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.

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGM - The Dreamcast Anniversary Edition

Today is the anniversary of the Sega Dreamcast. To celebrate, we have zero themes from Dreamcast games. Yeah... we didn't realize that the Dreamcast was having its birthday until today, so we already had some video game themes planned for today. Still, happy birthday, Sega Dreamcast. The memories you've given us will not soon be forgotten. Neither will these video game tracks chosen for today either!

v456. Pikmin 2 (GCN) - Awakening Wood

The long awaited Pikmin 3 finally released on the Wii U last month, but we're going to focus on the second game in the franchise. Pikmin 2 was everything that one would expect from a true sequel-- it was bigger, it was better, and it got rid of that thirty days to beat the game hassle. The music continued to complement each area well, as evidenced by Awakening Wood.

v457. Mario Kart DS (DS) - Delfino Square

If you've read SuperPhillip Central, you know our love for Mario Kart DS and its Delfino Square. We love city courses, after all. The race through alleyways, by the pier, and around the main fountain will forever be ingrained into our memories. Oh, and the song that plays during it isn't too shabby either!

v458. Mega Man (NES) - Cut Man Stage

All series have to start somewhere, and with the Blue Bomber that game was Mega Man on the NES and Famicom. Cut Man's level is a nice introduction for beginners. It doesn't have much in the way of danger or difficulty like the Guts Man and Ice Man stages possess. With the stage comes this memorable melody and track that has stood the test of time.

v459. The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse (SNES) - Snow Valley

One of our favorite Disney games from the past is The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse. We enjoyed changing costumes in each of the different lands of the game, such as Magician Mickey and Firefighter Mickey. The music is pure classic Capcom, and it fills us with such immense nostalgia. That's not the only reason for us liking this track-- it's just really chill, no?

v460. Kingdom Hearts II (PS2) - Fantasia alla marcia for piano

Kingdom Hearts II culminates with this closing credits theme, fabulously crafted by the terrific Yoko Shimomura. Fantasia alla marcia for piano features piano, a full orchestra, and a tremendous choir. It is the perfect way to cap off Sora and friends' adventure to save the world.

SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs - Of Mice and Mega Men Edition

Can you believe that it is the last week of August already? Unbelievable how time flies. Regardless, SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs chugs along for a brand-new week of video game sounds. On this week's edition we have music from The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse, Mega Man X8, and Kirby's Dream Land 3. If your preparations are ready, let's get to the music.

v181. Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift (DS) - Crossing Over the Hill

We start out with a terrific tactical RPG series in Final Fantasy Tactics. This is the third all-new installment of the series, not counting ports -- it's the second to arrive on a Nintendo handheld. The tales of the Final Fantasy Tactics Advance series are much less serious than the original FFT. The stories revolve around more whimsical plot points and are a lot more lighthearted. Crossing Over the Hill has a dapper feeling to it, perfect for a new adventure through the world of Ivalice. My favorite part occurs at 0:45 and concludes at 1:09. Hitoshi Sakimoto does a fantastic job once again.

v182. The Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse (SNES, GBA) - Dark Forest

A mysterious theme for a mysterious wooded area, Dark Forest is the second world of one of Mickey Mouse's most cherished platforming escapades, The Magical Quest. The game was originally available on the Super Nintendo with the main gameplay feature being that Disney's well-known mouse could change into different costumes, each with their own special ability. The game and its two sequels would be ported to the Game Boy Advance; the third game that never released outside of Japan would finally be available for Westerners to play.

v183. Breath of Fire III (PS1, PSP) - Life's a Beach

An upbeat tempo and theme for a port side town in Breath of Fire III, Life's a Beach is certainly peppy and spunky in spirit. It's hard not to get a smile on your face listening to this tune. Breath of Fire is most certainly a series that I would love to see Capcom revisit. However, my opinion of that company has lowered over the years, and they just don't seem that interested in their past successes. Later this week I have planned an article that summarizes my thoughts on Capcom in their current form. I hope you will look forward to that.

v184. Mega Man X8 (PS2) - VS 8Boss

The boss theme of Mega Man X8, the final game in the X series before it, like Mega Man in general, was put on hiatus. This fast-paced rocking theme definitely gets the thumbs twitching, adrenaline pulsating through the body, and the toes tapping. After a failed experiment, in many eyes, to put Mega Man X into 3D, the developers behind X8 decided to go back to the tried and true 2D. Well, technically, 2 1/2D. The end result was a fabulous effort which is one of the more unique X games in the series. It is without a doubt a better product than X6 and X7 before it, but that wasn't that difficult of a task to achieve. For when a boss in X8 is extremely low in health and goes into desperation mode, check out this theme.

v185. Kirby's Dream Land 3 (SNES) - Ripple Field 2

Kirby's Dream Land 3 is a cute, adorable and colorful game with a pretty pastel art style. It's really a gorgeous game, truth be told. The music is simply what you'd expect from a Kirby game -- catchy melodies, mostly uptempo tunes, and themes that put a big, old stupid grin on your face, as evident by this theme, Ripple Field 2. What makes Kirby games so appealing to me is that each one usually tries something new, even if the adjustment to the gameplay is minimal. It makes for a series that I can't help but appreciate. Happy 20th anniversary, Kirby.

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What started with Final Fantasy ended with Kirby. However, that isn't all we've heard of from Final Fantasy. In fact, next week is a special Final Fantasy edition of the VGMs. Five themes from various Final Fantasy games will be displayed and showcased. Just like with my Capcom article, I hope you look forward to next week's edition of the VGMs as well. Have a great week, everybody.