The Tuesday 10s - Best 2D Platformers of the Past Ten Years

It's been quite a while since their last appearance on SuperPhillip Central, but The Tuesday 10s are back for a new edition! This time we're checking out the best 2D platformers of the past ten years, similar to how we looked previously at the best 3D platformers of the past ten years over a year ago. Will you be surprised at some of the picks? Well, let's run and jump straight into the list so you can find out!

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (NSW, Wii U)

Let's start with the great gorilla, the massive monkey, the awesome ape--Donkey Kong! His most recent adventure from 2014, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, saw him teaming up with the rest of the Kong crew, specifically Diddy, Dixie, and new to the playable roster Cranky Kong--each with their own unique platforming abilities--and taking on the evil Snowmads who took over Kong Island. Bad for the Kongs, great for us, as we got to enjoy Retro Studios' amazing artistry and level design throughout the six world (technically seven, counting the bonus world) adventure. Whether playing solo with your choice of Kong-panion riding on DK's back, or playing with the Kongs separate from one another in local co-op, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze brought a banana slamma' to the Wii U and then eventually the Switch with added Funky Kong as a playable character.

Hollow Knight (Multi)

Caution: Your gaming and platforming skills will be put to the ultimate test with this next game. Our first Metroidvania on this list is also the most challenging of the games listed on The Tuesday 10s this time around. It's none other than Hollow Knight, an open-ended Metroid-esque adventure. Offering a punishing difficulty, vast world to explore and become lost in, exciting and brutal boss battles, plenty of side quests and secrets to uncover, and loads of longevity and replay value, Hollow Knight delivered one of the most unexpected but welcomed indie surprises of 2017. We eagerly await Silksong, wherever it may be in its development since going AWOL after being announced during a Nintendo video presentation two years ago.

Metroid Dread (NSW)

Speaking of difficult Metroid-style games, how about we give props to the originator of the sub-genre of platformers with Samus Aran's latest and arguably greatest, depending on your stance? It's Metroid Dread, released this past October exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. Samus Aran has never felt better to control in this game, offering an unrivaled since of agility, mobility, and overall movement, at least in the Metroid series. I love the way the game subtly points you and directs you around its otherwise easy-to-get-lost world with smart power-up placement and through its level design. The game is challenging, too, more so than any other Metroid game, in my opinion. Thankfully, Samus possesses her move set from Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS), including that spectacularly swift counter ability, as well as picks up several new moves to make for a fresh, awesome, and exciting Metroid game from start to finish.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (NSW)

While the original New Super Mario Bros. U released alongside the Wii U in 2012 and a DLC platforming expansion starring Luigi called New Super Luigi U launched the summer after, the two games would receive a splendid compilation on the Nintendo Switch that only left out the Wii U GamePad-controlled challenges and asymmetrical multiplayer options. Both New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U offer the same excellent level design of the original games, and really, some of the best designed levels in 2D Mario history. Not even speaking hyperbolically here. The aesthetic and overall presentation is indeed sterile and bland, but gameplay and design-wise, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is a masterclass.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps (XBS, XB1, PC, NSW)

We took a quick detour from Metroidvania-styled games for some Mario, but now let's briefly return to the sub-genre of platformer with Ori and the Will of the Wisps. The game is as breathtaking in design as it is utterly gorgeous to look at. The story is equally heartfelt and heartwarming, and the world is a joy and delight to explore. The addition of side quests didn't feel like filler to pad the length of the game; instead they felt organic and enjoyable to complete. The various locales Ori could explore were filled with impressive sights, sounds, and platforming challenges that really utilized Ori's move set in truly innovative and clever ways. And those intense escape sequences and boss battles? Phew, dear! I need to sit down just thinking about them, as they were totally tense and awesome in all the right ways. 

Rayman Legends (Multi)

Whether playing solo or in co-op, Rayman Legends is a brilliant 2D platformer, especially the Wii U original version, offering its Murfy levels being controlled by the Wii U GamePad. These Murfy levels had one player using said GamePad to move around and interact with obstacles and objects in levels via the touch screen to help the other players through them. Things could get rather dicey rather quickly if players didn't work together well! Not only did the Wii U version offer one of the best uses of the Wii U GamePad, but even on other platforms, the game was just phenomenal a platformer. Colorful, crisp graphics, terrific control and feel, creative levels, and a superb soundtrack all added up to make Rayman Legends a marvelous game.

