Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 (NSW) Review

After Thursday's Mario Kart Tour review, let's continue with our Mario theme we have going on with our reviews. It's time to take a look at Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020, the first of two Olympic-themed games coming from Sega to commemorate the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Here's the SPC review.

A solid effort, but not enough to earn the top place on the podium.

It was over a decade ago that the gaming world was rocked with the announcement of longtime gaming rivals, Mario and Sonic, putting aside their differences to join forces to face off in the most unlikely of places--the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Nowadays, we take for granted that Mario and Sonic face off every two years, be it summer or winter, and occasionally in a once-per-console-generation offering of the Super Smash Bros. series as well. The year 2020 approaches, as does the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games. Sega seeks to jump in on the Olympic hype ahead of next summer's games with two separate titles. The first released last month: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020, and with new features and new events, it aims to go for the gold.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020's biggest new feature is that of a story mode. While strictly handheld versions of previous titles in the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series had story modes, Tokyo 2020 is the first for a major console version. It involves Mario, Sonic, Bowser, Eggman, and Toad being transported into a video game console based on the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games, the very first time the Olympics were held in the city.

The Story Mode clocks in at just over five or so hours, depending on how fast you race through it.

The story transfers between chapters where Mario and Sonic compete against Bowser and Eggman in various retro events as well as unique one-off mini-games such as Sonic making a mad dash to pursue a bullet train, and chapters where the rest of the gang, led by Tails and Luigi, compete in real world events against various characters. Both story perspectives give players the opportunity to explore a world map with real life Olympic locations, though the locales outside of the Tokyo 1964 game are the most impressive. Obviously not just due to polygon and pixel difference, but the areas that Luigi and Tails visit are recreated with great detail, such as Tokyo Tower, for instance, among many other Tokyo points of interest. Inside the areas of the game that can be quasi-explored, there are multiple statues that reveal bits of trivia about Tokyo, the Olympics, and characters within the Mario and Sonic universes. Overall, the story mode lasts anywhere between 5-8 hours, but a good portion of that is cycling through text scenes which unfortunately cannot be skipped at the time of this review.

The participants have lined up at the starting gate, and this race is ready to be run!

While I mention the Story Mode first in this review, it was not my first destination within Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020. Instead, and I imagine it will be this way for a majority of players, my go-to mode when I initially started up the game for my maiden session was Quick Play. This mode allows you to dive head first into every individual event in the game--all 34 of them. The majority take place in the--for lack of a better term since this is a game we're talking about--"real world of Mario and Sonic", while the others play out in the Tokyo 1964 retro-themed events. The latter are the most basic and easiest to understand of the games as they utilize incredibly simple controls, which are a cinch to learn. Unlike the main events of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020, only half of the roster is available to play as in this mode, and from my understanding, they don't have any specific pluses or negatives to them like the main events in the game.

The retro-themed events include the 100 meter dash, hurdles, and long jump--but they also include retro exclusive events like the diving, Judo, shooting, and the Marathon, my favorite of the bunch. The Marathon is a side-scroller that starts out in the Olympic arena before quickly going to the streets. You compete against 99 other competitors, and you're trying not to run into them or other obstacles, as doing so lowers your stamina. You can regain stamina by slip-streaming off other runners when they form packs, as well as grabbing water at intermittent stations. This is all the while mashing the running button in a satisfactory rhythm that you're not going so slow that you can't catch up to first place while not going so fast that you exert all of your stamina too quickly.

Waluigi says, "Later, Gator" to Vector.

Meanwhile, there are the main Olympic events that take place in full HD glory. These feature more complex controls than what is offered in the retro events, and an issue I have with them is that they can become so involved and so different between events, that it can make remembering them a chore. Thus, many times when I returned to an event after a long absence, I had to reacquaint myself with the controls to remember what buttons did what action. If I had this trouble, imagine the trouble that more casual players of games would have.

Furthermore, so many events have little intricacies to the controls, such as pressing the jump button upon landing after your horse leaps over a fence in Equestrian to achieve a bonus boost or pressing L + A to perform an arcing kick over the goalie in Football. These are easy to forget when you're playing over 30 different events in the game with 30 different sets of controls. It makes a supposed pick-up-and-play game quite challenging to actually move from game to game without needing to reestablish what the controls are to each event. Thankfully, like Rio 2016 before it, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 also features an option to select between motion controls and much more consistent button controls with the occasional need to use the Joy-Cons' or Pro Controller's gyro functionality.

Mario hopes to score a goal for the ages to put his team on top and earn a gold medal in the process.

Continuing on with some negativity, while new events like Skateboarding and Sport Climbing are satisfying new event additions to the summer series of games, the absence of events from previous entries like BMX and Beach Volleyball disappoints. Still, it is hard to complain too terribly much when the majority of the events play well and are enjoyable--especially when there are 21 varieties to choose from, some of which in singles and team varieties, as well.

Move over, Tony Hawk--Miles "Tails" Prower is here to throw down.

In addition to the 21 real life Olympic events, there is the return of Dream Events. Unfortunately, this is a part of the game where I must complain a tad. While the Dream Events included in Mario & Sonic Tokyo 2020 are indeed a load of fun, there are only three of them in total. Compare this to the majority of past games in the Mario & Sonic series--both summer and winter--and it's a bit of a disappointment. Not only does this mean there's less Dream Event gameplay to enjoy, but it also means one of my favorite features of the franchise, the wonderful remixes of Mario and Sonic music is also less prominent--only featuring one remix from each respective platforming franchise TOTAL.

