SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - Let the VGMs Begin! Edition

Welcome to a new week here at SuperPhillip Central! Starting off your week right is SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs, featuring five more fabulous video game themes from a wide variety of games. The Olympics started on Friday, and while the games have certainly begun in Rio, here at SuperPhillip Central, the VGMs are doing the work.

This week we begin things with a battle theme from The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, and then delve into some dungeon crawling with The Dark Spire. Mega Man 10 takes us retro while Gravity Rush brings us back to the modern era of gaming. Finally, Kirby: Planet Robobot kicks some bot with its armor theme.

Once you've listened to this week's VGM volumes (just click on the VGM name to do so), check out the VGM Database for all past themes and games featured on this weekly segment!

v1201. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (PSP) - Sophisticated Fight

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky kicks off this edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs, featuring a peppy piano piece that serves as one of the battle themes of this PSP treasure. Sounds more like a song you could dance to than a battle theme, but that's how much Trails in the Sky thinks outside the box, not just musically but in its fantastic RPG gameplay as well.

v1202. The Dark Spire (DS) - Music: Battle

Now, we delve into a hidden gem in the Nintendo DS library! A throwback to an era of first-person dungeon crawlers, The Dark Spire received a series of relatively average reviews. Obviously a game going back to old school dungeon crawlers wasn't going to light up critics in a big way, so even a high 60's on Metacritic is a pretty good score overall. What is more than pretty good is the soundtrack, including this fast paced battle theme.

v1203. Mega Man 10 (Multi) - Abandoned Memory (Wily Stage 1)

I'm one of the few Mega Man fans who actually enjoyed Mega Man 10 more than its predecessor, the highly successful and well regarded Mega Man 9. The reason for this is that I feel that Mega Man 9's developers had a bit of a fixation with putting one-hit-kill spikes rather regularly throughout the game's levels. I don't personally find that enjoyable. Nonetheless, speaking of Mega Man 10, when this song kicks in as soon as you enter Wily's base, you know you're in for a good time.

v1204. Gravity Rush (PS4, Vita) - Pleasure Quarter

Really, with Gravity Rush, every segment of the game is a pleasure quarter, possessing loads of charm and the ability to shift gravity to have protagonist Kat whirl through the sky. It's one of the best and most innovative means of traversal in an open world game. There's no cars or mounted horseback here. The actual song, Pleasure Quarter, is a jazzy song backed by muted trumpet, piano, guitar, and loads of catchy goodness.

v1205. Kirby: Planet Robobot (3DS) - Robobot Armor Theme

When Kirby hops into some Robobot armor in his latest game, Kirby: Planet Robobot, this kick-bot song plays. Whether it's in its normal bipedal form, Jet form which makes levels play out like a hardcore shoot-em-up, or Wheel form which allows Kirby and his robotic armor to speed through levels, this ultra catchy song is heard. Kirby is a series that rarely has a poor soundtrack. In fact, they're usually great, which is especially true with Planet Robobot.

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - Mario vs. Donkey Kong vs. Sonic vs. Mega Man Edition

This week on SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs we have two new games that have yet to be featured on our long and exhaustive list of games. The first is Super Mario 3D World, while the second is the more recent Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. There's also some retro goodness inside this week's choices as well, including music from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Mega Man 10, which technically isn't retro, but it's styled in such a way. If you have recommendations for themes that we've yet to offer for your listening pleasure, give us a comment below! Now, onto the music!

v591. Super Mario 3D World (Wii U) - Staff Roll

We start off with the runner-up to SuperPhillip Central's Best of 2013 Game of the Year, Super Mario 3D World. The Staff Roll theme is an immaculate version of the main theme of the game, as well as having a piece of Bowser's theme thrown in for good measure. It all adds up to a very satisfying theme for your victory against the King of the Koopas.

v592. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U) - Windmill Hills

Another recent Wii U platformer is Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. This game saw the return of the masterful composer that is David Wise to the Donkey Kong Country series. Windmill Hills is the first level of the second of the game's six islands. Autumn Heights, the island in question, is without a doubt one of our favorites within the game.

