First Things First: Best Openings in Gaming - Part Five

It only seems apropos that the first non-weekly article series to be posted on SuperPhillip Central in 2018 is First Things First, as this series of articles celebrates the best video game openings from our hobby's past and present. We're on a bit of a hand-drawn kick with Part Five's game and opening selections. From modern takes on old classics like Sonic Mania, to a handful of PS1 classics, this edition of First Things First: Best Openings in Gaming has some very good stuff on offer!

Take a look at past parts of this ongoing article series and then tell me in the comments which games you think SuperPhillip Central is missing so far.

Best Openings in Gaming - Part One
Best Openings in Gaming - Part Two
Best Openings in Gaming - Part Three
Best Openings in Gaming - Part Four

Sonic Mania (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)



Sonic Mania's opening video captures the brilliance that was the Sonic CD opening with a familiar intro, showing off some fantastic animation with crystal clear HD visuals. Starting with a ride up an elevator, our three heroes get pumped and primed to let loose, wild, and free in a white space of impressive geometry, bouncing springs, beautiful vistas, and twisting paths -- and all doing it with that signature Genesis-era attitude that old school Sonic fans adore. To see such an opening was also seeing the preview of the awesomeness that Sonic Mania's actual gameplay content had in store. Maybe we'll be seeing some nominations and potential awards for Sonic Mania during this month's SuperPhillip Central Best of 2017 Awards...!

Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 (PS2)



Back in the day, we didn't have any fancy schmancy Dragon Ball Super that continued the adventures of Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, Piccolo, et. al. No, sirs and madams, we had Dragon Ball GT to endure, and Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 was the game that shoved a lot of the characters and designs from that series down our throats. However, we did get an amazing array of Dragon Ball series-related games around that time, sort of the golden years, if you will. Packed with characters and a love letter to Dragon Ball Z fans, Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 emanated quality for both casual fighting game fans and lovers of Saiyans, Namekians, and Earthlings alike. The whole fun, fighting game begins with this introductory cutscene, capturing the essence and spirit of the source material remarkably. Note: The Japanese version is the one represented, but the North American version is great as well. It just features an instrumental rendition of the opening theme.

Wild Arms: Alter Code F (PS2)



First Things First originally saw the Wild Arms series in its very first edition with the debut of the series on the original PlayStation. Now, we turn to the remake of that game -- at least its opening. While not as powerful as the original Wild Arms' opening cutscene, Alter Code F still provides some honest emotion, particularly revolving around that red balloon wafting in the wind and the final scene viewed in the movie at a massive pile of brick and kindling that once was the castle and kingdom of Adlehyde. The new party members in this edition of Wild Arms also are provided time to shine as well. Like I said, it doesn't beat out the original Wild Arms (and that's somewhat due to my own nostalgia towards the game and its opening), but the introduction movie to Alter Code F does the job well all the same.

Chrono Trigger (PS1)



Speaking of the work of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, let's move on to our next game. With the launch of the PlayStation and the ability to use CDs instead of limited capacity cartridges, developers were able to put a lot more data into their games. Not only was the ability to produce richer sound available to devs, but so was the ability to add video. One of my favorite aspects of the PS1 was the introduction of anime cutscenes and how prevalent they were in Japanese games. This was seen even in ports brought over from past platforms, specifically the Super Nintendo. Chrono Trigger was one of these games, and to see so many familiar sights from a game many played in their youth in cutscene form as older and wiser gamers, it was a memorable experience. Akira Toriyama's work from Chrono Trigger was masterfully animated and colored to such rich detail. Then, you have composer Yasunori Mitsuda's theme for the game playing over the footage. It's a familiar yet totally new look at the world of Chrono Trigger, all done in but one, single opening movie.

Mega Man X5 (PS1)



Mega Man X5 was essentially the culmination of the X sub-series of Mega Man games. It was to be the conclusion of the story until Capcom saw its sales as a positive result and pushed for more games featuring X and Zero. The opening of Mega Man X5 is a lot more meaningful with the idea that no more Mega Man X games were going to be made, but it still leaves a nostalgic impact nonetheless. By showing quick glimpses of battles fought in past Mega Man X games, such as X versus Sigma and the villain's trusty attack dog in X1, X battling Serges, Agile, and Violen in Mega Man X2, and Zero dueling with Colonel from X4 -- these moments reminded players of the hard fought battles, victories, as well as losses taken in the war against Sigma and his Mavericks. Everything was on the line story-wise with Mega Man X5, and this cool opening movie helped to hammer that point home.

