SuperPhillip Central Best of 2014 Awards - Top Five Biggest Surprises

Plenty of times I've hyped myself up on a game in dramatic, frenzied fashion only to have a cloud of disappointment blow up in my face. Then there are the times that are much better-- when I don't think much about a game (if I think about it at all) and when I finally play, I'm floored by how good it is. These five games on this list were games that either weren't looking so hot initially, were completely overlooked by me until I played them, or had quality that was so much higher than what I was expecting. Here are my top five biggest surprises of 2014.

5) Armillo (Wii U eShop)

I'm a lover of 3D platformers, so Armillo seems like it would be an easy game to see coming, right? However, Fuzzy Wuzzy Games was a studio I hadn't heard of or knew of their past work. What Armillo ended up being was not just a fantastic game in its own right, but one of my favorite indie games of the year on any platform. It plays so well, is full of wonderful ideas, and it made me smile on a number of occasions. Definitely a title I'm glad I tried despite not thinking much of the developer at first.

4) Fantasy Life (3DS)

I had loosely followed this next game on my list prior to its release, and this was back when the game had more of a cel-shaded art style. Fantasy Life managed to blow me away with its immense amount of content, things to do, places to go, creatures to defeat, materials to acquire, crafts to make, and a story that brought with it lots of humor and well-written dialogue. It's not hard to be astonished when you go into a game not knowing much about it, but it's hard to be as impressed with Fantasy Life as I ended up being.

3) Hyrule Warriors (Wii U)

The only Dynasty Warriors-styled game I enjoyed (and that was just a little bit) was Dynasty Warriors Gundam. That game was mighty repetitive, despite the premise of thousands of mobile suit mechs fighting one another on one battlefield. Thus, I didn't think I'd like Hyrule Warriors as much, even as a fan of the source material. It wasn't as repetitive as I thought it would be. It was, dare I say, actually fun to grind in, whether it be character experience levels, rupees, or materials. Hyrule Warriors became one of my favorite games of 2014, and here I thought it'd be just another rote Dynasty Warriors experience.

2) Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 (Wii U, PS3, 360)

Here comes a game that I had low expectations set, and they were more than met and exceeded! While Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 doesn't do a lot that is new, it's a massively well made, cleverly designed, and polished game. After the original last year, I wasn't too sure how a sequel would pan out, but the more streamlined approach, better level design, and just plain greater amount of fun overall. It's for these reasons that Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 is one of the games that surprised me most this past year.

1) Shovel Knight (Wii U and 3DS eShop)

Coming to PlayStation platforms next year, Shovel Knight dug his way onto the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS this past year with critical acclaim and great sales to boot. I expected some Mega Man wannabe whose only merit was tugging on the nostalgia heartstrings of 8-bit gamers of old. Boy, did my ignorance blind me! Shovel Knight isn't a marvelous Mega Man wannabe-- it's its own beast, and it's quite a mighty one, too. One that I've played through more times than I care to admit just because the game is so polished, well put together, and hits all the right notes throughout its campaign.

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - The Final Edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs... for 2014 Edition

We've reached the end, friends. Well, for 2014 at the very least. SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs will keep delivering my most liked themes from video games far into the new year and beyond. However, let's not jump into the new year just yet. There's still more lists to write and VGMs this week to attend to. This week's edition, the final of 2014, features music from Bayonetta, Punch-Out!!, and Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc!

v781. Bayonetta (Wii U, PS3, 360) - The Greatest Jubilee

Bayonetta's final boss theme is called The Greatest Jubilee, pitting the titular character of the game against an omnipotent being. Expected out of the crazy minds behind such games as The Wonderful 101 and Vanquish, but nonetheless still the definition of awesome and cool. Generally speaking, having a choir backing your theme is a nice way to get on my good side, so congrats, The Great Jubilee, for doing so.

v782. F-Zero: Maximum Velocity (GBA) - Cloud Carpet

F-Zero is a series that has been missing in action for quite a while now. The last game released for the franchise never even made it out of Japan. Still, at least we have memories of and can still play older titles in the series, just like this underrated gem at the Game Boy Advance's launch, F-Zero: Maximum Velocity. VROOM!

v783. Punch-Out!! (Wii) - World Circuit Fight

All right, kid. You've taken down weaklings like Glass Joe, and stood toe-to-toe with King Hippo. It's time for the World Circuit Fight, you hear me? Go get 'em, Mac, with this guitar-heavy, adrenaline-pumpin' music. Don't let me down!

v784. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (PS2) - Sandover Village

The music of the Jak and Daxter series is one of the more forgettable parts of the franchise. There's few songs that I would keep on my iPod, that's for sure. Sandover Village is a serene theme with a soft tribal beat. It's by no means a fantastic track in either composition or sound, but it makes Jak and Daxter's home sweet home all the nicer to roam around in.

v785. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (Vita) - Dangan Ronpa!