v593. Mario Hoops 3-on-3 (DS) - Character Select

It's hard to think of a more catchy character select screen theme in a Mario game than what Mario Hoops 3-on-3 possesses. While the game itself is one of Mario's weakest sports outings, the soundtrack of the game is almost enough to salvage the entire package. It's a wonderfully magnificent series of themes that will get your toes tapping and your mouth grinning.

v594. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (GEN) - Metropolis Zone

Although this three act zone near the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Genesis can be described as a hellish nightmare of tricky platforming and challenging (sometimes cheap) enemy placement, the Metropolis Zone's theme helps to make the hazardous industrial level able to be suffered through.

v595. Mega Man 10 (Multi) - Solar Man's Stage

With Mega Man 9 and Mega Man 10, fans of the Blue Bomber witnessed a renaissance of the Mega Buster-wielding robot. Both games were made in pure 8-bit form, much like the NES games that made the series popular. Inti Creates were the folks behind the development of these games, and the music provided to listeners in the games sound faithful to the classics.

Toughest Tasks in Gaming History - Volume One

Fresh off the heels of Best Boss Battles in Gaming History and Great Levels in Gaming History, we have a new addition to the family. It's Toughest Tasks in Gaming History. Here, we talk about challenges in gaming that we deem as some of the most difficult to complete. If you have achieved any of these, you can walk with your head held up high and your gaming thumbs up. On the first volume of Toughest Tasks in Gaming History, we delve into games like Final Fantasy VII, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and Mega Man 10.

The Grandmaster Galaxy: The Perfect Run - Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

Super Mario Galaxy 2 compared to its predecessor turned the difficulty dial up to 11. The final challenge after collecting all 240 stars (both Power and Green Stars) is the Grandmaster Galaxy, putting players' platforming prowess to the ultimate test. There are two stars to get in the galaxy, and the first one is simple enough-- beat the level. However, it is the final star that poses the real challenge: beat the galaxy without taking damage.

The Grandmaster Galaxy is a gauntlet of platforming peril-- lasers, mines, Hammer Bros., Boomerang Bros., and so much more. This player makes it look easy, but let it be known that it is anything but!

Beating the Emerald and Ruby Weapons - Final Fantasy VII (PS1)

RPGs are known for having some of the toughest bosses in video games, and none in the Final Fantasy series come tougher than the Emerald and Ruby Weapons. Don't be mistaken-- you don't actually fight the Emerald and Ruby Weapons at the same time. Boy, would that be a challenge! No, the Emerald Weapon aimlessly prowls the underwater deep while the Ruby Weapon makes its home in the desert surrounding the Gold Saucer. Who knew that a fun heavenly paradise could be so close to hell?

It's best to have the Underwater materia equipped to one of your characters unless you like being rushed with a twenty minute time limit. (And by best we mean have the materia, as this boss has one million HP!) The Emerald Weapon's most vicious attack is Aire Tim Storm, which takes off a multiple of 1,111 HP depending on how many materia a party member has. Other attacks include beams, waves, and simply using its whole body to stomp our heroes when its eyes have been removed from the battle.

As for the Ruby Weapon, it can flat out banish members from your current party, it comes with high defense, some of the most powerful attacks in the game, and can cast status ailments with its two tentacles protruding from the sands. It will be invulnerable to damage unless a single member of Cloud's party is around, so this puts a player's party at a serious disadvantage. The hard-to-obtain Knights of the Round summon (that's a tough task for another day) is not a good idea to use as the Weapon will counter will a gnarly Ultima attack, unless it is paralyzed beforehand. We would rank Ruby Weapon as the toughest boss to tackle in Final Fantasy VII, and all of you PC players getting to experience the game (maybe for the first time, which floors us as old people) can see why so many of us gamers are angry. We were normal people before facing the Ruby Weapon!

Getting All of the Stamps - Nintendo Land (Wii U)

Nintendo Land is criticized as a casual experience (oh no, the casuals are going to take our games!), but it really is a game for everyone. By far a task that a casual gamer couldn't hope to complete would be getting all of the stamps within the twelve attractions of Nintendo Land. Most attractions have five stamps (think of them as achievements) to acquire, but some have five stamps to be earned for each mode (e.g. Pikmin Adventure has Challenge mode and Versus mode medals).

