SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - Saturday Night Platformin' Party Edition

A Saturday night edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs? Will this segment ever return on an actual Monday like it's supposed to? Well, that's the plan for next week, but this week, E3 sort of threw a wrench into the whole scheme.

Last week we took a listen to some songs from various RPGs. This week we move on to the platforming genre with music featuring famous platforming all-stars like Mario, Sonic, Mega Man X, and more. Just click on the volume name to be taken to the YouTube video featuring the song mentioned.

We start with the intergalactic goodness of Super Mario Galaxy 2. Then, we head to the circus with Wario World. Sonic Advance delivers a catchy special stage theme while Mega Man X8 takes us to Booster Forest. Finally, the unsung Sega platforming star Ristar concludes this platformer-centric edition!

As per usual, check out the VGM Database for all previous VGM volumes featured on SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs. Now, on to this week's music picks!

v1161. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii) - Starship Mario 3

There are three versions of Starship Mario's theme. Starship Mario is the hub of Super Mario Galaxy 2, one of my favorite games of all time. This is one of the few themes from the game that famous Nintendo composer Koji Kondo wrote. It's a song that gets you into the mood to travel to one of the game's countless galaxies and enjoy some fun platforming!

v1162. Wario World (GCN) - Wonky Circus

An oft overlooked entry in the Wario series, Wario World is a Treasure-developed 3D platforming starring everyone's favorite garlic-chomping plumber. The game contains a handful of worlds, each split up into two levels with a boss fight at the end of each. Wario World's soundtrack is particularly catchy, as songs like Wonky Circus definitely prove.

v1163. Sonic Advance (GBA) - Special Stage

The first Sonic the Hedgehog game to hit a Nintendo platform, Sonic Advance was a historic game for its time. I had to do a double take, thinking to myself, "Am I really playing a Sonic game on Nintendo hardware?!" The special stage in Sonic Advance involves collecting rings while moving through a 3D tube. The lack of depth perception made later stages a tad difficult, but who cares when you have this catchy theme to listen to as you do it!

v1164. Mega Man X8 (PS2) - Booster Forest

After the admittedly bad Mega Man X6 and Mega Man X7, it was a breath of fresh air to get an actually good Mega Man X game again. That's exactly what we got with Mega Man X8. Booster Forest, a rockin' theme with a nice guitar riff, comes from Bamboo Pandamonium's stage. The latter part of the stage incorporates an awesome ride armor section, leading to the fight with the robotic panda Maverick afterwards.

v1165. Ristar (GEN) - Round 5-2 - Ice Scream

(Don't mind Tails in this screenshot. This was the only good image I could find of the Ice Scream world.) With temps as hot as they are outside nowadays, thinking about winter is a nice idea. Of course, come actual winter I'll be whining about cold temperatures, snow, and ice, thinking summer is a nice idea instead. I can never be happy apparently! Anyway, Ristar is unlike any other platformer out there, using the character's arms to attack enemies and move through levels. It's a great platformer, too, so definitely check it out if you have the ability to.

MIA @ E3 2016: The Notable Games That Were Missing

E3 2016 is officially over, and man, what a show it was this year. If you're like me (and God help you if you are), you were excited to see lots of new and already announced games in all of their glory. At the same time, however, you probably also noticed that some games you might have been expecting to show up at E3 weren't there. This article delves into those games, the ones that disappointingly and unsatisfactorily so just weren't at E3 2016, making fans have to wait till who knows when to see them next.

Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4)

Perhaps it was too foolish to expect Final Fantasy VII Remake to show up at E3 this year. After all, Square Enix wouldn't want to overshadow its own game in Final Fantasy XV, especially when it's releasing in three months. However, I'm just hoping we're not going to see another Final Fantasy Versus XIII scenario where Final Fantasy VII's remake turns into vaporware for many years before finally being unveiled again. Regardless, it's too soon for that worry. We can probably expect Final Fantasy VII Remake to appear at least at the PlayStation Experience this December, considering then Final Fantasy XV will have been out for just under three months.

Kingdom Hearts III (PS4, XB1)

Sora, Donald, and Goofy will have to wait for another place to show off their skills, as they definitely weren't at E3 this year, nor was the game they all star in, Kingdom Hearts III. Unveiled a couple of E3s ago, it's pretty disappointing that the game seems to be slow going in development. Assuming we'll see the game this year in some form, there is always the Tokyo Game Show to think about, unless for some reason Square Enix doesn't want to cast any eyes away from Final Fantasy XV.

