Top Five Disney Games of the Past Five Years

With Disney announcing a couple of months ago that they were getting out of making games, the news was a shock. However, of course that doesn't mean that games featuring Disney characters won't be made. This incoming list shows that for the most part, the greatest games featuring Disney weren't actually created by the house of mouse, and instead were from outside partners. After you've checked out this list of the best Disney games of the past five years, feel free to name some of your faves in the comments below.

5) Disney Magical World (3DS)

Take one part Animal Crossing and one part dungeon crawler, and you have Disney Magical World for the Nintendo 3DS. This game saw players taking on the role of a new visitor to the town of Castleton, completing quests for the reward of stickers. Stickers enabled players to access new portions of Castleton and do more within the town such as building furniture, creating new outfits, and venturing to new worlds like the Hundred Acre Wood of Winnie the Pooh fame and Agrabah from Aladdin. The game's dungeons served as a means to battle enemies and bosses while solving simple environmental puzzles for materials. The sequel to Disney Magical World is set to hit the Americas this October.

4) Disney Infinity (Multi)

Recently halting future development as of May, Disney Infinity was Disney's toys-to-life venture, following the route Activision's Skylanders series traveled. Using toy figurines which are brought to life in the game world via the Infinity Base, players were able to use the characters in either the Play Set mode, a self-contained area based off a film series like Pirates of the Caribbean or The Incredibles which had its own characters and plots, or the Toy Box mode, which was a sandbox style mode which served as an open world setting for players to utilize their imaginations to the fullest. While the maximum potential of Disney Infinity wasn't fully realized, what was presented to players was something truly magical and special.

3) DuckTales: Remastered (Multi)

A remake of Capcom's classic NES DuckTales, DuckTales: Remastered saw developer Wayforward bring this essential NES game into modern times with new cutscenes, updated levels, enhanced graphics and sound, and a myriad of other cool additions such as an added tutorial level to get players accustomed to the controls. The game's visuals were a mix of 2D and 3D, specifically 2D character sprites and 3D environments, equaling an incredibly impressive sight for the eyes. While one can easily argue that there was an overabundance of story elements in the form of scenes featuring new voiced dialogue from the still-living voice actors from the time, I personally found these scenes added to the fun and brought even more personality and character to the game. Overall, DuckTales: Remastered remains a highlight in Wayforward's lengthy library.

2) Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (3DS)

The latest all-new Kingdom Hearts entry in the series, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance served as a branch between the past Kingdom Hearts games and the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 3. The story followed Sora and Riku's trials to become the one and only Keyblade Master. Along the way, players switched between Sora and Riku, each with their own storyline, while tackling foes with the all-new Flowmotion combat. Flowmotion allowed players to attack enemies in a variety of ways, such as swinging around poles and slamming into foes. New worlds from films like Fantasia and The Hunchback of Notre Dame were included, and the addition of helpers in battle known as Dream Eaters were able to be recruited as well. Kingdom Hearts 3D will see an HD version later this year as part of the wordy  Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.

1) Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (Multi)

This is a remake done right! Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse was a remake of the 1990 Sega Genesis game featuring the same name. The game saw Mickey Mouse enter through re-imagined levels from the 1990 classic, remodeled into newly structured areas, some in 3D, new puzzles, as well as re-envisioned boss battles. Castle of Illusion played wonderfully back on the Sega Genesis, and it played beautifully with this digital-only remake, offering tight controls with masterful precision, perfect collision detection, glorious 3D visuals, and so much more. I generally don't make it a challenge to myself to get all of the trophies or achievements in a given game, but I enjoyed Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse so much that I couldn't help but do so this time around.

2013 Holiday Gift Guide - Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of SuperPhillip Central's 2013 Holiday Gift Guide. This is our third year in a row doing this special duo of articles, and we hope at least some of you out there find it useful. The final part of our gift guide focuses on multiplatform titles. From Grand Theft Auto to Call of Duty, there's plenty to stuff a loved one's stocking with. As always, if you feel we've neglected to mention a game that you think would make for a great holiday present, let us know in the comments.

Awesome August: Eleven Games to Look Out for This Month

July was not a busy month when it came to retail releases. However, August is making up for lost time with eleven retail releases that we deem to be the most exciting. It's just our opinion, of course, so feel free to disagree or list a game that we missed. Just remember that these North American dates are subject to change, as we've found out the hard way with Rayman Legends! What games are you getting this month, if any?

Pikmin 3 (Wii U) 
Release Date: 8/4

Already getting positive critical reception across the globe, Pikmin 3 has been a game many years in the making, and fans of the series have had to wait nearly a decade for the third installment. Offering up three captains to split up the various duties, Miiverse functionality to share pictures taken in first-person view and new Pikmin types like flying and rock. Players can utilize either the Wii Remote and Nunchuk or Wii U GamePad (or a combination of the two) to play the game. Pikmin 3 looks like the best installment yet, and you can be sure that SuperPhillip Central will have a review for you this month.

Tales of Xillia (PS3)
Release Date: 8/6

Tales fans have waited a long time for this one, over a year to have it localized to the West. It's Tales of Xillia, and in its home country of Japan it broke pre-order records for the Tales series and wound up selling over a half million copies in its first week alone. To say that there are high expectations for Xillia would be an understatement. That said, Tales of Xillia looks to scratch the itch for a well crafted RPG on PlayStation 3 with its quick battle system, lovely visuals and dynamic story. We can think of no better game to whittle away the last full month of summer than with a deep and meaty RPG like Tales of Xillia.