Still, like I mentioned, the trio of Dream Events, while small in number, add up to a load of fun. Dream Racing takes place in Sonic Forces' Metropolitan Highway and features Sonic Riders-like gameplay on hoverboards, where leaping off ramps, grinding rails, and using Mario Kart-esque items are what matters to achieve victory. Meanwhile, Dream Karate takes place at Super Mario Odyssey's Mushroom Kingdom with Peach's Castle resting in the distance. Here, players punch, kick, and otherwise launch other opponents on to tiles that flip to their character's color. The player with the most tiles flipped to their color at the timer's end is declared the winner. Finally, Dream Shooting takes place at a real life Japanese castle, and the goal here is to move through the arena, aiming and shooting at various targets, while trying to keep your combo going to acquire the most points before time runs out.

Blaze the Cat hopes to achieve a purr-fect run down this hazardous highway course.

Events can be selected to feature normal, hard, and very hard AI. In events where direct competition is not available, the point values and times logged in by the AI are made more difficult on the more challenging AI settings. It gets to the point where on Very Hard AI you basically have to beat an Olympic Record to stand a chance at competing on the AI's level. Those events where you are competing directly against the AI--such as Fencing, Football, Rugby Sevens, Badminton, Table Tennis, 100M Dash, Hurdles, 4 X 100 Relay, and so on--simply pit you against much tougher opponents.

In addition to local play on the same screen and the same Switch, there is also the ability to connect several Switches together for local multiplayer that way as well. Expanding upon the multiplayer is online play, which allows you to share your records worldwide with other players, compete in events with friends and strangers alike in lobbies, and participate in casual or ranked play. However, waiting in lobbies for specific events is quite troublesome, as for one, there's more waiting than actual playing in the case of events like the 100m Dash, and secondly, it can be quite hard to find anyone playing in an event you might like to try out online... or any event at all.

Between a race featuring two Sonics, who would have guessed it'd be Luigi leading the pack?

If online play isn't your bag, then aside from completing the story mode and perhaps beating Olympic records within the game or getting a gold medal on every event, there's not much to keep most players engaged with this installment of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, despite its--for the most part--quality. There are achievements to complete, but these are merely for your own personal sense of accomplishment, as unlike past installments of the series, these don't unlock anything. There isn't even an option to play as Miis, so there are no character-related costumes to unlock. Even that was something enjoyable to do in past games to keep me playing, which Tokyo 2020 lacks.

As an aside, the amount of characters in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 remains the same after several installments of the series, using the same cast of 16 characters, eight from the Mario series and eight from the Sonic series with unlockable characters that can only be played in specific events. For instance, if you love Espio from the Sonic series's Team Chaotix, then I hope you love the Long Jump, as that's the only event he can participate in.

"My name is Luigi Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!"

Like some of the events in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020, some elements of the game just seem half-baked. The amount of content is a major one, especially when you're comparing it to past entries in the series. This seems like a step back in that regard. That notwithstanding, Mario and Sonic's trip to Tokyo to compete ahead of the official 2020 Olympic Games nails the landing when it comes to being enjoyable to play. While you will find yourself scrambling to the menus to read up on a given event's controls more times than you might care to admit or care to like, the actual events are mostly entertaining, and the retro-themed events and minigames also sport plenty of opportunities for fun as well. It wouldn't be a review about a game set in the Olympics without a cliche reference, and while the review tagline already took care of that, here's a second one for you: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 goes for the gold, but winds up with silver instead.

[SPC Says: B-]

New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS) Review Redux

The first review of the last month of the year is a Review Redux, a new type of review I introduced at review #700 on the site. It seems with this new review type that I just can't get away from Mario! That trend continues with this next review, New Super Mario Bros. 2. Let's (once again) check it out!

A game to boost your coin-centration

It was the summer of 2012, and Nintendo was gearing up to release its newest home console, the Wii U, later in the fall. However, rather than just release one game in the New Super Mario Bros. line, Nintendo opted to create two, one for the Wii U and one for the Nintendo 3DS, the latter of which being New Super Mario Bros. 2, the one that released in the summer. Why Nintendo felt the need to release two similar platformers in the span of four months, regardless of being on two different systems, is anyone's guess, but it did make New Super Mario Bros. 2 less exciting of a game. After replaying the game recently, while it doesn't hold a candle to the Wii U launch title, New Super Mario Bros. U, that released after, it's still a competent platformer all the same.

Nintendo needed something to distinguish New Super Mario Bros. 2 from its bigger brother releasing the following fall as a Wii U launch title. What Nintendo decided upon was a mechanic behind collecting as many coins as possible. Coins are literally handed to the player in all manners in New Super Mario Bros. 2: laying about in levels, found in special blocks that Mario can wear on his head that generate coins while he moves, gold rings that turn enemies into golden versions of themselves which leave trails of coins behind them, and even a Gold Flower power-up, which launches gold fireballs, turning all blocks hit by it into coins and giving Mario a coin bonus for each defeated enemy. 

As always with an introductory Mario level, 1-1 eases players into the platforming action.

As you can probably guess with this overload of coin collecting, 1-ups in New Super Mario Bros. 2 are pretty fruitless to collect. After all, you're easily going to collect 100 coins for a 1-up that way in a given level, if not multiple times. It makes it so you'll never see the Game Over screen unless you either try, or do terribly in the first levels of the game. 

A running coin tally across all three included save files tracks your total amount of coins collected, and at certain thresholds, you earn messages highlighting coin achievements. If you go the distance, you also earn two special prizes for reaching specific coin amounts at one million and by collecting the maximum amount of coins. Unfortunately, these prizes are hardly worth it, and they seem more like booby prizes than anything else.

Raccoon Mario makes a mad dash through this elevated level.

A secondary mode in New Super Mario Bros. 2 to help assist in collecting coins, if you still feel the need to do so, is called Coin Rush. This mode has you play three random courses, trying to collect as many coins as possible. You have a Gold Flower that can be summoned from the touch screen to be used in one level, and if you hit the top of the flagpole at the end of a level, whatever coin total you have currently is doubled. There are downloadable level packs available for free and to purchase that feature all-new levels, one of which features some of the hardest challenges in a non-Kaizo-Mario Mario game.