Without a doubt the most challenging of these medals come from the perfect line of medals. These mean completing an attraction flawlessly. For Captain Falcon's Twister Race it's not colliding with anything-- no walls, no bumpers, no other cars-- nothing. But the most difficult of these stamps comes from one of our favorite solo attractions, Takamaru's Ninja Castle. The highly coveted Unstoppable medal requires players to take down EVERY ninja that appears on the screen in both the normal and extra stages. That's hundreds of ninja to hit with your throwing stars without missing any ninja, and some of them just peek in for a quick look so you have to be fast.

Nintendo Land may be a game for all, but the task of acquiring every stamp is not for the feint of heart!

Getting All 180 Emblems - Sonic Adventure 2 (DC)

Sonic Adventure 2 is a fun but incredibly flawed 3D Sonic game that perhaps in retrospect we probably would rate lower playing it today. Also in retrospect, we probably wouldn't have the patience to go after the arduous task of getting all 180 medals on every mission in Sonic Adventure 2. That means reaching specific scores, getting certain times, clearing hard mode, and yes, the most painful of all, raising and racing Chao. It is a challenge that the younger us could do without much problem. Now? We'd probably toss the disc into the ocean... after snapping it in two and taking a dump on it. Sure, the reward is great-- a 3D version of Sonic the Hedgehog's first level, the Green Hill Zone, but is it worth all of the pain, all of the glitches, all of the horrid camera angles, and all of the Knuckles raps?

Mr. Perfect - Mega Man 10 (PSN, XBLA, WiiWare)

The goal of Mr. Perfect is simple to explain but tremendously tough to actually do-- complete Mega Man 10 without taking damage. The only thing that makes this achievement/trophy anything close to possible is the ability to save between levels. Still, you have to make it through a level without damage, which is easier said than done. You have to have the memory of a robot to make your way through each level unscathed. You have to read each Robot Master's movements to an exact science to avoid taking damage, because once you do get hit, you have to begin the level all over again.

We actually have a masochist on our staff that completed Mr. Perfect. Many yells were had, a lot of controllers met the floor, and plenty of cheers were exclaimed upon finishing this most epic task. Considering yourself a Mega Man Master if you have this achievement done!

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Perhaps if you haven't tried some of these tasks, you'll get interested in seeing just how hard these are. If not, well, you can take our word for it! We'd love to hear from you which gaming challenges you think are the hardest and why. The comments section awaits!

Best of... Mega Man

The Best of... series is one that isn't the most featured... feature of SuperPhillip Central. It is saved for the anniversaries and celebrations of video games. This year we have multiple anniversaries, so we've had a lot of Best of... articles.

Today, coming off the Top Ten Mega Man Games, comes Best of... Mega Man. I list my favorite games, the best weapons, the best Robot Masters, and so much more. It's a celebration of all things classic Mega Man, so sit back, pop open an Energy Tank, and start drinking while you read!

Note: This article was a collaboration between myself and my older brother. Enjoy the brotherly read!

[Best Weapon Lineup]

Runner-Up: Mega Man 8 (PS1, SAT)

When you think about good weapons in Mega Man titles, 8's arsenal might not be your first choice. Well, it wasn't ours either, but it was a close second when you think about how good the majority of them are for a moment. Tornado Hold can take out flying foes, but it can also propel Mega Man into the air. Thunder Claw's good for its reach, but you can swing across pegs Indiana Jones style. The Mega Ball could be kicked away or used as an instant Rush Coil. Then you have more practical weapons like Flash Bomb that hit foes multiple times, Ice Wave which tears up foes along the ground, Homing Sniper that can be semi-rapid fired and lock on enemies out of reach, or Astro Crush which causes a screen-clearing attack. Sure, Water Balloon and Flame Sword aren't all that great, but seven out of nine ain't bad, especially when the seven mentioned here are really, really good.

