The Worst Things About SuperPhillip Central's Favorite Games III

From its first appearance two summers ago to its most recent earlier this year, this article series of SuperPhillip Central has been detailing the most prominent issues I have with some of my favorite video games of all time. Many of these games I struggle to personally find a glaring fault with, so occasionally a small gripe will have to suffice. Oh, woe is me! Once again, I'm back with a look at another five of my favorite games that aren't quite perfect but still beloved by yours truly. This edition we delve into franchises like The Legend of Zelda, LittleBigPlanet, and Mega Man.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS)

I never thought I'd see a 2D Zelda (well, top-down Zelda, but I shouldn't get obnoxiously technical here) that would rival one of my favorite Zelda games of all time, A Link to the Past. Then again, it is rather logical that the game heavily inspired and taking heavy cues from Link to the Past would become one of my favorite games ever. The game I'm talking about is of course the Nintendo 3DS' The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. Even the name is a reference to the 1992 classic.

I replayed A Link Between Worlds for a Review Redux on SuperPhillip Central last month, and I came to form a revelation that the 3DS exclusive was a bridge between the Zelda games that stuck with series conventions and the Switch and Wii U's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a game that vastly strayed away from series conventions. A Link Between Worlds started this with its item rental system allowing for players to fully explore both kingdoms of Hyrule and Lorule, venturing to any area or dungeon they wanted as long as they had the necessary item on them through the rental (later purchase) system. This glimpse of freedom in this modern Zelda game would greatly expand with Breath of the Wild, opening wide the eyelids of series fans from that small glimpse of freedom to something absolutely, positively much wider.

Nonetheless, while I absolutely did enjoy the new take in A Link Between Worlds to shake up the conventions and formula of the Zelda series, it wasn't without an issue that resulted from said shakeup. Dungeons in A Link Between Worlds, most prominently in Lorule, could be played in almost any order (except the Desert Palace, which could never be played first). This was due to being able to go wherever you wanted as long as you had the correct item on you, rented or purchased from Ravio, the rental shop owner.

Because dungeon order was pretty much up to you, that meant that the developers and designers of the game needed to accommodate this with said rental system. You could get the associated item tied to the dungeon you wanted to go to, but it also meant that that dungeon's challenges were limited. Generally, in a dungeon, if you got stuck on a puzzle, the answer was usually just to use Link's wall merge ability or the item meant for that dungeon. Same goes with defeating most enemies and the boss, of course. Combine this with the regular quest being a tad easy (but not the unlockable Hero Mode), and you have a fair fault with the game. I still can't help but love it, though!

LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3)

It's truly a shame that Sony Computer Entertainment allowed the LittleBigPlanet franchise to lose its steam relatively quickly. Debuting on the PlayStation 3, the series saw three mainline releases, two portable entries, a kart racing spin-off, and a mobile game before fizzling out. LittleBigPlanet 3 released across two platforms, the PS3 and PS4, and was so borked at launch tech-wise, that it pretty much put the franchise out to pasture.

That notwithstanding, the LittleBigPlanet series has given me some of my most cherished young adult life gaming memories, and my favorite of the series happens to be LittleBigPlanet 2. The game brought with it a new story, grander and more sophisticated levels, more customization options, and an even more improved and updated creation system. This is actually what I consider the weak link in the LittleBigPlanet 2 chain, but hardly because it was a disaster or lacking options.

