Great Games to Soothe the Stress Away

Did you know that this month is Stress Awareness Month? Did you also know that today is Stress Awareness Day? If not, then you can see that SuperPhillip Central is also a great source of learning and entertainment. To go along with Stress Awareness Day, SuperPhillip Central has a list of games that are nice and relaxing for players. These are titles and series that are soothing, will lower your blood pressure, and will put you in a nice state of comfort as opposed to raising your stress level.

Animal Crossing (GCN, DS, Wii)

Our first series is that of Animal Crossing. The series basically sets you to play at your own pace, slowly paying back your debt to Tom Nook, collecting new furniture to spruce up your home, chatting with your animal neighbors, fishing, catching bugs, and digging up fossils. Perhaps the only stressor here is coming back to your town after a month's absence and seeing it covered with weeds. The upcoming June release of Animal Crossing: New Leaf for the Nintendo 3DS offers the ability to play as the mayor, controlling your village as you see fit. Animal Crossing is a delightful series that is nice and relaxing to play, especially with friends.

Harvest Moon (Multi)

Let's focus on a franchise similar to Animal Crossing. It's a series that has spanned multiple consoles from Nintendo platforms to Sony systems, Harvest Moon has its main focus as a farming game with quirks that make the games so lovable. Such quirks include raising livestock, conversing with the locals, and eventually settling down and getting married. It's your overall duty to take a dilapidated farm and turn it into one bustling place of agriculture. Let your worries and cares fade away as you milk old Bessie, gather materials, and water your crops.

LittleBigPlanet (PS3, PSP, PSV)

Voted by SuperPhillip Central as the best new IP of this past generation, LittleBigPlanet encourages creativity and fosters an environment for unbridled entertainment, either alone or with friends. Playing through the happy-go-lucky craft-filled world of LittleBigPlanet invokes a warm and happy feeling, and the franchise is endlessly charming. The only real stressor to the LittleBigPlanet series comes from the optional task of trying to ace all of the levels-- that is, beating every platforming level in the game without dying, so avoiding doing that when you want to relax is recommended.

Flower (PSN)

A soothing PlayStation Network-exclusive game where you tilt the PS3 controller to guide the wind on flowers to liven up fields, Flower is a title that is a lethargic experience. The team behind the title, Thatgamecompany (Journey, Fl0w), wanted to present players with a positive feeling. They definitely succeeded as the game is a breath of fresh air, and one that will calm even the most agitated gamer.

Brain Age (DS, 3DS)

The Brain Age series challenges your brain with short sessions of math problems, sudoku, memory tests, and much more to keep your brain active. The series, based off the research of Dr. Ryuta Kawashima, is one that can played in small doses, and engages your brain. The games try to enhance certain parts of the mind such as recognition, memory, and concentration, which the latter is the focus of the latest entry in the franchise, Brain Age: Concentration Training.

Crosswords Plus (3DS)

Crosswords are always a nice diversion from a wild and wacky world. Let the stress leave your body as you play hundreds of crossword puzzles, word searches, and anagram games in Crosswords Plus for the Nintendo 3DS. Even doing a crossword or word search with a timer isn't a stress-inducing experience. There's no real reward or reason to panic by taking a long time on a given puzzle. And if you get stuck on a puzzle, don't get flustered, simply use a clue to help you out. Crosswords Plus is the sequel to CrossworDS on the Nintendo DS. Both offer an insane amount of puzzles for a budget price.

Art Academy (DS, 3DS)

The Art Academy series offers finely tuned lessons divided up between parts to teach players the basics of art. You learn about perspective drawing, shading, and blending colors. The latest entry in the series, Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone! (3DS), has a multitude of easygoing lessons, the ability to share your work with friends, and a multitude of fun techniques to learn. Nothing beats going at your own pace and learning that you actually aren't as bad of an artist as you think you are. Paining and drawing via the touch screen is a fine, relaxing experience that those with an interest of art and a Nintendo DS or 3DS shouldn't pass up.

Professor Layton (DS, 3DS)

Professor Layton has seen five games release over in the West, with the latest being Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, the first entry on the Nintendo 3DS. For the uninitiated, the Professor Layton franchise has you following a mysterious story usually with Professor Layton and his apprentice Luke by his side. As you journey through areas, you come across brain teasers that sharpen your logical thinking, reasoning, and processing. These puzzles often are given to you to advance the story once they are solved. There's nothing like chilling with a particular puzzle and eventually coming upon its solution. Grab yourself a spot of tea and put on a monocle, as the Professor Layton series is one to compose oneself.

