Best Levels in Gaming History - Volume Eight

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

Welcome to volume eight of one of our favorite segments here at SuperPhillip Central, Best Levels in Gaming History. No, your eyes do not deceive you. We're retroactively changed the name of our segment from Great Levels in Gaming History to Best Levels in Gaming History. Oh, the nerve of us. Regardless, we continue our look at levels that we deem the greatest in design, most fun to play and most memorable of all. Today we have some of the most entertaining games of all time to share with you-- many of which were listed on SuperPhillip Central's Top 100 Games of All Time ten week event.

If you've missed a previous volume of Best Levels in Gaming History, check out the links below:

Volume One
Volume Two
Volume Three
Volume Four
Volume Five
Volume Six
Volume Seven

Phazon Mines - Metroid Prime (GCN)

Things get much hairier for Samus Aran when she enters the Phazon Mines, the center of all Space Pirate activity on the wondrous planet of Tallon IV. With the heavy pollution, massive amounts of machinery, and radioactive Phazon that will damage Samus upon contact unless she is wearing the ultimate suit in the game, the conveniently called Phazon Suit.

The Space Pirates are certainly up to no good in the Phazon Mines, mining Phazon, pollution the sky into a pink haze, and keeping multiple Metroids locked up (but not for long) under quarantine.

Phazon Mines is so awesome because you feel like the Space Pirates are putting everything they have in stopping Samus from venturing into the depths of the mines. There's automatic turrets, cloaked drones, different elemental varieties of Space Pirates, Elite Pirates, and the most menacing creature of them all, the Omega Pirate, delivering one heck of a boss battle for players. Then there's how vertical the area is, offering plenty of fantastic first-person platforming action and adventuring. The Phazon Mines are indeed a very cool sight in a game that is full of magnificent areas.

Click Clock Wood - Banjo-Kazooie (N64, XBLA)

The final world of the Nintendo 64's greatest 3D platformer (in SuperPhillip Central's opinion at least), Banjo-Kazooie, is one that requires players to visit each of its seasons. It is none other than Click Clock Wood. You start off in a wooded area with four doors, only one which is accessible to Banjo and Kazooie, Spring. Through finding the switch to open the next door containing the next season, you can venture from Spring to Summer, and then Fall and Winter.

The fun of Click Clock Wood is how doing something in Spring will affect the next season, and so on. One Jiggy objective requires you to perform actions across all four seasons to obtain it. There's a squirrel to gather its acorns in the fall so he can hibernate for the winter, a beaver whose home is blocked by a giant rock that Banjo can destroy during the summer (when the moat surrounding the central tree structure is barren), and the ability to freely fly around the spring version of Click Clock Wood thanks to Mumbo Jumbo's bee transformation. Click Clock Wood is a terrific way to cap off Banjo-Kazooie, and it's a highly creative world, too.

Cronos - God of War III (PS3)

What's great about this level is that it works as a level AND a boss fight. We're choosing the former to represent Cronos from God of War III. After Kratos got Pandora's Box, Zeus banished the titan Cronos to the Pits of Tartarus, and this earth-based colossus is pretty pissed about it.

The sheer size of Cronos makes the bosses in Shadow of the Colossus even envious of him! Kratos is but a bug to him, as seen in the screenshot above, nestled between the titan's two fingers. Kratos, however, gets the upper hand... and arrives on Cronos' upper hand, where he does battle with summoned enemy fodder. He battles these foes while dodging the humongous hand and fingers of the boss.

This level, this boss encounter, is one that is truly unforgettable, as it has Kratos scaling up the behemoth body of Cronos, as if he were climbing a wall, slamming his chained blades into the titan's flesh, swinging around, dodging Cronos' advances. Perhaps Cronos' undoing is when he swallows Kratos. Unfortunately for him, Kratos uses his blade to carve a path out of the titan's chest. After impaling Cronos with his own crest, Kratos leaps up to the titan's forehead, slams his sword straight into his skull and wins another battle. Absolute coolness... and icky, too.

Tower of Babel - Final Fantasy IV (Multi)

One of the most memorable dungeons for us in the earlier Final Fantasy titles is Final Fantasy IV's Tower of Babel (or as it is called in the Game Boy Advance version, Babel Tower). It's a hulking structure that stretches from the inside the earth all the way up higher than airships can fly. The tower features multiple hidden pathways and rooms that lead to some terrific treasure. Unfortunately, a lot of these treasures hide monsters inside, and deadly ones at that. Regardless, when the encounters are as challenging and as fun as the ones in this towering dungeon, we really can't complain. It's a dungeon so nice that Cecil and his party just so happened to visit it twice.

