Great Genre Crossovers in Gaming History - Volume One

Introducing the start of a new series of articles on SPC. Some games blur the line between pre-established genres, combining two or more to create one incredibly impressive game. They're the types of genre combinations that shouldn't work, but by some miracle, they actually do work. These following five games are what kick off this brand-new article series on SPC: Great Genre Crossovers in Gaming History. Essentially two different tastes they go together well, such as pineapple and pizza (search your feelings, you know it to be true), these games combine two genres with great results! After you've checked out SPC's freshman class of games with great genre combinations, let everyone know which games you'd like to see in future installments!

RPG/Fitness - Ring Fit Adventure (NSW)

A game that has helped many Nintendo Switch owners not only find a means to regularly exercise during the pandemic but also have fun while doing so, Ring Fit Adventure is our first game in Great Genre Crossovers in Gaming History. Cleverly combining the joy of playing an RPG with the feat of working out, Ring Fit Adventure keeps players motivated and moving throughout its lengthy story mode. Using a combo of the Ring Fit ring where one Joy-Con rests and a strap that goes around your leg where the other Joy-Con sits, you perform myriad movement and exercises to not only move along the vibrant vistas and paths of the game, but also to perform attacks on enemies in the turn-based battles. 

Different exercises work different parts of your body, whether it be squats for your legs or planks for your abs. Each exercise has its own attack power, its own range of attack, and a cooldown period before it can be used again. The better you perform each rep of a given exercise, the more damage you deliver onto a foe. When it comes time to defend, you best keep those abs firm and ready to engage the enemy's advances! 

With so many fitness games, including Nintendo's own Wii Fit, I found myself losing motivation rather quickly. With Ring Fit Adventure, the line between exercise and game is blurred so well. It's easy to forget when you're making progress in the story and playing for fun that you're also becoming healthier bit by bit. Between the adventure aspect of the game, the turn-based battles, the earning of experience, the gaining of levels, and unlocking new skills via the skill tree, Ring Fit Adventure successfully blends two different tastes together--the RPG and the fitness game--to craft one magnificent fitness package. 

RPG/Rhythm - Theatrhythm Final Fantasy (3DS, iOS)

Picking up where Ring Fit Adventure left off, we have another game that combines an RPG with a different genre. This time around it's the rhythm game genre and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. Taking some of the greatest music in video games and mixing it with rhythm-based battles and gameplay makes for marvelous combination. All of the pieces of the RPG are present here: earning experience, leveling up your characters, and even item drops. This is mixed with rhythm-based gameplay coming in a variety of forms, such as side-scrolling Field music, Battle music, and Event music. Either type of scene you play, you're in for touch screen-centered tapping, touching, holding, and sliding of the stylus to hit every beat. Theatrhythm would receive two sequels as a franchise, such as Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (pretty much making the original game almost redundant in some ways) and the Japanese-only Theatrhythm Dragon Quest. Recently, the Kingdom Hearts series got its own take on the Theatrhythm formula with Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, essentially a Theatrhythm game in everything but its name.  

Platformer/Rhythm - Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat (GCN, Wii)

Never one to rest on its laurels, Nintendo opted to innovate in a big way in the GameCube era with its main monkey Donkey Kong. Not only did the GameCube receive not just one but two rhythm games using a special bongo drum controller with Donkey Konga 1 and 2, but it also saw a brand-new 2D platforming adventure as well. Donkey Kong; Jungle Beat featured Nintendo's great ape running, jumping, and launching himself through colorful fruit-themed worlds, with every action performed by hitting the bongo controller itself. Smacking either the left or right bongo drum of the controller moves DK in that respective direction while hitting both drums at once causes DK to leap into the air. Meanwhile, either clapping or hitting the rim of the controller results in a powerful shockwave attack to be unleashed. This combo of controls could be used to perform some truly insane stunts in levels. 

Not simply a platformer that you run and jump through levels, you can also do so with style and flair, taking on Jungle Beat like a score attack platformer, too. By collecting bananas, gathering beats, and increasing your combo multiplier by performing stunts in midair, you can rack up insane scores, which really showcases how excellently crafted and complex the level designs are. It's something you might not notice if you're just casually going through levels. Then, there are the boss battles, which put DK in either platforming contests against big bosses or one-on-one Punch-Out!!-like duels with fellow simian opponents. 