As for the standard adventure, New Super Mario Bros. 2 is a lot of fun. It's Mario, and it's still really good. The level design is a notable piece of the game, as New Super Mario Bros. 2 was developed by a younger team of fresh talent to Nintendo. There are lots of genuinely clever ideas in these levels, too. One ghost house has you escaping from a giant Boo known as a Boohemoth, while another has you using the Mini Mushroom power-up to skim along the edge of a body of water, leaping over instant-death spikes as you perform multiple platforming stunts to stay alive.

When a Star Coin has already been collected in a level, it's transparent such as this one.

Many levels house smartly placed secrets that require intuitive investigation of peculiar-looking areas, where usually you can find one of a level's three Star Coins, the main collectible of the game, or a secret exit, leading to alternate paths through New Super Mario Bros. 2's worlds. Some of these secret exits even lead to special cannon levels, which are auto-running endeavors where timing your jumps as well as bouncing off enemies either lightly or with force can be the difference between success and falling into a bottomless pit. 

Whoa. If you were a second slower, Mario, you'd be the one getting blasted!

The special cannon levels take you to two worlds that are otherwise inaccessible to players. Unlike Worlds 1-6, these Mushroom and Flower worlds do not have a unified theme to them, and they are more difficult affairs. After beating the game initially, a third secret world is unlocked, the Star world, which can only be accessed through collecting many of the game's aforementioned Star Coins from the previous worlds. 

Just in time for the holiday season, World Four is all winter, all the time.

While most secrets in the game can be found with the right amount of investigation and deduction, the developers of New Super Mario Bros. 2 sometimes overly use the "hidden block" trope used in other Super Mario Bros. games. This is where jumping and hitting an invisible block will reveal a beanstalk to a new area. Most of the time these have a tell, but sometimes they do not, and that's when trying to find some of the game's secrets can be rather... well, unfair at best and really frustrating at worst.

Mario moves and controls as well as he has ever in a 2D Mario in New Super Mario Bros. 2. His controls are tight, making you never feel like you're out of control. Walking and then running into a standard sprint feels great, and using that to develop into a series of jumps, all culminating with the ultra-sweet triple jump is awesome as ever. Mario keeps his ability to wall jump as well, something born out of the very first New Super Mario Bros. game. Alongside these acrobatic moves, Mario can utilize a ground pound to break up blocks below him and quickly dive-bomb with ease.

An artifact from Super Mario World, the ability to cling to fences like this one.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 features a standard repertoire of power-ups, such as the Fire Flower, for one, but it also brings back the Super Leaf from Super Mario Bros. 3 to turn our portly plumber protagonist into Raccoon Mario. This form allows Mario to fly temporarily when he gains enough speed on the ground to take off, as well as enables him to twirl his tail to take out enemies. Mini and Mega Mushrooms also return, though the latter is only used in a couple of levels and has never really been too exciting. After all, just running forward, crashing through everything-- pipes, enemies, and blocks-- isn't what Mario is really about, as with the Mega Mario form there is no real platforming to be found.

Raccoon Mario leaps into the sky in this vertical-scrolling level.

Visually, New Super Mario Bros. 2 isn't a particularly fascinating game. The character and models are serviceable enough, but they keep that sterile, clean feeling that even fans of the New Super Mario Bros. line find boring. The backgrounds are equal in this regard, too. Even the 3D effect that the Nintendo 3DS produces isn't that enthralling or striking. That said, the game runs incredibly smoothly, which makes for a pleasant experience. On the sound side of New Super Mario Bros. 2's equation, Mario's use of vocal clips is cute, but the music mostly recycles everything from past New Super Mario Bros. titles, which just comes off as a lazy effort all-around.

The visuals are not bad, but not great either; they're overall serviceable.

While not exactly the gold standard for Super Mario platformers, New Super Mario Bros. 2 is ultimately a competent and highly enjoyable title. Though the central gimmick of coin-collecting wears thin and isn't used to its full potential, it is great fun trying to increase your coin total though taking advantage of each level to its fullest. The level design is impressive, housing myriad secrets, and Mario feels as good as ever to control. Seeing as New Super Mario Bros. 2 is now part of the Nintendo Selects line, now's a good time as any to go on a coin-collecting expedition with Mario.

[SPC Says: B]

700th Review! Super Mario 3D Land (3DS) Review Redux

This is it, guys and gals! The whole Summer of 700 promotion on SuperPhillip Central has been leading up to this, and thankfully it's here before summer's end-- barely! It's SuperPhillip Central's 700th review!

But what is this? It's a game that was already reviewed on SuperPhillip Central in the past, Super Mario 3D Land! Well, this milestone of a moment on SPC is perfect for this new type of review I have on the site. It's a Review Redux. No, it's not a redo of a review exactly, but it's more my returning to a game and posting my overall thoughts about it in the present. What changed? What stayed the same opinion-wise? That's the beauty of the Review Redux. (Also, between you and me, it also gives me an excuse to replay games without feeling like I'm wasting time not reviewing new ones!)

Check out this, the 700th review on SuperPhillip Central with my return to Super Mario 3D Land with pictures by yours truly! For SuperPhillip Central's original Super Mario 3D Land review, look no further than this link.

Two different tastes, 2D and 3D Mario, put together for one delicious gaming concoction.

In the early years of the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo was really trying to sell the idea of autostereoscopic 3D to the masses. Some games did this better than others. Some used it for an "ooh" and "aah" effect that was while cool, didn't really affect gameplay at all. However, there was one game in the 3DS lineup early on that really showed that the ability to perceive depth with the stereoscopic 3D of the Nintendo 3DS system could very much improve the gameplay experience. Super Mario 3D Land not only sold the concept of 3D well by implementing a great sense of depth to judge distances to jumps and platforms, but it also provided some visual trickery as well to impress.

