Greatness Comes in Threes: Best Trilogies in Gaming - Part Four

It's purely coincidental (though I'd love to take credit for the timing) that on the third day of the work week of this third month of the year that we see a new edition of Greatness Comes in Threes, where SuperPhillip Central looks at the best trio of related games-- some looser with the definition of "trilogy" than others.

The trilogy-- in movies it's a common occurrence with hugely successful blockbusters whether it's Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Toy Story, or Back to the Future. Trilogies are also pretty common in gaming as well, but at the same token, an actual good trilogy is a completely different matter. This article series details some of the very best trilogies that our hobby and industry have been able to create in its much shorter lifespan.

Check out the previous three parts of SuperPhillip Central's look at great gaming trilogies with the following links:

Part One
Part Two
Part Three

The Witcher Trilogy:

The Witcher (PC)
The Witcher 2; Assassins of Kings (360, PC)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4, XB1, PC)

Based off the book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher trilogy started with BioWare's foundation with the original game in late 2007. All of the games star Geralt of Rivia as the main character, aging with each release. Since 2007's original Witcher, CD Projekt RED has taken developmental duties of the series, creating both The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. With The Witcher 2, the combat of the original was completely overhauled by CD Projekt RED, making for battles that felt even more rewarding than BioWare's offering. Both The Witcher 2 and The Witcher 3 received critical and commercial acclaim with the latter being one of the most celebrated open world games ever created. The 2015 release saw itself honored with countless Game of the Year awards and nominations (some even calling it the best RPG ever made) as well as two expansion packs, further packing an already content-rich game with even more gameplay goodness.

The BioShock Trilogy:

BioShock (360, PC)
BioShock 2 (PS3, 360, PC)
BioShock Infinite (PS3, 360, PC)

BioShock is a series that has had many ups and downs. The first game was a revelation for many players. The beginning of the game, swimming in open sea surrounded by a fiery plane crash, paddling towards a lighthouse, and then taking that memorable first glance at the underwater metropolis of Rapture are the types of moments that stay with many gamers. The second game was a direct sequel, though not as well regarded. Lastly, BioShock Infinite took the series to the sky with the impressive city of Columbia. The series shares many elements to System Shock 2, hence some likening it to a spiritual successor. Between using guns and melee weapons in addition to supernatural powers in the form of plasmids and vigors, the combat and means to come out on top in battle were plentiful. Then, there was the overarching story in each game that makes for a unique and wonderful set of games. Recently released in The BioShock Collection for current consoles and PC, one can relive the BioShock trilogy again, or if you're like some gamers, play it for the very first time.

The Halo Trilogy:

Halo: Combat Evolved (XBX, PC)
Halo 2 (XBX)
Halo 3 (360)

"The Halo Trilogy" has other names as known by the Halo fan base. Whether you know it as "The Halo Trilogy", "The Original Halo Trilogy", or even "The Bungie Trilogy), the first three Halo games are some of the most influential console first-person shooters to have released. It single handedly made the Xbox a competitor in the home console market as well. Halo: Combat Evolved (2001), Halo 2 (2004), and Halo 3 (2007) were events for the Xbox brand and for fans of the FPS genre. Halo 2 and Halo 3 particularly because 2 was a much awaited sequel and Halo 3 for not only being the first Xbox 360 exclusive Halo release, but also for closing out the story arc as started in the original Halo. Entertaining two generations of Xbox owners, the first Halo trilogy is definitely up there for one of the best trilogies ever seen in gaming.

The Prince of Persia Trilogy:

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (PS2, GCN, XBX, PC)
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (PS2, GCN, XBX, PC)
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (PS2, GCN, XBX, PC)

The Prince of Persia franchise made a reappearance after many years in hibernation. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time brought the Prince back with a modern take on the franchise in full reboot form. Sands of Time introduced a rewind mechanic that worked in saving the Prince if he made a wrong jump. This was performed by using the Prince's Dagger, which could also be utilized to freeze and slay enemies. Warrior Within took the series in a less-than-appetizing, trying-way-too-hard-to-be-edgy direction (and just in general being in poor taste), though the gameplay didn't suffer from this. The Two Thrones brought back a more grounded and charming package, offering the same superb combat and platforming action seen in previous titles. Ubisoft successfully brought its classic franchise back into the modern era and did so with marvelous results. There are good reasons why this trilogy is so fondly thought of.