Katamari Damacy (PS2, PS3, PSP, 360)

Katamari Damacy as a franchise has players rolling up buildings, objects, and even people as they try to get their ball (the Katamari) as large as possible. It's that enjoyment in rolling up anything and everything that makes the Katamari Damacy series so engaging. Time limits do little to aggravate players, as the joy of rolling one's Katamari beats all frustration. It's a pleasing and calming feeling, and a game series that explodes with charm.

Minecraft (PC, XBLA)

In the procedurally generated world of Minecraft, you are let loose in a world with no real goals in sight. All you need to do is build and chip away blocks to create whatever you wish. You have total freedom. Speaking of freedom, playing the Creative mode of Minecraft allows players total freedom from worry. You build, you chip away, and you fly. You can make masterpieces of maps, buildings, and other objects. The stuff that players have done is truly sensational. The relaxation part of building and venturing around the game world is why Minecraft has a place on this list of soothing games.

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Those are ten relaxing and soothing games we thought of. Did we miss any of your favorites? What games put you in a state of calmness, a moment of repose, or a feeling of relaxation? Post your ideas in the comments section below.

Top Ten Quirky Gems of This Generation

Gonzo gaming-- a type of gaming experience that many glance over. The following is a list of quirky gaming experiences that I deem most wonderful this generation. But two questions: 1) What do I mean by quirky? 2) What does this generation incorporate? Well, to answer question #1: quirky is defined by being off-the-wall, unconventional, or bizarre, and to answer question #2: I consider this generation to be made up by the Wii, 360, PS3, DS, and PSP. With that out of the way, let's welcome our new gonzo gaming overlords.

10) Boom Blox (Wii)


As a partnership between blockbuster movie director Steven Spielberg and publisher Electronic Arts, Boom Blox was a game where the goal was to topple towers by simulating chucking balls at them. Some games have you defending a fortress from invaders, carefully pulling pieces of block from a tower Jenga-style, and escorting an off-the-wall character across a perilous obstacle-infested platform. The variety and amount of multi-player mayhem Boom Blox offers makes the title one of the Wii's great party games. It's simple to learn but tough to master. The zany creatures from felines to sheep make for a crazy experience which is why Boom Blox and its sequel in Bash Party make my list of quirky games.

9) NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (Wii)


When you have a genderless being dressed in a jester costume, something is off-the-wall about the game. Coming off the Sega Saturn classic of NiGHTS Into Dreams, Sonic Team came out with a less-than-stellar but still capable sequel in Journey of Dreams. From stopping a bomb from detonating to flying and floating through the air with such poignant grace, there was a lot to love about this Wii exclusive. Sure, platforming and playing as the two child sidekicks in NiGHTS's adventure was a hassle, but the rest of the game was quite entertaining as well as abundantly wacky and weird.

8) Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS)


If someone came to you and suggested that they could create an interesting game surrounding the luxurious life of a lawyer, would you believe them? Perhaps so, perhaps not. I was on the latter side of the fence until I slid the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney game card into my Nintendo DS. The courtroom drama of Ace Attorney has players drumming up evidence at crime scenes, creating compelling arguments for the judge and jury, and following the daily life of one Phoenix Wright in every day situations. The day that Ace Attorney hit store shelves was the day that countless internet memes were born (for better or worse since most memes are obnoxious). Regardless, for an idiosyncratic journey in the life of a lawyer, the Phoenix Wright series is the one for you.

7) No More Heroes (Wii)


Travis Touchdown is short on cash, so he opts to enter the assassin game. Sounds fun, no? This outstanding otaku comes equipped with a beam katana that he ordered off the internet in his attempt to make more money and get some luck with the ladies. Good luck with that, Mr. Touchdown. From bumming around Santa Destroy to doing odd jobs like mowing lawns and catching scorpions, Travis has a lot to accomplish on his way to becoming the number one assassin in town. The action has players utilizing the Wii remote in some creative ways, slicing the heads off of opponents in an oftentimes delectable display of bloodshed, and charging up his limp katana by shaking the remote furiously. This out-of-the-ordinary game from the twisted mind of Suda 51 is a definite entry for my list of quirky titles.

