SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - "Wonderful to a (Double) Fault" Edition

Welcome to a new edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs to kick off your work week! Last night might have saw the ultimate in football United States-style happen, but SuperPhillip Central leads off this edition of the Favorite VGMs with some tennis, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash to be specific. While most of us know all how content-light that game was, it did deliver some awesome music.

Following that is an import-only title, Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War for the Super Famicom, though fan translated versions do exist. Metal Slug 3 rallies closely behind, and then we get even more retro with some Streets of Rage. Lastly, Wario Land: Shake It! shakes its groove thang for a delightful uptempo track.

Just click on the VGM volume name to hear the song, and check the VGM Database for all past VGMs featured on this weekly recurring segment. Now, let's get on to the music!

v1326. Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash (Wii U) - Classic Tennis

We start off with a game with stellar gameplay, some of the Mario Tennis series' best, with Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash. It's just a shame that the content in the game is so pathetically light, hardly worth full price. However, Motoi Sakuraba once again hits an ace with his soundtrack, as heard with this theme that plays during a round of classic tennis!

v1327. Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War (SFC) - Victory is Near

It's not every week and every edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs that we get an imported game featured. Well, on this week and this edition we do with Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, a Super Famicom and Japan exclusive entry in the series, before Fire Emblem started making its rounds in the West after Marth and Roy's inclusions in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Yuka Tsujiyoko composed this majestic theme, and remains a composer on the Fire Emblem series to this day.

v1328. Metal Slug 3 (Multi) - Blue Water Fangs (The Island of Dr. Moreau)

Metal Slug 3 offered similar run and gun gameplay of past Metal Slug games. However, it also introduced multiple routes to make for even more longevity and replay value than ever before. Blast soldiers and monsters alike on the creepy island of Dr. Moreau! What you get to listen to on top of all the action is an uptempo and tense theme perfect for gunning down enemies to.

v1329. Streets of Rage (GEN) - My Little Baby (Good Ending)

Yuzo Koshiro is one of the gods of video game music. His early work on Streets of Rage remains a favorite by many fans of his. My Little Baby is the theme played during the good ending of Streets of Rage, unlocked from making a specific choice near the end of the game. Here we get a chill and relaxing tune punctuated with an awesome bass line.

v1330. Wario Land: Shake It! (Wii) - Aboard the Sweet Stuff Part 2 

Each level in Wario Land: Shake It! (or as our PAL pals know it as Wario Land: The Shake Dimension) has two parts. One is a regular romp through the level, and upon reaching the goal, the objective is to get to the beginning of the level as fast as possible. The second part of the level has a unique song that plays, and for the tutorial level of Shake It!, this theme plays. Get to the goal as quick as you can, Wario!

Title Screens That Say A Thousand Words: Gaming's Best - Part Two

A good title screen puts the player in the mood to enjoy the game. It's memorable, it's iconic, and just looking at it even without the actual game name on it can remind of you that game. With SuperPhillip Central's relatively new series on the best title screens in gaming, these titles bring out great memories of even greater games. To check out the first entries in this series, look no further than this link. After checking out SPC's picks, which title screens from gaming's past and present do you consider the best and most memorable?

Mass Effect 3 (Multi)

We begin our journey through great title screens with one from Mass Effect 3 that really sets the stage for the game. While the ending might have had much ire from fans, the title screen of the game is one that is hard to dislike. With pieces of debris and countless asteroids falling to the planet's surface, this Mass Effect 3 title screen is so easy to get lost in, gazing at each falling piece of debris as it smashes into the planet's surface.

Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U)

Xenoblade Chronicles X's title screen shares a common theme with Mass Effect 3's in that it's quite easy to get lost in. The world of the game is full of behemoth beasts both docile and threatening, and this title screen shows multiple flying beasts as our cast of heroes stands tall on a mountaintop gazing over them. The giant, hulking Skell standing next to them impresses as well, and the idea that players will be able to eventually hop inside one to take on these imposing beasts makes for one engaging title screen.

Kingdom Hearts (PS2)

Unlike Mass Effect 3 and Xenoblade Chronicles X's title screens, what Kingdom Hearts offers is a more relaxing and subdued title screen. Beautifully done artwork of series protagonist Sora rests on the right side of the screen as the logo takes up the majority of the screen's real estate. All of it is cast against a gentle white background, but the piece de resistance that blends it all together so splendidly is Yoko Shimomura's Dearly Beloved theme that plays over it. Soothing and pleasant to the eyes, this is the Kingdom Hearts title screen.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)

Going from subdued to more energetic, New Super Mario Bros. Wii's title screen shows off our heroes of the game, Mario, Luigi, Yellow Toad, and Blue Toad sauntering through a idyllic landscape full of small mountains and gigantic polka-dotted hills. This is all the while this peppy and upbeat tune plays. The title screen shows the first taste of the New Super Mario Bros. series on a console as well as the main draw to the game other than the terrific level design, the crazy, zany, and ultimately fun local multiplayer for up to four friends to enjoy.

Sonic & Knuckles (GEN)

This title screen begins with Sonic falling downward with Dr. Robotnik's Death Egg smashing into a mountain in the background. As Sonic's feet meet the ground, planting firmly next to Knuckles' location, the Sonic & Knuckles logo pops up from the bottom of the screen. Now, both a 3D-looking model of Sonic as well as Knuckles perform their own modest idle animations as players choose between taking on the game as either the Blue Blur or the echidna that unlike Sonic, doesn't chuckle. It's an energetic and for its time, impressive title screen that really hits home that Sega Genesis owners were in for one exciting platforming adventure.

Streets of Rage (GEN)

Streets of Rage's classic title screen brings players with a nighttime view of a '90s era city, full of criminals and thugs to beat down and brawl. The three protagonists, Axel, Blaze, and Adam, all ex-cops, position themselves on the title screen, taking up top billing as the Streets of Rage logo manifests on the screen as well. Between the gorgeous city background, the impressive and large ixel and sprite models of our three heroes, and the Yuzo Koshiro soundtrack that backs it, this title screen for Streets of Rage is absolutely old school cool.

Super Metroid (SNES)

Going from old school cool to cool in general, Super Metroid's title screen is chilling in every sense of the word. Showing fallen bodies on both sides of the baby Metroid from Metroid II: Return of Samus that is held in captivity, the cold choices of color, the flashing of the computer monitors on both sides of the Metroid, and tense, mysterious music that plays while players look on all add up to one ambient title screen that is as memorable as it is alarming.

Mega Man 2 (NES)

Wrapping up this installment of the best title screens of gaming's long history, we go very retro with this one. After the opening scrolls up the side of a building, we see Mega Man without helmet standing at the top with his hair blowing wildly in the wind. The iconic Mega Man 2 logo presents itself, and players realize that they're in the cusp of greatness. Mega Man 2 is not only one of the greatest games on the classic NES, but it also possesses one of the most memorable title screens that the system has ever seen-- And as we've seen, one of the most memorable title screens in gaming history,

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - Retro-ing Out of July Edition

Another Monday means another edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs! This week the VGMs bring some retro goodness into your lives and your ears!

We start off fast and loose with a song from Sonic Advance 2. Continuing with the sequel idea, we then jump into Shenmue 2. Streets of Rage follows with its well known boss theme, and then we go into a puzzle mood with Tetris Attack. Finally, Mega Man 5 wraps things up with a song from the Complete Works version.

Just click on the VGM volume name to hear its song. And as always, check out the VGM Database for all past VGM volumes featured. Now, let's get onto the music!

v1191. Sonic Advance 2 (GBA) - Leaf Forest Zone, Act 1

The first level of Sonic Advance 2 takes Sonic and the gang to the Leaf Forest Zone, an engaging first zone in the game full of places to speed through with wild abandon. Despite the Game Boy Advance's sound chip being relatively weak, composers did their best to produce good music and sound regardless, as heard with this song.

v1192. Shenmue 2 (XBX) - Dou Niu Rooftop Battle

With the upcoming Shenmue 3, it seems like an opportune time to bring up one of the two other Shenmue games. However, rather than go for the obvious pick with the revolutionary and more well known Dreamcast Shenmue, I'm going with the Xbox sequel. While the track name isn't official by any stretch of the imagination, what is genuine here is just how good this battle theme sounds.

v1193. Streets of Rage (GEN) - Stage Boss

We continue our Sega theme for one more VGM with the boss theme of the excellent beat-em-up Streets of Rage for the Sega Genesis. Yuzo Koshiro shows his brilliance with a catchy theme that makes for great background music to beating up the bigger threats that Streets of Rage possesses enemy-wise.

v1194. Tetris Attack (SNES) - Ice World - Bumpty Stage

Developed by Intelligent Systems, Tetris Attack is the western version of the Super Famicom's Panel de Pon. Instead of original characters like the Japanese version had, Tetris Attack used a Yoshi's Island theme with it. Tetris Attack remains one of my favorite falling block puzzle games for any platform. It's addicting, easy to learn, but tough to master.

v1195. Mega Man 5 (NES, PS1) - Gravity Man (Complete Works Version)

Various Mega Man games got a second life on the PlayStation with a Complete Works version. This brought the NES classics to Sony's system with new remixed songs. The example here is for Mega Man 5's Gravity Man stage. Whether you prefer the beeps and boops of the original NES soundtrack or these new renditions on the PS1, you're getting some wonderfully infectious music regardless.