Classics I Can Return To - Part Eight

Hello, everyone! I hope you're enjoying E3 2017 whether you're actually in Los Angeles or consuming every bit of new possible via video or on sites like these. Welcome to another installment of Classics I, your owner and main operator of SuperPhillip Central, Phil, Can Return To! This series of articles goes into seemingly infinitely replayable games that I either actually do play quite often or will come back to eventually. They're either games that are full blown classics or games that I perceive to be modern classics. This part of Classics contains a mix of the two, featuring franchises like The Legend of Zelda, Mario Kart, and Grand Theft Auto, to name a few. What games that you consider classics do you find yourself coming back to?

For past parts of Classics I Can Return To, here are all seven for your convenience.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six

Part Seven

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (NS, Wii U)

Certainly a contender for Game of the Year so far, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild "breathed" new life into The Legend of Zelda franchise as a whole after so many entries following the same standard formula for so long. It took inspiration mostly from the very first game as seen on the NES, featuring a world you can easily get lost in (where that was most of the fun), little direction to guide you from place to place, and a means to go wherever you wanted (but not without it own obvious risks in doing so). Just one play-through can feel infinite in itself with everything you can do. I've played over 80 hours (and that's on the short side of most folks' time with the game), and I'm still witnessing new things in the world, new places to find, and things I can do with enemies, the environments, and objects that I never even knew existed. Breath of the Wild is an insanely well crafted open world game that didn't just breathe new life to Zelda as previously mentioned, but breathed new life into the open world sub-genre of games.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (NS)

It says something about the quality and entertainment factor of a game where I can enjoy the original and play it for so many dozens of hours and feel compelled to buy an upgraded and updated version on another console. Mario Kart 8 was one of those games that did well on the Wii U but was limited in features for the most part (and stuck on a doomed console). Nintendo cleverly ported the game to the Nintendo Switch, which is doing awesomely so far, but added new content to make the upgrade worth it. Such new content included a totally revamped and improved Battle Mode (featuring five modes and actual battle arenas this time around instead of retro-fitted tracks from the Grand Prix mode), new characters, new kart pieces, new accessibility features, and much more. This was all while including every bit of content including the DLC from the original Wii U Mario Kart 8. With that, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a winner in my book, a worthwhile purchase despite already logging so many hours into the Wii U original, and a game I obviously can replay without issue.

Grand Theft Auto V (Multi)

Speaking of games I purchased again because I loved them so much and the upgrades were wholly worthwhile, we have one of the best selling games of all time with Grand Theft Auto V. Rockstar and Take Two are killing it with the game, constantly showing up on monthly and weekly bestseller charts in both North America and Europe respectively. The story campaign alone is deep enough and filled with so much content that it could take months to fully digest it all, especially if you just like to joyride around the city, causing trouble, and having an entourage of cops cars on your tail. However, the real longevity of Grand Theft Auto V comes from its online counterpart, included with the game. Constantly updated with fresh features, Grand Theft Auto Online continues to get support from Rockstar and is key in why the game is easy to want to come back to for many players, including myself.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)

With a new trailer shown at E3 2017 of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, which is an expansion story to Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, why not mention Nathan Drake's final chapter? It is in fact a modern classic by every meaning of the world. The globetrotting adventure is larger than ever before, the stakes are positively at their highest, the story is engrossing and engaging, and the various action moments in the game are to die for. Well, not literally, unless you let an enemy flank you, or you miss a jump, or you get blown to smithereens by a grenade. That notwithstanding, I hope to have a review of Uncharted 4 by the end of this month as a means to have a look back at the game a year after its release and far beyond the hype. Though as the game is on a list of games I'll come back to, it's probably no surprise how much I still enjoy it.

Super Metroid (SNES)

With not one but two new Metroid titles announced at E3 (which should appease Metroid fans for all but a minute probably), it's the perfect opportunity to bring up one of Samus Aran's most fondly remembered missions. That mission was in the Super Nintendo classic, Super Metroid. Whether I was intricately exploring every inch of Zebes for secret alcoves containing energy or missile upgrades, or trying to complete the game as fast as possible by speed-running it, Super Metroid was a game got in to far after its initial release. In fact, my first time playing it was on the Wii Virtual Console. You could say with all of my play-throughs of the game now that I've more than made up for lost time.