Red Dead 3 

(Screens from Red Dead Redemption on PS3, 360, and PC)

Some are perpetuating the rumor that Sony was intending to show Rockstar's latest in the Red Dead series at the end of its conference, hence the lackluster ending we actually received. The idea around this is that the trailer would have shown a shooting series, which would have been awfully tone deaf considering the absolute tragedy that occurred in Orlando a couple of days before. While some at Sony have denied that Red Dead's continuation would have been at the PlayStation press conference otherwise, there does seem to be truth in that the game is indeed coming. When will it be announced? That's the million dollar question.

Crackdown 3 (XB1)

Notably absent from Microsoft's Xbox One and Windows 10 PC showing, the cloud-intensive Crackdown 3 is set to release in 2017. It's anyone's best guess that Microsoft neglected to show it either because it wasn't at a good state to reveal progress on the game, or because it's a 2017 release and Microsoft didn't want to show too much stuff that wasn't releasing in the next six months. Whatever the case, you can bet that Crackdown 3 will be quite the showcase and jewel in the crown of the Xbox brand's lineup when it releases some time next year.

No Man's Sky (PS4)

For a game that releases in August, it was surprising to not hear or see hide nor hair of No Man's Sky at this E3. One could assume Sony didn't want to once again trot out the game at yet another media showing, much more another E3. Still, I'm amazed there wasn't a quick trailer or that the game wasn't even demoed at the PlayStation booth this year. While I won't go into any fear-mongering and say that No Man's Sky will see yet another delay, it's highly curious what Sony's rationale was for not having this highly intriguing game at E3.

Ace Combat 7 (PS4)

With such a focus on PlayStation VR at this year's E3, it's quite interesting how one of the marquis titles planned for the device wasn't even at the show this year. Ace Combat 7 is indeed a PlayStation 4 exclusive and will indeed use PlayStation VR. Maybe the game just wasn't far enough along to show anything, but hopefully we'll get to see the game soon. If not at the Tokyo Game Show, where it would definitely make sense to show it, then let's hope at the most we have to wait until the PlayStation Experience.

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom (PS4)

Another missing RPG from E3 2016, Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom looks like a Studio Ghibli animated film in video game form. It says something, though, about Sony's showcase that it had so much content for the PlayStation 4 that it really didn't need a lot more to hype gamers up. That said, ti's disappointing all the same that Level-5's latest RPG wasn't at E3. Perhaps we'll see it at a future event, whether it's at Gamescom, Level-5's own event, Tokyo Game Show, PlayStation Experience, or any other trade show that has slipped my mind at this present moment.

New Hot Shots Golf (PS4) 

Okay, maybe this one is more notable to me exclusively! Revealed last year at the Tokyo Game Show, the latest in the Hot Shots Golf series (currently without a finalized name) takes players beyond the boundaries of a single hole with seemingly fully traverse-able golf courses that have golfers swinging clubs, putting balls, and driving golf carts around various holes. I was hoping that like Gravity Rush 2, Sony just omitted the new Hot Shots Golf from its press conference and would reveal a new trailer after the fact, but this obviously did not happen, contrary to my inner Hot Shots Golf fan's desires.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force (3DS)

Although Nintendo's E3 presence this year mostly focused on the absolutely jaw-dropping new Zelda for NX and Wii U, the house of Mario still featured some games on its Nintendo Treehouse live-streaming coverage. A notable absence from this coverage, and a game that is set to release in about two months, was Metroid Prime: Federation Force. Now, this title has already gotten a lot of ire from fans, and it hasn't exactly proven itself as a competent game. Thus, this makes its absence from Nintendo's E3 all the more bewildering and all the more suspicious. Here's hoping that Federation Force actually turns out well and is a positively received game for Metroid's 25th anniversary this year.

Top Five Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Games

The latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film released in theaters a couple of weeks from today, and the newest Turtles game, published by Activision and developed by Platinum Games, released late last month. It's a totally tubular time to talk about some of the heroes in a half shell's best entries, from fighting games to the genre the Turtles' best excelled at, the beat-em-up. These five Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video games will have you shouting "Cowabunga!" with their quality.

5) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (SNES)

Back in the '90s a lot of publishers were chasing after the money that Street Fighter II claimed by creating a various amount of 2D fighters. This was true as well for Konami and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and their offer to the fighting game formula was none other than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters. I'll be referring to the Super Nintendo version, despite their being Sega Genesis and NES versions, as the SNES one is the best of the three. Combo-based fighting goodness with the Ninja Turtles performing Hadouken and Shoryuken-like moves, characters like Chrome Dome, Wingnut (from Mutanimals fame), and Armaggon (from Archie Comics fame) expanded the colorful roster of characters, and the music remains absolutely rockin'. A fantastic fighter that's quite unappreciated, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters for SNES is not to be missed.

4) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES)

A 2D beat-em-up which brought the Ninja Turtles to the sunny beaches of Florida before having their vacation ruined by yet another Shredder plan (Bummer, dudes!), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project saw the theft of the island of Manhattan by Shredder and Krang. It was up to the Turtles to put Shredder (and Manhattan for that matter) back in its place! Featuring encounters with traditional foes like Bebop and Rocksteady, The Manhattan Project also offered battles against foes from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' toy line, including bosses like Groundchuck and Dirtbag. Levels ranged from beach boardwalk beat-downs of Foot Soldiers to ocean-hover surfing goodness.

3) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (GEN)

The first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the Sega Genesis, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist was that console's answer to Turtles in Time, even featuring several elements of the game like the same combat (albeit without being able to toss foes at the screen) and even some levels verbatim. Though Hyperstone Heist possesses less levels than Turtles in Time, the levels that it did have were lengthier affairs, many of which were entirely original to the game. Compared to the SNES version of Turtles in Time, Hyperstone Heist featured richer backgrounds with more layers to them, crisper and faster sprites, and tougher enemy AI. Though it overall didn't win over Turtles in Time, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist is still a game Turtles fans shouldn't overlook.

2) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1989 (ARC, NES)

The first arcade game, eventually released on home console marketplaces last generation, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' 1989 arcade romp had it all-- engaging levels from city streets to bridges, boss battles against foes like Bebop and Rocksteady to Baxter Stockman, and fun multiplayer for up to four players to take down Shredder's forces. A home version for the NES released, giving players the ability to enjoy a visually watered down version of the game, albeit with two special and exclusive levels to the home console version. It was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles '89 that established the heroes in a half shell as beat-em-up all-stars, and the fun would continue on for years to come.

1) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (SNES, ARC)

Go back to the past, present, and future (i.e. be the Turtle equivalent of Marty McFly) in the most popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game to have ever released. Another game that ate up quarters like ninja turtles gobbling up whole pizzas, Turtles in Time offered up the best combat in the series, allowing players to take down Foot Soldiers and other foes in a variety of ways with up to four players in the arcade version and two players in the Super Nintendo port. There's no better feeling than chucking a Foot Soldier at the screen. Alley-oop! With a wide range of locales and levels, featuring epic boss battles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time remains the favorite Ninja Turtles game for a lot of fans, especially those who were kids in the 90's.

Rank Up! - Star Fox

Star Fox Zero has been out for over a month now, and with that, there are now six entries in the Star Fox franchise, ranging from traditional action flight games to a Zelda-like action-adventure game. It seems like a perfect time to bring out the old Rank Up machine and start delving into which Star Fox games are the best of the bunch starring Fox McCloud, Falco Lombardi, Peppy Hare, Slippy Toad, and all of the rest. These are the games I'll be ranking from "worst" to best:

Star Fox (SNES)
Star Fox 64 (N64, 3DS)
Star Fox Adventures (GCN)
Star Fox Assault (GCN)
Star Fox Command (DS)
Star Fox Zero (Wii U)

With these games in mind, let's get to ranking them! (Since Star Fox Guard is a total spin-off game of the franchise, not even starring Fox McCloud, it won't be included on this ranking countdown.)

6) Star Fox Command (DS)

Experimenting with the Star Fox series is something Nintendo has seemingly always tried to do to varying degrees of success. Star Fox Command is what I consider the weakest experiment, despite having some really intuitive touch based controls. The mission design has players plotting a course on a map, making sure to engage with the enemy and missiles before either can reach the Great Fox. When actually engaging the enemy, Star Fox Command enters all-range mode, requiring shooting down specific targets. What this all amounts to is a very repetitive Star Fox experience that is greatly missing the on-rails action that so many fans of the franchise adore. And don't even get me started on the soap opera and fan fiction-like story of Command! (Is this a Star Fox game or an episode of Star Fox 90210?!) Yikes!

5) Star Fox Adventures (GCN)

If you're familiar with the development history of Star Fox Adventures, then you not only know that it was the last Rare-developed game for a Nintendo console before the developer's buyout by Microsoft, but it was also never intended to be a Star Fox game to begin with until some Shigeru Miyamoto meddling. That said, this Zelda-inspired adventure with Fox McCloud and new pal Tricky the Triceratops may have too much item collecting, but the actual game isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination. Sure, some of the trials in the game are a tad annoying, and the showdown with the supposed big bad of the game, General Scales, ends on a whimper instead of a bang, but Star Fox Adventures has interesting world design, fun puzzles to solve, engaging combat, and still looks phenomenal to me in the graphics department. Who knows if a better game would have been made if the Star Fox franchise had not been added to it like Rare originally envisioned, but what GameCube owners got regardless was an inventive expedition of the Dinosaur Planet.