A new handheld made Nintendo want to have players engage in a new experience with Mario. I'm not just referring to the usage of stereoscopic 3D to improve the gaming experience. No, I'm also talking about the structure, the very foundation of Super Mario 3D Land. Its levels are obstacle courses like the 2D games with very little room for the intense exploration found in the 3D Mario games, particularly Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. In essence, Super Mario 3D Land is a mix between the 2D, fairly linear obstacle courses of the classic Super Mario Bros. line of games and the 3D movement more modern Mario games have possessed.

Beginning levels have plenty of wide open space for Mario and players to get used to the controls.

This new way of Mario was developed for the type of player who struggles with movement in 3D, the type of player that just couldn't get his or her head wrapped around controlling Mario in a 3D space like in Super Mario 64, Sunshine, and both Galaxy games. Instead of analog movement, Mario in Super Mario 3D Land has nine directions he can move. And instead of pushing an analog stick forward to increase speed and momentum, like the 2D games, a run button is necessary to hold down to provide Mario's quick movement.

Mario does not have the same wide repertoire of moves as he did in past 3D Mario games. However, for a game like Super Mario 3D Land, all of these acrobatic stunts the plump plumber could perform aren't exactly necessary. He can still wall jump, he can still perform a long jump (perfect for launching himself across long chasms as well as reaching the top of the flagpole at the end of a given level), he can do his well known backflip, and he can do a side flip if you move the Control Pad in one direction and then quickly in the opposite while jumping. The controls might be more accessible to those learning how to play 3D Mario games with better fluidity, but by no means are they dumbed down to the point that veterans players will feel insulted.

Mario and Bowser go back quite a ways. Like I said in my original review, you gotta admire Bowser's spunk.

Super Mario 3D Land features eight initial worlds played in a linear order. Unlike the 2D Mario games, however, there is no theme to a world. One level might be set in a grassland area while the next will have Mario leap his way through a winter wonderland. There's no rhyme or reason for the level locales, and while this great for not having to be stuck in a typical ice world with all ice levels, I do rather prefer the more unified worlds in theme. However, that's just a minor gripe I have with the game.

I guess Mario isn't invited to this pool party. Goombas were always selfish creatures.

Like I said about the levels previous, they are obstacle courses. At the beginning of the game, you have wide open platforms and areas that don't offer much in the way of the danger of falling off them. As you progress in the game, not only does the challenge increase as platforms become narrower, but the tricks the level designers throw into the levels to trip you up increase as well. Levels don't take much time to complete at all, making for play-anywhere-for-as-long-or-as-short-as-you-like handheld convenience.

Levels aren't necessarily left to right affairs either. Many times you'll be moving away from the front of the screen into the background, really selling that 3D depth I was talking about earlier. One level is set in a forest, having Mario leap on horizontal ropes to bounce up the side of a tree (of course while avoiding enemies like fireball-spewing Piranha Plants and invincible Fuzzies). Another has Mario jumping on rotating box platforms in a sky setting, requiring careful timing and precision so he doesn't get carried off into the abyss below. Then there are artifacts from Super Mario Galaxy, such as the platforms that flip whenever Mario jumps, or beat block platforms that appear and disappear with the beat played in the level. Additionally, enjoyable levels and mainstays of the 2D Mario series such as auto-scrolling levels, airships, ghost houses, and lava-filled fortresses will require Mario's attention.

These donut lifts will give Mario a lift, but only for a limited time before they drop towards the abyss.

After the initial eight worlds of Super Mario 3D Land are completed, and the game is technically "beaten", as Mario engages in a confrontation with Bowser that is one of the best in the Mario series, a second set of eight worlds unlocks, Beating the first world's fortress unlocks the higher-jumping Luigi for play. The second set of worlds feature what are mostly essentially remixed levels of the first eight worlds. They feature harder challenges, new enemies, differently organized platforms, and other variances like having to rush through a level with a Cosmic Mario stalking you, where he copies Mario's movements, meaning you always have to be on the move.

Like the levels in the first eight worlds, the second eight worlds contain a collectible known as Star Medals. There are three of these placed in each level of the game, and many are hidden in some precarious locations. This is where an exploration aspect of Super Mario 3D Land comes in. Many levels have secret areas hidden off the beaten path, just outside of the player's view if they were just running through the level normally. Collecting these becomes mandatory for the second half of Super Mario 3D Land, as many of the later levels are locked behind these medals. If you don't have enough, you can't unlock these levels. This can be an annoyance if you haven't been collecting Star Medals throughout the game, because then you have to return to past levels to collect them. Not the most fun if your mind was set on continuing to make progress towards beating the game. That said, the Star Medals are fun to seek out and allows players to enjoy the level design even further, so why wouldn't you go after the Star Medals to begin with?

Mario games and airships: these go together like a plumber and a Fire Flower.

I was talking about artifacts from Super Mario Galaxy earlier. Well, there is also one from Super Mario Bros. 3, and that is the Tanooki Leaf, which turns Mario or Luigi into a Tanooki or Fox version of themselves. This allows you to slowly float down in the air after a jump, making Super Mario 3D Land's levels much more manageable. In a way, it's a means for beginning players to use this item to get through levels that they might not have been able to otherwise. At the same time, for veteran players, this is also a relatively easy way to cheese your way through most of the game, as you can skip otherwise challenging platforming sections with ease. While talking about power-ups, a new one was introduced in Super Mario 3D Land, the Boomerang Flower, allowing Mario and Luigi to don a suit like the Boomerang Bros, and use it to chuck boomerangs that return to sender routinely-- usually after smacking an enemy into submission. You can carry an item in storage as well, calling for it by tapping the center of the 3DS's touch screen.

Speaking of the Tanooki Suit, it's back, but it may make the game a little TOO easy for some players.