Katina - Star Fox 64 (N64, 3DS)

Unlike the other levels previously mentioned in Best Levels in Gaming History, Katina from the brilliant Star Fox 64 does not have our heroes on rails. Instead, Katina is a 360 free-flight mission, and the immense number of enemies and friendlies that soar in the sky around the center base is a pure adrenaline rush.

Taking a page straight of Independence Day with Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum, an enemy mothership enters into the fray about a minute into the mission and hovers over the resistance base of Katina's forces. The goal is simple, destroy the four hatches on the underside of the mothership when they show themselves. Then the core will appear, requiring Fox and the team to destroy it before it can obliterate the base with a massive energy beam.

Whether you succeed and go to Solar or fail and go to Sector X (I usually succeed and opt to go to Sector X anyway, as I like that level more), Katina is a mission that is just spectacular, flying with your buds, engaging in intense dogfights with enemy ships, and "accidentally" shooting down friendlies. "Wait! That's one of ours!" You said it, Peppy. You said it.

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Which levels have you played in the past that you think should hold a spot on a future volume of Best Levels in Gaming History? Think about it for a little bit, and then return here with your thoughts.

Sonic Lost World (Wii U, 3DS) Gamescom Trailer

Following the footsteps of Batman is Sonic the Hedgehog. He has a new trailer for the Gamescom event for Sonic Lost World, a Wii U and Nintendo 3DS exclusive. A new level is revealed, several Wisp powers are shown, trading items through Miiverse is here and the two-player competitive and cooperative modes are present and accounted for. We at SuperPhillip Central are really looking forward to Sonic's latest game.

Batman: Arkham Origins (Wii U, PS3, 360, PC) Firefly Trailer

A new assassin has been revealed, just in time for Gamescom. It's none other than Firefly. Batman will no doubt have his work cut out for him when Batman: Arkham Origins releases October 25 worldwide.

Mega Man 2 (NES, Wii U VC, 3DS VC) Retro Review

We've already looked at the 16-bit era of gaming earlier today, so why not take a glance at the 8-bit era as well. Here is a review of the retro variety, celebrating all things awesome with Mega Man 2. Here is our review.

Mega Man Refined

Mega Man is a franchise that Capcom would rather forget, it seems. To put it in perspective, Nintendo appears to be doing more with the series by including Mega Man in the next Super Smash Bros. games than Capcom is currently doing. Fortunately, Capcom isn't entirely turning its collective back on the Blue Bomber, as they are releasing his classic games on the Wii U's Virtual Console service. One of the most celebrated titles of all Mega Man's multiple series and spin-offs is Mega Man 2. Come see why it certainly deserves its due credit.

It takes some fancy footwork
to stay on that rotating gear!

For those who have no idea what the Mega Man series is all about (have you been living under a rock[man] for the past two decades?), each classic Mega Man game (save for the first) pits the Blue Bomber against eight Robot Masters. You, the player, are allowed to choose which order you wish to take their levels and concluding boss fights on. This was a huge innovation way back when, but the innovation actually doesn't end there either.

Defeat Metal Man...

Each Robot Master (boss of each level) has a weakness to another Robot Master's special primary weapon. As Mega Man defeats a given Robot Master, he copies their ability, allowing him to use that weapon in and out of boss battles, including the severely overpowered Metal Blade. For instance, Heat Man is weak to Bubble Man's special weapon, and if Mega Man uses it on him, Heat Man will go down in a handful of hits. While there is a recommended order of levels for beginning players to follow (the best order starts off with the Robot Master that is the easiest to eliminate with Mega Man's default weapon), expert players can make the game harder by going out of order, or even taking on every Robot Master with only Mega Man's default weapon. 

...to use his Metal Blade
as Mega Man.

Each Robot Master stage has its own obstacles, enemies, hazards, setting and theme. Air Man's stage is completely above the clouds and in the sky. You must jump from cloud to cloud, mechanical monster head to mechanical monster head, all the while always being threatened with a bottomless pit under you for careless players to fall into. Meanwhile, Crash Man's level has you riding on platforms that ride along an lined path. You need to stay on it while shooting down enemies, which wish to knock you back to the ground below. Lastly, Quick Man's stage is a nightmare without Flash Man's time-stopping ability. You have to think quick (pun intended) on your two blue feet as you try to evade giant killer laser beams otherwise.  