Sonic 3 & Knuckles (GEN)

We conclude this edition of Classics I Can Return To with by far my favorite 2D Sonic the Hedgehog game, Sonic 3 & Knuckles. It combines both Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and its expansion, Sonic & Knuckles, into one lengthy adventure encapsulating multiple playable characters, Chaos and Master Emeralds to collect, and new story elements not found in either Sonic 3 or Sonic & Knuckles by themselves. This cyborg of Sonic games (even the construction of putting the Sonic 3 cartridge into the Sonic & Knuckles cartridge looked some mechanical monstrosity) features my favorite collection of zones in any Sonic game, and there are seldom any moments I dread playing, which I can't say for any other Sonic adventure. While I enjoyed other 2D Sonics, even modern ones like the Sonic Advance and Sonic Rush series, Sonic 3 & Knuckles remains my top tier 2D Sonic the Hedgehog game.

Top Ten Best Fifth Entries

It's the day after America's Independence Day, so that means it's July 5th. What better time and excuse to use today's date as the inspiration for a top ten list! This time, we'll be checking out the ten best fifth entries in some of gaming's most prolific franchises. From Halo to Final Fantasy, this list should name some of your favorites! After you've read SuperPhillip Central's list, feel free to shout out any games that are missing from this top ten. For now, let's get on to the list!

10) Halo 5: Guardians (XB1)

After Halo 4's online community seemingly evaporated into nothing, 343 Industries had to step it up with Halo 5: Guardians. The developer did just that, offering a Halo game that features some of the most satisfying combat the series has ever seen, as well as a story that sees Master Chief going AWOL while being pursued by Spartan Locke and his team to bring him back. The multiplayer saw the removal of Halo 4's unlocking of weapons, and instead went back to a weapon loadout at the start of each match, then allowing players to pick up other weapons that spawn on the various maps. While not the best Halo game to ever be created, Halo 5: Guardians was overall a step in the right direction for the franchise.

9) Resident Evil 5 (Multi)

Excluding the social commentary on how racist Resident Evil 5 was or wasn't, the game featured new improvements such as cooperative play either locally or online, the ability to upgrade weapons from the inventory menu rather than heading to a shopkeeper like in Resident Evil 4, and speaking of an inventory menu, Resident Evil 5's had nine slots for each character, and it didn't matter what the size of a given item or weapon was. Throw in a story that saw protagonist Chris Redfield confronting his past and the always fun Mercenaries side-mode, and you had a Resident Evil game that was an exciting third-person shooter.

8) Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)

The gaming world's ultimate driving simulator returned with Gran Turismo 5, the greatest selling PlayStation 3 exclusive to date. Those sales weren't just because of the pedigree of the series. The fifth installment actually had lots to celebrate and enjoy, including online races for up to 16 players, more than 1,000 cars, over 25 locales and locations, over 70 unique raceways, night racing, vehicle damage, and for a first in the series, the licenses of NASCAR, Super GT, and the World Rally Championship were included. There was so much content to be found in Gran Turismo 5, and quality content at that, that it would not be surprising if most players haven't even seen most of it multiple years after its initial release.

7) Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Multi)

Past Metal Gear Solid games saw a good deal of open-ended-ness as to how the player could tackle getting through a given room or corridor. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain blew the door off in terms of open-ended-ness, offering an open world to explore, to sneak through, and to complete missions in. This open nature of the game also allowed players to choose the order of their missions, making it so they could play the game in the order that best suited them while still being able to understand the story. The seemingly endless amount of ways one could tackle a mission was and still is astonishingly impressive. Even with its obvious shortcomings, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain remains a wonderful entry in the Metal Gear Solid franchise, and a nice sendoff from the real life Big Boss, Hideo Kojima.