Super Mario 3D Land will take most players not even five hours to beat the first eight worlds. Getting the second set of worlds complete adds a few more hours. However, you can't really call Super Mario 3D World completed until you get all five stars on your profile in the main menu. This is performed by beating Bowser once, beating all sixteen worlds then challenging and beating Bowser again, collecting all Star Medals, reaching the top of every level's flagpole as either Mario or Luigi, and beating the super-difficult final level as Mario and Luigi, unlocked by earning the first four stars and beating all levels as both Mario and Luigi. So, as you can see, there is a good deal of content to be had in Super Mario 3D Land. This can give you upwards of 15-20 hours, though my latest run-through was around 12 hours for five stars, but that was only due to familiarity.

There's a lot of beauty in Super Mario 3D Land. Sure, there's little time to take it all in when you're racing against the timer to beat each level, but just letting Mario's leg stretch out as you survey each environment shows an immaculate amount of detail for such an early Nintendo 3DS release. A particular pyramid level is an example where you wouldn't ordinarily even notice the insane detail of the pyramid bricks, chiseled with a complex pattern. Speaking of bricks, the rain-drenched bricks on the final tower you reach before facing Bowser in the final showdown are absolutely astonishing with their shimmering texture. I doubt I have to even go into how amazing the 3D effect of Super Mario 3D Land truly is. The game was built for it, allowing you to use two types of 3D, one that pops out the characters and environments while the other makes it so it's like looking into a box. In addition to the visuals, the music delights with a cheery and memorable main theme and other catchy tunes abound.

That's right, Mario. Just stretch out those legs while we admire the scenery!

Replaying Super Mario 3D Land has made me realize that this method of Mario, mixing 2D progression with 3D movement is a master class of Mario design. While I'm not saying I don't want another "sandbox", open-ended design to levels in my Mario games, like 64 and Sunshine had, I am saying that this style of Mario game is by no means inferior. It's particularly catching and special, offering no nonsense gameplay and design that is perfect for the handheld format, and perfect for players of all skill ranges. I appreciate Nintendo attempting to make its 3D Mario games more appealing and accessible to those who are uncomfortable with the games otherwise. Super Mario 3D Land is an engaging 3D platformer from beginning to end.

[SPC Says: A]

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U) North American Commercial

Mario and Sonic are heading to the Rio for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games for the second time. The first occasion was on the Nintendo 3DS in March, which SuperPhillip Central covered and reviewed. This Wii U version is packed with gorgeous graphics, new events like Rugby Sevens, and over 30 characters in all. Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games launches on Wii U later this month.

Bad Boss Battles in Gaming History - Part Five

WARNING: POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOR THE FOLLOWING GAMES AHEAD!

• Batman: Arkham Knight
• Batman: Arkham Origins - Blackgate
• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
• Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
• Various Super Mario games

Welcome to some more boss bashing! It's part five of Bad Boss Battles in Gaming History, where we take a look together at some of the poorer fights, confrontations, and encounters within video games. These fights can be boring, annoying, anticlimactic, or just plain not fun. Since there are spoilers in these articles, you can check out part five after the break.

Top Ten Franchises With Consistently Superb Soundtracks

To end the work week leading up to the last weekend before Christmas, SuperPhillip Central has a new top ten list to share with our readers and any passersby. Video game music is something we adore-- we listen to it outside of games, we even have our own list of favorite VGM that we add to every Monday. Today's top ten list is all about game series with soundtracks that are consistently excellent and of the utmost quality. Do you think you can guess what some of the franchises will be without looking? After you've combed through our list, feel free to list some of your own favorites!

10) Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong is one of gaming's oldest mascots, so he has a lot of history to him. From the humble chiptune theme from the arcade game to his rebirth as a platforming hero in Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Kong has seen a lot of action over the years, and he's had a whole heaping of great soundtracks. The most obvious of these is the Donkey Kong Country trilogy. Then there's Donkey Kong 64, though this soundtrack is more akin to Banjo-Kazooie than the SNES trilogy, and there's Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat, a game whose composer would go on to score the Super Mario Galaxy games. There's no doubt that Nintendo's main monkey has earned himself a spot on our list.

• Donkey Kong Country - Aquatic Ambiance (David Wise, Eveline Fischer Novakovic, Robin Beanland)
• Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest - Lockjaw's Saga (David Wise)
• Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble - Stilt Village (Eveline Fischer)
• Donkey Kong 64 - Hideout (Grant Kirkhope)
• Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat - Sky Garden (Mahito Yokota)

9) Kirby

Masahiro Sakurai's creation is number nine on our countdown. The pink puffball has starred in so many games across so many genres, across so many systems, across so many console generations. With his debut in Kirby's Dream Land on Game Boy, many recurring themes were born that have continued to be heard throughout the franchise's life. Through Kirby's Adventure, various spin-offs like Block Land and Air Ride, games on both consoles (Super Star, Dream Land 3, Kirby 64, Return to Dream Land) and handhelds (Dream Land 2, Amazing Mirror, Canvas Curse, Mass Attack), the series has held a high standard for its cute and whimsical music.

• Kirby's Dream Land - Green Greens (Jun Ishikawa)
• Kirby Super Star - Peanut Plain (Jun Ishikawa, Dan Miyakawa)
• Kirby Air Ride - Checker Knights (Akira Miyagawa, Hirokazu Ando, Shogo Sakai, Tadashi Ikegami, Jun Ishikawa)
• Kirby's Epic Yarn - Lava Landing (Tomoya Tomita)
• Kirby's Return to Dream Land - Cookie Country (Hirokazo Ando & Jun Ishikawa)

8) Pokemon

Is the fad over yet? Just kidding, fellow Pokemaniacs! Our pick for number eight on our list is the ever popular and ever addicting Pokemon series. Sure, the craving to catch them all is always there, but we also get the craving to sit still and listen to each game's wonderfully done music. While the formula was getting a bit stale, the music has always been consistent in its quality. We remember listening to the sounds coming out of our Game Boy speakers with Viridian City playing in the background. Ah, childhood...