Jet Force Gemini (N64)



While the PlayStation had its higher capacity compact discs for the addition of better sound and the better implementation of video, the Nintendo 64 didn't have as much capabilities sticking with cartridges. That said, loading times were limited on N64 games. Let's do away with this tech talk, as that bores me! Onto the last game opening of Part Five of First Things First with a non-anime/non-hand-drawn introductory movie! Rare made a ton of amazing games on the Nintendo 64, but some aren't as widely talked about, such as Blast Corps for one, and this game, Jet Force Gemini. This sci-fi epic sees Mizar's insectoid army ambush the peace-loving Tribals as well as Team Jet Force Gemini's ship. The trio of heroes: Juno, Vela, and Lupus escape to their individual escape pods, being flung across the galaxy at opposite corners. You damn, dirty ants! Juno, Vela, and Lupus are about to take the fight right to Mizar's home turf as payback!

First Things First: Best Openings in Gaming - Part Four

Last week we took a look at some of the best gaming title screens in gaming's history. Today, we're gazing our eyeballs at the thing that usually come at the start of the game, those wondrous game openings! If a title screen is a like a book's cover, then would that make an interesting opening its prologue chapter? Ooh, the analogies go deep here! This edition of Best Openings in Gaming features Persona 5 (we can't seem to get away from that game!), Final Fantasy Tactics (a series in general we can't seem to get away from), and Super Street Fighter IV, to start things off!

Check out the three previous parts of Best Openings in Gaming with these links:

Best Openings in Gaming - Part One
Best Openings in Gaming - Part Two
Best Openings in Gaming - Part Three

(And just click on each game name to watch its opening!)

Persona 5 (PS4, PS3)

Let's begin with a recent release that oozes style, from its title screen, to its characters, to its menus, and yes, to its opening. Persona 5's opening shows off the main cast involved in dancing and other shenanigans throughout a red, black, and white color schemed city. The characters are introduced one by one as they paint, dance, move mysteriously, type furiously, and grind through Tokyo. All the while an insanely catchy vocal theme plays. Despite its relatively brief 1 minute and 35 second running time, Persona 5 packs a lot of vivid imagery and magic into its opening.

Super Street Fighter IV (Multi)

Starting off with a sensational confrontation between Ryu and Ken in a heavily artistic clash along the coast, waves pounding, Hadokens launching, Super Street Fighter IV's opening mixes with pure fist and foot fighting with some moments of levity. Showcasing countless characters in engaging scenes like Chun-Li and Cammy taking on Juri, the aforementioned Ryu and Ken battle, and Cody breaking out of jail to be part of the festivities, this opening is one that has stayed with me and many Street Fighter IV fans long after the game came out and will continue doing so even with Street Fighter V being the newest flavor.

Nier (PS3, 360, PC)

Searching for a cure to his deathly-ill daughter, our main character in Nier isn't the typical protagonist for a Japanese game. He's quite old, and Nier's opening isn't your typical opening either. It shows off both story elements (though without context) and gameplay sequences, including lots and lots of action. The haunting choir theme that plays during everything makes the scenes even more striking and strong to witness. It gets one pumped to play Nier, and as its successor Nier: Automata recently shipped 1.5 million copies across retail and digital, what better time than the present to jump into the rousing and riveting adventure that was the original Nier?

Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1)

Of all of the openings on this edition's list, Final Fantasy Tactics' opening is probably my favorite of the bunch. I'll never forget the chills down my spine as the music went into a crescendo, the Final Fantasy Tactics name appeared letter by letter, and the main theme blared as the full name appeared. The opening itself is a means to show off the main staff of the game while showing a squad of Chocobo-riding soldiers on their way to a destination. Through forests, rock beds, plains, and more, the squad closes in on their desired location which ends up being a monastery. This will be the beginning to the flashback chapters of Final Fantasy Tactics, one of my favorite openings and one of my favorite games in the franchise.

Phantasy Star Online: Episode I & II (GCN, XBX)

Shifting from fantasy to phantasy, Phantasy Star Online: Episode I & II released on the Nintendo GameCube and Xbox with a totally different opening compared to the Dreamcast original. While the Dreamcast opening focused a lot on the events leading up to the story in the game, Episode I & II puts its focus on the world of the game and its characters, particularly its classes. The different classes are highlighted, showcasing their abilities and all the various combinations of costumes and weaponry players can outfit their custom character with. This is accented by a slightly altered but still powerful rendition of The Whole New World (No, not the Aladdin one). 

