All-Star Franchises, Underrated Entries - Part Fourteen

If you've been around SuperPhillip Central for a little while (it's still okay if you haven't, so no harm done), then you know that I like talking about underrated and overlooked games. I've done various series on the subject. However, most of the time, the games mentioned in these articles are from wholly new or overlooked franchises themselves.

There are also a multitude of series that I can think of that have one, two, or a handful of games in it that aren't viewed as highly as the others, whether just or not.

These ideas are where the concept of All-Star Franchises, Underrated Entries comes from, and since our 13th edition, I've come up with six more underrated entries to big-time franchises, some bigger than others. If you'd like to see past parts of this long-running series, check them out here:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six

Part Seven

Part Eight

Part Nine

Part Ten

Part Eleven

Part Twelve

Part Thirteen

Sonic - Team Sonic Racing (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

Let's strike while the iron's hot popularity-wise as the Sonic the Hedgehog movie is fresh on moviegoers' minds. Team Sonic Racing comes from the same sub-series of racing games as Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, but it's not seen in the same caliber as those titles. Part of that reason is the total absence of SEGA's all-stars, instead having Team Sonic Racing adhere exclusively to--as the title of the game would suggest--characters within the Sonic the Hedgehog series. That said, the arcade racing gameplay remains in top form despite the lack of characters like AiAi, Samba, Ulala, Nights, et. al, and the added team mechanic works well for the game. Unfortunately, many snubbed Team Sonic Racing due to being seen as a step backwards for the Sonic racing franchise, but rest assured, the game is as high of a quality as you'd expect from the racing game masters at Sumo Digital.

Yoshi - Yoshi's Crafted World (NSW)

We're going to change from the fast, high octane realm of Team Sonic Racing to the more slow, plodding, and methodical pace of Yoshi's Crafted World. Most still believe that the original Yoshi's Island is the pinnacle of the Yoshi platforming series, but if you ask me, Yoshi's Woolly World surpassed it. As for its followup from Woolly World's developer Good Feel, Yoshi's Crafted World may have part of its charm removed from the lackluster soundtrack included (a massive step down from Yoshi's Woolly World, moreover Yoshi's Island), but everywhere else, charm pours out like water from a sugary sweet fountain. The multi-tiered level design, offering oodles of activity in the foregrounds and backgrounds, as well as constantly delivering new platforming gimmicks and challenges within each stage, made for some marvelously happy memories for me through playing Crafted World. Just how well Good Feel--for lack of a better word--"crafted" its levels from real life household objects much like a child would make for an elementary school diorama just oozed with creativity. Yoshi's Crafted World may not have been the best the Yoshi series has seen, but it's hardly a weak effort.

Animal Crossing - Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (3DS)

Moving on from one mellow franchise to another, we have Animal Crossing, which recently saw a full blowout for its newest entry which launches on March 20th. Part of the customization features seen in New Horizons can be traced back to the options available in a spin-off entry in the franchise: Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer for the Nintendo 3DS. Now, perhaps this is damning the game with faint praise, but first and foremost, Happy Home Designer is by far a better game than the sickly and quite frankly, insulting Wii U spin-off, Amiibo Festival. To give better praise to Happy Home Designer, the amount of customization  was massive with placing furniture and channeling your inner Property Brother to make a magnificent floor plan for each and every animal that asks for your interior design services. While one could easily do the minimal amount of effort to satisfy a given animal's request, it was more enjoyable to put in the work and the effort to create a gorgeous happy home both on the inside and the outside for every animal that came your academy's way.

Professor Layton - Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy - Deluxe Edition (NSW)

Professor Layton may be missing, but his daughter Katrielle is more than capable of following in his footsteps to solve (decidedly more menial) mysteries! The game with such a long title that I will just shorten it to "Layton's Mystery Journey" features a dozen or so short, self-contained cases to solve instead of one major overarching one. This is better for short, bite-sized portable playing sessions, but it can also put off those hoping for something more complicated and convoluted that was previously the Professor Layton series's penchant. Still, you do get a multitude of brain teasers and puzzles to solve from a plethora of personality-rich characters to enjoy. The original Layton's Mystery Journey released on the Nintendo 3DS, and this Nintendo Switch version altered some of the puzzles around, even replacing several that required some of the 3DS's hardware capabilities. Despite removing several fan-favorite features and characters from the franchise, Layton's latest in the series is one not to miss.

Frogger - Frogger: Helmet Chaos (PSP)

Frogger is well known as a franchise that has players controlling the titular frog, hopping across hazard-filled rivers and streets, hoping not to fall in or get flatten, as the locale may permit. Frogger: Helmet Chaos on the PlayStation Portable took the franchise into familiar territory while also adding a whole new adventure element to the series. It was a mix of new and old while not straying too far away from the series's arcade roots like the home console iterations of the time for the Frogger franchise found themselves doing. Instead, Frogger: Helmet Chaos featured a top-down view with exploration elements, adventuring parts, and a unique level-based system that affected which level you'd stumble on to next depending on route choices made in the adventure. The latter offered an abundant amount of replay value for the game, and made it more than worthy of a second or even third play, depending on how much one enjoyed the chaos of Frogger's helmet-related adventure.

Soul Calibur - Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny (PSP)

Speaking of the PSP, let's turn to a well known fighting game franchise that didn't really have any favors done to it for being placed on Sony's handheld system. Being stuck on the PlayStation Portable meant that Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny languished in sales, but those that did get the privilege to play it found a meaty game worthy of the Soul Calibur name. It was essentially a well made version of the arcade and home console games put to a portable format, and it worked insanely great. You had a full fledged fighter that you could place in your pocket. The addition of Kratos as Broken Destiny's exclusive guest character was just the cherry on top of this sweet sundae of weapons-based combat goodness that was Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny.

SuperPhillip Central Best of 2019 Awards - Top Five Most Overlooked Games

On a new day here at SuperPhillip Central, a new awards category and a new top five list are here to greet us. This time around we'll be taking a look at the top five Most Overlooked Games of 2019. Overlooked games are no stranger to the site, as they're constantly covered, so it only makes sense to devote an entire category of the SuperPhillip Central Best of 2019 Awards to the most overlooked titles of the year. The following games were sales disasters, games that failed to catch most of the gaming populace's attention, and/or didn't make a heavy impact in the overall conversation this year. Let us get started with the countdown!

5) Daemon X Machina (NSW)

Enter into your giant Arsenal mech and do battle in over 50 unique story and side missions, as well as dozens of online missions. The latter have you do battle with behemoth-sized bosses as a team of up to four players, and the new update allows you to venture into a randomly generated dungeon with players, too. Daemon X Machina was a fixture of Nintendo's Direct video presentations, but despite the coverage, the game did not soar into the skies of splendid sales success. (Pardon the alliteration, but I couldn't help myself.) That said, while Daemon X Machina sports an impressive amount of customization and lightning quick aerial and ground combat, it can be an immensely challenging game at the start due to its learning curve.. Perhaps the initial inaccessibility of the game players found in the various demos of Daemon X Machina were the short circuit--if you will--in producing stellar sales.

4) Team Sonic Racing (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

We move on from mechs to a well-known mascot in the world of video games, but not even notoriety was enough to make this arcade racer cross the finish line in first place. Instead, the relatively low budget of Team Sonic Racing and the complete lack of post-launch DLC in the form of new characters or tracks gave little for the already minimal amount of players who picked up the game to have a reason to return to it. With Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled releasing a little under a month after Team Sonic Racing, Crash's racing remake not only ate Team Sonic Racing's lunch, but left the game in its exhaust as well. Considering the team mechanic was an interesting approach to the arcade racer, which I would have liked to see explored further, and the base game was enjoyable enough, it's a disappointed that so many overlooked Team Sonic Racing.

3) MediEvil (PS4)

Speaking of PlayStation remakes, MediEvil launched this past year around Halloween, and it brought its classic action-adventure gameplay to PlayStation 4 owners with a budget price. However, not even its $30 price tag was convincing enough to bring players to it, unfortunately. Between how obtuse the game can be (as well as how difficult), in addition to MediEvil just not being as fondly remembered by PlayStation fans, MediEvil couldn't scare up sales or much attention from the gaming populace. Hopefully the lackluster debut of MediEvil doesn't mean that other PlayStation classic franchises stay buried like MediEvil once was. You better believe you're in trouble if you cost me my Ape Escape revival, Sir Dan!

2) Concrete Genie (PS4)

Another release from this past October, Concrete Genie was a pet project of passion for its developer, Pixelopus. The intriguing and innovative gameplay mechanic of painting to bring graffiti to life to solve puzzles was a clever one that made for an enjoyable game. Slowly seeing the town of Denska start from a dilapidated bureau into one full of life by the end of the game thanks to hero Ash's efforts was a delight. Further a delight were the visuals and art style, showcasing immense artistry and creativity that shined brightly in every aspect of the presentation. If you have any doubt that the PlayStation brand and moreover Sony do not provide first-party efforts that flow with originality and creativity, then perhaps Concrete Genie as but one of many examples will correct your thinking.

1) Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

After the original Yooka-Laylee did its best to ape the gameplay and structure of Banjo-Kazooie but ended up disappointing plenty of players and people, the chameleon and bat's return in Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair got the fanfare of crickets at most. This was despite the game reviewing relatively well, and featuring gameplay more akin to Donkey Kong Country this time around. Despite multiple sales on digital platforms, including a system known for being kind to platformers like the Switch, the game still didn't make much of an impact. How much this game was overlooked was another example of yet another sales shame from this year, as Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is not only a fantastic 2D platformer with an ingenious method of traverse between levels, but it's one of the better games of 2019 bar-none.

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Another awards category and top five list premieres tonight as the SuperPhillip Central Best of 2019 Awards continues!

SuperPhillip Central Best of 2019 Awards - Top Five Best Original Soundtracks

The festivities officially begin here with SuperPhillip Central's Best of 2019 Awards! For over a decade now, SPC has awarded the best and boldest of gaming each year. What follows these next 7-9 days is a variety of categories in top five form and one final top ten for SPC's favorite games of 2019.

Let's get things underway with our first category: Best Original Soundtracks. With music being something that is of a highly subjective nature--more so than a lot of other categories lined up for this week of awards--it all comes down to whatever tickled SPC's fancy--or in this case, the ears--the most. These five games sport the best soundtracks that come solely from gaming and no outside source such as heavily licensed music. Without further ado, let's kick SPC's celebration of gaming off with some great music!

5) Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (PS4, XB1, PC)

Starting off this soundtrack countdown, we soar in the skies with Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown's monumentally marvelous and memorable musical score. No doubt the highlight of the soundtrack is the piece of music that caps the entire journey, Daredevil. It's a piece of music that brings with it a tremendous emotional punch and gives just the right amount of energy to deliver some serious feelings. Elsewhere on the soundtrack are themes that bring a great sense of urgency, action, and impact, all perfect for a grandiose aerial adventure.

Daredevil

Hush

Archange

Eastern Wind

Tail Man

4) Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

Be forewarned: we may see a lot of this next game in numerous categories of SuperPhillip Central's Best of 2019 Awards. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair made no attempt to hide its clear inspiration from the Donkey Kong Country series, and it helps that several folks who worked on those games worked on this one. That includes one of the composers of the game: David Wise, who was joined by a bounty of talent in the form of Grant Kirkhope and two relatively newcomers, Matt Griffin and Dan Murdoch, who contributed several tracks to the game. Some of these are my favorites on the entire soundtrack, such as the Aquatic Ambiance-esque Factory Fright - Flooded. The Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair soundtrack does not hit the same highs as the best in the Donkey Kong Country series, but it's no slouch in the musical score department either!

Capital Causeway

Frantic Fountains

Turbine Trouble

Factory Fright - Flooded

Production Path - Panic

3) Team Sonic Racing (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

Our next video game soundtrack of 2019 incorporates several remixes from past Sonic the Hedgehog games in it, including music from Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic Unleashed, and past Sonic racing games. It's Team Sonic Racing, and aside from the expertly crafted new remixes by a wide array of musical talent, such as Crush40, Jun Senoue, Tee Lopes, the Hyper Potions, and more, there are several brand-new tracks. Of course, there's the prerequisite of a modern Sonic game to have a vocal main theme, and Green Light Ride rocks and hits all the right notes. That notwithstanding, the all-new music themes heard in the Planet Wisp series of races, for instance, all deliver fantastic high-energy themes.

Green Light Ride

Wisp Circuit

Lost Palace

Ice Mountain

Boo's House

2) Fire Emblem: Three Houses (NSW)

Fire Emblem never fails to feature a stirring, riveting and sensational soundtrack--especially these past few entries--and Fire Emblem: Three Houses certainly does not buck this trend. Whether it's gallivanting around Garreg Mach Monastery to the peaceful and restful theme that plays, or hearing Fodlan Winds, Tempest of Seasons, or one of many of the stellar battle themes that accompany the action and terrific tactical combat of the game, Fire Emblem: Three Houses devotes itself to a high level of polish. This no doubt seeps deeply into the soundtrack, so hopefully these examples remain available to listen to in order to give you an idea on just how remarkable the music really is.

Main Theme

The Edge of Dawn (Seasons of Warfare)

Fodlan Winds

Tempest of Seasons

Life at Garreg Mach Monastery

1) Kingdom Hearts III (PS4, XB1)

The splendid Yoko Shimomura, whose mastery of music making is well known, brought her "A" game once more to the Kingdom Hearts series with the third numbered installment of the series, Kingdom Hearts III. Taking numerous past themes from the series and reworking them with the full majesty of a full orchestra, as well as composing wholly original pieces of music in addition to this, made the Kingdom Hearts III soundtrack resonate greatly with me. That said, I shouldn't give total credit to Ms. Shimomura, regardless of her excellent ability. The soundtrack's breadth and depth was helped by Takeharu Ishimoto and Tsuyoshi Sekito who contributed to the music, too. Kingdom Hearts III was a team effort, and emphasis on the effort, as it truly shows with the magnificent music and sounds one can hear from the game.

Mount Olympus Field

Toy Box Battle

Arendelle Field

Gummy Ship Exploration III

VS Demon Tide (Phase 2)

Top Five Winter Wonderlands of Gaming in 2019

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through SPC,

Phil was posting up a storm, as hard as he could be.

With a new gaming list that he checked twice,

One for the top five snow and winter levels of 2019, how nice!

So sit back, relax, and grab a nice, hot cup of cocoa,

As we start this themed countdown, and away we go!

5) Ice Mountain - Team Sonic Racing (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

A vastly overlooked racing game from this past May, Team Sonic Racing may have been lapped by its competition--a game that we'll look at a little later on this list--but it did feature a stellar snowy and icy race track full of wintry wonder to watch out for. Ice Mountain is based off Sonic Unleashed's Cool Edge level, and it sports a wild ride through icy twists and turns, banked curves, and multiple trick opportunities in the form of high-flying ramps and jumps.

Weave through gigantic icicles to avoid a nasty wipe-out, and then speed through a series of shipping containers as you approach the final turn, home to some incredibly deep snow racers will want to avoid unless they wish to slow down heavily. Ice Mountain comes complete with an awesome remix/mashup of Cool Edge's Day theme and Sonic Colors's "Reach for the Stars" theme, solidifying its placement on this list--though the greatness of the track itself was more than enough to do so.

4) Slip-Slide Isle - Yoshi's Crafted World (NSW)

We move on from an arcade racing game to one of our two platforming genre representatives of this list with Yoshi's Crafted World's ice level. Just be careful, Yoshi, as there's no tread in those boots of yours! Yes, as the name of the level suggests, Yoshi will slip and slide around across icebergs floating on the frozen seas. Avoid some pushy penguins named Bumptys that, true to their names, will do their best to bump Yoshi into the frosty drink. This themed level has everything--icebergs that tilt and sway with characters' weight, a humongous whale that can shoot Yoshi up through its blowhole, a seaside voyage via a ride-able beach ball, and icicles that fall down from the ceilings of caverns once Yoshi passes underneath them, also serving as makeshift platforms. Good Feel shows off such incredible creativity throughout its levels in Yoshi's Crafted World, and Slip-Slide Isle is no different in this regard, making it one of my favorite winter wonderlands in gaming this year.

3) Cliffside Quest - Cold - Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

Like Team Sonic Racing, Playtonic Games' Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair definitely didn't see the commercial success that fans of the game like myself would have liked. That said, that doesn't stop the game from being fantastic, nor having one of the better wintry levels in gaming in 2019.