• Pokemon Red and Blue - Route 1 (Junichi Masuda)
• Pokemon Gold and Silver - Game Center (Junichi Masuda, Go Ichinose)
• Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire - Wild Pokemon Battle (Go Ichinose, Morikazu Aoki, Junichi Masuda)
• Pokemon Black and White - Rival Battle
• Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 - Battle! Gym Leader

7) Castlevania

Whether playing as a Belmont, Soma Cruz, or Alucard, you know your vampire slaying will not go without awesome music to accompany you. Castlevania is a series heralded for its catchy music, whether heard in the NES trilogy, Super Castlevania IV, or the various games directed or assisted in the creation of by Koji Igarashi. Even the Western reboot has themes that are quite good, though to be honest they aren't anywhere near the quality of their Japanese superiors.

• Castlevania II: Simon's Quest - Bloody Tears (Kenichi Matsubara, S . Terishima)
• Super Castlevania IV - Stage 1 Dance of the Holyman (1-2) (Masanori Adachi, Taro Kudo)
• Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - The Tragic Prince (Michiru Yamane)
• Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow - Cursed Clock Tower (Michiru Yamane, Masahiko Kimura)
• Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia - Azure Wanderings (Michiru Yamane, Yasuhiro Ichihashi)

6) Ys

Ys is a series that has been around the block more times than we can count. However, its gameplay continues to amaze and engage, and its various sequels add to the series' lore on a constant basis. One factor of Ys that we probably don't even have to spell out to most familiar with the franchise is the music. From its classic tunes by famous video game music composer Yuzo Koshiro, to its more modern rock arrangements, the Ys series is one of the role-playing franchises with the greatest soundtracks.

• Ys I & II Chronicles - Palace of Destruction (Yuzo Koshiro - composer, Yukihiro Jindo - arranger)
• Ys III: Wanderers of Ys - Lava Pit (Mieko Ishikawa)
• Ys: The Oath in Felghana - The Strongest Foe (Mieko Ishikawa - composer, Yukihiro Jindo - arranger)
• Ys Origin - Water Prison (Hayato Sonoda, Takahiro Unisuga, Ryo Takeshita)
• Ys Seven - In the Bustling Square (Hayato Sonoda, Takahiro Unisuga, Saki Momiyama, Masanori Osaki)

5) Sonic the Hedgehog

Outside of some errant games with less than stellar soundtracks (we're looking at you, Sonic Chronicles), the Sonic the Hedgehog series has had a myriad of magnificent soundtracks. Whether you're into orchestral music, cheesy rock music, old school 16-bit sounds, rap, jazz, vocal, whatever-- there's probably a Sonic the Hedgehog soundtrack for you. From Masato Nakamura's original Sonic the Hedgehog soundtrack to current day Sonic with the music of Sonic Colors and Lost World, the series continues with its phenomenally well composed and performed music.

• Sonic the Hedgehog - Green Hill Zone (Masato Nakamura)
• Sonic CD - Stardust Speedway - Bad Future (Spencer Nilsen, David Young)
• Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) - [Boss] Solaris Phase 2 (Tomoya Ohtani)
• Sonic Colors - Planet Wisp - Act 1 (Kenichi Tokoi)
• Sonic: Lost World - Sea Bottom Segue (Tomoya Ohtani)

4) Mega Man

For a character who has been through many incarnations with numerous sequels attached to his name, it's astounding to us that the majority of Mega Man series soundtracks are so well done and engaging to listen to. Whether it's classic Mega Man, Mega Man X, Mega Man Legends, Mega Man Zero, Mega Man Battle Network, Mega Man ZX, or Mega Man Star Force, the music of the series maintains its abundant quality. Just have a listen to our selection of Mega Man tunes. So when is Mega Man going to get a new game on consoles or handhelds? ...*sob*

• Mega Man - Wily Stage 1/2 (Takashi Tateishi)
• Mega Man X - Spark Mandrill (Setsuo Yamamoto)
• Mega Man Legends - Apple Market (Makoto Tomozawa)
• Mega Man Battle Network 2 - Battle Spirit (Yoshino Aoki)
• Mega Man ZX - Green Grass Gradation (Ippo Yamada, Masaki Suzuki, Ryo Kawakami)

3) Mario

When we say Mario, we're talking about the main Super Mario series. No spin-offs, so that excludes all of the sports games, dance games, RPGs, etc. Still with the music being chosen from the mainline games, there is a lot to experience and enjoy here. Even New Super Mario Bros. has well composed music, despite not having the best sounding instrumentation. Regardless, who can resist one of the most recognizable themes of gaming with the main theme of Super Mario Bros., the orchestral magic of the Super Mario Galaxy games, and Koji Kondo's magnificence in creating the majority of the Super Mario World soundtrack through using the same theme only in different keys, tempos, and time signatures?

• Super Mario Bros. - Ground Theme (Koji Kondo)
• Super Mario Bros. 3 - Athletic BGM (Koji Kondo)
• Super Mario 64 - Dire, Dire Docks (Koji Kondo)
• Super Mario Galaxy - Wind Garden (Mahito Yokota)
• Super Mario 3D World - Credits Theme 

2) The Legend of Zelda

A series known for its famous main theme, The Legend of Zelda series features many other recurring themes such as Zelda's Lullaby, the theme played when selecting a file, Hyrule Castle, Kakariko Village, among others. Dating back to the original NES hit, moving from there to its black sheep sequel, then the blueprint for which all 2D Zelda games are measured with A Link to the Past, the 3D Zelda games with Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword, the music in the series is always sensational. While veteran Nintendo composer Koji Kondo might not compose much for later Zeldas, his influence and direction is still followed to this day, making The Legend of Zelda franchise an easy pick for number two on our list.