In fact, it's the total opposite. With all of the new features, modes, options, and gadgets available to aspiring level makers, video game creators, and everyone else alike, LittleBigPlanet 2's creator was a bit too overwhelming in terms of being crammed with all of its features. Of course this meant that the options were many and the possibilities were nearly endless, but it also meant that even the simplest of levels were more complicated to create, especially when the original editor in the very first LittleBigPlanet was so beginner friendly. Sitting through dozens upon dozens of video tutorials, no matter how charming, was hardly a prospect many potential creators wanted to entertain. LittleBigPlanet 3 only further complicated the creation tools with an exponential amount of more options, but at least the devs added interactive tutorials (one of my favorite additions from that game) for players to stay engaged with.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U)

The Wii U was an absolute failure for Nintendo, but it did provide not only a way for the company to rework the idea for the very successful Nintendo Switch but also some great games. One such great game was Retro Studios' Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. While Nintendo fans especially flipped that another Donkey Kong Country game was Retro's latest game and not something amazing, Tropical Freeze turned out to be not just "another Donkey Kong Country game" but one of the best in the series and one of the best 2D platformers ever made. With immensely satisfying but tricky platforming that I definitely don't recommend for the easily angered, superb level and environmental design, and some of the best platforming action sequences in the genre, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was a magnificent display from both Nintendo and Retro Studios.

Speaking of the Wii U's failure, though (just so you didn't think I brought it up for no good reason), the system had many reasons why it failed, and one of those was not even Nintendo itself knowing what to do with the Wii U GamePad. This was evident with Tropical Freeze, where the only thing that showed up on the screen during gameplay was.... get ready... pitch blackness. There wasn't even a screen to show HUD elements like KONG letters, puzzle pieces collected, or a measurement of how far the player was in a level or how close they were to checkpoints. I'm talking about something similar to what the Nintendo DS's New Super Mario Bros. had on its bottom screen. The fact that Retro Studios had nothing meant that the defining item of the Wii U had no value in one of Nintendo's own big releases at that time, making it no better than a smaller, more comfortable controller that didn't add a hefty price to the overall system.

Star Fox 64 3D (3DS)

The original Star Fox 64 is pretty much perfect for me when it comes to what it was when it released back in 1997. Of course, I could be petty and pick on the game's technical problems, but I can't keep adding Nintendo 64 games on this article series due to that. Instead, I'd like to focus on Star Fox 64's remake, released early on in the Nintendo 3DS's life. It's not too confusing to see why Nintendo went with Star Fox 64 3D for the title, as the game was rebuilt for the system using the 3DS's then-heavily marketed auto-stereoscopic 3D effect to impress players as they wage war with Andross and his forces.

The solo mode is just as addicting and fun as ever, making you want to perform run after run to get high scores, badges, and go different routes in the Lylat System. While Team Star Fox's galactic adventure is mostly the same, something completely altered is the multiplayer mode. The dogfighting concept is very much the same, but it's been updated with new improvements and vastly different maps. It also uses the Nintendo 3DS's inner-facing camera to show players' faces in-game, overhead their individual Arwings. This meant you could see the reaction of fellow players as you pursued them, pelted them with fire, and had them blown into smithereens.

The joy of Star Fox 64's original multiplayer was pretty much here in the Nintendo 3DS update. However, one crucial element was complicated: playing with other people. Back in 1997, playing some Star Fox 64 on your Nintendo 64 with some buds was easy: you just sat around the TV -- maybe on a couch -- and shared the screen together. Star Fox 64 3D makes this a hard proposition to play with friends by virtue of being on a handheld. Every player obviously needs their own Nintendo 3DS, but every player also needs their own copy of the game as well. Somehow getting a group of four friends with their own 3DSes and copies of the game was a bit of an issue with most players.


The complete absence of online play possibilities meant that few players of the game fully got to enjoy Star Fox 64 3D's multiplayer experience to the highest level. To put things in perspective, this was at a time where a few months before Star Fox 64 3D's release, a launch game for the system already had full online play, a 3DS port of Super Street Fighter IV. Seeing a game from Nintendo with multiplayer functionality this early on released on the Nintendo 3DS without online seemed like such a blown and missed opportunity, and it was remarkably disappointing for players like myself as well who couldn't enjoy the multiplayer otherwise.