Cliffside Quest's Cold version takes the familiar Cliffside Quest village setting and puts it under a deep freeze. Snow and ice covers everything as far as the eye can see, though the goal to complete the level is the same. Instead of simply going from point A to point B to reach the level's goal, the goal is right in front of Yooka and Laylee at the start of the level. The objective of this level is to collect five different colored gems to rescue the Bee trapped inside its crystal prison. This means exploring all corners of the level in various rooms, each with their own platforming perils and challenges. Cliffside Quest - Cold ends up becoming one of the more cleverly designed and original levels within a game filled to the brim with fantastically designed levels brimming with personality and creativity.

2) Gingerbread Joyride - Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled (PS4, XB1, NSW)

While Team Sonic Racing didn't take the checkered flag at the end of the day, this next game certainly did: Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled. With the latest Grand Prix update, this new circuit is featured. Gingerbread Joyride screams "Christmas" with its houses and spectators crafted in the cookie delight, gumdrops littered across the sidelines, including two troublesome ones before the race's final turn, snow banks, a warm glow that emanates from the starting gingerbread town, and plenty of Christmas charm to put anyone in the holiday spirit. This circuit requires mastery of power sliding and drifts in order to complete it without trailing behind at the back of the pack, and learning how to take both of the shortcuts that Gingerbread Joyride possesses is the difference between crossing the finish line in first and ending up on Santa's naughty driver list. Gingerbread Joyride is one fantastic track that continues the game's penchant for excellence when it comes to its continued quality content.

1) Arendelle - Kingdom Hearts III (PS4, XB1)

With Frozen 2 in theaters, it's a perfect time to bring up my favorite gaming winter wonderland of 2019 with Kingdom Hearts III's interpretation of Arendelle, the Frozen world of the game. Word has it that Disney was rather strict with what Square Enix could and couldn't implement into this chapter of the game, but I think it turned out well regardless. Between facing winter-themed Heartless in a snow-covered forest, scaling a humongous, sprawling vertical section of cliffs on the side of a tall mountain, exploring an icy labyrinth dungeon, or going wild while sledding down the slopes on Goofy's shield as a party, Kingdom Hearts III's Arendelle featured a multitude of memorable moments making it my favorite of the winter-themed locales I had the pleasure to experience in 2019. Plus, who doesn't like getting treated to a 1:1 rendition of "Let It Go" with Sora, Donald, and Goofy interspersed in between? Not this writer, that's for sure.

The Unpopular Opinion 7: Games SPC Liked That Many Did Not

There are some things that a lot of us can agree on. For instance, "Tom Hanks is a national treasure." (Love you, Tom!) Some opinions, though, are less popular, less prominent, and ones that we might find ourselves in the minority on. That's how "The Unpopular Opinion" series of articles came to fruition on SuperPhillip Central--talking about the games that the site championed or enjoyed while others trashed and disparaged them. From a popular series where players are encouraged to "catch 'em all", to a certain franchise featuring a familiar blue hedgehog, these six games are the ones that SPC found treats to play while others screamed with fright.

After you've read SPC's most recent picks, which poorly (or relatively poorly) received games did you end up enjoying?

All past installments of The Unpopular Opinion are available for view here:

The Unpopular Opinion
The Unpopular Opinion 2
The Unpopular Opinion 3
The Unpopular Opinion 4
The Unpopular Opinion 5
The Unpopular Opinion 6

Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! / Let's Go, Eevee! (NSW)

At least among the Pokemon fan community, and the most ardent of those at that, a sizable portion of folks simply loathed the simplified mechanics of Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee! Bringing in a much more streamlined and much more basic Pokemon catching mechanic as a means to entice Pokemon GO players, the motion-controlled means to capture Pokemon was considered a blight to the series. My enjoyment of the capturing mechanic notwithstanding, both Pokemon: Let's Go games brought more than their fair share of welcomed additions to the series that I wish were featured in the upcoming Pokemon Sword and Shield. For instance, the ability to avoid wild Pokemon entirely instead of contending with dealing with random encounters in tall grass and in "dungeon" areas. It makes me a bit forlorn and disappointed that there are currently no plans to continue the Let's Go series of Pokemon games, but someday, I hope that decision is overturned.

Team Sonic Racing (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

While Team Sonic Racing doesn't hit the same highs as past Sumo Digital racers, particularly the Sonic and Sega-related ones, this all-Sonic character racing game definitely delighted this reviewer. The absence of Sega's all-stars and the impending release of the more polished and content-rich Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled certainly put plenty of potential players off from playing the game. That said, I found the titular team mechanic used in Team Sonic Racing to be a creative and smart addition to this type of racer--if not a bit imperfectly implemented. Regardless, between the terrifically designed tracks, fair but challenging difficulty, the stellar soundtrack and bright, vivid cartoon visuals, Team Sonic Racing delivered a high-octane arcade racer worthy of Sumo Digital's name and worthy of a play by more of an audience than it received.

Yooka-Laylee (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

While I won't even utter a semblance of dispute to the idea that the recently released Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is the far better product to come out of Playtonic Games (heck, my review found me infatuated with the game), the original Yooka-Laylee was a worthwhile effort all the same, just affected by "biting off more than the developer could chew" syndrome. Yes, the Banjo-Kazooie-inspired game had worlds that were way too big for their own good, the mechanic to expand worlds to become larger was pointless (as players had no real reason to keep levels small), and the arcade games were less than desirable. However, despite that relatively lengthy list of problems with the game, Yooka-Laylee, for me, captured a similar level of charm and wonder that I experienced with the original Banjo-Kazooie. While it didn't reach the same highs (but unfortunately hit completely different new lows), Yooka-Laylee remains an enjoyable platformer that I find myself wanting to come back to someday.

Knack 2 (PS4)

So many gamers make fun of the character of Knack and the game itself. That's fine and dandy, but the sequel to the game, appropriately titled Knack 2, managed to bring forth a compelling and engaging game that I not only enjoyed playing from beginning to end, but achieving the Platinum trophy for, which is something I could not believe. Perhaps my amazement stems from my expecting Knack 2 to be a terrible game--a joke--something only meme-worthy and nothing more. To put it simply, my expectations may have been so low that anything resembling competence was met with delight. Nay! Nay, I say! I will argue to the death (or at least until I get bored of the debate) that Knack 2 is a great game without any asterisks needed, and one that I feel got an incredibly raw deal by being judged by the gaming populace for the sins its predecessor made when the original Knack launched with the PlayStation 4. Go ahead--give Knack 2 a try and you'll see an adventure that is action-packed and remarkably solid.

The Crew 2 (PS4, XB1, PC)

Part of my excitement and enjoyment of Ubisoft's The Crew 2 was that I had never played an open world racer before this one. Perhaps that's all the explanation you need to understand why I liked the game so much, but another factor that contributed to my love of The Crew 2 was exploring the abridged version of the continental United States that developer Ivory Towers created. The way that roads weaved through mountainsides, cities lit up with their gigantic skyscrapers, and discoveries were sprinkled all throughout the game world. The ability to switch between my favorite vehicles on the fly--whether by land, air, or sea--was a terrific quality of life idea that worked wonderfully, making my virtual trip through the United States a glorious one. Of course, when I wasn't venturing my way across the map, having my curiosity piqued at various sights and sounds in the environment, I was engaging in some heart-pounding, adrenaline-boosting races. The Crew 2 kept my need for speed going, my thirst for exploration flowing, and my desire to get more cred continuing.

Trials Rising (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

It says something about a game where it can be immensely entertaining to me despite not being the most technically competent or capable game out there. Trials Rising still suffers from various glitches and issues, such as having a player's custom gear become reset or having loot boxes gained after reaching certain experience levels suddenly stop appearing. However, that didn't stop my enjoyment of Trials Rising, coming equipped with the series's best arsenal of tracks--platforming playgrounds of both peril and pleasure for both my bike and its rider to enjoy racing on. Like any Trials game worth checking out, Trials Rising is incredibly challenging, and will have your butt bailing across every inch of its more difficult tracks. That said, the constant improvement that I personally got from the game from improving my course completion times, crashing less and less, having to restart less and less, and going from barely achieving bronze medals to easily clearing platinum, gave me a sense of accomplishment that I haven't felt in a game in a long time.