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (Multi)

The original Shovel Knight released in 2014 from Yacht Club Games. Since then, the game has become its own series of spin-offs featuring bosses from the game seeing themselves as the main characters, complete with unique move sets and more. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is a compilation of all of these adventures, including King Knight's and Plague Knight's, and the package is well worth the price of admission. The original Shovel Knight was a retro-inspired platformer with dashes of Mario, Mega Man, and even DuckTales somewhat in its gameplay and design. A masterful game if there ever was one, and the addition of even more Shovel Knight goodness via the aforementioned expansions make for a package that is absolutely irresistible. Seriously, if you "dig" platformers, you'll most likely love Shovel Knight as well, if you haven't already!

Sonic Mania (Multi)

The Sonic the Hedgehog series perseveres after decades of ups and downs in quality of the Blue Blur's games, but Sonic Mania stands (or rolls around at the speed of sound, I guess would fit better) as one of the hedgehog's greatest titles, not just in the modern era of Sonic (that's not too difficult a task) but overall as well. It rivals the Genesis games, if not simply just surpassing them in multiple areas. After SEGA's multiple failed attempts at bringing Sonic back to basics (looking at you, Sonic the Hedgehog 4, you utterly contemptible pile of vomited-up chili dog), Sonic Mania absolutely succeeded where those games failed, delivering tight controls, excellent physics that mirrored the Genesis classics well, astounding level design with multiple paths to explore, and a stellar soundtrack from Tee Lopes, like a cherry on top. Sonic Mania is the gold [ring] standard of 2D Sonic the Hedgehog games.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (Multi)

From some of the developers and designers of the original Donkey Kong Country games, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair brought so much excellence and creative ideas into its DKC-styled adventure. From the clever 3D overworld to explore--complete with environmental puzzles to solve, to the genius that was the Impossible Lair, where players built up a collection of "hits" by completing the other levels in the game, Yooka and Laylee's second outing was a fantastic one. The ability to use Tonics to alter the play experience to make the game as easy or as hard as you wanted (also rewarding a quill multiplier for doing so) made it so you could enjoy the game however you desired. The way levels had two different versions based on how they were altered in the overworld, was also a brilliant idea and implemented wonderfully, too. All in all, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair was a treat to play with exceptional controls and feel, sensational levels, and well executed ideas.

Yoshi's Woolly World (Wii U) 

I might get grief for this, but I will stand by my argument that Yoshi's Woolly World is a better and more enjoyable game than the original Yoshi's Island from the Super Nintendo. I know, I know. It's blasphemy for some of you out there, but consider this: not only is the game lovingly made with a wool and yarn aesthetic, even going as far as to be implemented into its level design and puzzles, but it also doesn't require you to collect everything in one go to get 100% in a level. Thank YOU, Good Feel! Not only this, but I enjoyed the levels more, the grander variety of music, and just the adventure from beginning to end, as both a player and a completionist. Yoshi's Island is a fantastic game as well, but Good Feel's magnum opus just outpaces and outshines the SNES classic by a thread.

Double-Dipped: Games I've Purchased More Than Once Over the Years

Welcome to the beginning of a brand new series of articles on SuperPhillip Central. Can you believe that after nearly 12 years of this blog being online that I can still come up with new ideas for article series? If you do, then you have more faith in me than I do!

This is Double-Dipped, an article series that talks about games that I enjoyed so much that I couldn't help but take a second or sometimes third plunge on purchasing. These games fill me with such unadulterated joy that I like to play them on any new platform I can--but at the same time, some of these games were bought again for the same exact console. Those stories and more will be shared in this regularly reoccurring series. Let's dive in with the first of six games for this inaugural edition of Double-Dipped!