Mega Man X4 (PS1, SAT)

Alongside the original Mega Man X on the Super Nintendo, Mega Man X4 on the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn (I played the former version) remains my favorite of the X sub-series of Mega Man games. It was a bigger, badder, bolder Mega Man X game, featuring an obvious jump in graphics and sound, fully voiced anime cutscenes, lots of replayability, and terrific, true blue Mega Man X action. Some critics at the time felt some derision with the game due to X4 not doing much to alter the formula, but if it ain't broken, don't fix it, right? After all, we've seen how Capcom tried to innovate with the series with X6 and X7 later on, and those turned out to be massive misfires. (Though that's not to argue that the series should not ever have experimented, of course.)

It just seemed weird to me that the game was chastised by some for being more of the same when Mega Man X4 finally introduced Zero as a fully 100%-of-the-time playable character. He had the same levels, but the story was different from X's, he had a boss battle separate from X, and he learned new saber techniques as opposed to copying a boss's ability like X would. The shift in hardware also was a huge change on a superficial level, but it further wowed players who had made the jump from the Super Nintendo trilogy.

So if the main point of contention that most critics of the time of Mega Man X4's release was a lack of innovation, what is my bother with the game? Well, it's a really small one, but one which made many of those same critics gripe as well. I'm no doubt talking about the voice acting. However, unlike those critics, I can only complain that the voice acting -- such as the most infamous line of the game, "What am I fighting FOOOOOOOR?!!" -- is so bad that it's good. I'm sure many of you out there who've played the game would agree as well. It's not awful like most of the voice work from Capcom's previous PS1 and Saturn release, Mega Man 8, but it is pretty gnarly... in a hilarious, ironic way.

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - Double the Dope Sounds Edition

Since we did not do our regular weekly segment of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs last week due to E3, the best video game music themes from past to present return this week with a vengeance. We have double the amount of VGM goodness to make up for the absence of this segment last week. That's right. You will be getting ten different video game themes this week! Such games featured in this edition include: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy VII, LittleBigPlanet 2, Mega Man X4, and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.

v641. Star Fox Adventures (GCN) - Cape Claw

Although the final product left much to be desired, Star Fox Adventures possesses a fantastic soundtrack, as one would expect from the masterful musical minds at Rare. Star Fox Adventures would end Nintendo and Rare's relationship on home consoles on a sour note, unfortunately, as again, the game left much to be desired.

v642. LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3) - Eve's Asylum

Whimsical, weird, and wonderful all at the same time, this theme from the Eve's Asylum world of LittleBigPlanet 2 delivers delightful sounds to the listener. The game's level creation tools are unparalleled to this day on consoles, but they're not for everyone, especially if you dislike the game's floaty physics.

v643. Burning Rangers (SAT) - I Just Smile (English)

It's been a while since we've last taken a look and listen to a SEGA Saturn exclusive title. We venture into the world of Burning Rangers and its signature song, "I Just Smile." The last reference from SEGA concerning the Burning Rangers franchise occurred in the arcade kart race Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, where one of the final tracks took place in the Rangers' base.

v644. Blinx The Time Sweeper (XBX) - Time Square

The original Xbox received a myriad of fascinating, imaginative, and charming titles. Plenty of experiments were had on the system, especially in comparison to what the Xbox brand pumps out in more recent years. While Blinx The Time Sweeper is by no means a platformer of great virtuosity, it did try to change up the formula of the 3D platformer, and for that, we salute the game.

v645. Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast (Wii) - DK Jungle

Another game that could be considered an experiment, Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast is an atypical racer where players control one of many Donkey Kong Country related characters through shaking both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. The game was originally supposed to use the bongo controller of the GameCube, but then the project, much like Super Paper Mario, had its development turned over to the Wii.

v646. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 3DS) - Hyrule Castle (Orchestra)

We love orchestrated versions of classic video game themes-- when done right, that is. The Hyrule Symphony album which takes various The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time themes and arranges them into themes for almost solely string instruments is one of those albums that sits high on our list of great rearranged soundtracks. This theme is the one heard in the castle market of Hyrule.