6) Patapon (PSP)


And the beat goes on. Press the proper buttons to march your army of Patapon at offending opponents both small and large. Be sure to keep the beat and memorize the correct button presses at the correct time to fully obliterate the opposing enemy brigades. There's an entire cavalry of patapon types to enlist such as infantry and archers, with many more to unlock. Additionally, players can opt to equip their patapon posse with one of hundreds of weapons to unleash maximum damage to foes. Patapon definitely marches to a beat of a different drummer, and it certainly shows when one plays this crazy little game.

5) WarioWare: Smooth Moves (Wii)


WarioWare's Wii debut put a plethora of uses into Nintendo's unconventional controller. From holding it over your head and performing squats to putting it in front of your face like the trunk of an e5lephant to tilting the remote like a steering wheel to drive through an obstacle-filled road, the micro-games involved in Smooth Moves are the epitome of far out. The entire series is known for its wacky uses of whatever technology and system it is on, and WarioWare: Smooth Moves is no exception.

4) Katamari Forever (PS3)


Roll up anything and everything in Katamari Forever, a game that could be considered a greatest hits collection in the Katamari Damacy franchise. You play as the Prince, a celestial being tasked with rolling up various doodads with his katamari, a spherical orb that can grab anything as long as it is larger than what it tries to roll up. The King of All Cosmos has monumental things in store for his son as well as the player, so don't let him down! Roll through city streets, sushi bars, and Japanese temples in search of items of varying sizes-- attempting to create the largest katamari possible to please The King of All Cosmos. Nothing says quirky like that type of gameplay... or does it?

3) The Munchables (Wii)


These guys sure have one insane appetite! The goal of The Munchables is to slowly but surely gobble up as many enemies as possible while the clock strikes closer and closer to zero. The catch here is that you can only get a taste of foes that are smaller than you. As you chomp on tinier enemies, your Munchable character grows, allowing him or her to dine on larger enemies. This process continues until you reach the goal. If you want to broach about a game being quirky, where else can you take on a broccoli monster or creature made up of grapes? Even the music is out there and presents itself as bizarre.

2) LocoRoco (PSP)


The LocoRoco series on the PlayStation Portable has players using the shoulder buttons to slant the playing field to slide their mass of LocoRoco left and right. Press both shoulder buttons at the same time to make the LocoRoco army leap into the air to pass over gaps, chasms, and jump into enemies. Discover hidden fruit in the myriad of levels to grow the size of the LocoRoco. The soundtrack is especially endearing using childlike vocals and percussive beats. If you haven't guessed it by now, LocoRoco isn't your conventional platformer. Far from it, but that's what makes it such a blast to play.

1) LittleBigPlanet (PS3)


Join Sackboy as he traverses through many imaginative levels of thrills, chills, and danger in LittleBigPlanet. Dress up your personal Sackboy however you see fit. If you like, turn him into a Sackgirl-- no operations required! LittleBigPlanet permeates charm from every orifice from its ingenious level design to its eccentric narrator. When the pre-made levels aren't enough for you, try dabbling in the fine art of creating your own worlds with more tools than you can shake a Sackboy's arm at. Then challenge your friends or total strangers the world over to take your crafty designs on and attempt to achieve a high score. Whether you're running through the zany levels or making your own, LittleBigPlanet is quite quirky, indeed!

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The amount of bizarre, unorthodox gaming experiences this gen has been incredible. For those who think the industry only knows how to make gritty first-person shooters couldn't be any further from the truth. You just need to know where to look like with any gem. What about you? Did I leave out your favorite quirky jewels of gaming goodness? Let your opinion be heard (or at least read) in the comments section.

Most Overlooked PlayStation 3 Games - Part Four

We start a new work week with Most Overlooked PlayStation 3 Games - Part Four. These were titles that did not sell up to snuff or were under-appreciated by the gaming masses. If you missed out on a past installment, might I direct your attention to one of these links:

PlayStation 3 - Part One
PlayStation 3 - Part Two
PlayStation 3 - Part Three

Resistance 3


While this game did make the September NPD, it did not sell up to Sony's standards. It sold approximately a mere 120,000 units in the month of September, a paltry amount compared to previous games in the series as well as fellow first-party exclusives on Sony's dream machine. It's a shame, too, as Resistance 3 is one of the best single-player campaigns I've witnessed this year. Yes, the multi-player was a mess (it's slowly but surely being patched for improvement), but the game has many memorable set pieces, wonderful weaponry like the Mutator, and the cooperative gameplay is crazy fun. Here's hoping Resistance 3 has some legs to it.