Most Overlooked Current Gen Games - Part Eight

There's no shortage of great video games out there, but not all go on to sell millions or get a huge following. That's why SuperPhillip Central's "Most Overlooked" series of articles came to fruition. SuperPhillip Central once again puts the spotlight on some games that either fell through the figurative cracks or just didn't get as much attention as they may have deserved from the gaming populace. This edition's list features super speedy mascot racers, precision platforming with bikes, and one underrated series of b-ball playgrounds.

Before you leap in to this edition's five choices, check out past installments of Most Overlooked Current Gen Games with the following links:

Current Gen - Part One
Current Gen - Part Two
Current Gen - Part Three
Current Gen - Part Four
Current Gen - Part Five
Current Gen - Part Six
Current Gen - Part Seven

Team Sonic Racing (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

We start with the most recently released game on this list, and although Team Sonic Racing reached number one in its first week in the UK market, the competition wasn't all that taxing. In May 2019's NPD results for the U.S., Team Sonic Racing failed to make much of a dent on the sales charts, debuting at 19th place with all systems included. It's disappointing, as the game is considerably a great deal of fun with excellent and enjoyable track design, sensational speeds, and an engaging campaign mode that can be played alone or with help from a friend. The lack of SEGA's other all-star characters like previous SEGA + Sumo Digital racers and releasing a month before the more ambitious and hyped Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled certainly didn't do Team Sonic Racing any favors.

Trials Rising (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

The latest in the long-running Trials series, Trials Rising, came and went in its launch month last February without too much fanfare. Between the levels, which are the best in the Trials series, and the wonderful "one more time" gameplay, Trials Rising delivered an immense amount of thrills and--if you're as amateur a player as I am--spills. The added rider customization options brought forth a lot of creativity within the Trials Rising community, but things like loot boxes, inventory glitches, and slow progression put off many players and potential players-to-be. Still, even with the issues--and this isn't of course a means to excuse them--Trials Rising ended up being a raucously good time that encouraged patience and precision in perfecting levels, besting times, and hitting the top of the leaderboards.

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

We go from one game with microtransactions and loot boxes to another with NBA 2K Playgrounds 2. No doubt the figurative taste of the overall unsatisfactory NBA Playgrounds put many players off of the 2K-funded sequel. However, if you don't mind the randomness of unlocking the particular NBA all-star you want to play as, as the game uses a system where you earn players randomly from purchased card packs (which can be bought with in-game currency or yes, real-world money), then you'll find a lot to enjoy about NBA 2K Playgrounds 2's most important part of its B-ball experience, the actual gameplay itself. Dunking the ball on your opponent and making a clutch half-court buzzer-beater will never stop being entertaining (unless you're the opponent, of course), and I happily spent dozens of hours engaged with NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 after overestimating how aggressive the microtransactions would be coming from 2K. (Note: They weren't a force to be reckoned with whatsoever.)

Super Bomberman R: Shiny Edition (PS4, XB1, PC)

Success on the Nintendo Switch does not mean success on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or Steam. At least that's the story of Super Bomberman R's debut on the latter three platforms. Not only did the players on these platforms get an exclusive character each, but they got the broken-in version of Super Bomberman R. Essentially, Switch owners were beta testers as the game added patches and updates to make for a better game. Said better game was what PS4, Xbox, and Steam players received right from the get-go with all of the AI difficulties balanced, camera issues worked out, and content like new characters and arenas added. Unfortunately, it's good luck finding anyone online to play Super Bomberman R with if you're searching for a random lobby to join, as the game's online scene is a ghost town.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes (NSW)

With the official E3 2019 announcement of No More Heroes 3, it's an opportune time to mention the side game that predates it and even hinted at NMH3 as well, Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes for the Nintendo Switch. Always destined to be a cult favorite at best and left to obscurity at worst due to its gameplay style and wacky, eccentric charm, Travis Strikes Again managed to be an entertaining ride from beginning to end. The isometric perspective and hack and slash gameplay wasn't always on point, but the style and sheer insanity of the story and intriguing characters more than made up for it. I always wanted to see what strange twist would pop up next. With the game announced to be arriving on more platforms, I hope more players will get to deep dive into Travis Strike Again: No More Heroes in anticipation for the third mainline installment in the No More Heroes series.