v647. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (360) - Parading the Jiggoseum

Imagine a coliseum filled to the brim with things to do and tasks to complete. That is what you get when you visit the Jiggoseum world of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts for the Xbox 360. If you know your Banjo-Kazooie series music, then you can no doubt pick up on the motif of Hailfire Peaks from Banjo-Tooie. Although Nuts & Bolts was not the game fans of the franchise were hoping for, it's by no means a poor game at all.

v648. Mega Man X4 (PS1, SAT) - Intro Stage (X)

Mega Man X4 contains one of our favorite soundtracks from the entire Mega Man series. That's a ton of games, so you know it must be something special! Mega Man X4 was the X franchise's first foray into 32 bit gaming on the original PlayStation and the Saturn home consoles. It was also the first game in the series where players could freely select between Mega Man X and Zero right from the start of the game, each having their own story line. This single-handily doubled the amount of replay value to the game.

v649. Chibi Robo! (GCN) - Midday Majesty

Nintendo is known for having a lot of weird game franchises to go along with its more traditional series. For every Mario and Zelda there is a series like Chibi Robo! to enjoy. Chibi's debut was on the Nintendo GameCube, and to call the game "quirky" would seriously be considered an understatement. What can you say about doing chores around a house where one of the daughters dresses up and talks like a frog? We can say that that's awesome!

v650. Final Fantasy VII (PS1) - One-Winged Angel

One of the most popular themes in the Final Fantasy franchise, the battle theme that plays during the final form of Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII certainly astounds with its heavy use of chanting, synth symphonic instruments, and tense feeling.

Best Boss Battles in Gaming History - Part Eleven

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE FOLLOWING GAMES:

• Super Mario 3D World
• Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble
• Mega Man 
• Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
• LittleBigPlanet 2

Are you guys who don't want to be spoiled gone now? We hope so! Not that we don't wish you'd take a look at our latest picks of great boss battles or that we don't like you. It's just that we wouldn't want to ruin the fun of witnessing these fights firsthand, so you don't expect what's coming. Anyway, we have the eleventh installment of Best Boss Battles in Gaming History to share with all of our readers, both faithful and coming-and-going. Think of this as an early Christmas present from us. Regardless, platformers are our favorite genre. It seemed like a great idea to focus this edition of BBBiGH (that's not too elegant of an acronym, is it?) on bosses in platforming games, such as ones from series like Mario, Mega Man, and LittleBigPlanet. If you're ready to get knee deep in some terrific boss showdowns, head past the break. If you're not ready for whatever reason, check out these past installments of BBBiGH. That really is a nasty acronym...

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six 

Part Seven

Part Eight

Part Nine

Part Ten

SuperPhillip Central's Top 100 Games of All Time (50-41)

On June 5, SuperPhillip Central turned five years old. We're celebrating big the only way we know how, with a list of our favorite 100 games of all time. SuperPhillip Central's staff has come together to come up with this list. These don't necessarily have to be the best, but they are indeed our favorites. Coming up with an order for these games has been an immense challenge. We're sure you won't agree with our order-- heck, we don't even agree with our order. That said, we hope you'll at least agree with our picks, and if you don't, at least you can read our rationale for our choices. Regardless, for ten weeks, we will be counting down our favorite games of all time. Please join us for this great undertaking.

If you missed a previous edition of our countdown, look no further than these links:

Games of All Time (100-91)
Games of All Time (90-81)
Games of All Time (80-71)
Games of All Time (70-61)
Games of All Time (60-51)

Let's return to the countdown!

50) The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)

This seems to be a love or hate kind of game. Some just can't come to terms with the motion control sword movements of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, while others (such as us) have no problem with them. Years of promises of the potential of the Wii led up to Link's latest adventure. While there was no doubt a good deal of padding within the game, we enjoyed our time with the earliest in the Legend of Zelda franchise. We felt like total bad asses slaying goblins and vicious rooted plants that got in our way, and we enjoyed having to think about our sword movements before attacking. Waggling will definitely get you nowhere in a hurry. Then there's the presentation-- a glorious warm art style with a soundtrack that is one of the series's best. The fandom of the Zelda franchise might be split on this game, but we're in the camp that adores it.

49) Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing (Multi)

Our favorite kart racer of this past generation was Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing. Unlike its sequel that came out last year, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing had tracks that were easy to see where to go, a cast of characters that we enjoyed (curse you, Sumo Digital, for removing Billy Hatcher and Ryo Hazuki from the roster!), and the game had far less glitches than its successor. We also preferred using SEGA Miles to purchase new content like characters, tracks and music. The track design was spectacular, the mission mode got us hooked and the racing was superior in both fairness and fun to Mario Kart Wii. Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing was a fantastic first effort by Sumo Digital and a love letter to SEGA fans both young and old.

48) Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (GEN)

The original Sonic the Hedgehog was a speedy romp compared to its rival Super Mario World. The sequel turned up the stakes and the speed even more so. The amount of zones in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was around double the amount seen in its predecessor, offering rides through an ocean of oil, a submerged series of ruins and a casino paradise, for starters. It wasn't quantity over quality, however. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 possessed a wide range of wonderfully designed levels for players to endure. The sequel introduced Sonic's best bud Tails (aka Miles "Tails" Prower) into the mix, allowing two players to play through the game together simultaneously. Tails could carry Sonic for a limited amount of time. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is everything a sequel should be-- bigger, better and bolder.

47) Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS)

One of the most content-rich handheld games of all time, Kid Icarus: Uprising was a game from the mind behind Kirby and Super Smash Bros. that, like Skyward Sword, had its share of lovers and haters. A good portion of players loved the controls, the flight levels and ground-based combat. Others (especially those who are left-handed) found the game to be taxing. We're on the former side. Kid Icarus: Uprising contained 25 chapters of action that was accompanied by some of the wittiest dialogue seen in a video game for a long time. We kept wanting to play not just because we were having fun, but also because we wanted to see what was going to happen next and hear what was going to be said next! We said Uprising was content-rich, and that is very true-- an abundance of achievements that when completed each unlock features, online multiplayer, and a myriad of weapons and skills made for a game that one could easily spend hundreds of hours playing.

46) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES)

We're hesitant to call Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island a true Mario game, as it stars Yoshi with Mario is a backup non-playable role. We'd call it more of a Yoshi game than a Mario game, but that's just arguing semantics. That said, Yoshi's Island brought with it a splendid art style that looked quite unlike any game at the time. It featured Yoshi in the leading role, needing to escort Baby Mario, who rides on his back, through the game's various levels. Getting hit meant Baby Mario would start whining and float around in a bubble. If the timer hit zero, Baby Bowser's minions would nab the hero-to-be and you'd have to restart the level from the beginning or a checkpoint. There was a lot of collecting to be had-- red coins, flowers and stars-- all used to get that much desired score of 100 on each level. Yoshi could swallow enemies to create eggs, which could then be used to attack foes from afar and interact with other objects. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is one of Nintendo's finest platformers on the Super Nintendo, and it's criminal that we have yet to see it appear on the Virtual Console in its original form.

45) Crash Team Racing (PS1)

Following hot off the heels (or is it wheels?) of Diddy Kong Racing, Naughty Dog decided to take the Crash Bandicoot license and give the wild mascot a set of wheels of his own. The end result was Crash Team Racing, one of the best mascot kart racers that isn't Mario Kart. Though you began with buy eight characters, you could unlock more for a total of fifteen manic racers. The main attraction to CTR was the story mode, modeled after Diddy Kong Racing. In it, you competed in various race types, from normal races to races where you had to nab the letters C, T, and R and cross the finish line in first place. Outside of the story mode, many sleepless nights were had, passing around the controllers as family and friends raced and raged against one another, vying for first place and bragging rights. Crash Team Racing would be the final Crash Bandicoot Naughty Dog would develop, but what a way to go out!

