Review Round-Up - July 2012

What's old is new again with Theatrhythm.

July was Retro Review Month, thus the majority of reviews written were of the retro variety. However, I am sort of interested in extending the old school fun till the end of summer. What do you guys and gals out there think should happen?

Regardless, even though we are smack dab in the dog days of summer and the paltry release schedule, July was busy month review-wise. We started off with the Game Boy's Donkey Kong, climbing its way to a remarkable 9.0. From high to low, we swung with the webhead with Spider-Man: The Movie, which could only muster a disappointing 4.0. I've gotta update my Top Five Spider-Man Game list. Moving on, the highest-scoring retro reviews of July were Kirby Super Star, getting a gold star with a 9.25 and Mega Man X2, running, jumping, and shooting its way to a 9.5. Even though we examined a new release, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy (8.5), this rhythm game featuring much old school styling made it still feel quite retro. But it wasn't all classics from gaming eras gone by. We had the chance to take to the kitchen in Order Up!! (6.75) and practice our balancing act with Art of Balance TOUCH! (8.5) We then quickly went back into the classics with my first experiences with Metroid II: Return of Samus, Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, Tomba!, and Spider-Man 2 -- all of which scored an excellent 8.0. Finally, Wario charged onto the scene and earned an 8.75 for his efforts with Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3. A very productive and nostalgia-inducing month.

All scores are out of 10.
5 = Average
* = Guest Review 

Donkey Kong (GB, 3DS VC) - 9.0
Spider-Man: The Movie (PS2, GCN, XBX) - 4.0
Kirby Super Star (SNES, Wii VC) - 9.25
Mega Man X2 (SNES, Wii VC) - 9.5
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy (3DS) - 8.5
Order Up!! (PS3) - 6.75
Art of Balance TOUCH! (3DSWare) - 8.5
Metroid II: Return of Samus (GB, 3DS VC) - 8.0
Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters (GB, 3DS VC) - 8.0
Tomba! (PS1) - 8.0
Spider-Man 2 (PS2, GCN, XBX) - 8.0
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (GB, 3DS VC) - 8.75

Lightning leads the critical chain charge.

Central City Census - August 2012

The heat of July has transferred over to August as Central City is in the middle of yet another relentless heat wave. Regardless, I am staying cool inside, writing up my thoughts on the Central City Census results for the month of July 2012.

The question asked was - well, you can see, can't you? I guess I don't need to restate it. In any event, I'm actually surprised by the Nintendo console that won. I was definitely not expecting the Wii to win given all of the negativity surrounding it, the arguments that it has no games, and comments that it is the worst mainstream console in gaming history (you know my thoughts on what actually is). I had thought the Super Nintendo would easily pull out a victory, but thankfully I didn't bet money on this poll. My lone shark beat me up last month because of a poor bet regarding June's census. The GameCube earned third place, followed by the Nintendo 64, and finally the NES scored a respectable ten votes.

But that wasn't the only poll being conducted. A three month long special poll (one that required visitors to scroll down a little) was online as well. Here were the results of that one.

What is your favorite part about SuperPhillip Central?

The articles (i.e. Most Overlooked games)	24 (40%)
The editorials	16 (27%)
The reviews	21 (35%)
The recurring segments like Rank Up!	17 (28%)
The top ten/top five lists	25 (42%)
The screens/videos	8 (13%)

Now, with these results, this does not mean I am going to start spamming this site top ten/top five lists on a daily basis, but it does help me understand better what regulars of the site like seeing the most on SuperPhillip Central. I'm happy to see that articles and reviews were close behind as that is what I spend a good portion of time on. Sort of glad to see screens and videos in last place as they obviously take the least amount of effort to post. Those being the sole unoriginal content on this site.

Thanks to everyone who voted on both or either poll. Now what is in store for the steamy and sultry month of August? Let's find out.

Video games can be purchased virtually anywhere -- big box retailers, toy stores, game retailers, online, etc. August's Central City Census asks where do you purchase games from the most? The census closes at the start of September.

