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.

All-Star Franchises, Underrated Entries - Part Thirteen

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 12th 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

Final Fantasy - World of Final Fantasy (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC, Vita)

Our first game on this edition of All-Star Franchises, Underrated Entries comes from a franchise that is quite storied and a long-lasting one, Final Fantasy. With Final Fantasy VII Remake officially pinned down for a March 2020 release, I figured it'd be an opportune time to talk about a Final Fantasy game that is on the opposite side of the popularity spectrum. That's not to say World of Final Fantasy and its enhanced Maxima version are bemoaned by franchise fans, but it also doesn't mean that World of Final Fantasy is considered anything more than a cult classic at best. The ability to capture and do battle with familiar Final Fantasy monsters, return to several memorable locations with Final Fantasy favorite heroes and heroines, all joined by a captivating game made World of Final Fantasy quite a treasure to behold. World of Final Fantasy is a family-friendly, sensational love letter to fans of Final Fantasy.

Valkyria Chronicles - Valkyria Chronicles 4 (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

SEGA seems to have a tremendous skill in sending out many of its games to just falter in a crowded release period. For a franchise that seldom saw sensational sales like Valkyria Chronicles, it was a death sentence for the game's fourth mainline installment to release in the busy pre-holiday season that it did. Offering a refined update to the tried and true tactical RPG action that the series is known for, Valkyria Chronicles 4 failed to become a darling on the sales charts, despite its great quality. It's an obvious shame, as now the Valkyria Chronicles series may be like a rusty old tank now, doomed to spend who knows how long in a hangar in SEGA's arsenal of retired franchises.

Trials - Trials Rising (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

You can teach an old franchise new tricks, and that's exactly what the developers at Ubisoft did with Trials Rising. Now, I'll get this out of the way that Trials Rising is far from the optimal game in the series--what, with its loot boxes, progression, and disordered level select menu, but it says something about the game where I could easily overlook those issues because of just how much fun I was having with Trials Rising. Between fully customizing the look of my rider, finding the best lines and paths to take in tracks to get those elusive Diamond medals, and simply enjoying competing against the AI or other human players made for a fantastic Trials offering. The collection of tracks and courses in Trials Rising is the best the series has yet to see, and despite the serious issues (including some nasty glitches) with the game, Trials Rising made me smile more than it got me frustrated.

Killzone - Killzone: Shadow Fall (PS4)

A previous edition of All-Star Franchises, Underrated Entries had Killzone: Mercenary from the PlayStation Vita in it. While I don't dare argue that the PlayStation 4 launch title Killzone: Shadow Fall holds a candle to it, I don't dare argue that the game is a poor first-person shooter either. In fact, it's quite good and amazed me with its quality. Between the open-ended level design, the high-octane action, and the highly enjoyable multiplayer, Killzone: Shadow Fall managed to be a game that I couldn't help but want to play through again and again--even going as far as to play through the whole campaign without dying and earning the trophy for this achievement. (Brag session over.) While Guerrilla Games has gone on to bigger and better projects such as Horizon: Zero Dawn, I still maintain that the developer's work on Killzone and Killzone: Shadow Fall is truly terrific.

Hot Shots Golf / Everybody's Golf - Everybody's Golf (PS4)

Everybody's Golf VR recently launched on PlayStation VR, so why not take to the tee with the first Everybody's Golf outing on the PlayStation 4 with--well--Everybody's Golf! Anime avatars playing realistic golf on one of five courses doesn't have a worldwide appeal, but for those that did play a round or two...hundred of Everybody's Golf found an exceptionally well built golf game. Well, I should clarify that it was exceptionally well built with its mechanics and course design. The progression system was an entirely different story, forcing players to play rounds on the same courses over and over again before unlocking new courses to enjoy. Said courses could be traversed entirely, allowing for some fun exploration, as well as some unique mini-games such as fishing. Everybody's Golf isn't the best entry in the golfing series formerly known in North America as Hot Shots Golf, but it surely maintains its high level of quality.