4) Star Fox (SNES)

Perhaps it's my not playing the original Star Fox when it initially released despite being of age to play it back in the day that places Star Fox at the number four position on this edition of Rank Up. Then again, it might also be the incredibly dated visuals and horrid frame-rate of the game that lowers my opinion of it. Still, the original Star Fox is a blisteringly awesome corridor shooter that kicked off this famed franchise in a fantastic way. With three difficulties which spanned across numerous areas and planets-- hard being immensely tough even for a seasoned player like myself (or maybe I'm not as seasoned as I think I am!)-- Star Fox delivers exciting gameplay, a stiff challenge, and lots of nostalgia for gamers of the early 90's. The visuals themselves use the Super FX chip of the Super Nintendo, as most fans are probably already very aware of, offering technological effects that seemed impossible for Nintendo's second home console. At the time, they blew players away, and to this day, though as I said, dated, they remain serviceable.

3) Star Fox Assault (GCN)

After Star Fox Adventures teased players with its few Arwing sections, many Star Fox fans waited with bated breath for the next installment of the series to return more closely to its roots. While Star Fox Assault doesn't completely do that, it does offer intense dogfighting action, added gameplay mechanics and types, and delivers my personal favorite soundtrack of the franchise, played in mostly glorious orchestral sound. Assault not only possesses some fabulous Arwing on-rails action, but it adds on-foot gameplay as well. Depending who you talk to, this is either great or a detriment to the game. For me, I enjoyed moving quickly through levels with Fox's fleet feet, blasting away at foes while keeping my combo amount higher and higher to earn high scores. In addition to the fun single-player campaign, Star Fox Assault contains what I consider the best multiplayer the series has ever seen, allowing up to four players to fly, ride, and blast one another to oblivion through a myriad of well designed maps. My only wish is that the amount of customization and action available in Assault's multiplayer somehow returns to the franchise in a later game.

2) Star Fox Zero (Wii U)

The most polarizing Star Fox game in existence-- at least in my opinion-- is Star Fox Zero. For me, Zero offers the most immersive experience of flying one of the Star Fox series's many vehicles ever seen in a Star Fox game. The ability to use the GamePad to aim at foes while looking at a completely different direction allows for getting high scores and taking down targets that would otherwise be impossible with any other control scheme. Some of my favorite Star Fox missions comes from Star Fox Zero, including an intense dogfight in space in Sector Alpha, where a multitude of space fighters and ships threaten Corneria's forces, and Fox needs to infiltrate the armada's leading ship's shield in order to take it down. The two screen approach offers so much that couldn't be done with a standard controller, but the caveat here is that this control and dual screened system is most definitely not for everyone. While some like myself were able to adapt, many were unable to, unfortunately. Still, Star Fox Zero remains one of my favorite Star Fox games, and if you want further analysis on it, check out SuperPhillip Central's in-depth review.

1) Star Fox 64 (N64, 3DS)

Not the most original pick for the best Star Fox game, but I was resigned to choose Star Fox 64 if only for its impact on the Star Fox franchise-- and just being an absolute blast to play. Star Fox 64 still remains my favorite in the franchise, offering seven levels to play in each play-through, and each run through the game can be a different experience depending on which of the 15+ paths you take from the starting planet Corneria to the evil Andross's home world Venom. Star Fox 64 is pure action all the time, focusing on both popular and exciting on-rails corridor action and the dogfighting fun of all-range mode. The game is also a meme lover's dream with so many quotes that are etched in the memories of players. Practically any quote can be said from the game and still brings back nice nostalgic thoughts of the game. The Nintendo 3DS remaster of the game, Star Fox 64 3D, brings the space drama to the small screen with gorgeous stereoscopic 3D visuals, redone music and voice acting, and some bonus features. Whichever version you decide to play (I prefer the former due to awesome rumble feature, which is still so dynamic and amazing in present day), Star Fox 64 will continue to make you feel like an ace pilot.

Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure (3DS) Announcement Trailer

Talk about a blast from the past! Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure originally released on PC and the PSP several years ago. Now, it's see a resurgence in the form of a Nintendo 3DS eShop exclusive port. If you're interested in the quality of Gurumin in general, I posted a review of the PSP version back in 2010. It's an early review of mine, so please be keep that in mind while reading it.