The Spyro the Dragon Trilogy:

Spyro the Dragon (PS1)
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! (PS1)
Spyro: Year of the Dragon (PS1)

Before Insomniac Games was busy with lombaxes, Chimera, and submarines, they were toiling away on a magical series of 3D platformers starring a precocious, young, purple dragon. That dragon was none other than Spyro. The ability to run, jump, attack, collect gems, rescue his fellow dragons, and take flight through the colorful worlds of the duo of PS1 classics is something many gamers who grew up on the O.G. PlayStation will always have fond memories of. Each game introduced something new, whether it was Spyro 2's ability to swim and climb ladders or Spyro 3's four new playable characters. Unfortunately, like Crash Bandicoot, Sony Computer Entertainment lost the publishing rights to the Spyro series, and from one mediocre game trying to cash in on Spyro's legacy to another, Spyro hasn't seen the best of days. Unlike Crash, however, Spyro's fate seems stuck with Activision's Skylanders series, which while a great series, it isn't what longtime fans who played Spyro's original adventures want. Maybe Spyro will get his spotlight back if the Crash remaster does well for Activision!

The Super Star Wars Trilogy:

Super Star Wars (SNES)
Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (SNES)
Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (SNES)

With the new trilogy and a whole host of new Star Wars universe films underway, let's look back at the original trilogy of Star Wars films... with one of the earliest trilogies of Star Wars games! All three Super Nintendo Star Wars games tell the tale of the series through abbreviated scenes, and levels do their best to stick to the plot of the movies. Some wiggle room was allowed, of course, to make certain smaller scenes stretch out to bigger levels. Not only was Luke Skywalker playable, but different levels gave players control of Han Solo and Chewbacca. Outside of traditional action-platforming, there were various vehicle levels as well. The Super Star Wars games are known for their devious difficulty, and they even received Wii Virtual Console and PlayStation 4/Vita releases in 2009 and 2015 respectively. If you want a taste of old school difficulty while enjoying an interactive take on the Star Wars original trilogy continuity, you'll definitely discover that and more with the Super Star Wars trilogy of games.

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Now that you've read some of SuperPhillip Central's picks, what gaming trilogies are your favorites?

Greatness Comes in Threes: Best Trilogies in Gaming - Part Three

It's the third day of August and the third day of the work week-- what a perfect time to bring back an article series celebrating its third entry about the best gaming trilogies!

The trilogy-- in movies it's a common occurrence with hugely successful blockbusters whether it's Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Toy Story, or Back to the Future. Trilogies are also pretty common in gaming as well, but at the same token, an actual good trilogy is a completely different matter. This new article series details some of the very best trilogies that our hobby and industry have been able to create in its much shorter lifespan. Check out parts one and two to see the past trilogies mentioned in this article series.

The Batman Arkham Trilogy:

Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3, 360, PC)
Batman: Arkham City (Wii U, PS3, 360, PC)
Batman: Arkham Knight (PS4, XB1, PC)

Rocksteady made a name for itself by creating one of the first truly masterful Batman games, much more a truly masterful superhero game, with Batman: Arkham Asylum. The game felt somewhat like a Metroid-structured game with new gadgets allowing Batman to access new portions of the titular asylum, where the inmates indeed ran it. Batman: Arkham City opened up things with a large open world to explore, as well as keeping multiple dungeon-like indoor areas available as well. Lastly, Batman: Arkham Knight, released last year, took the series to a larger open world area, complete with Batmobile. The tale told by the Arkham series is one that tells one of the greater Batman stories in the video game medium. Controlling Batman felt fast and fluid, taking out henchmen and other malcontents could be done with ease and finesse, and you really felt like you were the Dark Knight throughout all three games. While Arkham Origins is also an excellent entry, a prequel to Rocksteady's games, its story isn't as important to the overall Arkham trilogy, nor was it developed by Rocksteady. Hence why it's not included.

The Gears of War Trilogy:

Gears of War (360)
Gears of War 2 (360)
Gears of War 3 (360)

Epic Games came off the wild success of the Unreal Tournament series with a new franchise for the Xbox brand, Gears of War. Taking the already revolutionary third-person shooting gameplay from Resident Evil 4 and somehow revolutionizing it further with a highly remarkable cover-and-shoot mechanic, the Gears of War trilogy is something macabre and marvelous to behold. From running, gunning, and taking up cover, to shooting a Locust into submission before tearing into them with a chainsaw, the brutality available to players was exceptional. The popcorn movie blockbuster-like story across the three games saw your crew of four buff and gruff soldiers sticking it to the Locust horde all the while spouting off smooth one-liners. The other piece to Gears of War's success as a series is the incredible multiplayer, though it did hit a bit of a snag with the second game. However, Gears 3 brought things back to how they should be with addicting and visceral multiplayer action goodness for all.