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (GB, 3DS VC) Retro Review

I'm at a bit of a crossroads here. Retro Review Month has been so successful (really, it has) that I have been considering extending it to the rest of the summer. What do you guys think? Can you ever have too much retro goodness? Regardless, our next review takes us to the shores of Kitchen Island as we traverse Rice Beach, climb up Mt. Teapot, and hop aboard the S.S. Tea Cup for treasure and adventure. (But mostly treasure.) The game is Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 for Game Boy and the Nintendo 3DS's eShop as a digital download.

It's Wario's Land: We All Just Live In It.

One of the more favorite characters in the Mario universe is Wario. He wasn't always so loved. A series of handheld titles under the Wario Land moniker helped bolster his reputation among gamers. The games held their own compared to other Nintendo platformers, sure, but they also distanced themselves from the formula Mario and friends built, especially in later Wario Land titles. Wario was not content enough with stealing Mario's castle in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. No, no. He upped and took the entire Super Mario Land series from the heroic plumber! Nevertheless, Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 remains one of the better Game Boy titles on the platform. Its treasure-hunting, booty-plundering brilliance remains golden to this day.

Super Mario Land 3 is a typical 2D platformer. There are seven areas in total of Wario Land's Kitchen Island, one of which is hidden. Most levels are straightforward left-to-right affairs while some are vertical in appearance and design. The design of each level creates a terrific sense of variety, and not just because each area has its own trope. For instance, Parsley Woods is a mainly forested set of levels, but at the same time there are non-trope related train levels to enjoy and endure. Meanwhile, Stove Canyon has a course where the majority of the time Wario is running from a wall of fast-moving fire. Levels are relatively short. The longest ones take about five minutes to go through, but even those have checkpoint totems (turned on by Wario by spending a specific amount of coins) in a room mid-level.

The time limits of each course are very generous.

Every final level in a given area of Kitchen Island has a boss encounter to round off the platforming fun. These are mostly your standard three-hits-and-they-are-dead battles, but each has a great feeling of originality when compared to one another. Whether you're hurling stone boogers at the face of a foe or knocking a minotaur off the battlefield, you and Wario will have your work cut out for both of you. My only gripe with how bosses and the courses they occur in is that it can be annoying dying at a boss and having to restart the level midway through instead of near the boss's door.

A face only a mother could love.

At the conclusion of each level, you have the choice of entering one of two mini-games. The first is where you wager your currently held amount of coins and pull one of two strings. One bucket will dump a sack of coins on Wario which will double his earnings; the other will drop a ten ton weight on him, cutting his winnings in half. This game can be played three times before Wario calls it a day. The second mini-game has a foreground Wario chucking five bombs into the background at a moving enemy. Depending on how many bombs hit their intended target, Wario will earn a certain prize, a 1up being the best he can muster. I found this game too difficult to actually win.

Bashing baddies and conquering Kitchen Island is only half of the entertainment found in Wario Land. The other half comes from collecting coins and treasure. There are fifteen treasures in the forty courses (the levels of the game) of Kitchen Island. Each is hidden behind a locked skull door that Wario needs to retrieve the key of. Some of these are placed in exceptionally devious locations. I'm alluding to ones where you have to walk through an invisible wall to reach them. Pretty sneaky, sis. After beating the final boss of the game in Syrup Castle, the final area of Kitchen Island, the game tallies up the total of the treasures and tally of coins that you possess. Depending on how much you have acquired (up to 99,999), Wario will receive a different home. From owning a log cabin to having his own face on a moon, Wario's work will most definitely not be for naught.

Competent platforming is key in Wario Land.

Treasures are not the only secrets to be found in Super Mario Land 3. No, like Super Mario World and Super Mario Land 2, Wario Land has plenty of secret exits. Unlike levels where there are treasure inside them, courses with secret exits are marked clearly on the overworld map. Sherbet Land, the game's seventh and hidden area, can only be visited through discovering a secret exit within one of the levels of Mt. Teapot. Finding a lot of these exits can be quite challenging and require you to play through a level more than once just to uncover them. To discover all there is to Wario Land won't take too long of a time. In fact, I got a perfect game from just over five hours of fun. Even with the game beaten once, I am anxious to return to it once again.