Winner: Mega Man 9 (WiiWare, XBLA, PSN)

You mean it isn't Mega Man 2? Of course not. As good as Metal Blades were, how often did you really use Crash Bombs, Atomic Fire, or Time Stopper anyway? That balancing issue is something that Mega Man 9 manages to get just right. Much like our runner-up, some weapons serve multiple purposes, but all of them do have a purpose. Concrete Shot makes platforms, stops magma, and stuns enemies, Tornado Blow extends Mega's jump height while flying foes up off the screen, and Hornet Chaser can grab goodies out of reach and sting sentries from far away. Laser Trident can break through shields, Black Hole Bomb instantly engulfs almost every enemy, Plug Ball serves as your go to ground weapon, Magma Bazooka's range and power is perfect for minibosses, and Jewel Satellite is the best shield in the series for how many attacks it can block. Out of all of Mega Man's classic adventures, this is the only game where you can and probably will use every weapon in some point just to see how many different ways you can show Wily and his bots who's boss.

[Best Robot Master Lineup]

Runner-Up: Mega Man 8 (PS1, SAT)

Perhaps it's because the jump to double the bits to the PlayStation and Saturn when compared to the Super Nintendo made for Robot Masters that could be more detailed, but the runner-up for best Robot Master lineup goes to Mega Man 8. You get cool designs like Tengu Man, Sword Man, and Search Man, as well as creatively designed Robot Masters such as Aqua Man, Clown Man, and Grenade Man. The added bonus of hearing Wily's robots yak for the first time gave the characters an extra layer of charm.

Winner: Mega Man 2 (NES)

Mega Man's rogues gallery in Mega Man 2 is a veritable treasure trove of memorable Robot Masters. Metal Man alone gives Mega Man one of his most overpowered weapons in series history. Quick Man impresses with his swift speed. Flash Man stops time in an instant. Bubble Man was cool before Burst Man was even a concept in Dr. Wily's mind. Wood Man had a freaking body made out of a huge log. Heat Man and Air Man add to the fun, and Crash Man is one of the more popular Robot Masters when it concerns the Blue Bomber's fan base. There isn't really a stinker in this bunch, and it is for that reason why Mega Man 2's list of Robot Masters is numero uno.

[Best Robot Master]

Runner-Up: Elec Man (Mega Man)

As taken from my Top Ten Mega Man Robot Masters article from 2010:

"Short for and pronounced the same as electric, Elec Man is one of the only stages in the original Mega Man that's completely vertical. He fears Cut Man's Rolling Cutter as it can kill him in just a few hits. Thankfully, he isn't helpless. His Thunder Beam can destroy anyone in seconds with its electrifying power. I picked this up from the Mega Man Wiki, that this bot is actually Keiji Inafune's favorite robot master from the original game. Now we can see why!"

Winner: Tengu Man (Mega Man 8 and Mega Man & Bass)

As taken from my Top Ten Mega Man Robot Masters article from 2010:

"Just a cool-designed robot all around, Tengu Man is the not-so soft-spoken yet ever cocky at the same time robot master with lines such as "Kid, you're almost not worth the effort" and "Are you worthy of my challenge?" He comes from an underrated Mega Man game, Mega Man 8, and his weakness is the Ice Wave, Frost Man's weapon while his own is Tornado Hold. He was so popular that he returned for a rematch in Mega Man & Bass (SNES, GBA) where he had a new level, new attacks, and a new weakness."

[Best Wily Stages]

Runner-Up: Mega Man 7 (SNES)

A problem with many of the NES fortresses is that most of them would only have one stage worth mentioning. Maybe it's the unique look, that every stage finally has its own song, or the fact that Mega gets to finally have a true face-off with his new rival in Bass, but Mega Man 7's fortress proves to be a memorable one.