The Mass Effect Trilogy:

Mass Effect (PS3, 360, PC)
Mass Effect 2 (PS3, 360, PC)
Mass Effect 3 (PS3, 360, PC)

Despite all of the arguments both founded and not about the ending of the Mass Effect trilogy, that by no means ruins the entire time many of us spent with the three games in the Mass Effect series. Filled to the brim with different character classes, races, planets, areas to explore, and lore that would give other sci-fi series like Star Trek a run for their money, Mass Effect brought players into its universe and grabbed them, never letting go until long after Mass Effect 3's credits rolled. From the engaging third-person shooting gameplay to the RPG-like customization for your own specially crafted character, Mass Effect as a series is a wonderful one. Again, the trilogy might not have ended on the highest of notes, but that doesn't detract from the overall greatness that the Mass Effect trilogy has and will continue to endure for (console) generations to come.

The Jak and Daxter Trilogy:

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (PS2)
Jak II (PS2)
Jak 3 (PS2)

This trilogy is an interesting one. Despite having a formula and tone set for the original Jak and Daxter, after The Precursor Legacy, Naughty Dog went for a much darker angle with Jak II. In essence, it was very tryhard and almost embarrassing to see. That said, while the original Jak and Daxter was a 3D collectathon like a Super Mario 64 or a Banjo-Kazooie, Jak II took the series to an open world, darker setting where instead of attacking with Jak and Daxter's limbs, Jak used weaponry such as guns, turning the platformer series into a third-person shooter with platforming elements. Jak 3 ended the trilogy with a great capstone to the story, and it was a more polished and less frustrating game. While I would have preferred that Naughty Dog not lose the narrative on what makes a platformer fun, the Jak and Daxter trilogy is a fun one despite the tonal shift the series saw.

The LittleBigPlanet Trilogy:

LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3)
LittleBigPlanet 3 (PS4, PS3)

Play, Create, and Share-- that is the mantra and motto of the LittleBigPlanet series. The first LittleBigPlanet game was such an exciting prospect, and it turned out to be really good execution-wise by Media Molecule. Not only were the worlds fun to explore, but the ability to create one's own levels and creations and share them with the world was added to the longevity of the game. Though the creation tools took some learning to create masterpieces, being able to craft your own designs whether levels or enemies was stupendous. LittleBigPlanet 2 added even more creation options with it being my favorite of the trilogy. Finally, LittleBigPlanet 3 released a couple of years ago on both the PS3 and the PS4, though under the care of a new developer. New characters and level types were included, but so were unwanted glitches and bugs that I think still permeate throughout both versions of the game. SuperPhillip Central has yet to review the third installment, but don't worry, dear gadders, it's coming!

The Original Mario Party Trilogy:

Mario Party (N64)
Mario Party 2 (N64)
Mario Party 3 (N64)

While all of the other trilogies on this list are trilogies by story, Mario Party's trilogy is based on being on the same system, the original party machine, the Nintendo 64. Call it an unofficial trilogy! Mario Party brought Nintendo 64 gamers and party-goers multiple boards and a multitude of mini-games for four players either in a battle royal, 2 vs. 2, or 1 vs. 3 form. Many mini-games would see a second time in the spotlight with Mario Party 2, such as crowd favorite Bumper Balls. Thankfully, with the sequels of Mario Party, the need to turn the control stick of the N64 controller was long gone, which meant no more blisters on palms or thumbs due to super fast spinning of the stick! Mario Party 2 also brought costumes into the forefront, while Mario Party 3 introduced new characters to play as. All in all, my favorite Mario Party games still remain the first trio. What about you?

Greatness Comes in Threes: Best Trilogies in Gaming - Part Two

The trilogy-- in movies it's a common occurrence with hugely successful blockbusters whether it's Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Toy Story, or Back to the Future. Trilogies are also pretty common in gaming as well, but at the same token, an actual good trilogy is a completely different matter. This new article series details some of the very best trilogies that our hobby and industry have been able to create in its much shorter lifespan. This second edition (the first was seen last week) deals with more recent trilogies both official and unofficial.