No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise


The Wii version of the original No More Heroes sold relatively well and made a profit for Grasshopper. The PS3 installment with updated HD visuals and Move support, however, did not. It's important to note that the original director of the game, Suda 51, had nothing to do with this port. It was entirely out of his hands. The HD version of No More Heroes could be played with the dual shock controller, but the real fun was had when players utilized Move controller. Hacking and slashing foes, taking down targets, and shaking the controller to power up Travis Touchdown's beam katana were all heightened in enjoyment with the Move. Something tells me that No More Heroes 2 won't be making the jump to the HD consoles.

Shadows of the Damned


Suda 51 has a habit of low-selling games, and Shadows of the Damned (published by EA) is another example of this, despite on being on two platforms (the PS3 and Xbox 360). The story introduced a demon hunter named Garcia Hotspur who entered the bowels of Hell to rescue a damsel in distress, his love. Through obliterating countless hell spawn, solving puzzles, and viewing disturbing imagery, Hotspur's adventure took him through an unforgettable journey through Satan's playground. One hell of a trip, indeed, that PlayStation 3 owners turned a cold shoulder on.

Katamari Forever


...And ever and ever. Katamari Damacy returns with the greatest hits in rolling random junk up fun that the series is known for. Each level begins with the player rolling up small in stature items. As the ball expands, larger things can be rolled up, allowing the Prince to enter new areas of a given level. Featuring a menagerie of varying art styles such as sepia tone and black and white and local cooperative and online multi-player, Katamari Forever is the ultimate Katamari Damacy experience. For a niche title such as this, it's no surprise that PlayStation 3 owners neglected to roll this title up themselves.

PlayStation Move Heroes


The PlayStation Move has sold around eight million units according to Sony. Move owners must be playing FPS games like Killzone 3 and MAG with them as they certainly didn't pick up PlayStation Move Heroes, a title featuring Sony's trio of platforming heroes in Ratchet, Jak, and Sly Cooper alongside their sidekicks. The goal of the game was for players to hurl, chuck, and shoot their way through the many missions and challenges PlayStation Move Heroes had to offer. While not the perfect game, Move Heroes had a lot of charm to it, and for the most part it used the Move controller in some ingenious ways. Perhaps the execution of this title turned gamers off. Nonetheless, it's another entry in Most Overlooked PS3 Games.

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There's plenty of games left over to make up a list for Part Five of the Most Overlooked PlayStation 3 Games. Stay tuned in the future for a brand-new installment right here on SuperPhillip Central.

SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs - They See Me Rollin' Edition

This edition is pretty special as we've reached the 300th video. Man, does time fly! Next week we'll be having a special installment celebrating the occasion, bu for now let's wrap things up with the Katamari Damacy franchise!

V296. Me & My Katamari - Katamaresort

Let's get away from the original Katamari Damacy and take a look at Me & My Katamari for the PSP. The game didn't translate as well as the player needed to use the d-pad and the face buttons instead of two analog sticks. Katamaresort is a terrific summer-sounding song that is accentuated by the guitar. A great track indeed!



V297. We Love Katamari - Everlasting Love

"I can sing a song for you and me. I can make a song for all who we love."

Everlasting Love has a rocking and infectious beat to it. It's beyond catchy to me, and I hope you enjoy it, too.



V298. Beautiful Katamari - Guru Guru Gravity

This track comes from the most recent Katamari game, Beautiful Katamari for the Xbox 360. Guru Guru Gravity has a mechanical sound to it which put me off at first until I got to the extremely catchy chorus. What do you think? Do you like the song, too?



V299. We Love Katamari - Shine! Mr Sunshine

Shine! Mr. Sunshine starts out with a retro version of the Katamari Damacy theme before kicking in with Shigeru Matsuzaki at around thirty seconds. Then the first verse arrives followed by yet another glorious chorus. This song is such an inspirational and moving one just from the sound of it solely.



V300. We Love Katamari - Katamari on the Funk

Wow. 300 videos. Someone has too much time on their hands... Yep, all of you folks who have watched every single one of my videos has too much time on their hands! No, no. I'm kidding. It's me with a lot of time! I appreciate your support, and I hope you'll subscribe and stick with me! I love having your insight!

Katamari on the Funk is definitely a song that one can get up and dance to! It's beyond catchy! The only flaw I might have with this song is that it tends to drag on in certain spots. Perhaps that's just me! Stay tuned for another 100 videos, everyone, and thank you so much for viewing my videos!



Next week we'll be taking a breather from new volumes for a special 300th video celebration. I hope you'll look forward to it on SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs!