SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - "Twas the Week Before Christmas" Edition

'Twas the week before Christmas, and all through SuperPhillip Central's site
Phil was preparing game reviews to end the month for your delight

That... That's all I have for my Christmas poem so far. Instead, I bring you a special pre-Christmas edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs! Next week, presents will be opened, gifts will be given, and the fireplace will be lit up to make everyone warm and toasty. (Unless you're like me and don't have a fireplace in your household.)

This week's lineup of games features music from Star Wars Battlefront II, the recently released version, that is. Then, SoulCalibur V delivers an impressive orchestra and choir piece to bring even more emotion to this edition. Following that, we go a bit chill with music from Sonic Free Riders and Super Princess Peach. Things wrap up with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project.

Before I conclude my weekly introduction to SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs, remember to check out the VGM Database for all past games and songs ever featured on this long-running segment. Now, let's get onto the music!

v1526. Star Wars Battlefront II (PS4, XB1, PC) - Falcon Flight

Beginning with a bang, Star Wars: The Last Jedi released in theaters this past Friday, so what better excuse to post a theme from a Star Wars game? While EA's Star Wars Battlefront II has been raked over the coals with its microtransactions, so much so that the company is temporarily removing them until it gets a better idea on how it wants to implement them, the presentation is absolutely breathtaking in both gorgeous visuals and magnificent sound. The latter part of the presentation is our focus with this theme that plays during the Millennium Falcon's flight.



v1527. SoulCalibur V (PS3, 360) - Daybreaker

Announced at The Game Awards 2017, SoulCalibur VI is set to launch on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One sometime next year. Thus, let's take a look -- or in this case, listen -- back to the game that proceeded it, SoulCalibur V on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Much like Star Wars Battlefront II's score, we're greeted with an epic symphonic performance, but this time we have the powerful force of a backing chorus joining in.



v1528. Sonic Free Riders (360) - Metropolis Speedway

"Hey, hey, hey!" Groove with this track from the otherwise reprehensible attempt at bringing the Sonic Riders series to the Xbox 360's Kinect. It was a recipe for disaster, as well as a move that has pretty much killed the otherwise enjoyable Sonic Riders series. Thanks, Kinect! Having gotten my bitterness out, we can turn towards this infectious theme for the Metropolis Speedway circuit in Sonic Free Riders, one of the high points of the soundtrack as a whole.



v1529. Super Princess Peach (DS) - Tag the Flowers!

While those of us deep in the Midwest of the United States don't have much in the way of flowers to actually tag, much less pick, there's nothing saying we can't enjoy this delightful loop from the Nintendo DS' Super Princess Peach, the very first platformer where she's the star and not kidnapped. Instead, the roles are completely reversed with Mario being the one who is kidnapped by the ghastly Bowser. The Super Princess Peach soundtrack has a lot of cute and bouncy themes throughout its lineup of tunes, such as this one that only appears in a specific series of puzzle rooms in the first world of the game.



v1530. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES) - Ending Part 3



I would consider Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project the most overlooked of Konami's early era TMNT games. The first TMNT is well known for being ridiculously hard, TMNT II is a home port of the famous arcade game, and Turtles in Time (TMNT IV) saw the series leap to the Super Nintendo. Meanwhile, The Manhattan Project released after the launch of the SNES and didn't get too much hype otherwise. It's still a rather fun game, especially if you like beat-em-ups and/or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - In Like A Lion Edition

March came in like a lion, at least for a lot of the United States. With heavy snowfall and cold winter temps, I feel the need to warm up with some awesome video game music! This week has a nice mix of music from games like Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, Super Princess Peach, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Sonic and the Black Knight, and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call.

v821. Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (Wii U) - Rainbow Across the Skies

We begin this edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs with a recent release, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse. The soundtrack for this game is super catchy, and it's already one of my favorites on the Wii U. This song plays during the first level of the fourth world, a romp through the skies, as the title would suggest. It's a beautiful theme, don't you agree?

v822. Super Princess Peach (DS) - Hoo's Wood 2

From one Nintendo game to another, Super Princess Peach was an entertaining but imperfect 2D platformer with a lot of personality. Princess Peach had her first and only starring role, using her emotions to deal with obstacles and proceed in the game. Not the most politically correct gameplay mechanic, but it was innovative enough.

v823. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES) - Athletic

We go to another platformer with the Super Nintendo classic Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. The Athletic theme plays during obstacle-laden levels which require a lot of careful platforming. It's a tune that you can't help but tap your toes to, bop your head along with, and start humming along.

v824. Sonic and the Black Knight (Wii) - With Me

With Me is the final boss theme of the incredibly short Sonic and the Black Knight. It's a theme driven by rock guitar and fantastic female vocals. There is also a Crush 40 cover of this song, but I prefer this original version as the lyrics are much more powerful with the hardcore female vocals backing them.

v825. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (3DS) - Ending Theme

Originally a part of an album of Final Fantasy theme covers, this ending theme to Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, a must-have game for Final Fantasy and music game fans, was performed by the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. It incorporates the Final Fantasy series main theme, the Chocobo theme, victory fanfare, and a lot more to create a great medley to celebrate conquering Curtain Call.

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGM - Knight of the Wind Edition

Welcome to Monday here at SuperPhillip Central. It's time once more for SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGM, celebrating the best and loveliest of video game music. Our list is 500 songs strong, and we have no signs of stopping. This week we have music from Sonic & the Black Knight, Perfect Dark, and Chrono Trigger.

v521. Sonic & the Black Knight (Wii) - Knight of the Wind

Many Sonic the Hedgehog fans argue till the cows come home on whether Jun Senoue's influence on the music of the series was a good thing or a bad thing. If you're not into cheesy rock, then you probably care for it. We happen to like both the modern music and Senoue's offerings. Sonic & the Black Knight's soundtrack is one of those, and this is the main theme of the game, Knight of the Wind.

v522. Rune Factory: Frontier/Tides of Destiny (Wii/Wii, PS3) - Trampoli Square

Used in both Rune Factory: Frontier and Tides of Destiny, Trampoli Square is a peaceful song complemented by wonderful woodwinds and gently flowing piano. While the actual games were disappointments, the soundtracks remain great to listen to.

v523. Super Princess Peach (DS) - Giddy Sky 1

Super Princess Peach had a novel idea-- take the familiar plots of the Super Mario Bros. series and invert them. Now, Princess Peach is the heroine on a journey to rescue the captured Mario Bros. The music of the game was suitably upbeat and cheery, perfect for a saunter through the colorful worlds of Super Princess Peach.

v524. Perfect Dark (N64, XBLA) - Chicago: Stealth

From a light heroine to a darker one, Joanna Dark's sci-fi escapades as a special agent in Perfect Dark made for hot and heavy action. It is one of SuperPhillip's favorite shooters of all time. The soundtrack, too, is incredible, really pushing the capabilities of the Nintendo 64's sound chip.

v525. Chrono Trigger (SNES) - Boss Battle

Can you believe it has been 524 game themes without a nominee from Chrono Trigger? Well, we have fixed this with VGM 525. The lead composer of Chrono Trigger, Yasunori Mitsuda, felt immense pressure composing all of the music by himself. The situation got so stressful that Mitsuda-san suffered an ulcer. Thankfully his coworker and friend Nobuo Uematsu of Final Fantasy fame stepped in to help complete the soundtrack.

The 50 Best Nintendo DS Games - Part One

The Nintendo DS is nearing the end of its life, and it is one of the best-selling dedicated gaming platforms in history. There is still some fight left in the system with games that are forthcoming like Pokemon Black 2 and White 2, despite its successor, the 3DS, already being out.

What I have planned is a five week celebration of one of my favorite gaming platforms period, the Nintendo DS, showcasing what I consider to be the fifty best games the handheld has to offer. The plan is to present ten terrific titles every Thursday. There are so many brilliant titles to choose from that I am sure I will miss some of your favorites. No need to wait until the last week to mention your most cherished; feel free to sound off whenever you'd like.

In cases where there are multiple games in a series, I will usually pick the one that I enjoyed the most to represent the franchise on this list. However, this rule will not always be followed. With that out of the way, let's get to the first set of ten. Note: Only games released in North America will be mentioned as this is where SPC resides.

New Super Mario Bros.

Mario fans and partakers in the platforming genre had been waiting with bated breath for a brand-new 2D Mario ever since the release of the Game Boy classic, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is actually a Yoshi series game). Would you believe it would take Nintendo fourteen years to finally deliver some fresh 2D Mario goodness? It's commonplace to look back on this game and chide it for having a bland presentation or a lesser entry than the tremendous Wii incarnation, but at the time of release, critics praised the game for its clever level design, lovely platforming, nice mix of 2D and 3D, and the significant replay value when compared to previous 2D Mairo games. It's a cool thing to hate on this game now, but I still find it to be one of the best Nintendo DS games available and a very competent Mario game. Even a "bland" Mario is still entertaining and holds up well compared to others of the same genre.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story

The Mario RPGs currently follow two formats: either Paper Mario or Mario & Luigi. The third installment of Mario & Luigi, Bowser's Inside Story, takes the two plumber brothers, shrinks them, and places them inside their decades' old nemesis, Bowser. As the Koopa tyrant is controlled in the Mushroom Kingdom, the Mario brothers team together to solve puzzles and take out nasty enemies inside Bowser. This is all to help Bowser overthrow fan favorite Fawful, who has returned in a villain role to take over the Mushroom Kingdom. The turn-based RPG action requiring both plumbers to time their offensive strikes and defensive maneuvers has returned, as has the always charming comedic dialogue and situations. The laughs will be as numerous as the exciting battles portrayed in the game. A funny and unique game, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story is a remarkable RPG.

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future

What I consider to be the pinnacle of the Professor Layton series, The Unwound Future is the third game in the franchise, ending the opening trilogy of titles. The gameplay is unchanged from other games in the series, but the whole structure is refined to a near perfect point. You move around London across several still-frame scenes, helping out NPCs by solving their puzzles. Not only are the puzzles fun, requiring smarts in logic, math, and powers of deduction, but most of them advance the story. And man, is the story something! One can't help but get choked up at the ending. It's truly touching, and there's two parts that elicit such a response, too! A game that tugs at the heartstrings and energizes the brain, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future is an apt pick.

Advance Wars: Dual Strike

They say war is hell, and in reality, it very much is true. However, in Nintendo-published and Intelligent Systems-developed Advance Wars: Dual Strike makes war seem just so colorful and fun. All of the standard modes from past Advance Wars games have been included such as Campaign, War Room, and the ability for you to create your own maps to play on, as well as two new ones: Combat and Survival. The variety of units available is vast, and each type has their own strengths and weaknesses. It's sort of like a rock-paper-scissors affair where anti-air units obliterate aircraft, tanks destroy artillery, and submarines eliminate battleships. The subtitle of the game references the capability for two commanding officers to team up and control one combined army of mass destruction. The ability to use a Dual Strike makes the game seem unbalanced to some players, as it is essentially gives the side that uses it two turns, but regardless of this, I still find the first DS installment of Advance Wars to be an addicting strategy game.

Kirby: Canvas Curse

A platformer but an atypical one, Kirby: Canvas Curse (known as Kirby Power Paintbrush in PAL territories) is controlled entirely with the stylus. The gameplay consists of drawing lines to guide Kirby, trapped in ball form, through multiple worlds. Not only do these lines provide travel for Kirby, but they can also block projectile attacks. Enemies can be poked to stun them while poking Kirby himself will make the pink puffball dash. Kirby: Canvas Curse was one of the first Nintendo DS games to really show what touch screen controls on a dedicated handheld could truly do, and not just in a tech demo-like fashion which Super Mario 64 DS' touch-based mini-games did. Canvas Curse was a full adventure, packed with plenty of secrets, surprises, and challenge. It was a game that split up the severe first-year drought of the system before the onslaught of titles like Mario Kart DS, Advance Wars: Dual Strike, and Nintendogs came to start the DS party. A brilliant game, Kirby: Canvas Curse belongs in any collection.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow

The first Castlevania for the Nintendo DS, this game follows Symphony of the Night's design by being Metroid-like in structure. The game, like Aria of Sorrow before it, possesses a collectible feature for those who just gotta collect 'em all. The collectibles in this case are souls, dropped abilities by defeated monsters and bosses. Bosses automatically drop abilities. These are generally necessary to access new parts of the castle, but the optional abilities from ordinary creatures have different probability ratios of whether they drop souls or not. There's plenty of souls to nab, weapons to earn, and monsters to slay. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow was my introduction to the franchise, and alongside Symphony of the Night, remains one of my most enjoyed titles in the this Gothic series.

Yoshi's Island DS

Did you know that Nintendo changed the name of Yoshi's Island DS from Yoshi's Island 2 a mere couple of weeks before its release? Perhaps they didn't feel the game lived up to the standards of the original. Certainly in the music department that was true. Compared to Super Mario World 2, Yoshi's Island DS's score was mediocre at best. However, the gameplay which consisted of switching between babies like Baby Mario, Baby Peach, Baby Wario, and Baby Donkey Kong, chucking eggs at foes, and trying not to get your baby captured by sinister forces was all enjoyable. This addition of new babies with different abilities gave something fresh to the series formula while still maintaining the level of fun the Super Nintendo classic had. It's nowhere near as masterful, mind you, but it is still a worthwhile title to play. It gets darned difficult, too, especially if you go for 100%! You might start wailing like Baby Mario when he's separated from Yoshi!

Super Princess Peach

I'm not going to get into how this game could be perceived as reinforcing the stereotype that women are overly emotional and wear their feelings on their sleeves. I will, however, get into how charming Super Princess Peach was to me. The game is a simple in challenge platformer where Peach uses her emotions to advance in levels: joy, rage, gloom, and calm. Joy summons a miniature twister, allowing windmills to be turned, the short power of flight, and blast enemies away. Gloom makes Peach shed pools of tears, allowing her tears to make beanstalks grow from seedlings. I'm guessing you can probably tell why some criticized the game now, can't you? It's an easygoing platformer, and sometimes that is exactly what my gaming taste desires. It was nice to see Princess Peach finally being the savior instead of the saved. Add in some emotional bad guys like crying Goombas, and you have a game that I recommend.

The World Ends With You

No doubt that this game will become a commodity (more so than it already is now) because of the cast of the game recently being included in Square Enix's recent release, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. The World Ends With You is action-RPG where battles take full advantage of the Nintendo DS system's dual screens and are staged across both. Attacks are performed by equipping pins that each have attacks unleashed through performing various touch-based gestures like rubbing, swiping, circling the screen, and so forth. What I liked most about the game was that Square Enix actually developed a brand-new property outside of their comfort zones (Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts) that was worthwhile and full of ingenuity and innovation. The game might grate on you at first with its characters (but they grow on you), the controls might not be perfectly precise, and the learning curve might throw off some players, but if you give the game a chance, you will find that it is a wonderful world.

Mega Man Zero Collection

Might be cheating here as this is merely a collection of the four Mega Man Zero games which all debuted on the Game Boy Advance, but Mega Man Zero Collection is a great value at a great price. The addition of an easy mode, allowing players to go through all four games as if they were but one entity, was sensational. The original versions of the games were very much intact, but bonus content was added as part of the collection. This included artwork and the option to remap specific actions to certain button presses. Rated number three on my list of all-time greatest Mega Man series, Mega Man Zero is an action-packed 2D side-scrolling shooting game full of devious difficulty and glorious bot-bashing entertainment.

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So, that wraps up Part One and the first ten of fifty Nintendo DS games to get an emphatic mention here at SuperPhillip Central. Please join me for next Thursday where the second batch of ten DS games will be revealed. Will your favorites be included?

SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs - The Heat Is On Edition

Hot temperatures and steamy conditions in Central City make for an uncomfortable day. That's okay as I can sit inside and listen to some cool VGMs. Some of the games being represented today include Wii Sports, Super Princess Peach, and Sonic Unleashed. If there's no disagreements, let's get to the music.

v136. Wii Sports (Wii) - Main Theme

This game could be argued as one of the most defining games of this generation alongside Call of Duty IV. It's Wii Sports, a title that was previously packed in with the revolutionary Nintendo Wii system. The title featured five sports: baseball, bowling, tennis, golf, and boxing. It also introduced the world to Miis, avatar characters that could resemble their real life counterparts. Wii Sports had a grand impact on the industry whether some wish to admit to it or not.

v137. Super Princess Peach (DS) - Gleam Glacier 1

The first game to star Princess Peach, Super Princess Peach had the titular character journeying across Vibe Island's eight lands to rescue Mario and Luigi from the grips of Bowser's clutches. Along the way, she cried, she was on cloud nine, she raged, and she grew clam through her platforming escapades. Even the enemies couldn't help but get emotional as well. While a tremendously easy game and one that garnered a lot of criticism for the way it portrayed Peach as finicky with her feelings. Women are no doubt not as emotionally fragile as Super Princess Peach might make them look, that much is certain.

v138. Monster Tale (DS) - Aqueducts

Reviewed last week right here on SuperPhillip Central, Monster Tale comes from the brains behind Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure and the upcoming Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion. The thread that ties all three games together, besides being made by Dreamrift, is that they are all platformers. Monster Tale is a Metroid-style platformer, but it has a heavy reliance on backtracking which I broached about in my review. This song, Aqueducts, is a magnificent song to just lay back, relax, and chill to.

v139. TMNT IV: Turtles in Time (SNES) - Skull & Crossbones

You may not have heard a peep out of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in a little while, but rest assured that they will be coming back in a big way. A Nickolodeon animated series is coming soon, and it promises to offer a lot into the ethos of the franchise. Speaking of offering a lot, TMNT IV: Turtles in Time is my favorite TMNT entry, sending the Turtles back in time thanks to Shredder's time machine device. The turtles fight their way to the present and take down a mutated Shredder, saving the day and giving the city of New York its Statue of Liberty back.

v140. Sonic Unleashed (PS3, 360) - Rooftop Run - Day

A lot of Sonic Team games during this era had one or two or many things that stopped them from being truly great games. With Sonic Unleashed it was the addition of Werehog Sonic, an immensely slow character who had agonizing platforming and brawling sections. These would be fine if they were five minute affairs, but they went on for 20-30, even on a good tear. Rooftop Run - Day is a terrific tune as it features a great combination of rock guitar and strings. At least normal Sonic's stages were superb and laid the groundwork for Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations.

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Put on the suntan lotion and head to the pool as this volume of the favorite VGMs is over. But things are just heating up as we listen on all summer long. Next week we'll have five more entertaining tunes for your enjoyment. See you then.

Top Five Leading Ladies

I had a different story to run today, but then I remembered it was International Women's Day. You go, girls! Well, I guess that isn't politically correct nowadays. How about "you go, women?" There we are. This list does not depict the best leading ladies in gaming history; it's more of a my favorite femme fatales list. Which five fabled females will make the cut?

5) Bayonetta (Bayonetta)


A woman with a quartet of guns named parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (named after Scarborough Fair), Bayonetta is a modern day witch with the looks and legs to match. She was given glasses by the character designer to make her look more "mysterious and intelligent." Whether that actually worked is up to the player. All I know is that if you are the type of player who has grown upset or annoyed with women constantly being portrayed as objects of sex in video games, you will not be happy with Bayonetta. The character and game of the same name almost forces you to see her in various sexual poses, legs spread out, guns loaded (among other things), and libido fully prepped.

4) Princess Peach (Super Princess Peach)


I cannot count how many times Bowser has captured Princess Peach Toadstool, royalty of the Mushroom Kingdom. It is probably up there pretty high. When Mario and Luigi get captured by the king of the Koopas in Super Princess Peach, her Highness gets to take on the role of heroine for once. Joined by a parasol that can speak, Peach packs up her things and heads to Vibe Island and its eight themed worlds in order to stage a rescue of a lifetime. Some critics of the game jabbed Nintendo for hinting that all women are overly emotional. This stems from the fact that you can use one of four powers: Joy, Gloom, Rage, and Calm to assist Peach throughout the game. Have a beanstalk sprout that you need to grow immediately? Cry on it. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Peach uses her charm and dashing looks in her Final Smash to knock all opponents unconscious while she either uses the opportunity to attack or to heal up. Peach is an amusing character that I really adore despite her fragile exterior and constant bouts as the kidnap-ee.

3) Joanna Dark (Perfect Dark)


After scoring a perfect score at the Carrington Institute's shooting range test she was known as Perfect Dark. Joanna is a smart-mouthed, wit-filled secret agent who was the main contributor to ousting the conspiracy between the DataDyne Corporation and the Skedar alien race. She is excels at hand-to-hand combat and she is a master pilot and skilled driver. She has a gun for every occasion. The 2000 original game is one of my favorites of all time. The 2005 prequel Perfect Dark Zero sports a new Joanna with a new more Americanized attitude. Her trademark red hair is still present, but she sports an American accent and acts like a bratty teen... which she is. The English, more reserved Joanna is what I remember most from the franchise and care to take away from the series. Her flirty nature, master of weaponry, fisticuffs, and vehicles make her the female equivalent of James Bond. Except she probably doesn't have all the STDs Bond has.

2) Samus Aran (Metroid)


A former soldier for the Galactic Federation (as seen in the polarizing Metroid: Other M), Samus Aran left the Federation to become a bounty hunter. After witnessing her parents be destroyed by the Space Pirates and their leader Ridley, a young Samus vowed to seek revenge. Her power suit comes in multiple varieties such as the Varia, Gravity, and Power suits. These suits all sport a hand cannon and can be upgraded with new abilities like the Screw Attack, Ice Beam, Missiles, Double Jump, and many more. Her appearance in the most recent Metroid game, Metroid Other M, has sparked a lot of bickering among fans and critics. Some say Samus Aran was ruined and spout other hyperbole while others applaud the humanizing of the character. I am somewhere in the middle (see, gamers? You don't have to see everything as the best or the worst, black or white). A oftentimes strong, silent type, Samus Aran screw attacks the second spot on my list.

1) Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)


The most significant female lead in gaming, Lara Croft is a household name thanks to one of the few successful games turned to movies crossovers. Played by Angelina Jolie, the name Lara Croft spread into the mainstream subconscious and is now known worldwide. Not many video game characters much more female leads can say that. She is always viewed as pretty, remarkably smart, and amazingly athletic in games and on film. She is English like Joanna Dark, an archaeologist like Indiana Jones, and oftentimes finds herself exploring booby trap-filled tombs (hence the Tomb Raider title of the series). Eat your heart out, Nathan Drake. She is proficient with handguns, can kick all sorts of villainy butt, and always has a clever witticism to boot. Now if there is one leading lady that earns the right to be number one, it's Lara Croft from Tomb Raider.

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We've reached the end, my friends. Which heroes of the female persuasion do you envy the most? Did I forget your favorite? Let me know in the comments section.

SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs - Full-Bellied Edition

Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone, so now it's time to get back to business here at SuperPhillip Central. Time to show some brand-new VGMs with the community. This week we have some titans in God of War, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, and Final Fantasy XIII as well as lesser-known games like Super Princess Peach and Kirby Air Ride. It's bound to be a good edition of the VGMs. Just don't fill your bellies too much.

v611. God of War - Minotaur Boss Battle

We go from one boss battle theme with chanting to another with God of War's Minotaur Boss Battle. In order to defeat this minotaur menace, you had to drive a wooden stake through its chest. And I'm not talking about some one foot stake either. I'm talking a huge, massive stake through a huge, massive creature. The battle was immensely satisfying to partake in, and it's definitely one of the highlights of the original God of War for me.



v612. Super Princess Peach - Bowser's Villa 1

I'm doing my best to keep this a theme-free week. Perhaps that's the theme of the week! I can't stay away from it after all! Regardless, RNolan## requested some more Super Princess Peach music, so here is my sample. It's one of the final levels in the game, Bowser's Villa 1 full of fire and fearsome foes. The game is still one of the more criminally underrated and overlooked DS games on the market, so if you have a chance to pick up a copy, please do so. Do it for the nonexistent children!



v613. Kirby Air Ride - Celestial Valley

This next track comes from another happy-go-lucky hero, Kirby. Whereas Princess Peach participated in platforming peril, Kirby is racing his little heart out in Kirby Air Ride. This theme comes from the second course in the Air Ride mode, Celestial Valley. Kirby Air Ride came with three modes: Air Ride, the main racing mode, Top Ride, the Super Off-Road style perspective mode, and City Trial which put players in a city duking it out for power-ups and prestige. It was a great, fun, interesting racer which I recommend.



v614. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles - The Theme of Alexia I

We listened to part II of the theme of Alexia, the main antagonist of Code Veronica X, already. Now after a bit of a vacation, here's part I. It's just as haunting if not even more so as part II if not slower paced. The Darkside Chronicles is my second favorite rail shooter ever. It combines the mythos, the cool gunplay, the action-packed set pieces, and of course, the music of the Resident Evil series and puts them into bite-sized packages. Pick up a copy of the game if you have any interest in the franchise and a Wii.



v615. Final Fantasy XIII - Blinded by Light (Extended Version)

Blinded By Light is the battle theme of Final Fantasy XIII, a game I've been turned off of playing due to player input. The game seems a bit too linear and challenging for my liking. Plus why play a 50 hour RPG when you could be playing five 10 hour games instead? Catch my drift? This catchy battle theme does have me sort of interested. Keywords are "sort of". I doubt I'll ever play this thirteenth epic in the illustrious Final Fantasy franchise.



There goes my dinner just now. I must have had way too much VGMs for one week. This must mean our time together today is now over. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed my VGMs this week.

Super Princess Peach (DS) Review

Welcome to Tuesday here at SuperPhillip Central. I truly appreciate your feedback, so please keep giving it to me by posting a message in the comments section on any and every story you find interesting or have something to add, a question perhaps. Today I'm reviewing a game that was released on my birthday in 2006. It's none other than Super Princess Peach-- the game that held me over for New Super Mario Bros.!

Princess Peach Power!

There's few women in gaming more recognizable than Princess Peach from the Super Mario Bros. series. Sure, there's Samus Aran, but she hides underneath a mask most of the time. On that note, hopefully I didn't spoil the fact that Samus is actually a girl. Nonetheless, tired of her co-stars hogging all of the action, Princess Peach has set out for her own portable adventure. With girl power taking precedence this time around, is this adventure just as peachy as Mario's?

Things have turned flip-side upside down in the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario and that green guy have been plumber-napped by Bowser, and it's up to Peach to save the day for once! She won't be alone, however, as she comes across a talkative and cheery parasol to help out in her journey across eight themed worlds from arctic mountains to active volcanoes. Bowser's plan is to use Vibe Island's Vibe Scepter on the denizens of the island. It's up to Princess Peach to rescue the plumber pair, take back the Vibe Scepter, and kick out Bowser from his vacation retreat.

Mario and Luigi have been captured!
It's up to Princess Peach to rescue them.

As stated, there's eight worlds in total, each with six levels. The sixth being a boss battle against a giant foe from an enlarged Kamek to a wiggler to Gooper Blooper. Before these fights are lame touch screen-driven mini-games where you must reach the boss. These just feel tacked on and gimmicky. As for the bosses, they all have a weakness to one of Peach's various emotions, so experimenting to see what emotion will tackle what boss is all the fun... except the game tells you what emotion to use before the actual boss battle.

Big girls don't cry.
Unless they're facing a mean piranha plant.

Speaking of emotions, Princess Peach is an emotional gal. Not to invoke stereotypes of women, but she can change her emotions like she's changing the time on a clock. However, unlike the untrue stereotype, Peach's emotions can help her out in the grand scheme of the things. There's four emotions to choose from, activated by the touch screen. Each emotion when in play saps energy from Peach's vibe meter. When it runs out, you are unable to use emotions until you fill it back up either by grabbing blue gems or siphoning energy off enemies by sucking them inside the parasol. The four emotions are: joy, rage, gloom, and calm. Joy engulfs Peach inside a miniature twister which attacks enemies and allows her to fly. Rage sets Peach fire in a burning flame as she marches through enemies and burns bridges (literally) with her anger. Gloom tears up poor Princess Peach as she cries. Her tears can water beanstalks to make them grow, and her speed in this form allows her to race through levels at a brisk speed. Finally, calm is probably the most broken emotion. In this state and until she takes damage, her health heals slowly. This makes most boss battles and otherwise more difficult parts of the game less challenging.

Familiar sights abound in Super Princess Peach.

Another problem with the difficulty is that Super Princess Peach does not use a life system. If you fall in a bottomless pit, you lose a half a heart. That's it. If you lose all of your hearts, you have to restart the level. This is so difficult to actually achieve that this will most likely be a non-factor when playing through the majority of Super Princess Peach's levels.

As for the levels, Super Princess Peach has admirable level design. There's nothing that will make you drop your jaw like New Super Mario Bros. Wii, but that's alright. There are some cool ideas sprinkled in and creative design such as a rotating room. The levels are pretty easy, and they're divided up by rooms much like Yoshi's Island. Each level has three toads to save. They're hidden in pretty clever locations though you'll get an audible and visual signal when a toad or other secret is in the room you're currently in. Collecting all the toads unlocks new, more challenging bonus levels after the game is completed.

There's also coins to collect throughout Super Princess Peach's worlds. These aren't just for show or to make Peach richer than she already is. No, no. They're used in the game's shop to purchase new moves, health and vibe meter increases, music, mini-games like Toad Jump, and puzzle pieces. There's also a glossary that lists all of the enemies and bosses you've encountered, a place to listen to purchased music, and many more options available.

The graphics are top-notch and very good.

The visuals unlike New Super Mario Bros. are exclusively 2-D, and the game looks great. Peach and company animate beautifully, the worlds are bright, vivid, and colorful, and the game never chugs slowly even with multiple enemies and things going on the screen at the same time. The music, other than the charming gameplay, is one of the best parts of this pretty and pink Princess Peach package. There's multiple memorable tunes and tracks that you'll be humming to as you play through the game.

Overall, Super Princess Peach is a fun, five-hour game with plenty of unlockable content to discover and enemies to bash and absorb. The only main gripe I have with this game is a lack of real challenge. Sure, there's some trouble spots here and there, but it's nothing that can't be conquered after a try or two. With lush visuals, a great soundtrack, and an endearing heroine, Super Princess Peach is one platformer not to be missed.

[SuperPhillip Says: 8.5/10]