Donkey Kong; Jungle Beat would go on to receive a Wii entry that completely replaced the bongos of the GameCube original with motion controls. The Wii Remote and Nunchuk served as your left and right hand respectively, as if you were using drumsticks. Though not as enjoyable to play as the GameCube version, it's a competent port all the same, and for someone who lives with other people, it's at least a less obnoxious version of a game to hear for them!

Platformer/Puzzle - Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure (DS)

The Nintendo DS saw a tremendous amount of innovative games throughout its life. Even Electronic Arts, a company that isn't too well-known for reinventing the wheel and getting out of its comfort zone, delivered some truly creative titles on the Nintendo DS. One of these was a stellar 2D platformer with a unique puzzle-based twist, Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure.

Using the DS's dual screens, the top screen served as a platformer. When enemies are dispatched by our good ol' tea-swigging chap Henry Hatsworth, they are in turn moved to the bottom screen, turned into puzzle blocks. As time progresses, the blocks on the bottom screen slowly climb upwards, and if they reach the top edge of the bottom screen, they will return to cause trouble on the top screen. Only through engaging with the bottom screen in true Panel de Pon/Puzzle League style by sliding and matching three or more similarly colored blocks together can these blocks be removed. In doing so, these defeated enemies turn into energy that fills part of Henry's Super Meter, and depending on the color of the removed blocks, these can either increase Henry's attack, restore some health, or cause an adverse reaction. 

Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure delivered equal amounts charm and entertainment, as equal as the combination of platforming fun and puzzle-based goodness. If you missed out on the game, if you still have a device that can play said game, and can track a copy down, you should definitely take a glimpse at this utterly creative and unique adventure.

Action/Simulation - ActRaiser (SNES)

Our final game takes us way back, all the way to 1990 with the Super Nintendo cult classic and fan favorite ActRaiser. The game was innovative back when it released, and still to this day it's hard to find games similar to ActRaiser. Starting with a pair of humans and little else, the simulation portion of ActRaiser sees you planning roads, creating miracles, and doing your best in the role of "The Master" to provide as much prosperity as possible for your newly formed civilization. This is in between the much more action-focused running, jumping, and slaying monsters and other enemies in side-scrolling levels that bookend the sim aspects of the game. Looking at the two screenshots provided above might make one think they're from entirely different games. The fact that they're not only from the same title but also have two vastly different gameplay styles that work so well together just shows how much of an impressive game ActRaiser was in 1990 and how impressive ActRaiser remains over 30 years later.

Double-Dipped: Games I've Purchased More Than Once Over the Years

Welcome to the beginning of a brand new series of articles on SuperPhillip Central. Can you believe that after nearly 12 years of this blog being online that I can still come up with new ideas for article series? If you do, then you have more faith in me than I do!

This is Double-Dipped, an article series that talks about games that I enjoyed so much that I couldn't help but take a second or sometimes third plunge on purchasing. These games fill me with such unadulterated joy that I like to play them on any new platform I can--but at the same time, some of these games were bought again for the same exact console. Those stories and more will be shared in this regularly reoccurring series. Let's dive in with the first of six games for this inaugural edition of Double-Dipped!

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (NSW)

I was talking about buying a game twice on the same system, and speak of the devil (and no, I'm not alluding to Tom Nook--he's cool in my book), here we are! With Animal Crossing: New Horizons, recently revealed to be the best selling entry in the Animal Crossing series yet, we decided to buy the same game two times: one for myself and one for my brother. This way both of us could maintain our own islands and not at all become limited in our mutual enjoyment of the game. Otherwise, I'd be the one in charge of the main island development while my brother would take a much undesired backseat role, very much ruining the experience for him like it has for others with only one Switch and one copy of the game. Hmm... I'm starting to partly see how New Horizons became the best-selling entry in the series if more siblings or family members were placed in the same precarious situation! Partly, though, mind you, as between the two of us, my brother and I nearly 300 hours of playtime. I'd say the addicting gameplay brings forth a good argument as to why Animal Crossing: New Horizons is selling so well, too!

Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii, N3DS)

Do you remember Project Rainfall? Of course not. Because it was called Operation Rainfall. (I originally had this written as "Project Rainfall" in my first draft, so I'm glad I caught it before I hit "Publish".) For North Americans, getting Xenoblade Chronicles released on this side of the world was like fighting a level 60 unique encounter with a level 1 Reyn--it was a difficult battle. Perhaps that isn't the greatest of analogies, as unlike an underleveled Reyn and his fight, we actually won our battle as Xenoblade Chronicles released in North America--though not without some stipulations. Today, Xenoblade Chronicles is a fantastic selling series for Nintendo, and quite an important one. The game saw two sequels with the Wii U's Xenoblade Chronicles X and the Switch's Xenoblade Chronicles 2. The latter received its own successful DLC side story as well.

I originally picked up Xenoblade Chronicles for the Wii, like many hungry Wii owners in search of a meaty role-playing game to enjoy during the Wii's leaner years of top-notch releases. I made it rather far, but unfortunately, other games got in the way that I, who was a much younger, more inexperienced blogger at the time, covered. Picking up Xenoblade Chronicles 3D on the New Nintendo 3DS seemed like a great choice, as I could enjoy a mammoth-sized JRPG from the luxury of anywhere, courtesy of handheld gaming. However, I never even put it in my New Nintendo 3DS for a second, as the thought of starting a 100-hour RPG at the time was a daunting one. Now, they say the third time is the charm, and you can bet I'll be picking up the Definitive Edition's release on the Switch at the end of this month. Here's hoping with quarantine that I'll have a reason to not get so distracted this time around!

Spyro: Reignited Trilogy (PS4, NSW)

So many developers pull this trick on Nintendo fans: release a game a year or more after the original launch date on other consoles so foolish gamers will double dip and purchase it a second time around. Well, as you can tell by the name of this article series, you're looking at such a gamer! Spyro: Reignited Trilogy is a collection of the first three Spyro the Dragon games from the original PlayStation that have been completely remade for a new generation of consoles (and a new generation of fans, perhaps, too, at that). As someone who only played parts of the first Spyro the Dragon (and got a major headache from the game in motion), being able to finally enjoy the entire trilogy in such a glorious and gorgeous way gave me the desire to get the Platinum trophy on the entire trilogy of games. When the Switch version was announced and released, it gave me a second lease on the life of this trilogy, and just like my first go 'round, playing the games in both docked and undocked mode was an experience to remember.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U, NSW)

Nintendo is not gun-shy about porting over its catalog of games from the Wii U to the Nintendo Switch. In fact, a good half or so (an approximate figure) of Nintendo's first-party output comes from the Wii U. While this might stink for Wii U fans (all 100 of us), an entirely new audience gets to play these games for the very first time with these Switch ports. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is but one of these games, and you can imagine that future installments of Double-Dipped with touch on other Wii U-to-Switch ports. Tropical Freeze is an absolute delight and near-platforming perfection. The addition of Funky Kong serves as a nice "easy mode" to a game notorious for its challenge and difficulty. Sure, Funky Mode tends to push the game's challenge the opposite way into "too easy" territory, but for beginning players who wish to enjoy Tropical Freeze their way, who are we to thumb our noses down? Despite originally releasing in 2014, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze remains Retro Studios' latest all-new release, which begs the question: What the banana-loving heck is going on at Retro Studios?

Rayman Legends (Wii U, Vita, NSW)

Like Rayman 2, Rayman Legends was a game that felt like it was ported to every current gen platform under the sun. It sure feels like I've played the game on every platform under the sun as I've gotten the game three times now, each feeling like a different experience. The original Wii U version's use of the Wii U GamePad for the Murfy sections, where you maneuver objects, slide platforms, and the like to guide a smartly-controlled AI character through a gauntlet of enemies and dangers, was a blast and quite unique and innovative. Unlike the PlayStation Vita version that used similar touch-based controls for these sections, with the Wii U version, multiplayer was possible here. The Nintendo Switch version saw somewhat of a "best of both worlds" approach. While the original Wii U version remains my favorite of the bunch, the need to use archaic hardware to play it makes it less than attractive for me, so my preferred way to play is on the Nintendo Switch. Regardless, whichever platform you play Rayman Legends on, you're going to get a tremendous-looking, stellar-playing 2D platformer.

LEGO City Undercover (Wii U, NSW, PS4)

Oh, goodness. Another three-peat here for yours truly. LEGO City Undercover wasn't my first LEGO game from Tt Games, but it is my absolute favorite. I guess that's obvious when you see how many times I've purchased and played through the game. The Wii U original saw smart GamePad usages, such as a helpful mini-map on the second screen, a communicator that NPCs used to contact our hero Chase McCain, and a means to scan the environment for subjects and various points of interest. Like many games on the Wii U, LEGO City Undercover thankfully made the trip to the Nintendo Switch, where it kept all of the Mario references but lost the unique GamePad functionality. This version isn't optimized to the best of the developer's ability, resulting in some nasty frame-rate drops, particularly in undocked mode. Still, playing the game on a system with a better controller and on just a better designed system made for a--forgive me for using this word a third time in the same sentence--better experience. I then moved on to the PlayStation 4 version due to a sale price and because I wanted an easy enough Platinum. Yes, that is sad, but I loved playing through LEGO City Undercover for a third time despite that fact.

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I hope you enjoyed this inaugural installment of Double-Dipped! What games have you bought more than once? Why did you do it? Let the SPC community know in the comments below!

Bad Levels in Gaming History - Volume One

In the past I have listed some of my favorite levels in gaming history. Now it's time to take a look at the opposite, some of the poorer attempts at making competent levels. These areas might be convoluted, designed with best intentions but end up being messes, or are repetitive beyond all get out. Volume One has five of these monstrosities for your viewing and reading pleasure.

Eggmanland - Sonic Unleashed (PS3, 360)


There's something to be said about a level that takes nearly thirty minutes even with a pro player going through it. That is the HD version of Eggmanland from Sonic Unleashed, a platforming and perilous hell on the level of past haunts from games like Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). The level switches you between normal Sonic and Werehog Sonic as you jump and maul your way through increasingly more challenging scenarios such as tiptoeing as Werehog Sonic on incredibly thin pipes with a bottomless pit, the cornerstone of recent Sonic games, taunting you from below. It doesn't help that the camera is fixated in a position that is not beneficial to your jumping prowess. Then there's the coaster part as Sonic where you must control a seemingly uncontrollable roller coaster car through a hellish halfpipe as you leap over chasms, dodge spikes, and hope for the best. After this there is a portion as Sonic with square sections of wall with an Eggman-esque mug on them that push out. If you happen to be standing there when they do you end up getting pushed off the level and die. This is very easy to lose precious lives at. The whole level is a life-stealer, and it says something about this incarnation of evil when I start with 99 lives and end in the forties. Not only is the level way too long, but it is unbelievably cheap, too.

The Dam - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)


Without a doubt one of the most obnoxious water levels in gaming history (they are usually already a pain to begin with) is the dam stage from the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game on the Nintendo Entertainment System. The premise of the level is that you must disarm eight bombs that are placed around a labyrinthine underwater stage before they detonate and destroy the dam and turn you into turtle soup. Electric seaweed lines many of the soggy corridors of this stage, demanding pinpoint precision of the player. Good luck with that with the unwieldy swimming controls. And don't forget the other shocking obstacles in this nightmare of a swimming level. Many gamers never made it past this the second stage of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Blaze Heatnix Stage - Mega Man X6 (PS1)


Now, Mega Man X6 is already a poor Mega Man X game. That much is for certain, but the creme de le crap comes from the Blaze Heatnix Stage where you face off against the same mini-boss (seen in the picture above) about 5-6 times throughout the level. The battleground may be different each time, sometimes you're facing the boss in a vertical chamber with rising purple flames on your tail while another you're battling the boss in a horizontal area with multiple chasms to worry about, but the way to beat this annoyance is always the same. You must shoot out the multiple green weak points of the snakelike robotic baddie to temporarily defeat it. Mega Man X6 is known for some of the lamest level design in series history, so taking the prize as worst level in the game is some stellar feat.

