SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - Fortune Favors the Bold Edition

Another new work week means another edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs. Like always, by clicking on each VGM title, you will be transported to the YouTube video featuring the piece of video game music mentioned.

This week we have some big franchises included. We start with the recently released Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, and then move on to Halo 4. Following that is a brief trip to the skies with LAIR and a reconnaissance mission in Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow. Finally, Armored Core 4 wraps up the edition with big mechs and even bigger explosions.

Make sure to check out the VGM Database after you've listened to these five fantastic video game themes.

v1141. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4) - Nate's Theme 4.0

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End released last week, and already in the UK it has the best-selling sales start in the series by a wide margin. While the soundtrack for the game, not by the traditional series composer, is a tad disappointing compared to past installments, Nate's Theme is still as prolific and riveting as ever in this finale to Nathan Drake's adventures.

v1142. Halo 4 (360) - Awakening

We move from a major PlayStation series to a major Xbox one with Halo. Halo 4 was the first original entry that wasn't created by series creator Bungie. Nor did it have the usual composer behind it. It was new territory in more ways than one for the Halo series, but speaking of the soundtrack, while different from past efforts, it still was a wonderful score to back Master Chief's then-latest.

v1143. LAIR (PS3) - Main Theme

A majestic, heroic theme at its beginning, LAIR's main theme gives players a grand feeling. It's just a shame that the actual game was one that killed off a fine developer, Factor 5, the folks best known for their work on the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron series of games. Regardless, the soundtrack is a bright spot in this otherwise okay (well, okay once traditional controls were patched in) flight-based game.

v1144. Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow (PSP) - Earn Your Pay

Two Syphon Filter games appeared on the PlayStation Portable, a system that possesses one of the greatest and most diverse handheld libraries. The two games were Dark Mirror and Logan's Shadow. Since then, we've not seen hide nor hair of the franchise. Still, these two games were a wonderful way to go to the franchise's hopefully temporary hiatus.

v1145. Armored Core 4 (PS3, 360) - Spirit of Motherwill

Before they became well known and famous for the Souls line of games, From Software had another long-running series, the Armored Core series. This fourth installment for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 served as a reboot for the franchise after the eleven games before it. The soundtrack is a symphonic gold mine of cool tunes, such as this one, a choir-backed Spirit of Motherwill.

One-Sentence Reviews - Volume Four

We have gotten a lot of good feedback regarding this segment. You'd wonder why it's been over a year since we've last done it, then, wouldn't you! It's One-Sentence Reviews, where we take thirty games and try to summarize our thoughts about them and criticize them in one sentence. Sure, we occasionally do a run-on sentence here and there, but that's all right. Some of these games listed have already had in-depth reviews, and many of the games will be reviewed with more detail later. Regardless, let's jump right into this and enjoy ourselves, shall we?

"While nowhere near the game of the generation, The Last of Us is an epic thrill ride from beginning to end." The Last of Us (PS3)

"Columbia is such an awesome place to explore, and the gameplay of BioShock Infinite is a step up from so many others of the competition." BioShock Infinite (PS3, 360, PC)

"Featuring some pretty sensational set pieces, puzzles, and action, this prequel to the God of War trilogy is an adrenaline rush most of the time." God of War: Ascension (PS3)

"Questionable Dante design change aside, DmC: Devil May Cry is an uptempo action game that will get the player's palms sweaty for sure." DmC: Devil May Cry (PS3, 360, PC)

"Forget Resident Evil 6, Revelations is the game that deserves that name and the accolades." Resident Evil: Revelations (Wii U, PS3, 360, PC)

"The inclusion of a casual mode allows the latest Fire Emblem to be accessible to all player skill levels, making it one of our favorite installments." Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS)

"Most mini-game collections lack depth, but Nintendo Land not has depth, but it is an excellent showcase of both the Wii U GamePad and the asymmetrical gameplay of the system." Nintendo Land (Wii U)

"Our favorite Wii U game, LEGO City Undercover is packed with content, things to do on every street corner, and a story with humor that branches all ages." LEGO City Undercover (Wii U)

"We hesitate to say how incredibly great Xenoblade Chronicles is because it will just make those without the game feel bad (and have to pay through the nose to get a copy)." Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)

"Featuring some great track design, terrific retro track choices, kart customization, and all-new gliding and underwater sections, the latest Mario Kart is a tour de force for kart racers." Mario Kart 7 (3DS)