Make your opposition see stars.

Like a standard Mario game, Wario Land has its fair share of power-ups in the form of hats to, well, power up with. Standard normal-sized Wario can charge into enemies and blocks with a shoulder thrust. By finding some bull horns, Wario can destroy blocks with one charge as opposed to the ordinary two. While in the air, the plump antihero is able to pound the ground, dazing nearby foes as well as crashing through blocks from above. Finally, Bull Wario can use his sharp horns to stick into the ceiling for an unlimited amount of time. While this feat has few uses throughout the length of the game, it is good to have. Meanwhile, Jet Wario can momentarily speed through the sky, flying over large chasms like a superhero. Finally, Dragon Wario grants the greedy treasure hunter the power of breathing fire to close by foes. Any time Wario is hit in a powered-up form, he turns into a miniature Wario, a form that cannot charge at all. If damaged in this state, you, the player, lose a life.

This level is a series of slow-moving carts.

Wario Land is a capable game graphically. It is without a doubt one of the better looking original Game Boy games as it released in 1994. The sprites of Wario, enemies, and bosses are detailed quite well. They're large enough to see the intricacies of, but they're not too big to take up a majority of the screen, resulting in unfair hits to Wario. The game is slow enough that you don't need to see far ahead of you to know what is coming. Backgrounds have a nice amount of character, especially indoor areas of the game. Regarding sound, the music is nowhere near as catchy as past Super Mario Land games, but Wario Land's soundtrack can still catch you humming it whilst you play.

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 was the start of something splendid. It turned Wario from villain to antihero, and launched a series of games with a cult following. Wario Land may never be as popular or have as many games developed for it than the Mario franchise, but it is yet another 2D platforming franchise from Nintendo that gamers around the world have accepted with open arms. The length of the game might bother some players who are used to 10+ hour adventures, but for the small asking price on the Nintendo eShop, Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 is one treasure certainly worth taking.

[SuperPhillip Says: 8.75/10]

SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs - Let the Games Begin Edition

Other than the name of this edition of the VGMs, this installment really has nothing to do with the Olympics at all. Instead we will listen to five tracks from retro and more modern games. These are five picks that run the gamut of video game eras, franchises, and styles. From Super Monkey Ball to Bomberman, we have a lot to get to, so let's do it.

v161. DuckTales (NES) - The Moon

Not pony tails or cotton tails, no DuckTales. Who knew that one of the most classic and regarded 8-bit tunes would come from a licensed video game based on a Disney animated series? DuckTales was developed by Capcom, a powerhouse when it came to licensed Disney games. Mickey Mouse, Aladdin, Chip 'n Dale, and more, Capcom was incredible with platformers in the NES and Super Nintendo days. DuckTales is but part of this long line of excellent Disney platformers.

v162. Bomberman 64: The Second Attack (N64) - Game Planet Starlight

Set on the Game Planet Starlight, full of bright lights, casinos, and various ways to lose your hard-earned cash through gambling, this world of Bomberman 64: The Second Attack is complemented by some seriously catchy music. But there's no time to lounge around with one of the Astral Knights loose on the planet. The soundtrack was composed in part by the great Yasunori Mitsuda of Chrono Trigger/Cross and Xenogears fame.

v163. Super Monkey Ball 2 (GCN) - World 7 (Bubbly Washing Machine)

Giving off a distinctly Japanese feel as your monkey in a ball rolls around courses suspended above a bloody washing machine, World 7 from Super Monkey Ball 2's story mode is the penultimate world of the game. Super Monkey Ball 2 had some levels that were more based on luck than actual skill. This put some experts of the original game off quite a bit. Despite this, I managed to somehow complete every level in the game. That is one of my proudest accomplishments alongside my 95% finished F-Zero GX save data.