44) Rayman Origins (Multi)

The origins of Rayman returned to what the series was known best as-- a terrific 2D platforming series that looked and played darned nice. That was exactly what Rayman Origins offered, a game that you can find on almost every past generation platform under the sun. It was just a fun time running, jumping, and slapping across the 40+ levels Rayman Origins contained. Adding to the fun was the prospect of multiplayer, which made the game easier and even more entertaining than playing alone. By far the most appealing levels were the treasure chase levels. These had you needing to have perfect runs as you chased a treasure chest through a platforming obstacle course. Don't forget about the gorgeous graphics and stellar music that wrapped up Rayman Origins in a nice and neat package. With how much we enjoyed Rayman Origins, is there any wonder why the news of Rayman Legends being delayed six months totally bummed us out?

43) Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)

Nathan Drake returned, but this time he brought even more friends into the fold. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is our favorite of Naughty Dog's premiere PlayStation 3 franchise. The pacing was pitch perfect in this roller coaster of a action-adventure ride. Uncharted 2 feels like an interactive movie with all of the spectacle and fascinating set pieces a Hollywood blockbuster could give you, but with much more control and interaction. As for the gameplay, among Thieves had the series's stupendous mix of shooting, platforming, climbing, and puzzle solving, all tied neatly together by an entertaining story and stellar dialogue. When the campaign was cleared and you wanted a taste of something fresh, Uncharted 2 contained both online cooperative and competitive multiplayer to treat players to action-packed shootouts with friends and total strangers. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves delivered a healthy dose of excitement to the majority of players who inserted the disc into their PlayStation 3s.

42) LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3)

We gave the original LittleBigPlanet our game of the year award in 2008. LittleBigPlanet 2 didn't quite reach those heights (though it still won runner-up for the game of the year category), but we love the sequel all the same. What you got with LittleBigPlanet 2 was everything you loved about the original only with much more content, features, and creative abilities. We're glad LittleBigPlanet 2 doesn't have a counter displaying how much time we've spent in the creation mode, as we would no doubt be embarrassed or depressed with regard to how many days we've spent in there. The level of complexity that a given person could put into their levels was mind-boggling. The community constantly shows off how amazing it is, creating not only fantastic platforming levels, but things like first-person shooters and spectacular cutscenes that make some other game's cutscenes look like student films. LittleBigPlanet 2 successfully expanded on its predecessor and made for one of the most wonderful creative communities on consoles-- one that a person might say rivals what is found on PCs.

41) Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)

Nintendo purchased Monolith Soft, the makers of the Xenosaga series. After working on games like Soma Bringer and Disaster: Day of Crisis (both of which never made it to North America), the team worked on their best project yet, and one of the best JRPGs in the modern era, Xenoblade Chronicles. The combat felt like an MMO-lite, the world to explore was absolutely massive-- spanning miles, and the little things like fast travel and changing the time of day made for extra convenience and less headaches. Death in the game didn't mean you had to restart from your last save point. Instead, you would return to a continue point with all of the experience you had acquired-- something very kind to players and making all the hard work not for naught. Perhaps the only complaints one could have regarding Xenoblade Chronicles is how some side quests aren't very meaningful, and that the game didn't appear on more powerful hardware. That said, Xenoblade Chronicles is still plenty impressive HD or not.

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We've crossed over the halfway point of our countdown of our favorite video games of all time. As always, come here next Wednesday for the next ten games on our list.