"Containing ultra-repetitive gameplay and missions that really outwear their welcome, Project X Zone isn't the dream crossover game we were hoping for." Project X Zone (3DS)

"Shooting and loot makes for a marvelously addicting time, and Borderlands 2 is just that." Borderlands 2 (PS3, 360, PC)

"While Grand Theft Auto IV moved more towards realism to a detriment of that game, Saints Row: The Third simply got even more off the wall and crazy, and that was a truly good thing." Saints Row: The Third (PS3, 360, PC)

"Platinum Games makes dicing and slicing through enemies (and watermelons) an absolute blast in this high octane action game." Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PS3, 360, PC)

"Perhaps the only strong points of Final Fantasy XIII are the excellent soundtrack and graphics." Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, 360)

"Taking the franchise from Bungie and making it their own was no easy task, but 343 Industries managed to create a stellar entry in the Halo franchise." Halo 4 (360)

"A great kart racer that is only marred by technical issues and certain tracks being difficult to ascertain where you need to go." Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (Wii U, PS3, 360, PC, 3DS, PSV)

"It took 300 hours of gameplay before we got a little burned out on this game, so that should tell you exactly how great and addicting Animal Crossing: New Leaf really is." Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS)

"Possessing RPG elements, a wonderful selection of some of the greatest video game music ever, and addicting gameplay, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is one of our favorite rhythm games of all time." Theatrhythm Final Fantasy (3DS)

"Showcasing the greatness of the Wii MotionPlus, Wii Sports Resort features excellent motion controls and fun for the whole family." Wii Sports Resort (Wii)

"A game that starts out really slowly, Harvest Moon 3D eventually peps up and creates for the player one of the grandest Harvest Moon experiences to date on any platform." Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning (3DS)

"A great collector's item and a fun interpretation of the classic Cave Story, Cave Story 3D is not a necessity to play, as the cheaper versions are just as fun." Cave Story 3D (3DS)

"The Wii U version of the game is the definitive version, due to it being the one that was cancelled." Aliens: Colonial Marines (PS3, 360, PC)

"The mission to create a competent Call of Duty game on the PlayStation Vita is an utter failure." Call of Duty: Black Ops - Declassified (PSV)

"This enhanced version of the overlooked Wii game, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, plays great, looks sensational, and has a good amount of content for solo players." Muramasa Rebirth (PSV)

"While this game started Dimps' fetish with throwing as many bottomless pits as possible into levels, Sonic Rush is a fast-paced platformer with great music." Sonic Rush (DS)

"A bigger and better game than its predecessor, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 introduced more zones, more challenge, and the addition of Tails." Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (GEN)

"It is nice seeing Mega Man in the 32-bit era, and he looks absolutely sensational (plays well, too)." Mega Man 8 (PS1, SAT)

"See the origins of the Metroid series in this game where the hallways are so similar it makes exploration incredibly challenging, and not in the good way." Metroid (NES)

"While no one can replace Mike Tyson, Mr. Dream's iteration of Punch-Out!! is just as difficult, engaging, and entertaining to play." Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream (NES)

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If you'd like to take a look at past installments of One-Sentence Reviews, look no further than the following links:

Volume One

Volume Two

Volume Three

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGM - Four RPGs and Halo 4 Walk Into A Bar... Edition

...So Halo 4 says to the four RPGs, "Monopoly?! I thought we were playing Yahtzee!"

It's time once again for SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGM, a series of segments where we delve into the best of video game music. As the title suggests, we have Halo 4 leading the charge this week, alongside four unique RPGs. It's an interesting mix of games this week, with the first appearances of games like Suikoden II and Final Fantasy XII. If you're ready to listen, we're ready to share our faves!

v431. Halo 4 (360) - Main Theme

Halo 4 was listed as one of our favorite games from the Xbox 360 at last year's SuperPhillip Central Best of 2012 Awards. For good reason, as well. 343 Industries took the reins of the Halo series from Bungie and they successfully made it their own. In addition to a new developer, a new composer took center stage as well, and you can hear his work with this terrific main theme for the game.

v432. Suikoden II (PS1) - Secret Village of the Ninja

Miki Higashino composed this theme for the ninja village within Suikoden II's vast world. As stated in the introduction, this is the Suikoden series' first time being featured on SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGM. We especially love the vocals to this beautiful piece of music, along with the very Asian flair.