The Uncharted Trilogy

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS3)

Naughty Dog changed drastically from its cartoon mascot Crash Bandicoot games on the original PlayStation (that trilogy was covered last week). Now, the studio is more focused on making games interactive experiences that rival big Hollywood blockbusters. Whether that's a good direction or not for video games to emulate Hollywood and not try to be its own medium is an argument for another day. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune introduced Nathan Drake, not really an everyman, as he has some freakish physical strength, as shown by his ability to seamlessly climb cliff sides, leap over large chasms, and perform other acrobatics that would make an Olympian jealous. The greatest in the current trilogy, Among Thieves, dialed up the action sevenfold, brought with it a more well balanced and enjoyable campaign, and delivered some incredible multiplayer. Uncharted 3 released years later, though while it's a better game than the original, it failed to live up to Uncharted 2 in the gameplay and campaign department. Still, the Uncharted trilogy is one of the PlayStation brand's strongest, and for good reason-- it's an adventure like no other.

The God of War Trilogy

God of War (PS2)
God of War II (PS2)
God of War III (PS3)

Join Kratos on his journey of redemption and revenge with the God of War trilogy. While his character becomes much less sympathetic as the series goes on, it's always mad fun to beat the living hell out of centaurs, cyclopses, harpies, and other foes from Greek mythology. The original saw the story of Kratos being tricked by the current God of War Ares into slaying his loved ones, and going to get revenge on the god. God of War II saw Zeus stripping Kratos of the powers he inherited from Ares at the end of the original game and savagely killing Kratos, sending him to Hades. Both God of War II and III see Kratos on a perilous adventure through rooms of enemies, platforming challenges, big bosses, and tricky puzzles in order to get revenge on Zeus and the gods that stand in his way. God of War as a series delivers epic battles and set pieces, a brilliant combat system that is accessible enough for beginners but deep enough for more experienced players to unleash massive combos on foes, and superb level design that makes the entire game a joy to explore.

The Grand Theft Auto PS2 Trilogy

Grand Theft Auto III (PS2, XBX)
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2, XBX)
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2, XBX)

The original pair of Grand Theft Auto games are worth mentioning for starting the series, but they featured an overhead perspective. It wasn't until the franchise's first full foray into 3D with its first PlayStation 2 entry, Grand Theft Auto III, that the series started gaining huge amounts of popularity. It was a revolutionary game and set the standard for many crime-based open world games set in a city. Vice City took the franchise to the 1980s, offering a time warp that felt genuine, as well as a more relate-able protagonist, voiced by the great Ray Liotta. Jetting around the neon metropolis of Vice City with classic '80s music blaring from your vehicle's stereo speakers was always an awesome experience. San Andreas then came, delivering a fantastic gang story, character customization, and a then-unprecedented world to explore with three unique large cities, a robust countryside and desert to explore, and just an amazing, living, breathing place to journey and tool around in. San Andreas remains my favorite GTA game, though going through GTA V currently might take its place.

The Final Fantasy PS1 Trilogy

Final Fantasy VII (PS1)
Final Fantasy VIII (PS1)
Final Fantasy IX (PS1)

An unofficial trilogy, but every generation starting with the one where the Final Fantasy series debuted up until the PS2 generation, there were three mainline Final Fantasy games released. What I consider the greatest generation of Final Fantasy games (although the SNES games very seriously rival it, but that's a subject for another edition) is the PlayStation trio, Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX. Final Fantasy VII is one of the most popular Final Fantasy games in existence, being the one that a lot of players started with first, or it was the one that had the most impact for players as it was the first 3D Final Fantasy. Sure, the LEGO-like characters outside of cutscenes didn't really look good even for the time, but the gameplay, story, and battle systems are top tier to this day. Final Fantasy VIII is the black sheep of the PS1 Final Fantasy trilogy, using a junction and draw system that many didn't care for. However, it did bring us one of the best mini-games in gaming history, the massively addicting collectible card game Triple Triad. Lastly, Final Fantasy IX went back to a more medieval world with characters that resembled a fairy tale instead of the realistic approach VII and VIII went with. While battles take a while to load, which is a shame, the game is overall the unsung star of the PlayStation Final Fantasy trio of games.