Katamari Damacy - Me & My Katamari (PSP)

Long before the Switch received a remaster of the original Katamari Damacy, the series turned portable with Me & My Katamari on the PSP. This iteration of the game brought the same roll-'em-up gameplay to owners of Sony's handheld, but it also brought a less than satisfactory problem to PSP players--hand cramps. The lack of a second analog nub on the PSP meant that instead of using two sticks to move The Prince's Katamari ball around, players had to use the analog nub in conjunction with the uncomfortable face buttons. This was decidedly a necessary evil to get the game to control with any semblance of competence on the platform, but it ended up making many players of Me & My Katamari dissatisfied. Still, if you can play through the discomfort of the awkward control setup, Me & My Katamari is still the well designed Katamari Damacy gameplay fans have come to expect from the franchise.

Trials Rising (NSW, PS4, XB1, PC) Review

Trials Rising or the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC is the next game receiving the SuperPhillip Central review treatment, so let's put on our helmets, hop on our bikes, and get ready to ride with the review! (Coincidentally, I always wear a helmet when writing reviews. Safety first!)

Rising to the challenge

Video games are a fantastic way of performing actions and doing things that you could only possibly dream of doing in real life. For instance, I don't think I'd really like to try riding a bike down a steep roller coaster track, but in Trials Rising from Ubisoft, I easily can and not be terrified by doing it. Of course, there is also the little matter that in real life I can't ride a bike to begin with, so that's another thing Trials Rising lets me do with ease! With over 100 tracks to take on and superb physics, Trials Rising is one heck of a ride, but does the inclusion of a new progression system and loot boxes result in some unnecessary and unwanted bumps in the road?

Trials Rising features over 100 unique courses to challenge yourself with, riding your bike along hills, valleys, over jumps, though loops, and other obstacles with the goal of reaching the end of each track. Depending on how fast you complete tracks, you're rewarded with a medal for completion. Every time you fault and restart from a checkpoint, of which they are generously sprinkled throughout each track, you get five seconds automatically added to your time.

Ridin' dirty. No, really. There's a lot of dirt here!

Now if that sounds easy, let me drop some truth onto you--it's not. Not at all. Starting out with Trials Rising, you'll crash, you'll bail, and you'll find yourself eating an unhealthy amount of dirt (then again, what IS a healthy amount of dirt?). Thankfully, Trials Rising features a training school that slowly teaches you all of the tricks of the trade that you'll need to survive and succeed in each of the tracks within Trials. From learning how to take inclines and declines and performing bunny hops to successfully landing on steep grades without falling off your bike, the lessons in Trials Rising grow more and more challenging, but each is explained well enough with helpful tutorials and visual examples as to not make for a frustrating experience. It's fortunate that you're not just thrust into playing the games and having to learn as you play, as that would make for an aggravating time.

Forgive me ahead of this pun, but this track is a "wheel-y" good time.

It's a literal balancing act in Trials Rising to succeed, and it's all about managing your speed and how you lean on your bike. Simply holding down the pedal will result in a lot of crashes, as it takes a lot of finesse to perform well. Starting off, the game introduces the concept of leaning back when heading downhill and leaning forward when moving uphill. Having your back tire always firmly planted on the ground will result in moving forward, but it can be all too easy to over-correct yourself and find your face planted firmly with the ground. It's a total boon that the physics system is as stellar as ever, so when you do crash, it's never due to wonky physics but instead user error.

Jumping off your back tire performs a bunny hop, perfect for reaching those higher places.

Trials Rising features an atypical progression system compared to past games. Rather than simply completing a series of tracks and moving on to the next more difficult set, you need to reach specific experience levels from finishing races, getting medals, and completing contracts.

Contracts are a new mechanic in the Trials series. These come in various difficulties and task you with completing an objective or series of objectives mid-race. These range from performing a specific number of flips, hitting a certain amount of airtime, performing a wheelie for a set distance, completing a track with minimal faults, using a certain bike with specific rules (like low gravity, your bike or ride being invisible, etc.), among others.

Not exactly my pick for a vacation spot, but it's one hell of an explosive track to race on all the same.