v433. Star Ocean: First Departure (PSP) - All for One

A very foreboding town theme, All for One is an orchestral masterpiece. Star Ocean: First Departure marked the first time the original Star Ocean was available for Western audiences in an official capacity. The original released on the Super Nintendo before making the shift to the 32-bit PlayStation platform.

v434. Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS) - Id (Hope)

Our second favorite theme from Fire Emblem: Awakening (albeit from a DLC battle) after Id (Purpose) is Id Hope. We love the piano, orchestra and brass and the fast tempo that makes for some great accompaniment to a tense battle!

v435. Final Fantasy XII (PS2) - Ozmone Plain

This theme has actually been featured on a prior edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGM before. Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift has a version of this theme known as Crossing Over the Hill. Same composer, so why not enjoy it all over again for Final Fantasy XII's Ozmone Plain?

Top Ten Xbox 360 Exclusives

If you've been with and have followed SuperPhillip Central for an extended period of time, you know how we have a love and hate relationship with the Xbox 360. We love all of the third-party support and Xbox Live (though we'd rather have it for free without ads), but we hate how poor Microsoft's first-party output generally is, how bad Kinect is for anything other than sports or mini-games, and we loathe how awful Red Ring of Death (we're still haunted at night by those flashing lights) was. Regardless, coming up with a list of ten worthwhile exclusives that the Xbox 360 currently possesses wasn't as difficult as we thought it would be.

Don't get us wrong. We've enjoyed our time with Microsoft's second gaming home console. This list of ten exclusives for the system is but one reason why we find ourselves still slightly enamored with the Xbox 360.

10) Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

The original teaser for an Xbox 360 version of Banjo-Kazooie had all of the familiar elements: Jiggies, musical notes, and a colorful 3D world, albeit with a remodeled version of Banjo and his feathery friend Kazooie. However, the final product would turn out to be a completely different beast compared to Banjo's Nintendo 64 adventures. While some scoff and even snarl to this day at this idea, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is a welcome addition to the franchise, offering vehicle-based missions that can be completed in a myriad of manners. The ability to build your own custom vehicles to suit the needs of the particular mission adds a whole slew of replay value to Nuts & Bolts. It is these reasons why Banjo and Kazooie's Xbox 360 retail debut kicks off our countdown.

9) Tales of Vesperia

The tenth main Tales of title in the series hit in the unlikeliest of places, Microsoft's Xbox 360 (it is exclusive to the Xbox 360 in the West). We say this because the Xbox 360 was undoubtedly marketed more to the West than the East, which is where most of the Tales series' sales come from. Tales of Vesperia came out early in the generation when Microsoft was still courting Japanese audiences by buying up exclusives (because let's face it, Microsoft first-party studios couldn't wholly make a game that would entertain gamers in Japan if their corporation depended on it). Anyway, about the gameplay, Tales of Vesperia's battle system uses an upgraded version of Tales of the Abyss's. The combat is fast and fluid, real-time, and offered lots of different strategies to display. Overall, Tales of Vesperia is one of the better entries in the Tales franchise, and we hope that with Microsoft's next console they try once again to appeal to Japan. Their library would be much more varied and better for it.

8) Shadow Complex

A phenomenal Xbox Live Arcade title, one that would have over 200,000 downloads within its first week of sales, Shadow Complex borrows its gameplay structure from titles like Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. As the player defeats enemies, explores the labyrinthine world of the game, and acquires new abilities, they can access new locations in the game world. Like Symphony of the Night, players can gain experience points to make their character stronger, boosting their basic attributes and giving them new skills. Shadow Complex uses the Unreal Engine 3 to make for an impressive looking piece of software. If you're looking for one of the better Xbox Live Arcade games, Shadow Complex is not only one of those, but it's an absolute steal for its price point.

7) Crackdown

Crackdown comes from the mind behind both the Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings franchises. The game has you taking the role of a super-powered Agent, based one of several character models. Your agent is tasked with taking out three Kingpins throughout the open world setting of Pacific City. While you can leap right into the action of taking them out, you'll probably find yourself riddled with bullets. Defeating each Kingpin's Generals makes taking the Kingpin out much easier of an objective. Thankfully, your agent has a whole slew of powerful abilities and weaponry to work with: bombs, machine guns, chucking cars, and scaling buildings (getting on top of Agent HQ is one of the coolest views we can remember in a long time). Crackdown saw a sequel three years later. While that game is also good, we much prefer the original Crackdown. By the way, how about that sublime cel-shaded art style?