The Metroid Prime Trilogy

Metroid Prime (GCN)
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (GCN)
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)

Retro Studios was hurting in a big way trying to bring Metroid into 3D. A trip to the studio by Shigeru Miyamoto did wonders for the project. When the final game released, Metroid Prime, gamers like myself, the same ones who doubted the ability of this young studio and whether Metroid could would in first-person, were blown away by how amazing the game was. Putting a game series with a deep history and ties to 2D and implementing it into a 3D one is already a difficult task. Retro Studios successfully did so with Metroid and not only that, but made one of the best games of all time, if I may be so bold. The sequel, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, added a light and dark world mechanic, doubling the amount of exploration involved and creating some clever design tricks between worlds. The game also introduced multiplayer that would be the basis for the Nintendo DS Metroid title Metroid Prime Hunters. When the series jumped to the Nintendo Wii, Corruption introduced absolutely stellar pointer controls with the Wii Remote which still is my preferred way to play first-person games for maximum fun factor. The whole trilogy was later released on one disc as, coincidentally enough, the Metroid Prime Trilogy, offering the same Wii Remote functionality for all three games. If you don't want to pony up the high amount of money for a complete version of the original disc and box on Wii, you can download the trilogy on the Wii U.

The Sly Cooper Trilogy

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (PS2)
Sly 2: Band of Thieves (PS2)
Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves (PS2)

We started this edition of Best Trilogies in Gaming with a what could be described as a thief (but a handsome and dignified one), so let's conclude this edition with another, although an anthropomorphic one in the form of a raccoon, Sly Cooper. The Sly Cooper trilogy on the PlayStation 2 from Infamous developer Sucker Punch, showed brilliant stealth gameplay, fast paced and prized platforming, and a universe of lovable characters. The first Sly Cooper is my personal favorite, as the latter two introduced an open world hub that made the games more Grand Theft Auto in mission design that the linear platforming levels of the original. That isn't to say the second and third games are bad by any stretch of the imagination, though. My personal order of favorite Sly Cooper games on the PS2 starts with the original, then goes in the order of release. Sly 3 brought with it more mini-games than I would have liked that replaced a lot of the platforming goodness the other two games had. Still, the trilogy is a wonderful one for any 3D platforming fan. Speaking of which, definitely check out Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time on the PlayStation 3 and Vita. It's not made by Sucker Punch, but it's a highly competent platforming adventure.

Greatness Comes in Threes: Best Trilogies in Gaming - Part One

The trilogy-- in movies it's a common occurrence with hugely successful blockbusters whether it's Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Toy Story, or Back to the Future. Trilogies are also pretty common in gaming as well, but at the same token, an actual good trilogy is a completely different matter. This new article series details some of the very best trilogies that our hobby and industry have been able to create in its much shorter lifespan. This first edition delves into pure platformers, one of gaming's oldest genres.

The Super Mario Bros. NES Trilogy:

Super Mario Bros. (NES)
Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES)
Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)

We start off this list of terrific trilogies with one of the most prolific trilogies in gaming, perfect for the series's 30th anniversary this year, Super Mario Bros. Now, whether you prefer the Doki Doki Panic with Mario clothing Super Mario Bros. 2 or what in the West we know as The Lost Levels, this trilogy is of magnificent quality. We all know how Super Mario Bros. is a testament to brilliant game design, and we received something akin to an official ROM hack (perhaps not the best choice of words here, but work with me) with The Lost Levels, offering poisonous Mushrooms and warp pipes that sent players back multiple words that throw the once sacred rules of the original SMB right out the window. Then you have one of the greatest 2D platformers of all time with Super Mario Bros. 3, which delivered themed worlds, auto-scrolling levels, multiple unique yet brief levels, and new power-ups into the fray like the Super Leaf. the Tanooki Suit, Hammer Suit, Frog Suit, and fan favorite Kuribo's Shoe.

The Sonic the Hedgehog Trilogy:

Sonic the Hedgehog (GEN)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (GEN)
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (GEN)

We move from a slower video game icon to a much faster one, one that definitely ruffled Nintendo's proverbial feathers with its marketing campaign. Sure, blast processing was a made-up buzz term, but there is no denying that Sonic the Hedgehog is a trilogy that brought with it blazing fast speeds, multi-path levels, cool boss fights against then-referred-to-as Dr. Robotnik, and beautiful stages. The original Sonic wasn't so much about speed in half of its levels (speaking about Marble Zone, Labyrinth Zone, and the final zone, Scrap Brain Zone). It was a well rounded title with equal parts pure speed and equal parts precision based platforming. Sonic 2 introduced a partner for Sonic, Miles "Tails" Prower, introducing cooperative play to the series. The game also nearly doubled the amount of zones for one lengthy adventure.