Gran Turismo 4 - JPN ver. (PS2)

While the North American version of Gran Turismo 4's opening enters into its own jam (specifically Van Halen's Panama) after the introduction of series theme Moon Over the Castle plays, the Japanese version of the game plays the entire piece. Gran Turismo 4 starts out like an indie art film, with a director who really, REALLY loves race cars. The pans and rotations around the various cars in landmarks locations and seeing a white majestic car pull out of the garage while the chorus sings is a glorious start to the opening. Then the rocking part of Moon Over the Castle jams in as fast-paced imagery flies by, views of tracks, cars effortlessly taking corners and turns, and races of unimaginable excitement. An opening as solid as the driving simulator the game markets itself as, Gran Turismo 4 has got the goods and wraps up this edition of Best Openings in Gaming. 

First Things First: Best Openings in Gaming - Part One

Earlier in the week we took a look at some great credits sequences in games. To wrap up the work week here at SuperPhillip Central, there is a completely new series of articles that makes the rounds. The best games have a terrific opening to hook players into playing them. This new series of articles delves into the absolute best openings ever seen in gaming history. These can be completely cutscenes or they can be interactive. For part one of this list, we'll be dealing with the former. Click on the game name to watch the opening mentioned.

Final Fantasy VIII (PS1)

One of the most intense openings on this first part of this list, Final Fantasy VIII's opening is an epic menagerie of pulse-pounding scenes and imagery. From the beginning with the words protagonists and love interests Squall and Rinoa say to one another later in the game to the sensational battle of blades between Squall and Seifer which leads to both men receiving permanent scars on their faces, the opening of Final Fantasy VIII ups the pageantry and drama immensely. This is all while the excellent Nobuo Uematsu composed vocal theme Liberi Fatali plays. It all adds up to an unforgettable opening in an otherwise flawed, but still enjoyable, Final Fantasy game.

Chrono Cross (PS1)

"What was the start of this? When did the cogs of fate begin to turn? Perhaps it is impossible to grasp that answer now, From deep within the flow of time..." And with those words do the slow and steady start of Chrono Cross' opening begins. After the poetic words wrap up, the instruments and rhythm kick in, as do the gorgeous visuals. Through a series of brief glimpses at events that happen throughout the game, the icing on this enticing cake is Yasunori Mitsuda's brilliant composition, Time's Scar, also known as Scars of Time in some parts of the net. Chrono Cross isn't a perfect game, but if the quality of the title was as good as the opening throughout, it certainly would have been.

Wild ARMs (PS1)

Wrapping up our look at original PlayStation game openings, we have Mediavision's Wild ARMs opening to enjoy. This opening is unlike the prior two as it is devised up of sleek and stylish anime visuals instead of computer-generated graphics. The animation is top-notch, and the theme song heard invokes memories of the Old West, fitting for Wild ARMs' Western world mixed with sci-fi. The opening shows interactions between all three main characters of the game, Rudy, our silent protagonist; Jack, our treasure hunter; and Cecilia, our magic user. The combination of glorious anime visuals, awesome imagery, and sublime music makes for a memorable opening.

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (GCN)

We move away from serious openings to something more comical with this upcoming pair of Mario sports title openings for the GameCube. The first of which is Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, colorful and great playing arcade golf game featuring the lovable Mushroom Kingdom cast. This opening shows Wario and Waluigi up to know good in very hilarious ways. Whether they're putting opponents to sleep in how long they take to sink a putt to being chased by Bowser due to hitting him with a stray drive, this dastardly duo definitely gets their just desserts in this incredibly humorous opening. Certainly makes the effort (or lack thereof) that went into Camelot's latest sports title, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash look all the more disappointing.

Mario Power Tennis (GCN)

Wario and Waluigi just don't know when to quit, do they? After earning their comeuppance in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour's opening, the two are at it again in the opening of Mario Power Tennis. Angry over their initial loss to the team of Mario and Luigi, Wario and Waluigi add some graffiti to the Mario Bros' tournament picture, resulting in getting some undesired attention by some police robots. The robots humorously chase Wario and Waluigi all around the Peach Dome before the two escape by entering a door. This door leads them to Bowser's secret training room where the King of the Koopas put the pair through the wringer. Through the torturous training, Wario and Waluigi feel strong enough to take on Mario and Luigi. However, instead of a traditional tennis match, the pair launch Bob-Ombs from a tennis ball shooter at the Mario Bros. All heck breaks loose with explosions everywhere, including one that destroys Bowser's flying blimp and Wario and Waluigi in the process. The comedy is rich in Mario Power Tennis, and the game itself is one of the better ones of the series.

Mega Man 2 (NES)

Sometimes all you need is some simplicity to have a memorable and awesome opening. That's at least the case with Mega Man 2's opening. It tells the tale of how Dr. Wily was defeated in the first game, and how he plans his revenge through creating eight of his own Robot Masters. What follows is the screen rising upward along the side of a tall building. At the very top stands Mega Man against the night sky, hair blowing in the wind. The riveting title music plays, energizing players to go on a new adventure with the Blue Bomber.