The opening act sees the lights go out when you step on various platforms here, and it's not long until you're doing this over a bottomless pit or spikes. These track-based platforms occasionally will try to dump you into said perils if you aren't paying attention to where you're going. After that, you get to face Bass for real and then yet another incarnation of Guts Man just after that. Wily 2 gets interesting right when you meet up with Bass and face off with him combined with Treble. Once you make it past him, you have to deal with these containers from Turbo Man's stage that will shoot out fire. It's pretty crazy if you try to go without the buster, but if you use weapons or collected the Super Adapter, you can make it by just easily. The third stage is the most forgettable, but it still has a split path to choose and a rare auto-scrolling boss fight against a giant demon head. Of course, most will remember this game's castle for Wily himself. This fight is one of, if not the hardest final boss fights in the entire series. It takes precision, planning, and sometimes a bit of luck to escape from this one in one piece. It was a pretty great conclusion to a great set of stages.

Winner: Mega Man 10 (WiiWare, XBLA, PSN)

The moment you step foot at the grounds of this fortress, this ominous tune is playing while it's raining heavily. The moment you make it past the opening guards, you're met with a blast from the past when you go up against the Wily Archive. Beating three bosses here lets you advance into the next section where the real theme of the stage begins. This is also where the level splits apart in so many directions, and it's kind of crazy how many ways you can progress through this opening stage. Still, having to battle nine bosses spread out over three encounters makes it a classic.

The second level has conveyor belts in the early going, but it's the crushers in the second half of the stage that will be the main thing you recall about this one... until you make it to the giant enemy crab at the end of the stage anyway. The third stage has a couple of elevator rides with buttons that you'll have to step on to make sure you avoid the floating spikes only to throw at you an underwater section with more spikes and only a couple of platforms for safety. Then you get the unholy combination of a Devil and Pico Pico Master (Mega Man 2's Wily 2 boss) in a crazy struggle. After that, you get to face off with Wily again, but the game does make sure to throw in one last hilarious moment before you reach the credits. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you will when you're about to enter the final stage. No, the final final stage. It's a series of stages with very few lulls. It's because of the high quality in the game's cumulative conclusion that Mega Man 10 earns top honors for having the best set of Wily stages around.

[Best Music]

Runner-Up: Mega Man 4 (NES)

While I like the original 8-bit themes of Mega Man 2, I prefer the Complete Works soundtrack of Mega Man 4, and it ranks right up there for me among the great Mega Man soundtracks. Themes like Skull Man, which has several terrific official remixes, Bright Man, which certainly brightens up my day with its slap bass, and Dr. Cossack Stage 1 are quite nice. Toad Man gets my toes tapping too. All around it isn't the greatest soundtrack in 8-bit form, but Complete Works-wise, it more than does its job well.

Winner: Mega Man 2 (NES)

From the uptempo title theme that kicks in as the Blue Bomber overlooks the city as he stands atop a building to the ever-popular Wily Stage 1/2 theme, Mega Man 2 sports an unquestionably good soundtrack. You get familiar tunes like Air Man, the wonderful Flash Man, and the ultra-catchy Wood Man theme. These songs aren't just appreciated out of nostalgia-- they are tried and true themes that have withstood the test of time.

[Best Overall Game]

Runner-Up: Mega Man 3 (NES)

Introducing loads of new things into the Mega Man gameplay and canon world such as Mega's trusty dog Rush, Mega's brother Proto Man, and the ability to slide, Mega Man 3 is my second favorite game of the classic series. While it is most certainly true that the development period for the game was especially trying for the team behind Mega Man 3, I feel the end product is a sensational game. I loved the level ideas presented-- a greenhouse, a sewer, a stronghold built to resemble snakes-- it goes all over the place. The game also felt longer than past installments, but not needlessly so. These attributes make Mega Man 3 the runner-up in the best overall game category.

Winner: Mega Man 2 (NES)

What else could it be but Mega Man 2? You probably saw this coming miles away too. Well, it helps when yesterday's top ten list names it as the best classic series game. Regardless, Mega Man 2 set the gold standard for the series. All other classic Mega Man games followed the formula Mega Man 2 laid down and perfected. The rest of the classic series was just those games grasping for the golden ring that Mega Man 2 had grabbed. The level design is superb. The music is the series's best (see above). The gameplay is pitch perfect as well. If you are somehow new to the Mega Man franchise and you have yet to pick up and play this game, find a way to [legally] play it. You won't be disappointed, and you will find out why all us old farts keep championing it.