A catchy title theme for our last video game featured on SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs in 2014, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc's aptly titled Dangan Ronpa! was composed by Masafumi Takada, whose work I found greatest in Killer 7 and No More Heroes. It makes sense that he went on to do music for another surrealist-style series with Danganronpa.

SuperPhillip Central Best of 2014 Awards - Top Five Local Multiplayer Games

I'm a dinosaur. Perhaps I've turned into an old man who yells at clouds. What I mean by this is that while you young, hip kids are playing your Playbox 720's with your Call of Madden and Grand Theft Assassins online, I prefer a local couch multiplayer game rather than online. It's more intimate, it's more exciting to me, and I just prefer it. Now, one isn't technically better than the other, but to me, it's clear as day. That's why I thought it'd be fair to change looking at all multiplayer games this year to just the ones I enjoyed most locally with friends or family.

5) Mario Golf: World Tour (3DS)

Golf isn't the most exciting sport around, but when you throw in wacky courses, characters, and options like Mario Golf: World Tour did, and bring some friends along to compete in real time or taking turns via match play, then you'll got a really game on your hands (or is it in your hands?). Just beating out Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for the number five spot, Mario Golf: World Tour's excellent multiplayer options gave it an eagle while Tropical Freeze scored a birdie, to use some golfing lingo!

4) LittleBigPlanet 3 (PS4, PS3)

LittleBigPlanet is one of my favorite Sony franchises, and for good reason, too! It's consistently great, offers a host of creation options, and it's really fun for multiplayer. A friend and I were able to play various adventure mode levels, but the fun really didn't start being a blast until we started jumping into random creator levels made by the community. Jumping and swinging, and slapping, and laughing-- LittleBigPlanet 3 had us in stitches. Had Sackboy in stitches, as well-- literally!

3) Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (3DS)

We have a gaming club at the college I attend, and before its big brother was released on Wii U, the Nintendo 3DS version of Super Smash Bros. was a popular game among most of us-- and that isn't some paltry amount of players! While not sharing a screen like the home console versions did not build the same sense of excitement and camaraderie between us, Super Smash Bros. in a bite-size, handheld form was great for multiplayer sessions for some offline fun!

2) Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)

A grand feature returned to this edition of Mario Kart, and it was the ability to play the Grand Prix mode with a friend. This feature had been cut out of most every Mario Kart game since the star rank grading system was implemented in Mario Kart: Super Circuit. It added to the manic Mario Kart mayhem that my brother and I had, making it a great Mario Kart game turned excellent.

1) Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)

The Wii U version of Super Smash Bros. brought with it things I've been wanting for a long time with the series. The biggest being multiplayer for Classic and All-Star modes. Beyond being able to enjoy those modes with my brother, it allowed us to have fun skirmishes with and against one another, as well as several nights where I played locally with a group of friends. It was the multiplayer game on many occasions, and it's why I choose Super Smash Bros. for Wii U as my number one multiplayer game of 2014.

See you tomorrow for the Top Five Biggest Surprises and Top Five Best Downloadable Games on SuperPhillip Central's continuing coverage of the Best of 2014!

SuperPhillip Central Best of 2014 Awards - Top Five Best Box Arts

In a more digital landscape, box arts are becoming less and less important. However, back in the old days before the Internet existed in great popularity, a box art was sometimes the best you could get for knowing what a game was all about. It was sometimes the only way to gauge the quality and bodaciousness (I'm dating myself with that word) of the game.

While box arts aren't nearly anywhere as important to get a game to sell well, it is the thing that consumers see on a store shelf. Sometimes a magnificent cover art can be the difference between being bought and being passed on. These five box arts out of the countless that have been released this year are my personal favorites. Hence, why I consider them the top five best box arts of 2014.

5) Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U)

I love how this first box arts gels well with the Wii U banner on top. Some game cover art bashes horribly with the blue Wii U banner, so it's nice to see something work really well with it. Of course, that's not the only reason I adores Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze's box art. It just makes the game look like a really fun game, and the character models in the center, boats on either side, energetic logo on the bottom, and icy corners say a lot about this gem of a game.

4) Titanfall (XONE, 360, PC)

One of two box arts from games published by EA, Titanfall's box art features one of the game's massive mechs. Its pilot squats down on the left arm of the massive destructive mech cast against the sun and a dilapidated battleground. Titanfall's box art exudes with coolness and piqued my interest of the game, even knowing that it's not the type of title I'd usually look into.

3) Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)

The aptly titled Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, which strangely enough is on the Wii U of all platforms, presents a mishmash of ten Nintendo all-stars positioned proudly around the game's logo makes for a very cool sight. It's as if they're rushing off the cover and zooming towards a skirmish in Smash. It may not be the most original idea around, but it certainly left an impression on my eyes.

2) Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)

Nintendo's Wii U sales may be in the crapper (that's a nice way of putting it, right?), but throughout this generation thus far, the company has been killing it with great box arts. My favorite of which is this year's Mario Kart 8. Mario takes center stage on the cover, making his most determined look as he drifts during a turn on the Mario Circuit track. It's a box art that shows what the grand feature of Mario Kart 8 is-- anti-gravity sections of track, and its composition is one to behold. 

1) Dragon Age: Inquisition (Multi)

Unlike many of the covers of the games featured on this top five list, Dragon Age: Inquisiton's cover looks the most like art. Now, that's not to say that a game's box art needs to be artistic or anything snobby like that in order to be my favorite. It certainly helps, however, and Inquisition's box art looks like a beautiful painting with gorgeous imagery, including the glorious dragon and knight with sword ablaze in his left hand. If only that nasty EA logo wasn't hogging up any real estate... then I wouldn't feel so cheap to have as my number one box art. *wry smile*

Hold it! There's one more top five list scheduled for today, and it's going to be posted later tonight! What games will be listed for the Top Five Best Multiplayer Games of 2014? The answers may (or may not) surprise you!

SuperPhillip Central Best of 2014 Awards - Top Five Most Pleasing Visuals

You'll find with my second category, Most Pleasing Visuals, that I find both cartoon-like and realistic visuals appealing, perhaps the former more than the latter. These games on this top five list impress purely with their aesthetics, their performance, and their looks in general.

5) Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)

While not even the most visually pleasing Wii U game, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U astonishes with its smooth-as-silk frame-rate, appealing character models, and fast-paced action. Let's not forget the remarkable stages that are brimming with personality and charm. I'm awestruck at how much Masahiro Sakurai and his team managed to make the latest Smash Bros. look.

4) Infamous: Second Son (PS4)

Infamous: Second Son oozes with astounding beauty, what, with its amazing city to tool around in, impressive lighting and special effects, and the fantastic character models that animate splendidly. Second Son is one of the few original titles on a current gen system that absolutely looks phenomenal, and it's with all of the aforementioned reasons that the game impresses visually.

3) Grand Theft Auto V (PS4, XONE)

Open world games amaze me with how they load the world around the player. Grand Theft Auto V on last gen platforms impressed greatly. Now, with Los Santos on the PS4 and Xbox One, the sensational city returns in gorgeous glory, feeling like a living, breathing city more than it had in the past thanks to its brilliant looking visuals, copious amounts of detail, and amazing polish.

2) The Last of Us: Remastered (PS4)

The original game on the PlayStation 3 was already a beaut to look at, so it makes total sense that the remastered version of The Last of Us on the PS4 looks mighty impressive, nay, stunning. The environments during the various seasons that the incredible models of Joel and Ellie push through are fantastic for the eyes, and the rest of the character models show the truly visceral world of The Last of Us: Remastered remarkably well.

1) Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)

Despite how realistic the last three games on this list look, I'm a sucker for color, and lots of it! This is where Mario Kart 8 comes in with its eye-popping color, beautiful tracks, and well animated characters. This is Nintendo in its HD finest, and it's why I choose Mario Kart 8 as the most pleasing to look at game, at least in my humble opinion.

Another top five list is in the works for today, so stick around!