Whatever you do--
Don't look down!

There are generally a few checkpoints per level, so death doesn't mean you have to replay the entire level over again like many games of the 8-bit era would punish you with. Don't get me wrong-- Mega Man 2 is still challenging, even with the comfort of checkpoints. Still, even if you do lose of all your lives, you can continue your game from the stage select screen. Previous Robot Masters defeated will still be gone. If the normal difficulty isn't doing it for you, you can always play on Difficult mode. Enemies deal out more damage, and the game is just even harder than usual. 

These foes will put the screws into Mega Man.

Mega Man 2 is a much improved game over its predecessor. For one, it's a longer game, featuring eight Robot Masters to defeat instead of just the six from the original Mega Man. This is a feature that future Mega Man games would have. Another aspect of Mega Man 2 that would live on are Energy Tanks. Mega Man can collect and hold onto up to four at a time. These restore his health completely when used, so they're without a doubt usually hidden well. 

Wood Man's stage occurs in this
unfriendly forest setting.

Perhaps my only beefs with Mega Man 2-- something that I know might disturb some fans of the game, as many find the game to be perfect-- are very small ones. For one, after you have finished a level and beaten the Robot Master, you can't return to that stage. I'd love to be able to replay levels without having to start the game over again. One annoyance occurs with a boss in Wily's Castle stages. It requires you to use the Crash Bomb to defeat several targets. If you mess up and run out of weapon energy, you have to grind outside the boss door for energy. Very vexing. Lastly, and this deals with the performance of the game, there is a lot of sprite flickering when there's more than a few sprites on screen at the same time. Thankfully, this is but an aesthetic issue, however, and has nothing to do with the gameplay.

Surrounded but not surrendering!

Mega Man 2 is a short experience, giving players a brief experience around 2-3 hours total. However, it's a game that you'll want to play through again and again. It's that good. My minor beefs aside with the game, Mega Man 2 delivers a challenging platforming with enough action that has kept players coming back for over two decades now. The addition of restore points in the Wii U Virtual Console version means even the worst player can get through the game with some patience and determination. Mega Man, you rock.

[SPC Says: 9.5/10]

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGM - The Golden Age of Gaming Edition

It's Monday, so that must mean it's time for SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGM to make their appearance. This week's edition is specially themed, taking a look back at what we perceive to be the golden age of gaming, the 16-bit era. Both the Super Nintendo and SEGA Genesis will be represented today.

v441. Sonic & Knuckles (GEN) - The Doomsday Zone

Featured in one of our Best Boss Battles in Gaming History segments, the fight against a retreating Dr. Robotnik in The Doomsday Zone is a battle to behold. Super Sonic speeds his way through space as he pursues his nemesis, holding onto the Master Emerald. The song heard during this chase only heightens how intense the situation really is.

v442. Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure (GEN) - The Forest

Tiny Toon Adventures was a spin-off of Looney Tunes, and it was absolutely great. Several games based off the show were released, including Buster Busts Loose on the Super Nintendo, but by far our favorite game released on the Genesis, Buster's Hidden Treasure. The music is also very nice, as evident by this theme that plays during one of the forest levels (the second main area of the game).

v443. Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie (SNES) - Frozen Mountains

Another childhood game based on a television show features those rangers clad in different colored suits. While not all of us were enamored with the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers back in the height of their popularity, we all did enjoy the video game that was based off the movie. The game was a beat-em-up similar to TMNT IV: Turtles in Time or Streets of Rage. This particular stage had the rangers riding down a slope and into a wintry river while aboard snowboards.

v444. Spider-Man & Venom: Maximum Carnage (SNES, GEN) - Super Villains

Speaking of beat-em-ups, Spider-Man & Venom: Maximum Carnage is another title in the genre. The soundtrack had a lot of heavy metal/hard rock influences to it, particularly the main theme and this one, used for many of the fights within Maximum Carnage.

v445. Cool Spot (GEN) - Wall Tune

Composed by Tommy Tallarico, this theme is one of our favorites from Cool Spot, a game capitalizing on the 2D platforming craze that was heavily popular in the nineties and the 16-bit era. Cool Spot was a licensed title for the 7up soda brand. It sounds silly, but ended up a fun platforming title.