6) Saints Row

There have been plenty of imitators to Grand Theft Auto, and many who have wished to take the open world crown that Rockstar North's series has worn for over a decade now. Few belong in the same sentence of GTA, and even fewer have come close to being anywhere near as good as that franchise. We can happily say that Saints Row is a series that has come the closest. The first game in the franchise came out exclusively on the Xbox 360, showing the Third Street Saints' battle against other gangs in the city of Stilwater. The amount of things to do is immense, as expected from an open world sandbox game like Saints Row is. The most enjoyable part of the game, outside of how fun it is, is the ability to create your own custom character and outfit them with pieces of clothing you purchase at shops which makes for a game that you can give your personal touch to. Not only that, but you can take your gang member online to compete in one of several multiplayer modes.

5) Ninja Gaiden II

Ninja Gaiden II takes the rebooted Ninja Gaiden franchise to new heights with all-new awesome features like enemy dismemberment, allowing hero Ryu to slash and slice his foes' arms, legs, and other body parts until they're all covering the floor. Another new features is essence, dropped by defeated enemies. This grants Ryu with the ability to generate money, to heal himself, or to restore his ki. Outside of Ryu's old standby, the Dragon Sword, there are a hefty sampling of new enemies to utilize, such as the Falcon's Talons, the Dragon's Claw, and Eclipse Scythe, to name a few. As typical of the Ninja Gaiden series, Ninja Gaiden II is certainly no cakewalk. Beating the game is a mighty challenge, much more actually acquiring all of the achievements!

4) Gears of War 3

Bros before all. While Gears of War as a series might be the perfect example of the so-called "dudebro" gaming craze that the Xbox 360 is known for, the series itself is a remarkable third-person shooter that is one of the hallmarks of the genre, thanks to its heavy focus on cover-based combat. Gears pits COG human forces, the last line of defense for the planet Earth, against the Locust threat. The campaign's five acts can be played alone or with a friend, making the Insane difficulty all the more manageable. In addition to that, Gears comes with its own multiplayer component, one that is highly popular, whether playing it competitively (Deathmatch) or cooperatively (Horde mode). Probably all those folks gunning for that "Seriously 3.0" achievement. Two teams of four compete across cleverly designed maps in deathmatch-style play, king-of-the-hill-style play, and so much more. So after the campaign was completed, one could enjoy multiplayer for months on end, but really, though, that "Seriously" achievement from the first game can go get itself curb stomped.

3) Dead Rising

One of Keiji Inafune's last original projects for Capcom before his departure (R.I.P. Mega Man), Dead Rising shows the developers leanings toward Western studios' philosophies of game design over the East. Despite this, Dead Rising is one of SuperPhillip Central's favorite new IPs of the past generation. You play as Frank West, a photojournalist heading for the scoop of his life at a mall in a countryside town of Colorado. Little does Frank know that a zombie outbreak has covered the city in blankets of blood, rotting flesh, and corpses. Dead Rising has you racing against the clock to follow along with the story, taking down psychopaths, wading through hundreds of zombies on screen at the same time, and rescuing survivors from the zombie menace. To assist you can use a multitude of everyday objects that lie around such as baseball bats, soccer balls, chainsaws, and even lawnmowers. Dead Rising is a magnificent and intense zombie game that will have you playing multiple times through the game.

2) Forza Horizon

Speaking of games set in Colorado, Forza Horizon is set in the Rocky Mountain state, offering a fictional festival that has drivers from all walks of life competing for top honors. Unlike previous games in the Forza Motorsport series, Forza Horizon is an open-world game. Despite the change in structure, many facets of the Forza franchise are still here, such as the gorgeous graphics, the realistic driving physics, and the immense amount of cars available to ride in. There is also a good amount of race variety to be had, like point-to-point races, drift races, and rally races. Variety is the spice of life, after all. By playing this races well, you earn street cred (as the kids call it) to grant you popularity that unlocks new race types and even more cars to select from. Forza Motorsport as a series is one that is often compared to Sony's Gran Turismo. However, with Forza Horizon, the Forza franchise proves that it can certainly mix things up really well.