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (NSW)

I was talking about buying a game twice on the same system, and speak of the devil (and no, I'm not alluding to Tom Nook--he's cool in my book), here we are! With Animal Crossing: New Horizons, recently revealed to be the best selling entry in the Animal Crossing series yet, we decided to buy the same game two times: one for myself and one for my brother. This way both of us could maintain our own islands and not at all become limited in our mutual enjoyment of the game. Otherwise, I'd be the one in charge of the main island development while my brother would take a much undesired backseat role, very much ruining the experience for him like it has for others with only one Switch and one copy of the game. Hmm... I'm starting to partly see how New Horizons became the best-selling entry in the series if more siblings or family members were placed in the same precarious situation! Partly, though, mind you, as between the two of us, my brother and I nearly 300 hours of playtime. I'd say the addicting gameplay brings forth a good argument as to why Animal Crossing: New Horizons is selling so well, too!

Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii, N3DS)

Do you remember Project Rainfall? Of course not. Because it was called Operation Rainfall. (I originally had this written as "Project Rainfall" in my first draft, so I'm glad I caught it before I hit "Publish".) For North Americans, getting Xenoblade Chronicles released on this side of the world was like fighting a level 60 unique encounter with a level 1 Reyn--it was a difficult battle. Perhaps that isn't the greatest of analogies, as unlike an underleveled Reyn and his fight, we actually won our battle as Xenoblade Chronicles released in North America--though not without some stipulations. Today, Xenoblade Chronicles is a fantastic selling series for Nintendo, and quite an important one. The game saw two sequels with the Wii U's Xenoblade Chronicles X and the Switch's Xenoblade Chronicles 2. The latter received its own successful DLC side story as well.

I originally picked up Xenoblade Chronicles for the Wii, like many hungry Wii owners in search of a meaty role-playing game to enjoy during the Wii's leaner years of top-notch releases. I made it rather far, but unfortunately, other games got in the way that I, who was a much younger, more inexperienced blogger at the time, covered. Picking up Xenoblade Chronicles 3D on the New Nintendo 3DS seemed like a great choice, as I could enjoy a mammoth-sized JRPG from the luxury of anywhere, courtesy of handheld gaming. However, I never even put it in my New Nintendo 3DS for a second, as the thought of starting a 100-hour RPG at the time was a daunting one. Now, they say the third time is the charm, and you can bet I'll be picking up the Definitive Edition's release on the Switch at the end of this month. Here's hoping with quarantine that I'll have a reason to not get so distracted this time around!

Spyro: Reignited Trilogy (PS4, NSW)

So many developers pull this trick on Nintendo fans: release a game a year or more after the original launch date on other consoles so foolish gamers will double dip and purchase it a second time around. Well, as you can tell by the name of this article series, you're looking at such a gamer! Spyro: Reignited Trilogy is a collection of the first three Spyro the Dragon games from the original PlayStation that have been completely remade for a new generation of consoles (and a new generation of fans, perhaps, too, at that). As someone who only played parts of the first Spyro the Dragon (and got a major headache from the game in motion), being able to finally enjoy the entire trilogy in such a glorious and gorgeous way gave me the desire to get the Platinum trophy on the entire trilogy of games. When the Switch version was announced and released, it gave me a second lease on the life of this trilogy, and just like my first go 'round, playing the games in both docked and undocked mode was an experience to remember.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U, NSW)

Nintendo is not gun-shy about porting over its catalog of games from the Wii U to the Nintendo Switch. In fact, a good half or so (an approximate figure) of Nintendo's first-party output comes from the Wii U. While this might stink for Wii U fans (all 100 of us), an entirely new audience gets to play these games for the very first time with these Switch ports. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is but one of these games, and you can imagine that future installments of Double-Dipped with touch on other Wii U-to-Switch ports. Tropical Freeze is an absolute delight and near-platforming perfection. The addition of Funky Kong serves as a nice "easy mode" to a game notorious for its challenge and difficulty. Sure, Funky Mode tends to push the game's challenge the opposite way into "too easy" territory, but for beginning players who wish to enjoy Tropical Freeze their way, who are we to thumb our noses down? Despite originally releasing in 2014, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze remains Retro Studios' latest all-new release, which begs the question: What the banana-loving heck is going on at Retro Studios?