New Pork City - Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)


My problem with Super Smash Bros. Brawl's New Pork City stems from the fact that not only is it way too large, but it is also just a seemingly random pile of platforms put together to form a stage. At least with Super Smash Bros. Melee's largest stage, Temple, the level was designed to resemble something. This is not the case with New Pork City. The many thrown-together platforms and huge negative space means that throwing your opponents out of the arena takes much longer than a normal-sized stage. Now to be fair, I like the aesthetics of New Pork City, but looks alone do not a good Smash Bros. stage make. This is why I have the level turned off when I decide to play on a random stage. Too big and too difficult to get K.O.s on, New Pork City winds up in the Super Smash Bros. Brawl hall of shame.

Planet Wisp (Classic) - Sonic Generations (PS3, 360)


Planet Wisp (Classic) from the recently released Sonic Generations starts out innocently enough as you stroll or speed through a verdant valley with badniks wearing construction hats and armed with pickaxes, but as you enter the actual factory, the second part of the level, things turn crappy fast. Sonic Colors, the game Planet Wisp is picked from, had wisps, beings that for a limited time gave the blue blur powers like the ability to drill through certain floors and the laser which bounced Sonic off walls for as long as the wisp's power held together. The lone wisp power in Planet Wisp (Classic) is spikes. Sonic turns into a spiked ball and can use those sharp quills of his to climb walls and ceilings. The problem is when you get to special and small gears that need Sonic to charge his spike power on them in order to operate/move them through hazardous hallways. This is all the while dodging a barrage of missiles that fly throughout the level. Planet Wisp becomes maddening when you're tasked with moving four different platforms to line them up to lead the azure hedgehog to the goal. It's an annoying second half of the level and one I wish only to my enemies.

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That wraps up Volume One of Bad Levels in Gaming History. To get some better vibes and view some Great Levels in Gaming History, check out one of the following volumes:

Volume One
Volume Two
Volume Three
Volume Four
Volume Five

Which levels in games do you deem as poorly designed or made? Hit me up with a comment discussing this or post whether you agree or not with my choices.

Best Levels in Gaming History - Volume One

We conclude the week here at SuperPhillip Central with a new segment to the site. It's entitled "Best Levels in Gaming History", and as you may guess it celebrates my favorite levels in video games past, present, and future. Tonight we have five levels from five games that I personally enjoy whether they give me great nostalgia, are fun to play, or are simply aesthetically pleasing. A special thanks to GameTrailers.com for the idea for this new series.

Gusty Garden Galaxy: The Dirty Tricks of Major Burrows - Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)


Mario leads us off with our journey through excellent level design. This colorful and whimsical galaxy is home to Goombas and moles alike. We start off with a waggle of the Wii remote to ride on a dandelion, flying us to the next planetoid. On the underside of the second planetoid is a hidden warp pipe. That takes Mario into a secret area where grabbing the giant coin reveals a rainbow star power-up. Use this to take out all of the spiky plants to collect globs of star bits. The second set of dandelion puffs will send you to the dot of a question mark-shaped planet. To proceed all Mario needs to do is take out the moles by pounding the ground near the mole to have him surface. Using the warp star, you're taken to a set of apple planets where ground pounding the stump on them will reveal caterpillars to get across. The final stomp will uncover the warp star to the penultimate planetoid which houses a super mushroom. One last warp star shines the way to the battle with Major Burrows. A fairy tale-like galaxy, Gusty Garden's Major Burrow mission is one to cherish when playing the excellence that is Super Mario Galaxy.

Storm Eagle's Stage - Mega Man X/Mega Man Maverick Hunter X (SNES, PSP)


Storm Eagle's level took place on an airport, starting with a vertical climb over a bottomless pit. Scrolling platforms took Mega Man X to new heights while he avoided Mavericks that wanted nothing more than to grab him and drop him into the pit below. From the very top of these platforms, X could leap off from the left and reach a heart tank that hangs over the starting point of the level. A sub-tank (one of four in the game that refills X's health) could be found by hopping on a handful of platforms, shooting out the glass from inside a control tower, and taking out a Maverick gunner from behind. After this players set out to carefully jump across rising and lowering platforms, some of which were occupied by an enemy flamethrower. One false jump would mean death for X as there was no safety net for Mega Man to fall down to. There was but a bottomless pit. More enemies that grabbed and pulled X would follow, but not before a hidden alcove where one of Dr. Light's secret capsules containing the headbutt ability would be housed. A dash off the wall would make reaching this special item a breeze. Once the headbutt attack was learned, X could proceed through the level, eventually reaching platforms that would fall a second after X stood on them. This led him to the final portion of the level, the enemy ship and Storm Eagle himself. An entertaining and exhilarating level, Storm Eagle's stage is one of the X series' best.

Area 6 - Star Fox 64 (N64)

Direct Link Here

There were two paths to the planet Venom. The first was through taking the easy route through Bolse while the other had you staring down the massive armada of Andross' ships in Area 6, one of the most difficult levels in the game. You begin by taking down some stray enemy ships before immediately entering a minefield. These mines can be eliminated through competent use of smart bombs. After a bunch of spinning ships and fighters, you come across some larger-scale ships that shoot out homing missiles at Fox and his crew. Once a couple of these ships are shot down or evaded, Fox and team are marked by five separate enemy missiles. If these aren't removed from airspace, the whole Star Fox team will take substantial damage which is not good for the upcoming battles. After this task is completed, a bunch of homing torpedoes will have a lock on Peppy. Carefully shooting these away while avoiding hitting Peppy will allow the heralded hare to give thanks for your slick shooting. Fast-moving enemies then pop in with the goal of wiping out Fox with their swift movements and fast-firing. Butterfly-like enemies will follow, shooting out circular laser beams at Fox McCloud's ship. These will continue to spawn until after Fox crosses the checkpoint. More enemies and large ships with the intent of stalling Team Star Fox impede on their progress, but it's all for naught. They can be shot down for huge points. "They're through the second line!" followed by "Dang it! Deploy it now!" are then heard all culminating with an intense boss battle against a giant disc with tentacles. Area 6 is a high-octane ride perfect for this list. It features plenty of epic space shootouts, enemies to take out, and multiple points to rack up kills.

Chicago: Stealth - Perfect Dark (N64, XBLA)


Welcome to the future of Chicago. The aim of the game here is to enter the G5 building. Much like GoldenEye, the beauty of the design of missions is that depending on the difficulty you choose, you'll have more objectives assigned to you. Agents merely have three objectives to take care of whereas Perfect Agents need to complete all five objectives. From the beginning Joanna Dark will have nothing but her fists to assist her. This changes when an unbeknownst guard has his back turned to Ms. Dark. Joanna has a myriad of missions to take care of in Perfect Agent from attaching a tracer to a limousine while avoiding the blasts of a patrolling robot to setting up an escape route by tossing a remote mine on a wall of a fire escape. The contained area of the level of Chicago is full of goodies to discover. The optional nightclub may have guards inside it, but it's the only place you'll find one of the hidden pieces of cheese left smoldering inside a restroom toilet. With the awesome ambiance and variety of objectives to pull off, Chicago is my kind of town.

Bowser's Castle - Mario Kart 64 (N64)


Also used as a retro-revived track in Mario Kart Wii, Bowser's Castle was rated the number Mario Kart track on a top ten posted many moons ago on this very blog. What's not to love about this themed track? It begins with a straightaway across a rail-less bridge where light characters can easily be knocked off. What follows is one ninety-degree curve leading into a hall full of Thowmps randomly smashing into the ground. A left turn and a semi-swift right turn reveals even more Thwomps, this time with the intent of zeroing in on your position and stomping you flat. Timing is everything to get through the end of this hall as three Thwomps stomp at different times and durations. A right turn gives way to a hallway filled with item boxes followed by another right into, you guessed it, more Thwomps. This time they are sliding horizontally across the floor in an attempt to impede your progress. Another sharp ninety-degree turn leads to a narrow bridge where getting bumped off into the lava costs precious time. Going right from here leads the player down a stairway into the courtyard where a U-turn shows off some greenery in Bowser's otherwise barren castle. After passing through the courtyard, you go across the final of three bridges, up a spiral tower, making two jumps over lava, and winding up back to the beginning of the track in glorious and heated style. No race is constructed as brilliantly as Bowser's Castle, and they always seem to be my favorite courses in a Mario Kart game.