v164. Drill Dozer (GBA) - Art Museum

Before Pokemon, Game Freak worked on the game Pulseman on the Sega Genesis. Then they crafted a series that some had called a fad. Well, the Pokemon "fad" is still going strong more than a decade later with no signs of slowing down. In between Pokemon games Game Freak had the opportunity to develop one of the last Game Boy Advance games for the system, a unique platformer known as Drill Dozer. The cartridge of the game had rumble built into it. The main character of Drill Dozer, Jill, would see the light of day once more in a guest starring role as an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

v165. Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii) - Dusky (Both Versions)

We continue our Japanese theme from volume 163. Do you recall the name Hitoshi Sakimoto? Well, he was the man behind a good portion of the music of Final Fantasy XII and the Final Fantasy Tactics series. Dusky, particularly Dusky A, is a theme that I absolutely adore. It is perfect for venturing through wheat fields, through demon-filled forests, and across isolated mountaintops. Vanillaware (Odin Sphere) did a wonderful job with the visuals of the game. It is a work of interactive art, wouldn't you say?

===

That concludes this eclectic mix of music for the Let the Games Begin edition of the favorite VGMs. Next week we will have five more intriguing themes for your ears to take pleasure in. For now, take solace in the fact that you can listen to past installments with the Favorite VGM Database.

Spider-Man 2 (PS2, GCN, XBX) Retro Review

While the rest of the world is enamored by The Dark Knight Rises, SuperPhillip Central continues its enchantment with the best webhead to ever don a spandex suit, Spider-Man. The subject of today's review is Spider-Man 2 for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox. Best Spider-Man game ever? We shall see.

Does whatever a Spider-Man video game can.

I have made no attempts to hide my adoration for Spider-Man. He's my favorite superhero in existence. The boy behind the spandex suit might be self-conscious, awkward, and not quite the ladies' man, but when he wears that suit and starts kicking villain butt, all inhibitions swing away. The Spider-Man 2 movie is called by some as the greatest superhero movie of all time. That's fine and all, but should you take the video game that released alongside the film out for a spin?

The Spider-Man 2 video game loosely follows the story of the film. Dr. Octavius is working on an experiment that allows him to harness the energy of a miniature sun. When things go awry, Spider-Man is there to save Octavius and get him out of danger's way. However, in the event, Octavius's wife dies, and in the aftermath he snaps and blames Spider-Man for his wife's death. Now, Spidey has to contend with a new villain, Doctor Octopus. This is all the while Spider-Man's alter ego, Peter Parker, has to deal with being Spider-Man and possibly giving it up so he can go back to a normal life. Enter Black Cat, a sultry antihero who wants Spidey to do the exact opposite and give up his life as an ordinary human being. This dynamic lasts throughout the game, and it is a very interesting one. Throw in some side story content such as encounters with the Shocker, Rhino, and Mysterio, and you have all the elements for a wild ride. Three actors from the movie reprise their roles: Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man/Peter Parker, Alfred Molina as Doctor Octavius/Octopus, and Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson. Meanwhile, Bruce Campbell provides the voice of the tour guide, offering humorous gems here and there along the way.

Unlike the previous poor game based off the first Spider-Man film, Spider-Man: The Movie, Spider-Man 2 is an open world sandbox game that is similar to Grand Theft Auto. Of course, Spidey isn't pulling people out of their cars and driving them. The game works on a chapter-by-chapter basis. In order to reach the next chapter, you must complete all story-related segments as well as earn the required amount of Hero Points. Hero Points are gained by completing missions, side missions, and just beating on thugs and henchmen. As Spidey swings around New York City, on his sub-map you will see green circles with exclamation marks in them. Going to the location and talking to the citizen in peril will start a side mission. These range from stopping an armored car robbery, to transporting an injured denizen to the hospital, to saving all of the crew members of a sinking ship. The latter of these missions is nigh impossible to pull off because you have to possess near-perfect precision because if a crew member falls into the water, the mission is failed. There are also random "crimes" like a person driving around with a bad case of road rage that needs to be stopped or a child's balloon that needs retrieving from the air. Successfully completing these missions net Spidey with some Hero Points.