Rayman Legends (Wii U, Vita, NSW)

Like Rayman 2, Rayman Legends was a game that felt like it was ported to every current gen platform under the sun. It sure feels like I've played the game on every platform under the sun as I've gotten the game three times now, each feeling like a different experience. The original Wii U version's use of the Wii U GamePad for the Murfy sections, where you maneuver objects, slide platforms, and the like to guide a smartly-controlled AI character through a gauntlet of enemies and dangers, was a blast and quite unique and innovative. Unlike the PlayStation Vita version that used similar touch-based controls for these sections, with the Wii U version, multiplayer was possible here. The Nintendo Switch version saw somewhat of a "best of both worlds" approach. While the original Wii U version remains my favorite of the bunch, the need to use archaic hardware to play it makes it less than attractive for me, so my preferred way to play is on the Nintendo Switch. Regardless, whichever platform you play Rayman Legends on, you're going to get a tremendous-looking, stellar-playing 2D platformer.

LEGO City Undercover (Wii U, NSW, PS4)

Oh, goodness. Another three-peat here for yours truly. LEGO City Undercover wasn't my first LEGO game from Tt Games, but it is my absolute favorite. I guess that's obvious when you see how many times I've purchased and played through the game. The Wii U original saw smart GamePad usages, such as a helpful mini-map on the second screen, a communicator that NPCs used to contact our hero Chase McCain, and a means to scan the environment for subjects and various points of interest. Like many games on the Wii U, LEGO City Undercover thankfully made the trip to the Nintendo Switch, where it kept all of the Mario references but lost the unique GamePad functionality. This version isn't optimized to the best of the developer's ability, resulting in some nasty frame-rate drops, particularly in undocked mode. Still, playing the game on a system with a better controller and on just a better designed system made for a--forgive me for using this word a third time in the same sentence--better experience. I then moved on to the PlayStation 4 version due to a sale price and because I wanted an easy enough Platinum. Yes, that is sad, but I loved playing through LEGO City Undercover for a third time despite that fact.

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I hope you enjoyed this inaugural installment of Double-Dipped! What games have you bought more than once? Why did you do it? Let the SPC community know in the comments below!

Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition (NSW) Review

We have arrived at SuperPhillip Central's first review of May, and it's for a 2D platformer that just can't stop getting ported. Who am I to complain, though, when it's a game that's as excellent as Rayman Legends? It's the Nintendo Switch's turn at the game, with what Ubisoft is calling the definitive version. It's Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition for the Switch. Let's check it out.

The legend continues on Nintendo Switch.

Rayman Legends was one of the standout titles on the Wii U, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It has since been ported to nearly every platform under the sun, including PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PlayStation Vita. Now, the game gets yet another shot in the spotlight with a console it should be most welcome on, the Nintendo Switch--home to lovers of the platforming genre (thanks to a certain mustachioed plumber among many other Nintendo creations). The Switch version of Rayman Legends labels itself as the "Definitive Edition". Is this the case, or is the port a definitive dud?

Let's skip all pretense here and allow me to answer that question immediately. Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition is the total package here with all of the content of past ports and a new Kung Foot tournament mode included (though the latter isn't that big of a deal). At the game's launch, Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition suffered greatly from poor performance and long loading times. This has since been patched to run as smooth as the lanes of a well-maintained bowling alley. Rayman Legends looked gorgeous when it originally launched in 2012, and it still amazes thanks to the awesome work put in by the Ubi Art engine and the artists who utilized it. A delightful orchestral soundtrack backs up the action, and there are certain in-level triggers that happen where songs will seamlessly conclude or change to their next section after specific parts of levels are entered or completed. It's a wholly fantastic, bombastic score, worthy of listening to outside of the game.

If anyone has earned the right to strike a pose, it's Rayman.

Rayman Legends itself is the same game as it ever was, a sequel to Rayman Origins. The game contains five worlds based on various themes, and each possess a plethora of levels in them that range from incredibly creative to devilishly difficult. They're all aces, regardless. What's fun about Rayman Legends is how the game constantly introduces new mechanics into its levels. Unlike a Mario game, these mechanics aren't one-off experiences. Instead, they linger throughout a world, constantly reiterating on themselves, and creating new scenarios and challenges in the process.

Look out below!

The second world of the game, Toad Story, introduces wind tunnels that Rayman can use to gain as well as maintain altitude or slowly fall to the ground. This mechanic returns in the rest of the levels in the world but in different ways. There are wind channels to guide Rayman through a corridor of thorny vines, wind channels to keep Rayman elevated over a continuous bottomless pit for one level, and wind channels to navigate a crumbling castle. Whereas Mario games take a mechanic and exhaust every idea out of it in one level, Rayman Legends goes the distance, takes off, and runs with them.