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That wraps up this celebration of all things classic Mega Man. What would your picks be if you were awarding honors to each Mega Man game? Let your nominations be read in the comments section!

Top Ten Mega Man Robot Masters

To celebrate the release of Mega Man 10 on all console platforms, I'm taking this time to list my favorite robot masters whether they have an intriguing design, fun personality, or entertaining weapon in battle. Join me, will you? As I count down my personal favorite robot masters from all ten original Mega Man games!

10) Commando Man (Mega Man 10)


The first Robot Master on our list comes from Mega Man 10, a game we haven't seen the last from on our countdown. Commando Man leaps into the air, crashing to the ground, dazing anyone foolish enough to not be in the air when he does. His Commando Bomb is powerful, but it uses up a ton of weapon energy to use. His weakness? Nitro Man's Wheel Cutter. Something tells me this won't be the last we hear from Nitro Man on this list! Something I didn't know, Commando Man was one of Search Man's beta names!

9) Metal Man (Mega Man 2)


Metal Man is not only incredible because of his design, but his weapon, the Metal Blade, is one of the most useful weapons in the entire Mega Man series! It can shoot in one of eight directions, it uses little weapon energy, and it can take out a laundry list of enemies quite easily. Taken out easily with the mega buster, Quick Man's weapon, the Quick Boomerang, can also take Metal Man out within seconds.

8) Sword Man (Mega Man 8)


From Mega Man 8, Dr. Wily stole the sword Sword Man possesses from a museum. He can split his legs from his torso and attack with two body parts at once. His main mode of attack is the Flame Sword. It's no big guess then why his weakness is none other than the Water Balloon, given to Mega by Aqua Man. An ancient-looking robot master, Sword Man just oozes with ancient style, and it's why he is one of my favorite robot masters.

7) Nitro Man (Mega Man 10)


Another robot master that can turn into a vehicle, this time a motorbike, Nitro Man races onto the scene in the newly-released Mega Man 10. His weapon is the Metal Man blade-like Wheel Cutters that can not only give Mega the ability to carve into foes and baddies with ease, but it is also useful for riding straight up walls. A former daredevil stunt man, the Roboenza virus caused him to go insane. Only Chill Man's Chill Spike is good enough to be his weakness.

6) Turbo Man (Mega Man 7)


The other robot master on this list that can turn into a vehicle, Turbo Man is one cool-looking dude sporting shades and transforming into a race car. He's so fast that he is a rival to another robot master, Quick Man, as told in Mega Man Battle & Chase. Unable to stand loud noise, Shade Man's Noise Crush is his weakness while Turbo Man's move, the Scorch Wheel is a powerful burner. Turbo Man is the only 16-bit robot master on our list, so big congratulations to him for making this fast-paced list!

5) Yamato Man (Mega Man 6)


Full of feudal flair and modeled after an ancient Samurai, Yamato Man dons a cool spear that he uses to skewer anyone that stands in his way. From Mega Man 6, Yamato Man calls his home inside a giant feudal fortress full of tricks and traps. The Silver Tomahawk, however, can easily take him down earning Mega Man the Yamato Spear weapon. The word "yamato" literally means "ancient Japan". Pretty cool, huh?

4) Skull Man (Mega Man 4)


Who can't resist a robot master modeled after a human skull? Creepy to say the list, and one hell of a goaltender in Mega Man Soccer, Skull Man makes a cameo appearance in the Robot Museum of Mega Man 7 in 16-bit form. His Skull Barrier nullifies damage while sending ghostly apparitions after Mega Man and other enemies. Luckily, he has a weakness-- Dust Man's Dust Crusher!

3) Pharaoh Man (Mega Man 4)


Also appearing as a cameo in Mega Man 7's Robot Museum midpoint stage, Pharaoh Man can sometimes be with or without his purple cape depending on his mood. He's just an awesome, ominous figure whose move the Pharaoh Shot sends out a ball of solar energy to attack opponents. He can be handily defeated though with the Flash Stopper as he'll be helpless to Mega Man's mega buster shots as he's frozen solid.