6) Mega Man 5 (NES)

By the fifth game in a series, especially when they are all released on the same platform, things can feel a little bit like the series is going through the motions. Certainly, it could be said that the NES games of the Mega Man series felt just like that. However, while the freshness of the franchise wasn't still there by the fifth installment, Mega Man 5 was still a highly rewarding and entertaining game. The formula remained the same: defeat eight Robot Masters, take their weapons, and use them to defeat normal enemies and bosses alike. Returning to completed levels was possible in order to collect the letters "M-E-G-A-M-A-N-V" which would unlock Mega Man's new bird buddy Beat to be used in battle. With impressive level design, tight controls, and more enemies to blast than you can shake Proto Man's shield at, Mega Man 5 on the NES remains a fantastic entry in the long-running series of the Blue Bomber.

5) Final Fantasy V (SNES)

The fifth entry in the Final Fantasy franchise didn't hit the west until much later after its initial release. It wasn't until its arrival as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology for the PlayStation that us westerners finally got a chance to play this remarkable entry in the Final Fantasy franchise. Final Fantasy V introduced a much loved and cherished system into the series, the job system, allowing party members to assume different jobs allowing them to learn specific skills and abilities. Mastering jobs was incredibly rewarding, and it granted lots of replay value and longevity for players. All that goodness was great for tackling the worldwide threat that was the sinister Exdeath. Final Fantasy V wasn't the strongest 16-bit entry in the series, but it is still very much worth playing.

4) Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (Multi)

The first entry in the Dragon Quest series to hit the Super Famicom (also the first to not reach western shores immediately), Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride was a remarkable entry in the Dragon Quest series and a great step forward for JRPGs in general. The basic combat of the franchise was prevalent, but what was interesting was the ability to recruit monsters to your hero's cause, a gameplay mechanic that would spread into future installments and spin-offs of the series, as well as inspiring other franchises like a little known series called Pokemon. Dragon Quest V also sported an intriguing take on its plot, having the player join the hero from his birth all the way to him getting married-- a 30+ year ride. Dragon Quest V wasn't just an amazing fifth installment of the series, it was also simply one of the best Dragon Quest games ever created.

3) Mario Kart DS (DS)

Mario Kart is a colossal kart racing franchise, and it seldom fails to deliver high octane racing action with items to mess over the competition with and delightful tracks. Mario Kart DS was a big step forward for Nintendo, as it was one of the company's first online offerings. While not all of the tracks were available for online play, the fun of racing randoms as well as friends online in speedy spectacles was a total blast. Mario Kart DS also saw the first official inclusion of sixteen retro tracks from past Mario Kart games along with its collection of sixteen new tracks. Alongside this was a mode that boggles the mind why it wasn't included in future Mario Kart games: Mission Mode. It all equaled a Mario Kart entry that was packed with content for both single player and multiplayer mayhem.

2) Grand Theft Auto V (Multi)

Containing one of the most enjoyable open world sandboxes in gaming history, Grand Theft Auto V continues to sell even multiple years after its original release. The newest installment of the Grand Theft Auto series saw notable improvements to the gunplay, controls, and driving of the franchise, things that fans and critics alike had harped on in past entries. The three character system opened up the story to be seen in different perspectives, and how these three characters' tales did interweave and complement one another was well done. Los Santos itself was absolutely a dream to explore, filled to the brim with stunning detail. The other half of the GTA V package, GTA Online, offered sandbox exploration for dozens of strangers and friends to enjoy, as well as heists and other fun modes. Grand Theft Auto V is a deep, involved game that no doubt deserves all of the sales it has and continues to get.

1) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 3DS)

While not having a number five attached to its name, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was the fifth mainline installment of The Legend of Zelda series. I wondered if I really needed to explain myself for choosing Ocarina of Time as the best fifth entry ever created in gaming due to the fact that it's a game that a lot of people have as their favorite game of all time. With its memorable characters, exciting story, well designed dungeons and puzzles, amazing and revolutionary gameplay, and masterful music, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remains a fabulous Zelda game and not only that, but it remains one of the best made and most cherished games of all time. And this is most definitely for very good reasons.

Multiplayer Madness 3: My Favorite Multiplayer Games Revisited

Whether locally or online, multiplayer is a marvelous way to extend the life of a given video game. That said, not all games need multiplayer shoehorned in. The fact of the matter is that the games on this list, part three of my descent into Multiplayer Madness, has multiplayer that feels like a natural extension of the single player. From Grand Theft Auto V to Wii Sports Club, this list has a wide variety of titles in it that I can't help but enjoy and recommend to you, SuperPhillip Central's readers. If you haven't checked out the previous two parts of Multiplayer Madness, play catch up with these two links: number one and number two.