• The Legend of Zelda - Overworld (Koji Kondo)
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - Kakariko Village (Koji Kondo)
• The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - Tal Tal Heights
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Gerudo Valley (Koji Kondo)
• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Romance

1) Final Fantasy

For our number one pick, it's really difficult to even come up with a poor soundtrack from all of the various Final Fantasy spin-offs and mainline games that have come out over the span of 25+ years. From the series' humble beginnings on the NES/Famicom to its debut on the PlayStation, to music heard in the present, Final Fantasy games may not have consistent quality, but the music is second to none. Besides the obvious picks of Nobuo Uematsu's numerous rightfully heralded works, there's Hitoshi Sakimoto's splendid Final Fantasy Tactics scores, Kumi Tanioka's fabulous worldly Crystal Chronicles score, Masashi Hamauzu's fantastic Final Fantasy XIII score, and so much more. It is with these reasons that SuperPhillip Central picks the Final Fantasy franchise as the series with the most consistently awesome music.

• Final Fantasy - Matoya's Cavern (Nobuo Uematsu)
• Final Fantasy VI - The Decisive Battle (Nobuo Uematsu)
• Final Fantasy Tactics - Ovelia's Theme (Hitoshi Sakimoto)
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles - Into the Gloomy Darkness (Kumi Tanioka)
• Final Fantasy XIII - Blinded by Light (Masashi Hamauzu)

The Inane Idiocy of Saying "I've Outgrown Nintendo"

One of the most overused and obnoxious sayings I see against Nintendo from their critics is that gamers have "outgrown Nintendo." This is pure lunacy, in my opinion. That's like me saying I've outgrown Disney, despite that company producing and manufacturing content for all ages. What gets me further agitated is some of these same people say they've outgrown Nintendo go on to play what I would consider to be totally immature, albeit very fun and well designed game series like Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty.

I think the most important distinction to be made is that "Nintendo games" is not a genre. By saying this, you're painting with a broad brush, thinking all Nintendo makes is one kind of product, which is completely untrue. It's not like saying "I've outgrown military shooters that are popular online with nine-year-old racists screeching profanities and telling me to have sexual things done to myself." There's a big, not-so-subtle difference here. Nintendo creates games for everyone. Just because some have more color than others does not mean that the game is simply for kids. That's a fallacy that only middle school children should make, and not grown adults.

Even still, Nintendo doesn't just make Mario and Zelda, though that is clearly their bread and butter, without question. No, they produce action games like Metroid and Kid Icarus, arcade shoot-em-ups like Sin & Punishment: Star Successor, eccentric sports games like ExciteBots: Trick Racing and Punch-Out!!, strategy RPGs like Fire Emblem, and traditional RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles. When someone paints with a broad brush and states that they have outgrown Nintendo, that means to me that they've totally ignored everything Nintendo has put out. Nintendo doesn't do one thing and one thing alone. They make a wide assortment of games for a wide assortment of people. If a given person can't find anything that Nintendo produces, then I can't help but think they have an extremely limited taste in gaming.

Kid Icarus: Uprising
(i.e. Not a Mario or Zelda game.)

Some argue that the industry has grown up while Nintendo has not. This assumption annoys me, as all I see in the retail space are games that would rather be Hollywood blockbusters than-- you know-- actual games, titles with budgets that are insanely high and have a lopsided risk vs. reward ratio, and a profusion of games with guns. That is not growing up. That is simply a different direction than what Nintendo is doing. To me it's a worse direction, but to others it is what they want out of gaming. Perhaps they think that if gaming gets closer in scope to Hollywood and film the mainstream will take the industry more seriously. However, I'm sure all of the studios that closed this past generation due to only one of their games failing to sell one million copies just to break even wouldn't have minded trying Nintendo's direction if it meant staying alive.

While not a bad game by any means,
MGS4 felt more like a movie with gameplay
parts than a game with cutscenes.

I grew up in the 8-bit and 16-bit eras-- the true golden age of gaming. There was great variety in genres. You can't really say that today, where the most anticipated and/or best selling titles are either shooters or sports games. Developers didn't try to mimic Hollywood, making interactive movies under the guise of games-- they knew they were a separate medium than film and treated video games as such.

Sure, it's a type of shooter,
but not the type we see so much of today.

Another reason as to why some folks say they've outgrown Nintendo has nothing to do with their games and more to do with company's policies. In a generation where $400 and $500 systems will be the norm with their beastly power, the Wii U, in comparison, has all the power of a kitty cat. These critics who have "aged out of Nintendo" have possibly grown weary of the company utilizing underpowered consoles when compared to the competition. In this regard, they've outgrown Nintendo due to their weak hardware, which is one position I can actually understand.

Perhaps I'm simply being a stick in the mud, or showing my age. That's entirely in the realm of possibility. Nonetheless, I've been playing Nintendo's games ever since Super Mario Bros. on the original Nintendo Entertainment System. In an incredibly unstable gaming industry, one constant that I have the pleasure in knowing is that Nintendo will deliver competent, capable, and nearly always enjoyable games. They may take less risks and may be more conservative now than ever before, but the titles they churn out with care and polish still make me smile. In a world where guns and gore, or big blockbuster budget movie-like games seem to be what the industry deems "mature", I'm happy there is still a niche for creative and charming titles in the gaming industry. No, Nintendo isn't the only developer/publisher producing such titles. Far from it. However, they've always been a constant in this regard in their illustrious history in the gaming industry.

Top Ten Mario Power-Ups/Suits (2013 Edition)

This past Tuesday Nintendo unleashed a brand-new trailer for the newest Mario title, Super Mario 3D World. Many who had been on the fence or even upset over the game after E3's less than impressive debut trailer changed their tune once they saw all of the wondrous gameplay this new Wii U exclusive Mario game had to offer.