1) Halo 4

The gaming world, especially fans of Halo (duh), was both excited and terrified at the idea of a completely new studio, 343 Industries, taking control of the long-running Halo franchise, the hallmark franchise of the Xbox brand. Would Halo 4 still feel like Halo? Would it be better? Would it be worse? These questions kept many up late a night (or not). Regardless, it is safe to say that 343 Industries blew away expectations, and created the best Halo game in a long time. All of the trademark features of the franchise were present and accounted for: Master Chief, Cortana, the Covenant, cool weaponry, sweet rides, very impressive visuals, a strong campaign mode (offering two players locally to slug through it or four players via Xbox Live), and a fantastic multiplayer experience for competitive combat. It is for these reasons that Halo 4 is SuperPhillip Central's top Xbox 360 title, and we imagine that millions across the globe feel the same.

The SuperPhillip Central Best of 2012 Awards - Day Five

And here we are-- we have arrived at the final night of the SuperPhillip Central Best of 2012 Awards! This is the night that we delve into what will be win the coveted Game of the Year 2012 award. However, before we can get to that, we have one more award to hand out. Let's get to it!

[System of the Year]

2012 saw the release of two new platforms, and with it comes the promise of new games and new ways to play them. Let's not forget the platforms that were already with us, however. We have three old platforms and two new ones as nominees for System of the Year for 2012. And the nominees are...

Wii U

The newest platform to hit the market, the Wii U released with a healthy selection of games. Where can you go wrong with a list of titles like a new Mario for release, the first since 1996 and the Nintendo 64, ZombiU, a home version of the Scribblenauts franchise, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, ZombiU, Batman, Darksiders II, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Assassin's Creed III, and several digital delights like Trine 2: Director's Cut and Little Inferno? The release list for 2013 is bleak, but there are so many launch games to go through, most people will still be playing those long into the new year.

Nintendo 3DS

The cast of familiar faces that hit Nintendo's portable platform was numerous. We had Mario (New Super Mario Bros. 2, Mario Tennis Open, Paper Mario: Sticker Star), Pit (Kid Icarus: Uprising), Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield (Resident Evil: Revelations), Final Fantasy all-stars (Theatrhythm Final Fantasy), Professor Layton [and the Miracle Mask], and many more. We had plenty of new franchises, too, on the 3DS, like Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure, Heroes of Ruin, Code of Princess, and the list goes on.

PlayStation Vita

You can wave "It's not selling well" in the face of people all you want, but to say that the PlayStation Vita was lacking games in 2012 would be a total and blatant lie. You had the awesome launch list of games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational, WipEout 2048, and Touch My Katamari, you had newer games like LittleBigPlanet Vita, Gravity Rush, and Assassin's Creed III: Liberation. There's plenty to love about the Vita last year, so that is exactly the reason why it is nominated in this category.

Xbox 360

While the Xbox 360 struggled to get a lot of my attention in 2012, it did deliver some promising and engaging games. Halo 4, anyone? Or how about Forza Horizon? Even Kinect had some games that were no slouches. I'm speaking about Dance Central 3. Then you have downloadable games that meant Xbox Live Arcade was where it was at if you didn't care for Microsoft's retail exclusives.

PlayStation 3

The winner of last year's System of the Year award, this year the PlayStation 3 had a more relaxed year. However, don't think that means a bad year. No, we had wonderful titles like what many consider to be the game of 2012, Journey. We have Sony's Super Smash Bros.-like fighter, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. Ratchet and Clank returned for some Full Frontal Assault. Even Sackboy got into the fun with LittleBigPlanet Karting. If you were looking for some fun, PlayStation 3 was a good place to find it.

And the winner is...

Nintendo 3DS

Simply put, the Nintendo 3DS had the most games that appealed to me this past year. There were titles for everybody, titles for the niche, titles for beginner gamers, titles for expert gamers, and-- well, you get the drift. It is for those reasons and the arrival of the bigger, better XL that the Nintendo 3DS wins this year's award for System of the Year.

Runner-up: Wii U

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Now, for those of you who have been with SuperPhillip Central since the beginning, you probably know what is next. Even if you don't, what I customarily do now is take a look back at the Game of the Year for the last year. If you don't recall what it was, consider this a refresher.

GOTY 2011: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Although it started off very slow and held the player's hand, my favorite game of 2011 was The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. It was finally a mainline Zelda game that was custom tailored for the Wii. It brought with it 1:1 motion controls that I absolutely adored. One felt like a fierce warrior as they swung the Wii Remote like a sword, slaying enemies and solving the most devious of puzzles. Skyward Sword featured some of the series's best music, best bosses, and most interesting dungeons. These reasons are why I selected The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword over games like Batman: Arkham City, LittleBigPlanet 2, Super Mario 3D Land, and Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together.