Top Ten PlayStation 3 Exclusives

This past Sunday SuperPhillip Central listed our favorite ten Xbox 360 exclusives. (Yes, yes. Get your "The Xbox 360 HAS ten worthwhile exclusives?!" comments out of the way here and now.) To cap off the work week we are now going to list what we consider the ten best PlayStation 3 exclusives, whether first or third party. The PS3 is without a doubt our favorite HD system of this past generation. It was actually quite difficult to come up with an order and list of games that we could agree on. Nonetheless, we have arrived at a finalized list of terrific PlayStation 3 exclusives so far. Obviously the PS3 isn't leaving the marketplace any time soon and it will get future classics like new titles such as Gran Turismo 6, The Last of Us, and Puppeteer, to name a few. Regardless, here's what we like most of the PS3's wide range of exclusive games that are currently out.

10) God of War III

God of War III launched in 2010 with lots of fanfare. It was the final game in the original story of the God of War trilogy with Kratos and the Titans climbing up Mount Olympus to finally take down Zeus once and for all. The game contained the same combo-based combat that fans of the series have grown accustomed to, and while some might yearn for something different, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The added power of the PlayStation 3 made for some incredibly awesome action scenes, such as the battle with Poseidon early in the game (expect a detailed description of this fight in a later edition of Best Boss Battles in Gaming History) or pursuing the swift Hermes in an elaborate platforming chase segment. God of War III might not be the best in the trilogy (we rank God of War I and II higher), but it certainly is an epic conclusion to Kratos' saga.

9) inFAMOUS 2

inFAMOUS 2 took Cole MacGrath to a higher level with even more electrifying open world sandbox gameplay, parkour-like platforming, and high-powered superhero (or villain) antics. Everything was bigger and arguably better than the game's predecessor. The addition of user-generated content made for some strong replay-ability within Sucker Punch's open world setting. Perhaps our only gripes with the game comes from the weaker pacing inFAMOUS 2 struggles with as well as a less-than-optimal camera for melee combat. Nonetheless, these problems don't ruin the game. It's with inFAMOUS 2 that our expectations for the PlayStation 4's inFAMOUS: Second Son are so high. Whether or not Sucker Punch can live up to them is an answer we won't get for another six months or so.

8) PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

When this next game was first announced, many dismissed it as simply another Super Smash Bros. clone. SuperPhillip Central leaned towards that line of thinking, but actually trying out PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale for ourselves, the two series are different enough to both have a place in the marketplace. Rather than knocking opponents out of the arena or making them lose their health to score K.O.s, Battle Royale had  Supers that were earned through connecting attacks on opponents. Unleashing a Super and making contact with it meant you scored a point. The roster was full of both familiar first and third party characters such as Uncharted's Nathan Drake, God of War's Kratos, Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper, and even Ape Escape's Spike. Earning points to gain levels for each character meant you were always unlocking something new, whether it be victory themes, backgrounds, poses, and alternate costumes. PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale may be a Smash Bros. clone, but it's a really good one. Note: We know that this game is also on Vita, but console-wise it's exclusive to the PS3.

7) Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

Much like God of War III was the end of a trilogy, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time marked the end of the Future trilogy, containing Tools of Destruction, Quest for Booty, and this game. A Crack in Time began with Ratchet and Clank being separated from one another. However, Clank wasn't totally defenseless as he had a special time scepter that could not only attack foes, but it could be used on time pads to create holograms of Clank's past maneuvers. This cool trick was used to solve many of the game's brain busters. A Crack in Time also featured space exploration, albeit on a level plane, where Ratchet could explore optional moons and compete in combat. We look fondly back at Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time as it really was the last honestly excellent Ratchet & Clank game.

6) Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Once again enter the shoes of Solid Snake-- well, an older version at least-- as he once again goes on a mission to save the world as we know it. Well, as we WILL know it, as this game takes place in a not-so-distant future. Anyway, the traditional stealth-action gameplay consisting of moving around enemy-infested areas without being spotted and utilizing close quarters combat to take out those who wish to intercept you was all present and accounted for with this much anticipated sequel. New features included the Psyche Meter, which could make it quite difficult to aim if Snake was seriously stressed out, as well as the CamoSuit that allowed Snake to blend in with his surroundings a la the camouflage in Snake Eater. Metal Gear Solid veterans would even get to revisit an old haunt in fantastic fashion with Guns of the Patriots. While we'll always have a soft spot for the original MGS and MGS3 as our favorites, Metal Gear Solid 4 is still a worthy installment in the popular stealth-action series.