Grand Theft Auto V (Multi)

To be totally honest, with this first game on my list of favorite multiplayer games, the favorite part here is roaming an immensely expansive game world with other players. There's nothing like speeding along the Great Ocean Highway with a fellow brother of destruction in the passenger seat of your red and black Banshee, warding off a five-star rating to little chance of success. Of course, the various missions and heists you can pull off with other players are also quite rewarding. Then there's excursions like car and boat races, deathmatch modes, and even riveting games of tennis and golf to enjoy. Additional fun comes from the constant progress you make while playing online. You can use money earned to buy new properties, but my favorite thing to do is get a stylish collection of clothes to saunter 'round Los Santos with.

Wii Sports Club (Wii U)

This next game had a really weird release schedule, being sold in parts digitally. I waited until the full package, the retail release of Wii Sports Club, before jumping in. The same five sports from the original Wii Sports are a part of this package, but this time around they all feature Wii Motion Plus controls for added precision and more responsiveness. Whether I successfully made delicate touches with the Wii Remote to hit the tennis ball in the exact location on the court I wanted, or used the GamePad to pitch and field balls in baseball, the added depth to the controls of each sport led to a greater satisfaction with the Wii Sports package. With four players, the satisfaction turned to total contentment.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (PS3, Vita)

I had hoped PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale would be supported with DLC for much longer than it actually was. That said, the project itself wasn't the total success it could have been, but I still find myself drawn to this Super Smash Bros. alternative regardless, as the allure of fighting as PlayStation characters like Nathan Drake, Sackboy, Kratos, and Sly Cooper is too appealing to me. Although the Super-cenrtic point system made traditional combat feel worthless, the actual fighting system is quite well done. PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale was such a fun game for me that I purchased it twice, once for the PlayStation 3 original and then for on-the-go goodness with the Vita version.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (Multi)

I don't hold this next racer to as high of an esteem as other fans of the game due to several glitches and a lesser amount of polish compared to its predecessor, but Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed has been such a delight to play that I've gone through the game not only once on the PlayStation 3, but again on my older brother's PSN account. Then again on the Wii U version. Not only is there a World Tour mode that pits players against a myriad of challenge types, but there is your standard Grand Prix as well. The tracks are long and many change the topography and obstacles between laps, making for an ever-evolving, nay, transforming set of tracks and races.

Mario Kart 7 (3DS)

Let's go from one kart racer to another. While not the best handheld entry of Mario Kart (for me, that prestigious title goes to Mario Kart DS), Mario Kart 7 has given me so many hours of play, whether online or locally. The former still has plenty of players, so you can always find a room online in seconds, while locally I can play with my older brother even though he doesn't have the game himself. Through the Nintendo 3DS's Download Play, we can race on any track we want, unlike Mario Kart DS's version of Download Play. Of course, my brother is stuck playing as Shy Guy with a generic kart, but the experience is still one that is great fun. He's at no disadvantage other than his usual poor run of luck at the end of a given race!

Mario Golf: World Tour (3DS)

There was no doubt in my mind that my favorite golf game, the original Mario Golf on the Nintendo 64, would never be usurped by any future golf game. That was until I played Mario Golf: World Tour. The amount of content in this game is phenomenal, whether it's the Castle Club mode where you star as your Mii, the immense amount of challenges, courses, and unlockable characters, costumes, and gear. This is the only Nintendo 3DS game I bought an extra copy of so I could play it with my older brother. Even without local play, there are so many weekly and monthly tournaments as well as fantastic online play that I've easily put over sixty hours into Mario Golf: World Tour, meaning I've thoroughly toured the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario Golf's world.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES)

The oldest title on this list gives me such great nostalgia and memories of much younger versions of my older brother and I playing the entire Donkey Kong Country Super Nintendo trilogy together. My personal favorite of the trio of games, and one of my favorite games of all time, is Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. Unlike Donkey Kong Country and Donkey Kong Country 3, where I'd always be Diddy Kong in DKC and Dixie Kong in DKC 3, my brother and I split roles on each play-through. Some play-throughs I'd be Diddy while others I'd happily play as Dixie. The levels, ambiance, music, secrets, and bosses are my favorite of the series, and I hold the game to such a high standard.