With all of this wind blowing through this corridor, I hope Rayman doesn't get an
ear infection! Wait a minute. Does Rayman even have ears?

The levels keep pumping out new ideas or new twists on existing ideas that Rayman Legends remains refreshing to play from beginning to end. One level has you infiltrating an underwater base to press two buttons on opposite sides of the base to unlock a door to the final area of the level. The way to each button is simple enough, but when one is turned on, the power shuts off and the backup security systems engage. What could be a careless joyride through the level turns into a careful stealth section, dodging lasers and lights in spectacularly fun fashion.

Stealthin' like Sam Fisher, boys.

Meanwhile, another level shrinks Rayman down to a much smaller size. This allows him to walk along wires that he would otherwise grab hold of and slide down them in his regular size, as well as be able to enter small tunnels and channels that he otherwise wouldn't be able to go. While he can't defeat enemies as tiny Rayman, he can use foes as platforms and a means to bounce up to higher areas.

Sometimes Teensies are placed in some truly precarious locations.
That melon smell is never going to get out of this one's robe.

There are also some spectacular music levels that unlock at the end of each world that have you hopping, bopping, and smacking at a breakneck pace to the music. While many of these music stages contain hazards that are somewhat unexpected (and will kill you), making for the requirement to try them multiple times before you finally reach their conclusions, they remain enjoyable.

The music levels require good timing to reach the end. Don't platform while off the beat!

Even still, there is a bunch of refashioned levels from Rayman Origins in Legends--pretty much the majority from that game. These are a nice throwback to Rayman Legends's predecessor, and the new locations of hidden goodies make them worthwhile to replay if you've already burned through them in the original Origins.

Like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions, the Murfy levels of Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition have you controlling Rayman in the levels while pressing what I like to call the "Murfy Button" to have his winged friend interact with the environment--slicing ropes, moving platforms, tickling enemies, etc. While you're limited to this type of interaction in the campaign, you can play all of the Murfy campaign levels how Wii U owners did by using the touch screen to control Murfy while the rather smart AI controls Rayman or which ever character you choose to play as. Being able to both play as the character doing the actual platform and also being able to play as Murfy, interacting with the level, is something that I don't recall other versions of Rayman Legends having, making an argument that the Definitive Edition on the Nintendo Switch really is the definitive version of Rayman Legends.

Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition is bursting from the seams with content, whether it's finding all of the captured Teensies, collecting enough Lums in each level, completing the ambushed levels (where you have a set amount of time to rescue three Teensies before they're rocketed off one-by-one), scratch tickets to collect that unlock new content within the game, daily and weekly online challenges, the Kung Foot mini-game (yay, I guess?), and much more. If you somehow missed one of the hundred or so ports of the game, then Rayman Legends on the Nintendo Switch is a surefire purchase for platforming paradise. For everyone else, perhaps you'd like to own the Switch version of Rayman Legends, as the game definitely is definitive.

[SPC Says: A-]

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - "One Last Leap in July" Edition

On this final day of July, SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs greets us with a new installment, a platformer-filled edition! Be it games that are purely platformers or one that feature characters famous for their platforming antics. Okay, that's enough of the word "platform" or any variation of it because I've already use the word too much in this opening paragraph!

We begin with a game that will soon reach the Nintendo Switch with Rayman Legends. Moving on from that limbless wonder we turn a pink gluttonous blob with Kirby: Triple Deluxe. Mario is featured next, but not in a traditional platforming (dammit, I can't stop using the word!) role. Instead, we see him in his first RPG ever with Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Finally, two PlayStation platformers, one modern with Puppeteer and one classic with Jumping Flash! rounds out this edition.