Finally, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, my personal favorite, gave the world Knuckles the Echidna, one of the series's best soundtracks, fun special stages levels, and eventually would be the gateway to playing Sonic 3 and Knuckles with a special cartridge attachment a la Sonic & Knuckles. Even without that, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on its own is a masterful 2D platformer that brilliantly brought speed and careful platforming to the forefront of Sonic's game career.

The Crash Bandicoot Trilogy:

Crash Bandicoot (PS1)
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (PS1)
Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped (PS1)

Another rival to Mario's platforming crown who also didn't mind slinging dirt and throwing shade towards the plump plumber in his marketing campaign, Crash Bandicoot was the platforming hero of the original PlayStation. Unlike strictly adhering to a 2D plane, the minds at Naughty Dog gave their bandicoot character levels that had him moving in levels away from the camera. The perspective was over the shoulder and directly behind Crash. There was also 2D sections more akin to platformers of the time. The first Crash Bandicoot game was one of the highest selling games on the PS1, despite having the most issues with it from a gameplay and 100% completion point of view. The sequels made it less of a headache to unlock all of the bonus content available within the game, and they were more well designed overall. Crash Bandicoot remains in hiatus since multiple attempts to bring it back from its current IP owner, Activision, though big honchos at Sony have expressed interest in reviving the IP for new generations and fans of the old games to enjoy.

The Ratchet & Clank Original Trilogy:

Ratchet & Clank (PS2)
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (PS2)
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal (PS2)

The Ratchet & Clank series is one of my favorites from the PS2 generation of home consoles, much more, it's one of my favorite PlayStation franchises in general. The original Ratchet & Clank is a little hard to go back to if you're familiar with its two sequels due to the fact that the strafing mechanic wasn't included in the series until Going Commando, making it much easier to keep a foe in view while avoiding their attacks with some side somersaults simultaneously. Going Commando, my favorite of the series, introduced the ability to level up weapons, adding to their power and functionality in the process. Up Your Arsenal brought with it the capability of leveling up weapons multiple times, throwing in even more replay value than the series already had with it. It also brought players the masterful Dr. Nefarious, who is a villain that outshines plenty others in the series.

The Donkey Kong Country SNES Trilogy:

Donkey Kong Country (SNES)
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES)
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble (SNES)

Rare's Donkey Kong Country trilogy on the Super Nintendo is a fantastic trip through 3D rendered sprites and backgrounds. The highlight here is Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, which brought with it two excellent characters to play as, Diddy and his girlfriend Dixie Kong, a wide array of amazing levels full of secret goodies, bonus stages, and well hidden DK Coins to collect, and the series's best ambient and atmospheric soundtrack yet. The other Donkey Kong Country games are no slouches either, mind you, with the original DKC creating the familiar formula of the franchise, though it's a bit dated in comparison to the latter two titles. Meanwhile, while Donkey Kong Country 3 didn't offer an astounding soundtrack like the first and second games, it did offer the best overworld in the series with plenty of secrets tucked away, levels with inspiring one-off gimmicks to them, such as Ripsaw Rage, where Dixie and Kiddy Kong must outrun an ascending saw through a vertical scrolling stage among the innards of trees.

The Mega Man X Original Trilogy:

Mega Man X (SNES)
Mega Man X2 (SNES)
Mega Man X3 (SNES)

Despite a good portion of the series not being up to par, I generally prefer the Mega Man X sub-series of Mega Man games to the Classic ones. The Mega Man X series had much more intense action, a greater difficulty, more to do in most of its games for some sizable side content, and a more appealing art style to me personally. Mega Man X hit the Super Nintendo with 16-bit graphics, animal-themed Robot Masters known as Mavericks, a more serious story, the ability to upgrade X with armor parts via Dr. Light's hidden capsules, and secret items called Heart Tanks that boosted X's energy. Mega Man X2 added more to the series with a much loved and resourceful midair dash upgrade, obtainable Zero parts, each guarded by one of a trio of X-Hunters, that affected the ending of the game, and Mega Man X3 would introduce huge unlockable armor for X to move around in, one of four special armor upgrades where only one could be equipped, and the ability to play as Zero, albeit in a much limited way. While X3 is what I consider the weakest of the SNES trilogy, all of the Mega Man X games on the Super Nintendo deliver action-packed gameplay, masterfully designed levels, and amazing art, spritework, and music.

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What trilogies of gaming history do you believe are the best of their kind? Let the SPC community know by posting your thoughts in our comment section!