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[Game of the Year 2012]

We now move from looking at the past to looking at the present. It's time to award SuperPhillip Central's Game of the Year for 2012. This will be my fifth time officially choosing the best game of the year. These seven-- SEVEN-- nominees are the year's best, no doubt. And the nominees are...

Borderlands 2 (Multi)

The multiplatform nominee for Game of the Year 2012, Borderlands 2 offered incredible cooperative shooter gameplay, and if the shooting wasn't addicting enough, then perhaps all of the RPG elements were. You had randomly generated loot and various options to build up your character. Perhaps while you were playing you could just stand still and marvel at the cel-shaded environments, heroes, and enemies. How could Borderlands 2 NOT be a nominee here?

Halo 4 (360)

If you're looking for the best multiplayer competitive shooter of the year, don't go looking toward Call of Duty: Black Ops II's way-- though that game is stellar for multiplayer, too. No, gaze intently towards Halo 4's direction. Not only did it act as the part of one of the best first-person shooters in years, but it is one of the most gorgeous looking games of the year as well. Halo 4, I salute you.

Nintendo Land (Wii U)

Any reason for the Wii U GamePad to exist was made with the launch of Nintendo Land. Containing twelve stellar attractions based on Nintendo properties, Nintendo Land delivered laughs, loads of fun, and plenty of hours of gameplay to captivate players. It is considered the Wii Sports of the Wii U console, but unlike what game it is compared to, Nintendo Land possessed a multitude of depth that keeps me coming back for more time and time again.

Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)

A game that North American gamers were close to not even being able to play without going the homebrew direction, Xenoblade Chronicles proved that you didn't need the ultra-superior processing power of an HD console to produce some stunning and breathtaking environments, many of which take dozens of minutes to cross in real time. Oh, and the gameplay wasn't too shabby either.

Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS)

In the mood for some high octane, high adrenaline third-person gameplay? Then enter the hilarious world of Kid Icarus: Uprising, a game that was part serious, part laugh-a-minute. The game possessed two gameplay parts to it: one flight, one ground. All of it was entertaining. Add to all of that twenty-five chapters to go through, the best soundtrack of the year, and unlockables out the wazoo, and you have my favorite Nintendo 3DS game of 2012, and a nominee for Game of the Year 2012.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss (PSV)

The PlayStation Vita's valiant effort for 2012 was one of its launch titles, and the biggest one it had, Uncharted: Golden Abyss. If you told a younger me playing on a black and white Game & Watch that I would be able to play console-quality games on a portable device, I don't know if I would have believed you. Here we are, though, and Uncharted: Golden Abyss is one of the best looking handheld titles of all time.

Journey (PS3)

Yesterday I mentioned that I understand how arguments about art happen when I see games such as Journey. The game was not just something you play once and then forget about. No, it was something that you played multiple times, and each time presented you with emotions you didn't know you could have while playing a game. Again, Journey was indeed more than a game, and for that reason it is why it is a nominee for Game of the Year 2012.

And the Game of the Year 2012 is...

...

[GotY 2012: Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)]

In a genre that is hard for me to stick with most games, Xenoblade Chronicles hooked me in for the long haul, throughout its 100+ hours of gameplay. With most RPGs, I find myself losing interest a good way through because the game can't keep my engaged. With Xenoblade Chronicles, that wasn't a problem. There was always one hard enemy I wanted to take down, one path through an expansive dungeon or area that I wanted to explore, or one quest that I wanted to complete. Everything about Xenoblade Chronicles is near perfection: the awesome soundtrack (which did win runner-up for Best Original Soundtrack this year, after all), the well done voice acting, the jaw-dropping locales that are rich and ripe for venturing through, and the appealing combat system that demands your attention and great teamwork. Xenoblade Chronicles is without any question my favorite game of 2012. It was a fond farewell to the under-appreciated Wii. 

Runner-up GotY 2012: Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS)

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We have come to the end of another year of awards. Yes, it is true. We must part. No, I'm not talking about you and I. I am referring to my tuxedo and I. This was a big award show, so I needed to dress the part. In all seriousness, I thank each and every one of you for taking a look at the SuperPhillip Central Best of 2012 Awards. This is without a doubt the most work I do throughout the year. I hope you enjoy what I have done as much as I have creating it. 

Next week we go back to something that resembles normalcy. Monday will see SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs, and then we'll play it by ear then. Until Monday, have a wonderful rest of your weekend.