Fortunately, completing all of the contracts is by no means required. It's just that to make enough progress with your rider's level, you need to complete a good amount of them. What isn't so fortunate is that many times you'll find yourself locked out of the next set of tracks because your level isn't high enough to compete in and complete the stadium series of races required to unlock them. This results in some serious grinding at times.

My rider's racing career's so bright, he's gotta wear shades.

The actual tracks of Trials Rising are brilliantly designed and an absolute delight to race on. It's a globetrotting journey across landmarks and settings like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, a Hollywood movie set with full digitally produced monsters, a trip through a Saudi war zone complete with minefields and explosives, a race through an amusement park, a break-in to Alcatraz which is complete with electrified fences to leap over or otherwise avoid, and even a race across the back of a moving train. The level of creativity in the tracks is off the charts, and I was always enthused and excited to see where the developers and designers were going to take my Trials journey next.

From the death-defying leaps of the Eiffel Tower...

Something I was less enthused about was the actual track select menu, which is a world map featuring a collection of sprinkled icons all over. Beginning with the game, it isn't too taxing to navigate and find which tracks are which, but as more and more tracks unlock for play, the map becomes all too cluttered and a bit confusing to find and discover what you want. This is even with the ability to press the left shoulder button and custom pick what level icons show up.

...to the steep inclines of the cliffs in Vietnam...

Multiplayer is supported in Trials Rising in both asynchronous and live play. The game pits you against a selection of ghosts from other players in the Trials Rising community. These can be turned off by completing raising the opacity of the ghosts, but it's usually beneficial to leave them on. I saw new ways to tackle tracks that I hadn't thought about--such as being able to chain multiple jumps together in order to have a way to have enough speed to reach a high-up shortcut. Multiplayer is also available for online play where you all race on the same track, attempting to reach the goal first. The first season of Trials Rising is currently going on, offering ranks and unique rewards for stellar performance. It's been fun to rise in the ranks and compete against live players--though this usually results in me being more focused on my competitors' real-time ghosts instead of the actual oncoming obstacles, resulting in some great choke jobs from yours truly!

A cool feature that I enjoyed spending a good deal of time with is the ability to customize your rider's gear with stickers. 200 total can be placed on each piece of your rider's gear to really make your riders yours. I liked seeing the creativity on display with the Rising community--seeing folks dressed up as Spider-Man, Deadpool, Goku, Naruto, and other heroes from comics and anime. I went for more of a preppy approach with mine. You can even put your custom creations on the in-game shop where they can be purchased with Trials Rising currency earned from completing races and contracts. New rider clothing and gear can be bought either from the shop or discovered in randomized loot crates, which you're given each time your rider levels up. Everything in these loot crates is wholly cosmetic to outfit your rider and ride with, so if you don't care about that sort of thing, there's nothing too foul here practice-wise.

...Trials Rising's tour will take you across the globe and to some truly spectacular locations!

While Trials Rising controls superbly on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One due to the analog triggers, allowing you to press down just enough to get the right amount of force to apply to the pedal to gain speed, the Switch version is a little trickier in this regard as the controllers--whether the Joy-Cons or the Pro Controller--do not have analog inputs to them. This means your stuck either gunning down on the pedal or applying no force to the pedal at all. There is no in-between. While this isn't too much of an issue with the first 3/4ths of tracks in the game, the latter tracks of Trials Rising do not lend well to this control issue. Though you can use a GameCube controller if you have the adapter available to you, or you can opt to use the right analog stick of the base Switch controllers for the gas--though this latter option is still not optimal.

No bikes were harmed in the making of these screenshots... (Just the rider.)

Trials Rising is a ridiculously fun riding romp that gives the player enough tutorials and tools to succeed, rather than being thrown into the deep end of the proverbial pool. The track design being the absolute best the Trials franchise has ever seen almost makes the obnoxious world map and level progression system that are necessary to reach all of them bearable. The inclusion of loot crates may put some potential players off, but they're placed in the game in a way that is hardly vindictive or malicious. As is, Trials Rising delivers one heck of a ride that rises to both the challenge and the occasion of a wildly enjoyable game.

[SPC Says: B]