Click on the VGM volume name to hear that song. Click on the VGM Database to see and hear any past VGM volume featured on this weekly SuperPhillip Central segment. Now, let's get on to the music!

v1436. Rayman Legends (Multi) - Enchanted Forest

As I stated in the opening, Rayman Legends is coming to yet another platform! This time around it's the Nintendo Switch which is being deemed by Ubisoft as the Definitive Edition. Almost everything about Rayman Legends is satisfying and stupendous, like the level design, tight platforming, amount of content, and of course, the music! So good! But I did say almost everything. What wasn't so terrific about Rayman Legends? Well, to some, the Murfy levels, but for me, that really awful special series of levels at the end of the game.

v1437. Kirby: Triple Deluxe (3DS) - Hypernova All-Stars

Yes, Kirby is our gluttonous hero, but no matter his craving and insatiable appetite, we'll always have a fondness for him, now won't we, ladies and gentlemen! In his first Nintendo 3DS outing, Kirby could transform into an ultra powerful version with tremendous suction power, able to open his massive mouth up wide and inhale enemies both small and large as if they were nothing. He could even move gigantic objects to solve environmental puzzles. This was the theme that played during these action-packed gameplay segments in a Nintendo 3DS adventure that many Kirby fans adored.

v1438. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES) - Let's Do the Fooka-Fooka!

Moving from one Nintendo platforming all-star to another, though admittedly a much more popular one by far, we have Mario's first RPG adventure with Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. It would be the last project then-Squaresoft would make for a Nintendo system until the GameCube's Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles and the Game Boy Advance's Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Let's Do the Fooka-Fooka! plays in Nimbus Land, the home of Mallow, who--SPOILER ALERT!--isn't actually a tadpole. He's a cloud, and the prince of Nimbus Land at that!

v1439. Puppeteer (PS3) - Kutaro

The severely underrated Puppeteer for the PlayStation 3 released late in the console's life. This was the same season the PlayStation 4 launched, taking a lot of attention away from the PS3 lineup that year. Puppeteer sports and insanely whimsical and jaunty orchestral soundtrack that really makes you feel you're in a part of a seriously wonderful adventure. And you ARE! Puppeteer's play-like presentation is only boosted by Patrick Doyle's impressive score.

v1440. Jumping Flash! (PS1) - World 1-1

Jumping Flash! might not be a household name by any stretch of the imagination, but not only was it an early example of 3D platformer, but it was an early example of a 3D platformer done right. As the main character you launched into the air, leaping with high velocity to progress through environments. Beyond the sublime gameplay, Jumping Flash! sported a cheery and jovial soundtrack as well. Sadly, the composer behind the game's music, Takeo Miratsu, passed away in 2006 due to liver cancer. His spirit most definitely lives on in his music, whether in Jumping Flash! and its sequel, in Legend of Dragoon, or in the Beatmania IIDX series of games which he contributed regularly to.

Underrated Games With Even More Underrated Soundtracks - Part Five

SuperPhillip Central habitually checks out underrated and overlooked games throughout the year, and every Monday we post music from various video games. So the idea came years ago to combine these idea into one new series of articles: Underrated Games With Even More Underrated Soundtracks! We're now on our fifth installment since beginning some time ago. Part five of this series looks at underrated gems like the recently released Gravity Rush 2, Paper Mario: Color Splash, and a Wii U launch title, Nintendo Land.

To check out past parts of this article series, here are some convenient links for you:

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four

Gravity Rush 2 (PS4)

We begin with a game that if I hadn't already owned it, the soundtrack would have pushed me to do so. That's how fantastic Gravity Rush 2's soundtrack truly is. The music of this very overlooked early 2017 PS4 exclusive is composed by Kohei Tanaka, whose resume is as long as it is impressive. Such composition credits include his work on the PS1 cult classic Alundra, as well as working on anime like a little known title called One Piece. Tanaka-san brings his embarrassment of composition riches to Gravity Rush 2 with a lot of playful themes on top of more rock and jazz focused numbers. Gravity Rush 2 itself is a much improved sequel to the PlayStation Vita original, offering better gameplay and control. If you're looking for a game with lots of charm and personality for your PS4, Gravity Rush 2 is that game.

Title Menu

Storm and Triumph

Fire-Bound Lions

Combat II

Pleasure Quarter

Paper Mario: Color Splash (Wii U)

Speaking of charm and personality, you get that sevenfold with Paper Mario: Color Splash. You also get one of the funniest games on the Wii U and recently released in general. Color Splash is a marked improvement over the base gameplay found in the Nintendo 3DS's less than well received Sticker Star. It brings forth a reason to participate in battles, it offers more direction with its puzzles, and you'll seldom be frustrated as to what you need to do next. Then there's the music, which like Sticker Star is quite catchy and memorable. Color Splash has one of my favorite soundtracks of last year, taking familiar themes and giving them a clever twist, as well as wholly original compositions that stand up to any other pieces in the game. By virtue of releasing near the end of the struggling Wii U's life, Paper Mario: Color Splash didn't receive much fanfare from the gaming community, but don't be mistaken-- the game is well worth checking out if at least not listening to its stellar soundtrack.

