SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - Summer Solstice 2016 Edition

Wasn't it just two days ago that we dipped into an edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs together? Why, yes, it was, but now the old VGMs are back on a Monday where they belong! Today is the first day of summer, and boy, the temps out there make me believe it!

This week's summer solstice edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs starts off with a blazing hot orchestral rendition of Star Fox 64's Katina theme as heard in Star Fox Assault. Then we go to the forest in two games, Donkey Kong and The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse. We then sneak into Blackwell Mansion in LEGO City Undercover, and end this edition with a battle theme from The Legend of Legacy.

Just click on the VGM title to hear a given song. And if you want even more VGM goodness, then check out the VGM Database! And now, on to the music!

v1166. Star Fox Assault (GCN) - Katina (Frontier Serenade)

Listed last week as my third favorite Star Fox game in SPC's Rank Up segment, Star Fox Assault sports my favorite soundtrack from the Star Fox series, sporting delightfully orchestrated tunes. Many of its tunes are taken from Star Fox 64, such as this one for Katina. The opening fanfare rouses much excitement inside my body. It's just a phenomenal song in a phenomenal soundtrack.

v1167. Donkey Kong (GB) - Forest

Originally coming into Donkey Kong's Game Boy romp, I, like many players at the time, were lulled into a false sense of security, expecting and receiving traditionally Donkey Kong "reach the top of the level" gameplay much like the arcade game. What I got after the initial four levels was an amazing puzzle platformer, and one of the original Game Boy's greatest games.

v1168. The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse (SNES, GBA) - Treetops

The Treetops is the first of six worlds in the highly enjoyable The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse, released originally in 1993 on the Super Nintendo and then later ported to the Game Boy Advance almost a decade later. The soundtrack is pure '90s Capcom goodness with instrumentation as heard in a game quite unlike this one, Capcom's own Breath of Fire.

v1169. LEGO City Undercover (Wii U) - Blackwell Mansion

LEGO City Undercover's soundtrack is home to various '70s cop show and spy themes. Blackwell Mansion, one of the 15 missions in the game, has a theme that's the latter. The smooth sax and accompanying brass sends shivers down my spine, especially when I'm infiltrating said mansion.

v1170. The Legend of Legacy (3DS) - Twin-Dimensional Battle

Masashi Hamauzu is the composer behind the music for The Legend of Legacy, a critically panned Nintendo 3DS RPG which very much has old school sensibilities to it. The highlight of the game is the score, done beautifully by Hamauzu, who's most known work is the Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack, another panned game by RPG enthusiasts.

Most Overlooked Nintendo 3DS Games - Part Eight

We've arrived at the eighth edition of the Most Overlooked Nintendo 3DS Games. Now, that's partly due to the immense amount of titles being released both retail and digitally on the 3DS eShop. It's also because software sales of the Nintendo 3DS in general aren't the greatest. Still, whether it's by sales or through another metric, these next five Nintendo 3DS games didn't get their designated due. Many walked right past them, whether figuratively, or literally, as in they shunned them as they rested on store shelves. Regardless, perhaps after perusing the part's selection of games you'll be interested in checking a title or two out.

For past entries of Most Overlooked Nintendo 3DS Games, look no further than these links:

Nintendo 3DS - Part One
Nintendo 3DS - Part Two 
Nintendo 3DS - Part Three
Nintendo 3DS - Part Four
Nintendo 3DS - Part Five
Nintendo 3DS - Part Six
Nintendo 3DS - Part Seven

Etrian Mystery Dungeon

Taking the great things about both the Etrian Odyssey and Mystery Dungeon franchises and combining them into one release, our first game, Etrian Mystery Dungeon, features all the crawling through randomly-generated dungeons you could ever want. The challenge is there, the penalty for death is ever-present, and the game just keeps you wanting to come back for more and more. While doing well in Japan, selling nearly all of its initial first week shipment, Etrian Mystery Dungeon has had a slow go of it in the West. Like the other games featured on this week's list, Etrian Mystery Dungeon is for a niche of gamers, so to expect to get much attention. However, the game is too good to pass up for a Nintendo 3DS owner who is interested in the Mystery Dungeon style of games and games similar in style to roguelikes.

The Legend of Legacy

Silly title aside, The Legend of Legacy hearkens back to the age of old school RPGs. The game is a wondrous spiritual successor to the SaGa games of old. The difference here is that while many games it can be compared to are linear, The Legacy of Legend-- er, The Legend of Legacy is much more open for players to get to their destination and goal anyhow they see fit. With a lovely art style that is comparable to the chibi offerings of the Bravely Default series, and a terrific soundtrack by Final Fantasy XIII's Masashi Hamauzu, the presentation of the game is perfect for fans of old school RPGs. Given a fairly limited release, there was no doubt that The Legend of Legacy would become a game many Nintendo 3DS owners would sleep on... and they did. But don't you sleep on The Legend of Legacy, as the game is worthy of being played.

Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden

Coming off the excellent (at least in this writer's opinion) Dragon Ball: Xenoverse, I was more than ready to leap into a 2D Dragon Ball Z fighter, despite not holding a high regard to the anime and manga series the game is based off of. The game in question? Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden. Featuring incredibly done 2D sprites, a robust roster of characters-- though paling greatly in comparison to something like Budokai 3, for instance-- terrific combat, an excellent challenge, and interesting modes, Extreme Butoden satisfied my thirst for some Goku vs. Vegeta, Krillin vs. Raditz, and Frieza vs. Cell action. The lack of online no doubt hurt the game, as did its hush-hush appearance on the market. Still, it seems like the former might be remedied, as Japan recently received a patch for online play. Let's hope that the West gets the same treatment, and soon!

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy+

Although named similarly to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, this 3DS game (known as Ace Combat 3D in Japan), actually has very little to do with its big brothers, as the game is more akin to classic games in the Ace Combat series. Now, I've previously featured the original Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy on this Most Overlooked Nintendo 3DS Games feature before, so it seemed rather obvious that, barring a miracle, the enhanced edition of the game with Amiibo support and updated controls for the New 3DS, wouldn't sell that well either. Truth be told, the game bombed once again, this time even worse than the original 3DS game. It's not a testament to the game's quality, though, as while Assault Horizon Legacy+ is a short game, it's a really well done dogfighting action game.

Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson

Without a doubt one of the most... uh... provocative games ever seen on a Most Overlooked article on any system, this... uh... busty-- NO! I didn't mean for that word to come out! ...I meant to say that this game is a 3D side-scrolling action game where you play as a group of female ninjas. Deep Crimson introduced the ability to have a second character join you in battle. Senran Kagura is as niche as niche gets, and would have probably been better served on the PlayStation Vita, which has a greater otaku audience, if you will. Yeah, that's putting it elegantly enough! Fortunately, the gameplay is of a considerably good nature to be worthy of a play, if you can get over the pandering nature of the title.