Better Late Than Never Reviews; Grand Theft Auto V (PS3, 360) Review

What are Better Late Than Never reviews? These are games that are too recent to be retro but too old to be considered completely new. SuperPhillip Central does its best to deliver timely reviews, but sometimes there are just too many games out there and too little time.

This review is special because our good friend and part time staffer Bean has this review under control. Here's his judgment on Grand Theft Auto V.

Rockstar's Grand Triple Threat

Grand Theft Auto came into its own back on the PlayStation 2 with some well-regarded classics that included Vice City and San Andreas. However, when the series moved the 7th generation of systems in 2008 with Grand Theft Auto IV, something felt off. The many extras that had been included in the PS2 games were noticeably absent from the new Liberty City sandbox. To make matters worse, the game tried to play off with a more serious tone that did not work to its benefit with atrocious characterization and a stunning lack of mission variety. While Rockstar would try and amend their mistake with a couple of DLC-based games that added the features fans were missing, it was clear that they were going to have to go back to the drawing board with their next numbered title. I'm happy to say that this turned out to be a wise decision because GTA V finally brought the fun back with them.

Right off the bat, you can see that this game wants you to have some fun as it starts out with a prologue mission from nine years ago where a few criminals engaged in a bank heist gone wrong. After two of the three are presumably shot dead, the third escapes into the wild before the scene switches to a small-time gangbanger and carjacker named Franklin in Los Santos of San Andreas. It doesn't take him long for him to meet one of the men that was thought to be shot dead and the one that got away, and there is the hook to this game. You aren't just controlling a single protagonist in this game. You get to play as three. Franklin, the man that's back from the dead in Michael, and the one that was able to escape into the wild in Trevor. The three aren't always going to see eye to eye, but they will have to work together in quite a few missions if they're to see things through to the end.

Aw. One big, happy family...

When you do unlock other characters to play as, it's as simple as hitting down on the D-Pad and then a direction on the right stick to switch to another character on the fly. This can and will be done both in and out of missions in order to advance to the story. Each character has their own stats, cash, weapons and missions that they'll play through. They also each have a unique special ability that can be triggered by clicking in both thumbsticks. Franklin's an expert driver, so his move slows down time and lets you weave through traffic with less risk of crashing. Michael slows down time on foot as he's a firearms expert, giving you more of a chance to clear out any potential trouble. Trevor's ability is as psychotic as he is as he takes less damage while dishing out more while it's active. With the different abilities, Rockstar has amended one of the series' biggest problems to me since its 7th gen surfacing.

That is that the variety in missions is back. So many times in GTA IV, I felt like it was drive to one location, shoot x number of bad guys, drive home. Very rarely did things ever break out of that mold, and it didn't help that the layout of the land was a flat, dull, and quite honestly, lifeless husk of a city. GTA V, even from the outset, gives you plenty to do. Storyline missions, races, random people and events that have you doing all sorts of things like driving, shooting, or finding items. Even better, you're free to explore the entirety of San Andreas' map right from the outset. No more having to wait for a random mission to open up another chunk of the map. Go out there and have fun exploring the whole state. It's a pretty interesting place, too, as Los Santos gives you your city environment, head on north to wind up at the countryside, and keep on going to visit either the desert or the game's two mountain ranges. More often than not instead of hailing a taxi and trip skipping to the next mission like I did in GTA IV, I found myself driving or flying off to the next mission myself because the world was an interesting place to explore.

Riding a bike is just one way to boost your character's stamina.

One of the other things that helps this game out is the characterization. You are not some criminal who is trying to get out of a life of crime by looking for someone or doing something for the right price that completely goes against said character's statements. No, you are playing as three dudes who know they are not perfect and even when the inevitable "I want to get out of this" stuff comes up, it makes sense as characters also know they can be hypocritical at times. While I could do without the random n-word and f-bomb droppings that many times just feel like they're thrown in to be thrown in, the writing does get pretty interesting when things do get more serious later on in the game. In many ways, it feels like an action flick that has its serious moments but also knows when to be silly... It's just that it goes overboard on the latter at times.