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That's not the last you'll hear from Best Levels in Gaming History. I've more volumes in store for you. For now I hope your appetite for this new segment has been whetted. What are some of your favorite levels in games? Give me a heads up in the comments section.

Introducing SuperPhillip's Favorite Anime Themes!

Just like I have done with video game music (VGMs), I am now constructing a list of my favorite anime music to share with the SPC populace! Join me as I take a listen to various anime soundtracks one track at a time in this new feature to SPC! Unlike the weekly VGMs, SP's Favorite Anime Themes will most likely be a monthly occurrence. I know, you're already salivating at the thought!

Volume 1: Tank! (Cowboy Bebop)

The queen of music composition, Yoko Kanno, deals out this, the opening theme for the anime series, Cowboy Bebop. One could say that it is worth watching Cowboy Bebop for the music alone, and I could agree. However, the show is such a delight even for non-anime fans that I highly recommend you watch the 26 episodes and one movie. "I think it's time we blow this scene. Get everybody and their stuff together. Okay, 3, 2, 1, Let's jam!"




Volume 2: The Wings of A Boy That Killed Adolescence (Gundam Wing)

Are you familiar with the name Kou Otani? He'll be featured a lot on this list as he composed music for both Gundam Wing and Outlaw Star, two anime that I enjoyed so much I purchased their collections. Nevertheless, Kou Otani has also done video game music as well. Do you know the video game, Shadow of the Colossus? He did the music for that. Regardless, The Wings of A Boy That Killed Adolescence plays twice during the Gundam Wing saga. Once in the first episode as the Wing Zero descends toward Earth's atmosphere and during Zechs' and Heero's fight in Antarctica. It's a rockin' version of Code Name Heero Yuy.



Volume 3: Rewrite (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Rewrite is the fourth and final opening theme of the original Fullmetal Alchemist. It is performed by Asian Kung-Fu Generation, and it really, really, truly rocks ass. I prefer the original Fullmetal Alchemist's soundtrack to Brotherhood. Perhaps it's because I'm more familiar with the original's score. Regardless, I enjoy the second and fourth title themes the best. You'll hear the second in a forthcoming edition of my favorite anime music. Not only do I like the music the best in the original, but the story is much more satisfying to me. Again, it's probably because I'm more familiar with it than the manga-faithful Brotherhood series.



Volume 4: Flight (Outlaw Star)

Whereas Kou Otani used synthetic instruments with real live instruments in Gundam Wing, in Outlaw Star, he uses real instruments through and through. Flight is a theme for when Gene Starwind's ship takes flight for the first time. With Melfina as the operator, naked in a cube of water (I don't ask, I just write the descriptions), and Jim, Twilight Suzuka, and that crazy cat girl, Gene has a tight crew with him to take care of anything. Outlaw Star's soundtrack is compromised of two original soundtracks. I own both, but I think they're bootleg versions. Alas, it's still good music even if I didn't send my monies to the right company.



Volume 5: Robin (Witch Hunter Robin)

Robin is the titular character in Witch Hunter Robin. I've only watched a few episodes, but this theme was common throughout. I would imagine Robin hunts witches with old sorcery ways whereas her companions use new technology to track and kill witches. I do not know if they go after warlocks, male witches. Perhaps warlocks are taken care of differently than witches. Who knows? All I know is that if I were a male witch, I would want to be called a warlock and not a witch. What was I talking about again? Oh, yes. This theme, Robin, has a beautiful piano melody. When it plays again, it is supported by powerful accompaniment that sent chills down my spine the first time I listened to it. If you're unfamiliar with this song or the anime, maybe it will do the same for you?

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There goes this batch of wonderfully wonderful anime themes! We heard some great themes from Cowboy Bebop, Gundam Wing, Fullmetal Alchemist, Outlaw Star, and Witch Hunter Robin. Stay tuned for the next installment where we'll get Brain Powerd, go Darker Than Black, and get help from the Paranoia Agent! Until then, toodle-loo!