Ruddy Road

Cherry Lake

Onstage at Oceanfest

Sunglow Ridge

Chateau Chanterelle 

Nintendo Land (Wii U)

Nintendo Land didn't exactly have the greatest reveal. With a lackluster appearance of gameplay and no fireworks to speak of, Nintendo Land and consequently the Wii U in retrospect were doomed from the start. Nevertheless, Nintendo Land itself is a really entertaining party game with 12 attractions all based around Nintendo franchises, such as Mario, Zelda, Pikmin, and more. Many of these have multiplayer components to them, and they showcase the Wii U's asymmetric gameplay where one player uses the Wii U GamePad while other players use the Wii Remotes. Each side is doing a different gameplay task, hence the term "asymmetric gameplay." If it's still not clear, don't worry. It's hard to explain perfectly, and that's part of the reason why the Wii U itself was hard to market. Regardless, Nintendo Land isn't just special as a party game; its soundtrack is a collection of familiar remixes of Nintendo franchise music.

Main Plaza

Gerudo Valley (The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest)

Mission 10: Battle Kraid (Metroid Blast)

Stage 1 (Mario Chase)

Stage 1 (Animal Crossing: Sweet Day)

Rayman Legends (Multi)

Rayman Legends is a similar game like Rayman 2 before it in the case that Ubisoft just can't help but port it to every system under the sun. The Wii U was the original, and that was ported to the PS4 and Xbox One. Then, the Vita got its own version. Now, the Nintendo Switch is due up for what Ubisoft is calling the "definition edition." Whether or not the version of Rayman Legends is the definitive one or not, what you're going to get is platforming nirvana with a side of charm, humor, and gorgeous art using the Ubi Art game engine. The music is also quite nice, offering a boisterous orchestra to accentuate all the action. Pretty much everything about Rayman Legends is well crafted and makes for an engaging experience, particularly in multiplayer and particularly if you own the Wii U version which delivers some of that asymmetric multiplayer I was talking about in the Nintendo Land blurb.

Mysterious Swamps

Babel Tower

Storming the Castle

Enchanted Forest

Luchador

MadWorld (Wii)

MadWorld was quite the interesting game. It was unapologetic in its violence and crude humor, and it was the Wii of all consoles, a platform known for its more family friendly content compared to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Despite this, Platinum Games' MadWorld ended up being a really fun game even with its somewhat repetitive gameplay. That wasn't what players jumped on first, however. No, it was the game's showcase black and white art style which accentuated all the red blood that would pour from enemies. The soundtrack is all original rap and rock music, and damn awesome ones at that. Sure, songs like "come with it" are a bit too vivid and detailed with their violent imagery and wording, but it's all catchy and it all fits the game really well. It says something when I can enjoy a game's soundtrack despite not having a major love for rap music. Whatever the case, MadWorld was an underrated gem in the underrated library of the Wii.

come with it

Survival

ain't that funny

Let's Go!

You Don't Know Me

Mega Man X8 (PS2, PC)

After some stumbles in the Mega Man X franchise with Mega Man X6 and then the failed attempt for the X sub-series to enter 3D with Mega Man X7, it was a greatly pleasant surprise to discover that Mega Man X8 was a winner of a game. Sure, it had its own problems like two of the eight Maverick stages being vehicle-based and not traditional platforming stages, but overall, Mega Man X8 was a good game. Like X7, Mega Man X8 used fully 3D polygonal models instead of 2D sprites, and this was used to nice effect with some levels wrapping around themselves, fully using 3D depth and the like. The soundtrack continues the Mega Man X sub-series' penchant for excellent music. Most of X8 is hard rock, as you can see-- er... hear-- by these examples provided below.

Main Theme

Middle Boss Battle

Booster Forest

Boss Battle

Lumine 2nd