Grand Theft Auto V is one of the PS3 and Xbox 360's
greatest and most impressive looking games by far.

The one thing that I'm glad is expanded upon from IV is the bank heist stuff. Even if you barely remember anything about the main game, most players that got far enough were rewarded to a bank robbery mission called Three Leaf Clover. In GTA V, there are a few of these kinds of missions and are known as heists. Instead of just having one way to do things though, players are given the choice of taking the subtle approach or the all up in your face one. Not only do you pick your plan at your meeting place, but you also pick your crew. Some of them are given to you right off the bat, others are found through random events in the game. Case in point, a certain dude that was in Three Leaf Clover shows up as a potential recruit in this game. Even better, you're also tasked to set the heist's plan up on your own. These tasks can range from stealing a vehicle in a stealthy manner to buying equipment for the heist. Whichever way you chose is the way things will play out. I always liked taking the subtle approaches to these missions as it felt like it was more interesting than just going in guns blazing, but the fact that they give you the choice is something that I appreciate.

Wearing his helmet, Franklin is always safety first.

The heists themselves are usually 15-20 minute multi-step affairs. The very first one had my crew hit up a jewelry story by using knockout gas to incapacitate the guards and workers there while by ground team hit the place and quickly took everything in there before the cops arrived. After that, we had a somewhat lengthy escape sequence that saw the team drive through the sewers to avoid the police. If at any point I was hit during this, some of the money from the heist would be lost, so it's not just a matter of getting out but doing so in an efficient manner. These missions were the most exciting part of a very good game to me.

Meanwhile, Trevor is always psychotic.

GTA V isn't without fault, however. In trying to go for 100%, there are a few tedious tasks in this game. Aside from a couple usual collecting quests that will have you going for a map, there are things like running in a triathlon. You have to complete three of these, and I don't have a problem with the first two, but the third lasts a good half hour. It brings back bad memories of titles like Vice City Stories where you had to do fifteen levels of many boring missions like the infamous ambulance helicopter. These stupid side quests required for 100% are far fewer in number, but the ones that exist try to pad out a game that really didn't need that kind of padding. Another issue is that the PS3 version I was playing on would sometimes be chugging along in terms of frame rate, or at times, not even loading the full map I was driving on. The latter happened rarely, but when it did, it made it tough to get away from the trouble I was in. I also had an instance where when coming back from the online mode of the game, which we'll cover in another review, where traffic would not load, making completing a mission impossible, and forcing me to have to back out of the game altogether to get things fixed.

That said, the occasional glitch or bouts of tedium don't take away from the fact that Grand Theft Auto V is a pretty fun game from start to finish. Never did I feel like I had 30-40 straight filler missions as the plot remained focused not including all of the other tasks I could take in to get away from just rushing through the game. In fact, during my 60-hour+ run, I found myself enjoying the majority of it, something that's been rare for this series outside of a DLC expansion for me in the last decade. Grand Theft Auto V is truly the first time I can say the series has been this grand since the PS2 days of yesteryear. Good going, Rockstar. You finally figured it out again.

[SPC Says: A-]

SuperPhillip Central Best of 2014 Awards - Top Five Most Pleasing Visuals

You'll find with my second category, Most Pleasing Visuals, that I find both cartoon-like and realistic visuals appealing, perhaps the former more than the latter. These games on this top five list impress purely with their aesthetics, their performance, and their looks in general.

5) Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)

While not even the most visually pleasing Wii U game, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U astonishes with its smooth-as-silk frame-rate, appealing character models, and fast-paced action. Let's not forget the remarkable stages that are brimming with personality and charm. I'm awestruck at how much Masahiro Sakurai and his team managed to make the latest Smash Bros. look.

4) Infamous: Second Son (PS4)

Infamous: Second Son oozes with astounding beauty, what, with its amazing city to tool around in, impressive lighting and special effects, and the fantastic character models that animate splendidly. Second Son is one of the few original titles on a current gen system that absolutely looks phenomenal, and it's with all of the aforementioned reasons that the game impresses visually.

