Top Ten Arcade Golf Games

It's golf season, ladies and gentlemen. Grab your 7-irons, pick a wedge, and let's get to the links! While playing a realistic golf game or, dare I say, the real thing can be a lot of fun, for me, there's no better good time on the links than with wildly fantastical elements involved. Part of the fun of arcade golf games is when they forgo realism to allow for accessible and much more fast-paced gameplay. That's how most of the games on this list are. After you've read my picks for the best in arcade golfing, please post your own favorites in the comments below! Let's tee off, eh?

10) Super Swing Golf: Season 2 (Wii)

We tee off with this list of ten terrific arcade golf games with the PANGYA series. This Korean online golf series is quite popular overseas. While it originated on PCs, Super Swing Golf saw two releases on Nintendo's highly popular Wii console. The second released game, Super Swing Golf: Season 2 included a greater story mode where players could explore an overworld map similar to New Super Mario Bros. Wii at the time, selecting challenges to play and unlocking content in the process. Offering two control schemes: a Wii Sports golf-esque swing system with the Wii Remote or a button-controlled setup, Super Swing Golf: Season 2 delivered charming and enjoyable golf with plenty of refinements both in gameplay and in content compared to its predecessor.

9) Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational (PS3, Vita)

A PlayStation Vita launch title later released digitally on the PlayStation 3, Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational was the sixth installment in the long-running Hot Shots Golf series. The entry's biggest innovation and heralded feature was that of online golf clubs and tournaments, allowing players the world over to engage socially and competitively in various golfing competitions. The six courses of World Invitational were superbly designed, making the multiple play-throughs of them seldom get tiring. Hot Shots Golf has never looked as good as it does on the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 3.

8) Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (GCN)

While not revolutionizing the arcade golf genre in any way (and if you have a good thing going, why risk ruining it anyway?), Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour on the GameCube featured a total of 16 playable characters, some that would debut as a playable character in the Mario sports series. The seven courses in Toadstool Tour ranged from basic, realistic affairs like Lakitu Valley and Cheep Cheep Falls to more fantastical designs featuring many Mario enemies and challenges such as Thwomps, Chain Chomps, and lava hazards, to name a few. The gameplay of Toadstool Tour remained relatively unchanged from its Nintendo 64 predecessor, once again invoking the tried and true saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." However, what Toadstool Tour lacked in gameplay advancement, the game more than made up for in personality and fun.

7) PANGYA: Fantasy Golf (PSP)

PANGYA is back on this list, baby, and there is even more fantasy golf to love. This PSP installment follows the PC PANGYA titles closely, offering a similar story mode structure full of different characters on the roster to play as, from young children to a giant bipedal polar bear. The nearly ten courses taking place from pleasantly tropical wonderlands to a volcanic environment demand practice and persistence to get top marks and low numbers on one's scorecard. Earning new gear and apparel for the numerous characters of PANGYA: Fantasy Golf is addicting much like the three-click system gameplay this game and many others like it on this list has. The golf may be fantasy-like, but the quality of PANGYA on PSP certainly isn't.

6) We Love Golf! (Wii)

While not resembling the controls of Wii Sports golf to the number, Capcom's and Camelot Software's We Love Golf is a game that used the Wii Remote to enhance the traditional three-click swing system. Holding the button down initiate the gauge while swinging back and forward with a specific rhythm enabled the player's shot. Despite not being a typical golf swing, We Love Golf's controls felt nice. The game had eight beautiful courses to play on, a cast of characters that could wear unlockable costumes from Capcom's past (such as Street Fighter's Ryu, Chun-Li, and Ken; Phoenix Wright's Apollo Justice; and Ghost 'n Goblins' Arthur), and a wide variety of modes to keep players engaged. While online is no longer available, We Love Golf remains an affordable arcade golf game worth experiencing for those wanting a Mario Golf-like experience on their Nintendo Wiis.

5) Golden Tee Golf (ARC, Mobile)

What a strange list we have where there is actually only one arcade golf game that can be played in an actual arcade! Golden Tee Golf debuted in 1989, and it's a golf game that is perfect for grabbing a pint, taking a drink, and putting and driving a golf ball with friends. The giant track ball serves as the main control for the Golden Tee Golf series, allowing for great accessibility and precision putting and driving. The ridiculous courses and golfers add to the fun, as does the alcohol you can get if you play this game in a bar, a popular attraction at such locales.

4) Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 (PSP)

The Hot Shots Golf game that still possesses the most content out of any past or future Hot Shots Golf entry, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 sports an impressive twelve courses: six completely new courses and six taken from its predecessor, also on the PSP. You also get a wide assortment of goofy golfers (unlike the more proportionate characters seen nowadays in the series) to take to the links with, each allowing you to customize their appearance, mixing and matching different costume pieces won and earned in the solo campaign. Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 is a fantastic golf game that doesn't take its appearance too seriously, but it does take its excellent golf gameplay seriously enough to make a great title.

3) Mario Golf (N64)

For me, the Nintendo 64 Mario Golf was what introduced me to the world of arcade golf games. Perhaps that's true for many gamers around my age (30 years-old). Regardless, Mario Golf on the Nintendo 64 brought with it six courses, some of which leaned more towards the fantastical, taking place in the sky or having its bunkers, fairways, and water hazards all carefully positioned together to resemble characters from the Super Mario franchise. If you're looking for a specific type of golf in Mario Golf 64, then you'll probably find it with the game's match play, skins play, speed golf, mini golf, ring shot golf, and so much more. The ability to play as both familiar Mushroom Kingdom characters and all-new human characters, well designed courses, and well executed golf that's inviting to both beginners and experts make for an arcade golf game that is still worthwhile nearly 20 years later.

2) Hot Shots Golf Fore! (PS2)

The Hot Shots Golf series is currently at its sixth installment, which was covered earlier on this arcade golf-centric list. There is also an intriguing seventh entry on the way for the PlayStation 4, looking like a more open world golfing experience. Regardless, the series hasn't reached the same heights on consoles since Hot Shots Golf Fore!, the second and last entry on the PlayStation 2. Complete with 12 remarkable courses, tons of unlockable characters earned through taking them on in Match Play, multiple items, caddies, and other goodies to buy in the shop, and at one time online play, Hot Shots Golf Fore! drives the ball far and creates an amazing arcade golf experience.

1) Mario Golf: World Tour (3DS)

Like I said in the introduction of this list, the fun of arcade golf games is when they forgo realism for fast-paced gameplay and accessibility. It's no different with Mario Golf: World Tour, the Nintendo 3DS entry in the Mario Golf franchise. Not only does the latest Mario Golf offer a staggering amount of courses both realistic and fantasy-based, but it also is overloading with content. Mario Golf has never felt more complete or more fun with a mode dedicated to Miis, online tournaments and multiplayer, rewards and gear to unlock for your Mii, challenges to complete in an entirely separate mode, and far and away some of the best golfing controls and feeling of playing the real deal in an arcade golf game. Mario Golf: World Tour is a tremendously successful game at teaching you how to play, being accessible for all who can pick up a 3DS, and just being an all-around joy to play.

Multiplayer Madness 3: My Favorite Multiplayer Games Revisited

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

Grand Theft Auto V (Multi)

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

Wii Sports Club (Wii U)

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

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (PS3, Vita)

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

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (Multi)

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

Mario Kart 7 (3DS)

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

Mario Golf: World Tour (3DS)

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

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

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

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - "A VGM in the Hand is Worth Five in An Edition" Edtion

Welcome to a brand-new work week here at SuperPhillip Central! Lots of interesting stuff to cover this week, including multiple reviews, a look at Nintendo's way of doing DLC, and a lot more! But first we have SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs to kick things off with a bang rather than a whimper. Music this edition comes from games such as Metroid Prime, Mario Golf: World Tour, and Tearaway. I then wrap the edition up with music from the original Ratchet & Clank and The Sims 2: Seasons.

v851. Metroid Prime (GCN) - Menu Selection Screen

We kick this edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs off with a listen to the theme that plays during the awesome data selection menu. The menu alone excites the eyes with its amazing visuals, but the song that accompanies it is no slouch either. They combine to make an unforgettable menu for Metroid Prime players to behold upon starting up the game.

v852. Mario Golf: World Tour (3DS) - Star Coin Collector

Mario Golf: World Tour is my favorite arcade golf game ever made. It's combination of tight gameplay, great controls, terrific courses, lots of content to unlock, and presentation make for a near-perfect golf game. Motoi Sakuraba brought the goods when he composed the music for this game, especially with Star Coin Collector, a highly catchy theme that those in the Challenge mode will hear A LOT as they try to hit the ball into the coin while staying at par or better.