2) Elec Man (Mega Man)


Short for and pronounced the same as electric, Elec Man is one of the only stages in the original Mega Man that's completely vertical. He fears Cut Man's Rolling Cutter as it can kill him in just a few hits. Thankfully, he isn't helpless. His Thunder Beam can destroy anyone in seconds with its electrifying power. I picked this up from the Mega Man Wiki, that this bot is actually Keiji Inafune's favorite robot master from the original game. Now we can see why!

1) Tengu Man (Mega Man 8)


Just a cool-designed robot all around, Tengu Man is the not-so soft-spoken yet ever cocky at the same time robot master with lines such as "Kid, you're almost not worth the effort" and "Are you worthy of my challenge?" He comes from an underrated Mega Man game, Mega Man 8, and his weakness is the Ice Wave, Frost Man's weapon while his own is Tornado Hold. He was so popular that he returned for a rematch in Mega Man & Bass (SNES, GBA) where he had a new level, new attacks, and a new weakness.

There you have it. My list of my personal favorite Mega Man robot masters! If I could count Mega Man & Bass, I would definitely have to throw in Burner Man onto the list somewhere. What about you? You may not agree with my order or picks, so what are your favorite robot masters? Let everyone know in the comments section!

Mega Man 10 (WiiWare, PSN, XBLA) Review

March 2nd will forever be known as the first review of March 2010 for SuperPhillip Central. I wore a diamond sequin dress for the occasion. I'll leave that to your imagination, boys. In all seriousness, our first review for the month of March is none other than Mega Man 10. Get your busters charged because we're going in!

A Mega Milestone

It was a long while since gamers got to play a brand-new Mega Man game under the classic moniker-- a decade and then some. Then Mega Man 9 came out and kicked the butt of many-a-gamer including yours truly, with its oftentimes cheap level design and hardcore sensibilities. Now a year-and-a-half later, Capcom and developer Inticreates (Mega Man Zero, Mega Man ZX) have once again partnered up for an all-new entry in the classic Mega Man franchise, Mega Man 10. Has the difficulty been toned down enough to let the rest of us enjoy the game?

The story of Mega Man 10 is as simple as the run, jump, and gun gameplay. A mysterious virus has spread out among robots, causing them to grow deathly sick including Mega Man's sister, Roll. It's gotten so bad that even Dr. Wily's robots have turned on him. Seemingly forgetting all the times Wily's tried to take over the world, Mega Man and company agree to work with him to help develop a cure to the roboenza virus. How did the virus break out, and who is behind it? The answers aren't as difficult to solve as one might think with a twist even Sarah Palin could see from her front porch.

Easy mode has these red and white items
that refill Mega Man's health and weapon energy.

Mega Man 10 plays just the same as past entries with little innovation. That's all right because the tried and true gameplay still works wonders. You select from one of eight robot master stages with names like Blade Man, Nitro Man, Chill Man, Strike Man, and even Sheep Man. Each stage has its own tricks and traps to watch out for. For instance, Commando Man's stage has devastating sandstorms that cover up the screen and can push Mega Man into shrouded spikes and bottomless pits. Meanwhile, Chill Man's stage is covered in ice, making for some slippery platforming action. It also has ice cubes that break apart after being jumped on twice. Each stage is about five minutes long if you're taking it easy, and they're all pretty much linear excursions, some with split paths to beef up the game's longevity along with online leaderboards, challenges, and bonus stages.

It's not the heat; it's the sandstorms!

Levels are much more fair this time around. That isn't to say the game isn't difficult as it definitely is. It's just difficult in a different way from Mega Man 9. Where Mega Man 9 had its share of cheap deaths, Mega Man 10's levels are deviously constructed that you know how you have to proceed through the level, it's just that knowing and doing are two completely opposite things.

Between levels, Mega Man can use bolts collected from dropped enemies and assorted in specific locations in levels to purchase new gear. These range from tanks that restore Mega Man's life and/or weapon energy, extra lives, one-time use items such as those that allow Mega Man to be hit by one spike trap without dying, and even the ability to play without the blue bomber's helmet.