3) Grand Theft Auto V (PS4, XONE)

Open world games amaze me with how they load the world around the player. Grand Theft Auto V on last gen platforms impressed greatly. Now, with Los Santos on the PS4 and Xbox One, the sensational city returns in gorgeous glory, feeling like a living, breathing city more than it had in the past thanks to its brilliant looking visuals, copious amounts of detail, and amazing polish.

2) The Last of Us: Remastered (PS4)

The original game on the PlayStation 3 was already a beaut to look at, so it makes total sense that the remastered version of The Last of Us on the PS4 looks mighty impressive, nay, stunning. The environments during the various seasons that the incredible models of Joel and Ellie push through are fantastic for the eyes, and the rest of the character models show the truly visceral world of The Last of Us: Remastered remarkably well.

1) Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)

Despite how realistic the last three games on this list look, I'm a sucker for color, and lots of it! This is where Mario Kart 8 comes in with its eye-popping color, beautiful tracks, and well animated characters. This is Nintendo in its HD finest, and it's why I choose Mario Kart 8 as the most pleasing to look at game, at least in my humble opinion.

Another top five list is in the works for today, so stick around!

The SuperPhillip Central Best of 2013 Awards - Final Night

This is it, ladies and gentlemen. It's the final night of SuperPhillip Central's Best of 2013 Awards. We've given out many intangible awards to various games, but now we're at the nitty gritty. We have just two more awards to hand out-- the first of which is the System of the Year 2013 award, followed by the Game of the Year 2013 award. Make sure your teeth are brushed, your hair is combed, and you look presentable, as this is a special occasion! If you are all clean, let's get to the final two awards!

[System of the Year 2013]

2013 saw the release of two brand-new home consoles for the eighth generation of gaming systems. However, let's not forget the platforms that were already out beforehand! With this category, we honor the best systems in regard to software.

Xbox One

Out of the two major consoles released this year, the Xbox One deserves praise for its launch lineup. The system might not be selling as well as the PlayStation 4, but at least Xbox One owners have a greater offering of games to enjoy-- at least in our opinion. Exploring a hellish open world setting in Dead Rising 3, racing through ultra-realistic environments in Forza Motorsport 5, kicking ass online and off in Killer Instinct, and even missteps like Ryse: Son of Rome offer a little bit of entertainment. These titles made it clear to us that out of the PS4 and Xbox One, the latter had the games this holiday season to put it slightly ahead of the system's closest competition.

Wii U

Nintendo's Wii U had a rough go of it this year. We need not talk about sales, as that story has been posted here more times than the word "the", it seems. Regardless, March was a great month for the platform, offering three excellent games in the span of a handful of days-- LEGO City Undercover, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and Need for Speed: Most Wanted U. A lull happened in releases over the summer, but soon New Super Luigi U and Pikmin 3 released. Then came September, giving Wii U owners a new IP in the form of The Wonderful 101, followed by the release of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD and Wii Party U in October. Finally in November, Wii U saw the Game of the Year contender Super Mario 3D World available on store shelves. It was an overall great first-year quality-wise for the Wii U. It's just a shame that quality doesn't equal sales.

Runner-Up: PlayStation 3

Sony's PlayStation 4 was being released, and soon gamers across a good portion of the world would soon jump ship from the PlayStation 3 to Sony's new hardware. However, Sony still supported the PS3 wonderfully this past year, giving gamers plenty to play and plenty to enjoy. From God of War: Ascension to the criminally underrated Puppeteer, the PlayStation 3 offered gamers titles for every age and interest. Naughty Dog released one of their most impressive games ever with The Last of Us, a game that couldn't have been a better swan song for the system. However, Sony still had Gran Turismo 6 and Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus to release. Throw in third-party titles like Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, BioShock Infinite, Grand Theft Auto V and Tomb Raider, and you have our runner-up for System of the Year 2013.

Winner: Nintendo 3DS

Support for the Nintendo 3DS, the little handheld that could, increased dramatically this past year. Nintendo themselves released a number of hit titles that oozed a copious amount of quality. There was Fire Emblem: Awakening, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Pokemon X and Y, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. Then there's the quality content from third-parties like Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate, Etrian Odyssey: The Millennium Girl, Rune Factory 4, Shin Megami Tensei 4, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies, among many others. It seemed like every month there was something worthwhile to purchase whether through retail or digitally, making the Nintendo 3DS our pick for System of the Year 2013.