v853. Tearaway (Vita) - The Orchards

A rustic, worldly soundtrack accompanying a great game, Tearaway is a fantastic example of a PlayStation Vita exclusive that uses the hardware in some very smart, seldom-gimmicky-in-a-negative-way forms. From using the front touch screen to move platforms to tapping the back touch screen to "push" objects in the environment, Tearaway is one of the Vita's best titles, and soon, PlayStation 4 owners will get to see what the critical acclaim for the game was all about, albeit in altered form.

v854. Ratchet & Clank (PS2) - Blackwater City (Planet Rilgar)

Planet Rilgar's Blackwater City in the original Ratchet & Clank is home to the first hoverboard championship, a challenging mini-game for the uninitiated. However, with practice, one can easily shred and tear up the course with delight. The music of the first several games in the Ratchet & Clank series were composed by David Bergeaud, and he remains my favorite gentleman who wrote music for the franchise.

v855. The Sims 2: Seasons (PC) - Neighborhood Theme

A careful blend of piano and guitar make for a homely feel with this Neighborhood Theme from The Sims 2: Seasons expansion pack. It's a shame that the latest Sims game did not meet the financial success that publisher Electronic Arts was desiring. Thus, the series seems to be on indefinite hiatus.

Classics I Can Return To - Part Five

Welcome to an all-new installment of Classics I, your friend Phil, Can Return To! We all have games that we find ourselves coming back for more even long after we've beaten them. This segment is dedicated to those titles that are recent and of yesteryear that I can easily find myself coming back to time and time again. It's primarily a modern Nintendo-filled edition of Classics I Can Return To this time around, so get yourself comfortable and let's get to my latest list of seven classics!

If you have interest in a past installment of this series of articles, check them out at the following links:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)

This highly anticipated fighter finally came out this past November, and it brought with it loads of content-- almost an obscene amount of things for players to do. It's four months later, and I'm still digging into Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, beating challenges to unlock new content, fighting against my Amiibo, playing online, fighting offline with friends and family, and just enjoying the game on the whole. The copious amount of trophies, challenges, characters, stages, and modes means that players entering this game need to make a great time investment if they wish to view everything Super Smash Bros. for Wii U has to offer. I certainly I know have spent over 70 hours already on this beast of a game, and I expect to log in many more hours on top of that amount.

Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)

A lot of folks were disappointed that Nintendo didn't have a new 3D Mario with the scope of Super Mario Galaxy as Mario's first (and maybe only?) three-dimensional romp on the Wii U. While the initial unveiling did little to fully excite, subsequent trailers and impressions turned towards Super Mario 3D World's favor. The game itself is a sensational one, full of variety, platforming challenges, well designed levels, and the extreme amount of polish that one would expect from Nintendo EAD. Whether playing it by my lonesome or with up to three other players for some local multiplayer mayhem, Super Mario 3D World is a game that I've already beaten three times, and I have the itch to do so again.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U)

Another game that disappointed Nintendo fans with its announcement since it was "just Donkey Kong", Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze takes the foundation that Retro Studios laid down with Donkey Kong Country Returns and creates a masterful 2D platforming game full of challenge. The fact that levels are tailored for both normal and speed-run play says a lot to the strength of Retro Studios' wondrous level design. I kept wanting to see what new mechanic or obstacle I would encounter next, keeping me engaged so much that I would hook the Wii U GamePad to its charger just so I'd have an excuse to continue playing. Tropical Freeze is a textbook example of great design and gameplay trumping anything else.

Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)

The gift that keeps on giving is Mario Kart 8. The first downloadable content pack gave racers eight new tracks on top of the 32 that were already on the disc. The second DLC pack is due out this May, and it adds new vehicles, characters, and tracks to further entice players. I didn't need new tracks as an excuse to keep playing Mario Kart 8. The pure adrenaline-driven gameplay, tight controls, intense races, series-best courses, and online play were all things that beckoned me to return to Mario Kart 8 on a monthly basis. Whether online or off, Mario Kart 8 is one of my favorites in the franchise.