Back in November of 2011, SuperPhillip Central celebrated the launch of Super Mario 3D Land on Nintendo 3DS with a list of my favorite Mario power-ups and suits. It's nearly two years later, and we would like to return to that idea, in anticipation for Super Mario 3D World. The latest power-up in the series will turn Mario into Meow-rio with the Cat Suit. Who knows-- maybe that suit will be on a future version of this list! As for now, here is SuperPhillip Central's top ten Mario series suits and power-ups. There's been so many excellent transformations for the portly plumber. We've compiled our picks for the cream of the power-up and suit crop.

10) Cape Mario

Super Mario World might not have had a multitude of new power-ups (in fact it just had this one), but the one it did have was pretty incredible. With the Cape Feather, Mario and Luigi could wear flowing yellow capes that when they dashed off the ground, they could fly high in the air. The cape could be used as a parachute, allowing skilled players to stay airborne for the entirety of a level-- essentially zooming high above dangers! Of course, why would you want to do that when the levels of Super Mario World are so fun to play normally?

9) Cloud Mario

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is one of SuperPhillip Central's favorite games of all time. The power-up we're using the represent this game is exclusive to Galaxy 2. It's the Cloud Flower, allowing Mario to transform into Cloud Mario. With this suit, Mario can summon a total of three clouds (with a shake of the Wii Remote by the player), which serve as platforms. These cloud platforms can be blown by gusts of wind and disappear after a few moments. It's an absolute blast making death-defying long jumps, summoning clouds to save yourself from your demise.

8) Frog Mario

Super Mario Bros. 3 is one of Mario fans' all time favorite Mario titles, and the power-ups introduced to the series via the game is but one reason why. Number eight on our list is the Frog Suit, turning an otherwise awkward swimming plumber into an amphibious swimming champion. Mario or Luigi's mobility underwater is greatly improved, allowing for more accurate swimming and better movement. On land, however, the Frog Suit isn't as useful, slowing down the plumbers significantly. Still, they look so adorable clad in green!

7) Boomerang Mario

With a Boomerang Flower, Mario can transform into Boomerang Mario. This suit from Super Mario 3D Land, which will also be making an appearance in Super Mario 3D World, allows Mario to act like a Boomerang Brother, chucking boomerangs at foes. Expert players can toss a boomerang, and leap over it each time it passes to have the weapon continually swing behind and in front of Mario. This is great for picking up easy 1-ups. Plus, Mario just looks absolutely awesome decked out in this blue suit.

6) Penguin Mario

New Super Mario Bros. Wii introduced the Penguin Suit into the Mario series. Penguin Mario has two different abilities to it. Mario can launch ice balls from his fist, which will freeze most enemies solid, allowing him to pick them up and chuck them at other foes. Penguin Mario can also slide on his belly, speeding through levels, rushing through enemies, and making players like us totally giddy. This latter ability allows Mario to slide under low-hanging ceilings, granting him access to otherwise unreachable areas. With two times the usefulness, the Penguin Suit is an invaluable addition to Mario's arsenal, especially on ice.

5) Propeller Mario

The other suit introduced in New Super Mario Bros. Wii is Propeller Suit, transforming Mario through picking up a Propeller Cap. This unique suit allows the player to send Mario soaring high into the air through a shake of the Wii Remote. This is perfect for reaching high platforms or Star Coins that are otherwise out of reach for normal Mario. After the propeller on his cap launches Mario into the sky, it slowly spins around, moving Mario slowly down to the ground.

4) Squirrel Mario

New Super Mario Bros. U, a Wii U launch title, gave players a new suit to be entertained by, and if you're like us, then yes, you were very entertained by the one and only Squirrel Suit. Picking up a special acorn turned Mario and friends into squirrel versions of themselves, able to glide across large distances, have a burst of upwards mobility (once per flight), and perch upon walls. It doesn't hurt that Mario and the gang look absolutely suave in their new squirrel digs. The Squirrel Suit is a suit that doesn't break the game it is featured in, but allows players a stylish and incredibly enjoyable way to traverse levels.

3) Hammer Mario

Super Mario Bros. 3 had a bounty of awesome suits, and the Hammer Suit was no exception, giving Mario the power to chuck hammers like he was giving them away to enemies like candy. Unfortunately for enemies, though, unlike candy, hammers actually hurt when they're tossed at you. Hammer Mario could even use the shell on his back to block attacks from foes by entering a ducking pose. It's just a shame that the Hammer Suit was so rare in Super Mario Bros. 3 and has only appeared in that game and its remakes.

2) Tanooki Mario

The final suit representing Super Mario Bros. 3, the Tanooki Suit was prominently featured in Super Mario 3D Land, having enemies even donning Tanooki tails. In both Super Mario Bros. 3 and in the latter half of worlds in Super Mario 3D Land, the suit could turn Mario into a statue, making him completely invulnerable to enemy attacks. Besides that usefulness, in Super Mario Bros. 3 the suit gave Mario the power of flight and some extra control when landing through flapping the suit's tail to slowly float to the ground. If you thought Super Mario 3D Land was a breeze, perhaps try a no-Tanooki-Suit run. You will definitely feel the challenge!

1) Wing Cap Mario

Our favorite Mario power-up is one that floored us way back in 1996. It's Wing Cap Mario from Super Mario 64 and its Nintendo DS launch remake, Super Mario 64 DS. It was gratifying and gave us an immense sense of freedom to soar above levels in a 3D space, throwing caution to the wind, zooming up and down through the glorious blue skies. Even though there was a limit to how long you could wear Mario's special cap, the absolute joy we received through our times of flight gives Wing Cap Mario the number one spot on our countdown this time around.

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There's so many other interesting power-ups and suits throughout Mario's illustrious career in gaming. There's Bee Mario, Fire Mario, Shell Mario, Metal Mario, Mini Mario, and so much more. Which ones are your favorites? Let the SPC community know in the comments section below.