Dragon's Crown (PS3, PSV)
Release Date: 8/6

Developed by Vanillaware, makers of such jaw-dropping and beautiful games like Odin Sphere and Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Dragon's Crown looks to be the studio's most ambitious project yet. The game itself is a 2D action-RPG with many beat-em-up sensibilities to it. Players have the choice of six unique characters to use, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Dragon's Crown also allows up to four players to hop onto the PlayStation Network and cooperatively play through the game together. It is all of these reasons that Dragon's Crown is hotly anticipated by PlayStation fans. The game comes out next week for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita owners.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team (3DS)
Release Date: 8/11

The fourth entry in the Mario & Luigi RPG series, and the first to hit the Nintendo 3DS, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team has a higher focus on Luigi than past games. Mario can enter his brother's dreams at specific spots in the game and solve puzzles. In the dreams, Luigi is a much braver figure than his real world self, and that makes for some truly awesome moments. Word from Japan and PAL players is that the game is highly humorous, well written and mostly plays like... well... a dream. Mario & Luigi: Dream Team will finally release in North America on Sunday, August 11.

Disney Infinity (Multi)
Release Date: 8/18

Get ready for the next children's sensation, Disney Infinity. The game uses a similar concept to Activision's Skylanders series, having figurines that players use to insert characters into the game world. The starter pack will feature three sets: Monsters University, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Lone Ranger. New figures and packs will be released in the future for series like Toy Story, Wreck-It Ralph and Phineas and Ferb. With the Toy Box mode, players can essentially create their own custom experience, using any piece and figurine from any set. Disney Infinity is the Disney corporation's $100 million gamble, and if it plays as good as it looks and resonates well with customers, it will be one that certainly pays off.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist (Multi)
Release Date: 8/20

Coming with a much touted gameplay feature in the form of Killing in Motion, allowing players to quickly highlight enemies while on the run and swiftly take care of them, Splinter Cell: Blacklist is the sixth installment of the Splinter Cell franchise, and the first to not feature Michael Ironside as the voice of Sam Fisher. Ubisoft Toronto (for the PS3, 360 and PC versions) and Ubisoft Shanghai (for the Wii U version) seems to be putting great effort in all versions of the game. For the Xbox 360 version, voice commands via the Kinect peripheral will be allowed, while the Wii U version will use its mighty GamePad to access gadgets on the fly and for gyro and touch-based actions.

Saints Row IV (Multi)
Release Date: 8/20

Since Grand Theft Auto IV, in retrospect, was disappointing in many regards, we've grown quite fond of Volition's Saints Row series. Saints Row II is still one of our favorite sandbox-style games, Saints Row: The Third dialed up the crazy considerably and Saints Row IV looks to make Saints Row 3's crazy look sane in comparison. The newest installment of the series introduces aliens into the already zany world of Saints Row, where it seems that the only rule is that there are no rules. We can't think of any better way to prepare for Grand Theft Auto V than returning to the wacky antics of the Saints Row series when the fourth installment hits store shelves on August 20.

New Super Luigi U (Wii U)
Release Date: 8/25

The digital release of New Super Luigi U has been around for Wii U owners (all five of you-- we're kidding, don't shoot us!) to download for over a month now. The retail release, in its limited edition run and special green box, comes out on the 25th, a Sunday. For those who complain about Mario games being too easy, this DLC in disc form will put such thoughts to rest. New Super Luigi U is an incredibly difficult game to beat, much more get all of the star coins in each level. Though it may seem like a negative that each level is shorter than what would normally be expected of Mario platformers, you'll sort of be glad they're not any longer, as there are no checkpoints and plenty of easy places to die. New Super Luigi U arrives in retail form on August 25.

Lost Planet 3 (Multi)
Release Date: 8/27

Lost Planet 3 returns to the extreme conditions of the original Lost Planet, where the world is submerged in an ice age like never seen before. Spark Unlimited, the developer for the game, promises a more story-centric game than Lost Planet 3's two predecessors. There will be full mission-based quests that further the story along, as well as optional side quests. The world will be able to be explored fully, and this time your character's thermal energy is not related to health, meaning exploring the world will be much less of an arduous and annoying task. Lost Planet 3 is shaping up to be an interesting take on the franchise, despite it being yet another title that Capcom has farmed out to a Western developer. We don't mind that, as long as the quality is great.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (PS3, PC)
Release Date: 8/27

After the original version of Final Fantasy XIV was bombarded with immense negative criticism from both reviewers and players, Square Enix decided to completely overhaul the game into a form. That form is the upcoming Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, with a subtitle that is meant to be taken literally, as the game world really is being reborn. This MMORPG is also slated to hit the PlayStation 4, but its release will obviously be later. Expect that version to release some time next year. Regardless, A Realm Reborn hopes to recapture some of the lost faith that fans of the series have had after multiple misfires from the developer. We'll see what happens when the game releases on August 27.

Madden NFL 25 (Multi)
Release Date: 8/27

Are you ready for some football? Then grab a controller, get ready to toss around the pigskin and celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Madden NFL franchise. The game is promising new upgrades such as better running animations, updated visuals, improved physics as well as better attention to detail, such as the field wearing down at spots where the most action takes place. The latter upgrade is obviously going to be a major selling point and have the game fly off shelves. We may be a bit sarcastic here. Regardless, Madden NFL 25 is shaping up to be the edition of Madden to get if you've been away from the series for any extended period of time.

Disney Infinity (Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS) Debut Trailer

The much-rumored Disney Infinity has finally been revealed, and with it came a terrific trailer. It is figurine-based a la Skylanders, but with its own Disney-filled charm. Expect Disney Infinity out (at least according to this trailer) in June of this year for most major platforms.