
POKEMON SOULSILVER VERSION NDS NINTENDO OF AMERICA Mar-10 1.02M 2
FINAL FANTASY XIII PS3 SQUARE ENIX Mar-10 828.2K 3
BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 360 ELECTRONIC ARTS Mar-10 825.5K 4
POKEMON HEARTGOLD VERSION NDS NINTENDO OF AMERICA Mar-10 761.2K 5
FINAL FANTASY XIII 360 SQUARE ENIX Mar-10 493.9K 6
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA Nov-09 457.4K 7
BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 PS3 ELECTRONIC ARTS Mar-10 451.2K 8
WII FIT PLUS W/ BALANCE BOARD* WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA Oct-09 429.6K 9
MLB 10: THE SHOW PS3 SONY Mar-10 349.2K 10

March was a big month for the game industry. No less than four big blockbuster games came out during the month including the month's winner, God of War III, RPG-king Pokemon SoulSilver and HeartGold, Final Fantasy XIII, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2. God of War III won the month with over one million sales in the U.S. alone, but it wasn't enough to get out of third place in the console war. The Wii won that war this month selling more than half-a-million consoles in March. Old standbys like New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Wii Fit Plus stay around near the bottom half of the list, and MLB 10: The Show swings and hits one out of the park with near 350,000 units in sales. Meanwhile, the brand-new DSi XL seems to have reinvigorated the DS brand greatly despite the announcement of the 3DS. Ultimately, a great month for the industry all-around!

Central City Census - April

It's the start of a new month here at SuperPhillip Central, and no fooling here! Before we get to this month's Census, let's view the results of last month's.

Of the current gen platforms, which have died on you?

Nintendo Wii 16 (13%) PlayStation 3 21 (17%) Xbox 360 60 (51%) Sony PSP 9 (7%) Nintendo DS 13 (11%) None have yet 34 (29%) Votes so far: 117

With 117 unique votes, this edition of the Census allowed for multiple answers as you can see when you add up the total votes. Not surprisingly, the 360 received the dubious honor of having the most votes thanks to the notorious Red Ring of Death. Following that was the Yellow Light of Death for the PlayStation 3 and bricking of the Wii. In second place of the vote our Census users picked that none of their systems have died yet. Congrats to them. I'm so jealous! With that out of the way, let's see what April has in store for our voters.

April's Census is no laughing matter. It's a quick and simple, no-nonsense question. What type of PC do you use primarily-- desktop, laptop, both, or other?

Stay tuned for May for the results!

Review Round-Up - March

March came in like a lamb and out like a lion! We have 18 unique reviews this month-- that's gotta be some kind of record! Taking top honors this month are the new Pokemon titles, HeartGold and SoulSilver and Hot Shots Golf Fore! We had a good variety of scores this month with the lowest being Sonic Classic Collection with a 5.5. Still average, so not bad! Not bad at all! We started off strong with Mega Man 10, continued with more downloadable titles such as Hamsterball and Max and the Magic Marker. Meanwhile, we plundered the deep with Endless Ocean: Blue World, saved a kingdom in White Knight Chronicles: International Edition, and our blades bled red with Red Steel 2. Don't forget about episode one of One-Sentence Reviews! Overall, a fantastic and productive month for SuperPhillip Central! As always, italicized reviews are classic reviews, written before this blog came to be. To satiate your appetite for new reviews, for next month how about something from the God of War series? Perhaps God of War III? Maybe we'll take a look at Uncharted 2: Among Thieves as well! Stay tuned as April's going to be a busy month!

All scores are out of 10.
5 = Average

Mega Man 10 (WiiWare, PSN, XBLA) - 8.5
White Knight Chronicles: International Edition (PS3) - 8.25
Endless Ocean: Blue World (Wii) - 8.5
Pokemon Puzzle League (N64) - 8.25
Mega Man X7 (PS2) - 6.0
Castlevania Judgment (Wii) - 7.0
Sonic Classic Collection (DS) - 5.5
Darksiders (PS3, 360) - 9.0
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS) - 8.75
Hot Shots Golf Fore! (PS2) - 9.25
Phantasy Star 0 (DS) - 8.5
Max and the Magic Marker (WiiWare) - 7.0
Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver (DS) - 9.25
Hamsterball (PSN) - 8.0
Red Steel 2 (Wii) - 8.75

Elebits (Wii) - 7.75
Tony Hawk's Project 8 (PS3, 360) - 7.25

One-Sentence Reviews - Episode One

February 2010 NPD Results

Data care of NPD Group
Reporting Period: 1/31/2010 through 2/27/2010


PlayStation 2 101.9K
PlayStation 3 360.1K
PSP 133.4K
Xbox 360 422.0K
Wii 397.9K
Nintendo DS 613.2K


BIOSHOCK 2* 360 TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE Feb-10 562.9K
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA Nov-09 555.6K
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2* 360 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD Nov-09 314.3K
JUST DANCE WII UBISOFT Nov-09 275.4K
SPORTS RESORT W/ WII MOTION PLUS* WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA Jul-09 272.5K
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2* PS3 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD Nov-09 252.8K
MASS EFFECT 2 360 ELECTRONIC ARTS Jan-10 246.5K
DANTE'S INFERNO: DIVINE EDITION PS3 ELECTRONIC ARTS Feb-10 242.5K
DANTE'S INFERNO 360 ELECTRONIC ARTS Feb-10 224.7K
HEAVY RAIN PS3 SONY Feb-10 219.3K

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

The big news is the 360 being the big winner this month. Was it supply constraints for the Wii? New gamers jumping into the 360? People buying second 360s after their first one died? Well, that's just me, but who knows? We do know that software-wise the 360 is also the winner with four titles to the PS3 and Wii's three. New Super Mario Bros. Wii gets second place to the super-hit Bioshock 2. Still, a half million three months after release is nothing to sneeze at! Meanwhile, PS3 exclusive Heavy Rain gets a heavy amount of sales as tenth place on the big sales list. Finally, the DS remains high in the proverbial saddle with the most sales of all. Stay tuned for the top twenty coming later next week.

Review Round-Up - February

Sonic didn't quite lead the pack this month, but he was close!

Another month has come and gone, and I find myself once again compiling a list of reviews for the month. A short month equals a short list of reviews, but what we had was of good to excellent quality. We started strong with Tatsunoko VS Capcom and God of War Collection and ended strong with Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, a surprise hit. In the middle we took flight with The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces, wiped out the Chimeran menace in Resistance: Retribution, played some 8-bit mini-games in No More Heroes 2, had several SEGA quickies, and went to Camelot with Sonic in Sonic and the Black Knight. Stay tuned for March as I have many reviews in store including White Knight Chronicles, Darksiders, and Endless Ocean: Blue World!

All scores are out of 10.
5 = Average

Tatsunoko VS. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (Wii) - 9.0
God of War Collection (PS3) - 9.5
The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces (Wii) - 8.0
Resistance: Retribution (PSP) - 9.25
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (Wii) - 8.5
SPC Quickies - Volume Six - SEGA All-Stars
Sonic and the Black Knight (Wii) - 6.75
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing (PS3, 360, Wii, DS, PC) - 9.0

Tatsunoko and Capcom raged war in the month of February.

SuperPhillip's Gaming Collection - February 2010

Last time we looked at the big three in my collection. This time we're looking at my updated PlayStation 3 collection, my PlayStation 2 collection, and my Gamecube collection. Call it bragging, call it showboating, I call it sharing my hobby with my readers. Plus I get to try out my digital camera for once!