"Get a job!" "You have no idea."

The actual main missions of Spider-Man 2 have plenty of variety once you get to them, but a lot of the time it is simply getting to a destination within a time limit to start things off. Also, if I have to follow Black Cat across the rooftops one more time, I'm going to snap - either myself or the disc. Regardless, some missions have Spider-Man taking pictures of the Big Apple's skyline. Some have him interrupting a shady business deal in a back alley. Some put him in a coliseum-styled showdown with Quentin Beck, the man that would eventually become Mysterio. Others have Spidey shutting off switches to turn off a dangerous machine that threatens to explode if it is not contained, or dealing out damage to a band of art thieves in a museum. Nonetheless, the actual story of the game isn't as long as you might expect. It only lasted me about six hours.

From Soho to Manhattan, NYC is yours to explore.

But there is much more to do than just play through the story. There are certain achievement-like tasks to accomplish like stopping so many robberies, completing all of the game's races (swinging through a number of checkpoints in order), collecting so many secret tokens that are placed around the city, and beating a certain number of enemies. The game can last you days, but I never found the motivation or desire to do so. There are really no major rewards for doing so.

Unlike past installments of Spider-Man games, Spider-Man 2 has players exploring an expansive city. Web-swinging is a fine science in this game. You need to have a building or object near you to swing off of (no attaching webs to the sky in order to swing). By holding down the jump button, Spidey can leap higher into the air while swinging. If you're having problems dealing with web-swinging, there is an option to choose the much simpler Easy Swinging as opposed to Normal Swinging that necessitates more mastery of the controls and mechanics.

Spidey's idea of going for a ride on a helicopter.

Outside of transportation and getting to places fast, Spider-Man can also use his web abilities to take out opponents. From ensnaring foes by tying them up within web to pulling them towards you with a tug of the web, Spidey has a robust arsenal of web-related moves. Then there's the flurry of combo attacks that come into play (most of which are purchased via NYC's many Upgrade Stores) to try out many various button combinations. His battle maneuvers aren't relegated to just offense either. When an enemy is about to attack, the webhead's spider sense comes into play, displaying a flash over Spider-Man's head. You can nimbly evade punches and gunshots with a well-timed press of the dodge button.

All in a day's work for the webhead.

Spider-Man 2 looks absolutely dated as of now. Even the opening cutscene, which is a camera shot that sprawls through Manhattan, shows obvious traces of pop-in, trees spawning from out of nowhere, and poor textures. Most of the character models outside of the main cast are pretty bad as well, but at least they are more detailed than the ugly and dirty mess that was Spider-Man: The Movie. For the time it came out, Spider-Man 2 was an impressive game, and in some regards it still is. The draw distance is rather far; just standing atop the tallest building in the game and looking below and beyond is quite the sight. So as much as I have ragged on the game's visuals as being outdated, there are some graphical aspects that still amaze to this day. As for the sound, while you're taking New York for a spin, a stirring orchestra backs up the action. Other times, you get this generic-sounding rock music. The score basically covers both extremes. As for the voice acting, the known Hollywood talent present does its job well, and the cast that rounds out the numerous parts also sound great. Sure, there are a few eye roll-worthy performances here and there, but it is generally more than satisfactory.

Take a moment to relax and take in the sights.

Spider-Man 2 manages to be a Spider-Man game that requires a fair bit of finesse to master the web-swinging mechanics. This may put off more casual Spider-Man fans, as might the glitchy-at-times combat. (The final battle had Doc Ock convulsing so much after a punch that I thought he was having a seizure.) Achieving 100% completion in the game is a lofty ambition, but it is one that I think most players won't bother doing as there is no major reward for completing this arduous and time-consuming task. It is simply not worth the struggle. Despite these problems, Spider-Man 2 is one of the better superhero games out there, and one of the better Spider-Man games period. Spider-Man 2 does whatever a video game can, and it does it rather well.

[SuperPhillip Says: 8.0/10]