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[Game of the Year 2013]

The moment that we've been waited for has arrived. It's now time to reveal our pick for Game of the Year 2013. If you recall how this works, every game that won its respective system category will be on the list of nominees for this prestigious category. Which title will take the crown? Let's find out!

Grand Theft Auto V (PS3, 360)

Ambition. That's a term (or variety of it) that we can't help but say every time we bring up Grand Theft Auto V. Sporting the most impressive open world setting in a video game on a home consoles, GTAV also brought players tweaks to the gameplay to make it a wildly improved game compared to its predecessors. The game had a story that focused on three main characters, an original idea for the series. The aforementioned open world setting of Los Santos and Blaine County to the city's north was incredibly immense and had little Easter eggs and secrets sprinkled all over. It will probably take years for the average gamer to explore every square inch of GTAV's world. We voted Grand Theft Auto V our Multiplatform Game of the Year for good reason, and it more than enough fits the bill as a nominee for Game of the Year 2013.

The Last of Us (PS3)

A lot of media outlets are awarding Naughty Dog's latest with Game of the Year wins, and deservedly so. The Last of Us was the pinnacle of storytelling in our industry this year, with a tale that made you very much care about the protagonist team of Joel and Ellie. The nightmarish world of The Last of Us always kept us on edge-- sometimes having our hearts race uncontrollably as we slipped by Clickers, breaths held. These stealth elements were executed perfectly throughout the game, as were the confrontations with enemies. Seldom does a game make the player go through an abundance and whirlwind of emotions, but The Last of Us was exactly that type of game.

Tearaway (Vita)

Media Molecule is best known for their work on the LittleBigPlanet series, which continues to get updates and DLC to this day. When the developer announced they were working on a new IP for Sony's relatively new portable, the gaming world was put into a miniature frenzy. The end product was Tearaway, a sophisticated game overflowing with Media Molecule's vintage creativity. Tearaway not only surprised gamers with its entertaining premise and platforming fun, but also critics. The game used every major function of the PlayStation Vita hardware, and seldom did it seem gimmicky. Unfortunately, like with the Wii U and the Vita itself, quality did not ensure sales.

Runner-Up: Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)

Nintendo has a gameplay-first focus in its titles. Everything else comes later. This was readily apparent in the design of Super Mario 3D World, our runner-up for Game of the Year for 2013. While the initial unveiling at E3 this past June underwhelmed many, it was only until subsequent trailers that the true creativity of the game's level design, enemy encounters, and power-ups were prevalent to the eye. Super Mario 3D World is one of those games that at first glance does not offer much that is new to the series, but never judge a book by its cover. Actual players of the game will tell you of its tight controls, endlessly creative levels that constantly throw new mechanics and challenges into the mix, and a presentation that proves that Nintendo knows how to work its special blend of magic on its own hardware.

And our Game of the Year for 2013 is...




























Game of the Year 2013: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS)

For the first time in SuperPhillip Central history our Game of the Year comes from a handheld device. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds was a welcome change to the typical formula of the Zelda series. It offered an amount of freedom that made modern Zelda games before it look like they had the amount of freedom of wearing a straitjacket. Being able to rent and then buy items for Link's arsenal meant the world was open for Link to explore, and in Lorule the order of dungeons could be determined by the player. The excessive hand-holding of past games was gone, as was the severe linearity so many Zelda games prior had suffered from. The incredibly quick pacing also was like a breath of fresh Hyrulean air. Combine this with some brilliant dungeon design, familiar locales, an awesome new wall merge gameplay mechanic, and creative boss battles, and you have what we considered to be a genuinely easy choice for our Game of the Year for this sixth annual awards ceremony.

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And that wraps things up rather nicely. Another year is over, another awards ceremony (our sixth) is over. SuperPhillip Central's staff would like to thank everyone for their support this past year and for reading all of our ramblings-- whether they be reviews, editorials, top ten lists, etc. We wouldn't be doing a site without your views. We deeply appreciate everyone who comes here to read our works, even if you disagree with what we have to say. From all of us at SuperPhillip Central, thank you and have a happy and prosperous 2014.