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

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds did a lot to make me love it. It tickled my nostalgia bones by having it set in a familiar A Link to the Past-era Hyrule, but it also brought a lot that was new, including a profound sense of freedom when compared to recent Zelda games, an ingenious wall-merging mechanic that opened up the level design to massive degrees, and dungeons that were delightful to play and replay. Like A Link to the Past, I find myself returning to the lands of Hyrule and Lorule, playing through the Lorule dungeons in different orders, collecting heart pieces, and exploring the world. It's a near-perfect Zelda game, and that is why I can't say no to coming back to it.

Mario Golf: World Tour (3DS)

A golf game that is packed to the brim with stuff to do, a common concept that a lot of these classics I can return to possess, Mario Golf: World Tour features a wide selection of varied courses, characters, challenges, modes, and unlockables for players to dive into. The different tournaments that go on online, officially run by Nintendo, unlock new costume pieces for players just for participating in them. This means that I am encouraged to keep coming back to the game, seeing what new gear and equipment I can unlock. The addition of DLC that was reasonably priced means that six 18-hole classic courses from the Nintendo 64 Mario Golf are available to me if I somehow get bored of what's already available on the game card. (Hint: I haven't gotten bored of them yet!)

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (Multi)

While it doesn't have the amount of polish that the Mario Kart series has, I do find myself entering the arcade racing action of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. The creatively designed tracks alter their appearance each lap, meaning each race feels like its own adventure and offers a high amount of unpredictability. The game is mighty tough, too, on harder difficulties, requiring the player to have great skill to overcome the challenges presented to them. That's part of the reason I keep playing Sonic the Hedgehog's latest racer, to hone my racing skills to routinely become better against the harder AI. Throw in highly competent online, and you have a game that encourages replaying.

Top Ten Handheld Games of 2014

It's not often we see two top ten lists in one week on SuperPhillip Central, but that is exactly what I have done this week. If you missed the on regarding the top ten third party Wii U games, check out this link.

Today's top ten has to do with the greatest handheld games I played that were released last year. While the Nintendo 3DS had a stellar year software-wise, let us not forget the fun experiences the PlayStation Vita offered. By no means is this list an exhaustive one, so please give me your recommended games that I should add to my backlog after you've scoped the games and explanations on my list!

10) Ragnarok Odyssey ACE (Vita)

Although also available on the PlayStation 3, I preferred the handheld Vita release due to its portability and Sleep Mode ability. Since there was no Monster Hunter on the Vita, many developers aimed to fill the hole left by Capcom's series by putting in similar style games of their own. Ragnarok Odyssey ACE, an upgraded version of the original Ragnarok Odyssey which was also released on the Vita, was such a game, drawing on Norse mythology for its enemy design. I spent far too many late nights completing quests for materials, money, and just for the fun of slicing and slashing monsters and creatures of all shapes and sizes. While it didn't quite fill the gap that Monster Hunter left, Ragnarok Odyssey ACE was a great time-waster all the same..

9) Freedom Wars (Vita)

While the western branches of Sony Computer Entertainment are fine with letting the PlayStation Vita dangle from a proverbial string, I'm very happy that SCEJ is still producing some software for the system. Freedom Wars from last year was one of these games. Players served as criminals (whether fair or not) with the goal of fighting huge monsters to lower their characters' sentences. The game was modeled somewhat after Monster Hunter in the big monster-bashing way, but there was so much more to Freedom Wars. Whether online or off, Freedom Wars was a phenomenal retail title for the PlayStation Vita, and one that had so much content that system owners can't help but continue playing to this day.

8) Yoshi's New Island (3DS)

Many found this next game on the list quite disappointing, and while the challenge level was low (save for the super-hard unlockable levels), the music utilized the same melody for nearly every stage save for this audio abortion, and the quality of the game did not enter the same league as the original Yoshi's Island on SNES (but then again, what does?), Yoshi's New Island was a solid platforming romp with some good ideas, solid level design, and interesting new mechanics. The benefit of not forcing players to 100% the levels in one go was a nice touch, making for far less frustration. I'm looking at you, Yoshi's Island DS!

7) Tomodachi Life (3DS)

Starting off with controversy in the west due to the disappointing lack of same-sex marriage in the game, Tomodachi Life went on to make mad bank for Nintendo. The game put players in the role of a voyeur overlooking the everyday activities of an apartment complex full of the player's own collection of Miis. Miis could interact with one another, have you play mini-games with them, and even get married to one another, eventually having children. While Tomodachi Life didn't have anywhere near as much of a long-lasting appeal as Animal Crossing: New Leaf, it definitely offered plenty of playtime for those into a wacky and weird gaming experience.

6) Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (3DS)

The last of the prequel trilogy of the Professor Layton series saw the titular character of superior deductive skills and intellect, his ever-faithful apprentice Luke and his highly capable assistant Emmy on a journey around the world, solving the mystery of the ancient Azran people. Along the way, heartstrings were pulled with the very excellent story and dialogue, brain-bending puzzles were solved, and mini-games were played to further add to the longevity of this solid adventure. One couldn't help but have a tear in their eye as the final credits rolled. So long, Professor Layton. May we see you again real soon.

5) Kirby: Triple Deluxe (3DS)

Kirby received a Return to Dream Land-style adventure in portable form. However, unlike that Wii game, it was just Kirby to himself to save the day! The intricately designed level featured a massive amount of obstacles and enemies to watch out for, clever implementation of moving objects from the background into the foreground to capitalize well on the 3D effect of the Nintendo 3DS, and a load of secrets to keep players playing far after the final boss was felled. The collectible aspect of acquiring key chains displaying characters, sprites, and essentially the history of the Kirby franchise made doing so insanely addicting.

4) Super Smash Bros. for 3DS (3DS)

With such technological mastery that a huge game like Super Smash Bros. could be squeezed onto a Nintendo 3DS game card and run on the actual system (albeit with some casualties like no Ice Climbers and no ability for Miiverse while playing the game), Masahiro Sakurai and his highly capable team displayed amazing talent, as would be expected of the director and names under his developing guidance. The 3DS exclusive Smash Run remains my favorite mode of the two versions released. In addition to that, the amount of stages was fantastic and varied, and the novelty of playing Smash Bros. on a handheld device still hasn't become old yet, four months after the game's initial release in North America.

3) Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (3DS)

I am calling it here and now. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call is my favorite rhythm/music game of all time. This is with Elite Beat Agents, Samba de Amigo, Space Channel 5, and more that I've experienced in the past. Regardless, even compared to the original Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, this Curtain Call expansion featured a myriad more of music, over 200 songs from dozens of Final Fantasy numbered games and spin-offs. Leveling up a wide array of Final Fantasy characters, setting up parties, establishing ability lists, and more were all handled beautifully to make this rhythm game crossed with an RPG play and feel wonderfully. The constant unlocking of content through simply playing songs meant that I always felt like playing more just to see what I'd unlock next. Curtain Call is hopefully not curtains for the Theatrhythm series in the West after its unfortunately low sales on this side of the Pacific.

2) Fantasy Life (3DS)

Posted as the 550th review on SuperPhillip Central, Fantasy Life was a magical little game that sported a vast amount of charm, humorous dialogue, a multitude of quests, and a story mode that was best played in bursts rather than all at once. While the story of Fantasy Life clocked in at just over ten hours, the real game came from choosing one of twelve Lives, leveling up your skills via completing Life-centric objectives, and using those new skills to become even better at your current life. From paladins to woodcutters, miners to blacksmiths, Fantasy Life had a ton of content that one could easily go into the hundreds of hours just to master every Life and see everything this wondrous game had to offer.

1) Mario Golf: World Tour (3DS)

While Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call is my favorite rhythm/music game, Mario Golf: World Tour knocked both the Nintendo 64 version of Mario Golf and the PS2's Hot Shots Golf Fore! from their respective seats as kings of the arcade golf game. World Tour offered SO much for the player, and that was even without the DLC, which by the way was VERY much worth getting. (Four new characters and six 18-hole courses? Yes, please!) The amount of regular and Mushroom Kingdom-theme courses was amazing, the mechanics were tight, both Castle Club-- the single player mode where you play as your Mii-- and the Challenges-- where you completed different conditions to win-- were great additions, and the level of unlockables meant you'd be playing this game for quite a while! While the N64 Mario Golf and Hot Shots Golf Fore! are masterful golf games, they scored an albatross while World Tour sunk a hole-in-one. (I had to use a golf analogy!)

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Which handheld games that released last year are your personal favorites? Feel free to offer suggestions for games I should try out that I may not have already in the comments section!