5) Killzone 2 

We are all familiar with the rather infamous tech demo that was shown to onlookers at E3 2005. While the final game did not look as lovely or as graphically intense, what PlayStation 3 owners got to enjoy was still an incredibly fast and fluid first-person shooter with tons of fierce weaponry and vehicles to mow down the Helghast forces with sensational efficiency. Many members of the press and gamers too seem to always be fascinated with first-person shooters. Not just this, but they're always looking for that so-called "Halo-killer." Killzone 2 was not that, but the game did make it known that it was the premier first-person shooter on the PlayStation 3. We eagerly anticipate more news on the PlayStation 4's Killzone: Shadow Fall, even though we definitely show symptoms of FPS fatigue. That just shows how remarkable a franchise Killzone is.

4) Journey

We hate to speak in overly emotional terms, as we're freaking talking about video games here and not the Mona Lisa. However, Journey evoked such interesting feelings from us, such as wonder and awe. Exploring a giant sandy wonderland made us feel so minuscule in comparison. The game allowed for multiplayer, but the catch was that you could not voice chat or communicate greatly with your online partner. Despite not knowing the anonymous helpers that were assisting us in our adventure across the desert, we found ourselves getting a bit of an attachment to each and every one and a sense of companionship. Journey would later come in retail form alongside thatgamecompany's other PlayStation Store projects, Fl0w and Flower in a $29.99 collection. There's a reason we picked Journey as the PS3 Game of 2012 at our end of year awards show, and these are but some of the reasons why.

3) Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Level-5 and famed animation studio Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke) teamed up to create one of the most beautiful games we've ever witnessed. We don't say this with a lot of hyperbole either. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a glorious-looking game. It not only looks nice but it absolutely plays like a dream. Players took the role of Oliver, a peppy 13 year-old boy who recently lost his mother. No sooner than it seemed that this incident occurred that a stuffed animal came to life and transported the two to another world. There the true fun began with traditional RPG activities such as exploring monster-filled dungeons, initiating battles with Oliver or one of his many Familiars, and visiting towns to converse with the locals. When one says that the JRPG is in a state of decline, we confidently scoff and point them to such games like Ni no Kuni and Xenoblade Chronicles.

2) LittleBigPlanet 2

Listed as our favorite new I.P. of the past generation, LittleBigPlanet didn't really come into its own until the superior sequel, LittleBigPlanet 2. Not only did the sequel have much more in the way of creator options (you didn't even need to make platforming levels if you didn't want to), but it allowed players to take their progress and levels from the original LittleBigPlanet and import them into the sequel. The levels already pre-made by Media Molecule were insanely clever and inspired us to try to do even better. We've lost so many hundreds of hours concocting our own creations-- more than we care to admit, really, but when you have a game that is as compelling as LittleBigPlanet 2, you learn to live wit hit.

1) Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Metacritic's most critically acclaimed game of 2009, the year of its release, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the pinnacle of the PlayStation 3 platform. While the original Uncharted was an intense thrill ride, Uncharted 2 came along and made everything more astounding and amazing. From taking cover while a tank bombards you with shelling to running atop a speeding train while a helicopter targets you, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is certainly not lacking in the thrills department. The game didn't stop with the single-player campaign. Naughty Dog implemented two multiplayer functions: one for up to three players to play cooperatively and one for competitive play, so long after you completed the campaign you could log even more hours into Uncharted 2. "Masterpiece" is a word that is thrown around so casually these days, but we think we're safe in giving that title to Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

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Did we leave out one of your favorite exclusives for the PlayStation 3? Set us straight in the comments section below.