The classic Mega Man series has always had a rock-paper-scissors quality with its bosses, and Mega Man 10 is no exception. When Mega Man defeats a given robot master he acquires their weapon. That weapon is weakness of one of the remaining seven robot masters. The trick is to carefully choose the robot master that the weapon is useful against. Otherwise, you'll be stuck using the good old mega buster to take them down. Nearly every enemy in the game is weak against one of the weapons. Through experimentation will players find what weapon or weapons takes out certain enemies. It's just one of the many fun things about the series. The weapons range from a water shield that sprouts a ring of bubbles around Mega Man, a giant cluster bomb that can blast through certain walls holding cool power-ups like extra lives and energy tanks, and a storm cloud that rains down a bolt of lightning from above.

This time around, a Mega Man game has three difficulties: easy, normal, and hard. Hard is exactly what it sounds-- hard. There's more enemies, more traps, and enemies take and give more damage. Normal is the standard difficulty, but it's still quite troublesome. It's more fair this time around with less cheap "how I was supposed to know that was coming" instances. Easy is great for newcomers to the series (actually Mega Man 1-8 is great for newcomers) featuring more helpful items dropped by enemies and placed in levels, platforms covering up most spiked floors and bottomless pits, more places to save your game, and less damage given to Mega when he is attacked. Regardless of your skill level, there's a mode for you in Mega Man 10. There's even a character for you depending on your playing style as now Proto Man is available to be chosen right from the get-go. He can charge his buster and utilize his shield, but he takes double the damage of Mega Man.

Spikes one way, bottomless pits the other.
Just another day on the job for Mega Man.

Mega Man 10 can be played either with the Wii remote held sideways or the Classic Controller. I preferred the Classic Controller as you can cycle through weapons with the shoulder buttons, something that can't be done with the shoulder button-less Wii remote. The controls are as simple as the game itself. You run with the d-pad, jump with one button, shoot with the other, and use the pause button to switch weapons and use items. Meanwhile, the PlayStation 3 controller feels optimal for this type of game whereas the 360's d-pad makes playing with an analog stick the only solution. In addition, the Xbox Live Arcade version comes out late this month a full 3-4 weeks after the Wii and PS3 versions. Really, unless you can't wait to share your achievements with friends over Xbox Live, the WiiWare or PSN version is the way to go.

Capcom and Inticreates opted to keep the retro theme with classic 8-bit visuals and audio. It's certainly plenty nostalgic to play a new game with old graphics, but one could argue that this approach is simply laziness. I couldn't argue against that, but I do find the 8-bit graphics charming all the same. The music has some catchy themes here and there like Solar Man's stage, for instance, but most of the music pales in comparison to Mega Man 9. Overall, what we are left with is a finely-crafted package of presentation that most fans with go gaga over.

Challenge mode is, well, challenging.

Ultimately, Mega Man 10 is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it's an 8-bit game with no innovation that is balls-to-the-wall difficult. One the other hand, it's an 8-bit game with no innovation that is balls-to-the-wall difficult. It really depends on your perspective whether or not that's a good thing. For someone who grew up playing 8-bit and 16-bit Mega Man games, this is a welcomed bit of nostalgia, like a long, lost friend. Mega Man 10 gets a hearty recommendation for any download service you desire. Now get to work on Mega Man X9, guys!

[SuperPhillip Says: 8.5/10]

Mega Man 10 (Wiiware, PSN, XBLA) Official Trailer

Yep. Mega Man 10's on its way to Wiiware, PSN, and XBLA in March joining an already jam-packed 2010 lineup.

So far, Sheep and Commando Man are the only two robot masters we know of, although this video shows off the silhouettes of all eight as well as a glimpse of the levels we'll be trying to get Mega or Proto Man through.

On a side note, when asked about Mega Man Powered Up 2, Keiji Infaune stated that there was a very high probability that we'll be seeing that one in the future. Works for me!

- Bean1227

Direct Link Here