[TOP FIVE] 3D Sonic the Hedgehog Games

Greetings, friends! With Sonic x Shadow Generations rushing towards release in a couple weeks' time, I figured it'd be the perfect occasion to look back at Sonic's 3D outings, picking my five favorites of the Blue Blur bunch! These picks are the creme de le corn dog of Sonic: possessing the most complete 3D packages possible, from gameplay to design! And this time around, it's another video upload rather than a written post!

I hope you'll enjoy this video, and I hope you'll tell me and the Central City community which 3D Sonic games you deem to be the best or at the very least--your favorites!

Astro Bot (PS5) Review

A new review presents itself for this Tuesday evening. It's a game that many have bumped up to the top of Game of the Year rumblings and talks: Astro Bot. Well, it's managed to do the same thing for me here at SuperPhillip Central, too! Here's my review!

Fun and charm off the charts in Astro-nomical levels.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the PlayStation brand, which of course, as someone a little bit older than Sony's gaming empire, makes me feel ancient. That notwithstanding, one way that PlayStation celebrates 35 years, as well as one way that it attempts to appeal to a wider audience, is with the sequel to what I consider one of the best pack-in games of all time, Astro's Playroom. This full-fledged sequel, Astro Bot, takes some concepts and ideas from Playroom as well as the PlayStation VR-exclusive Astro Bot: Rescue Mission and creates one of the most compelling reasons--in this reviewer's opinion--to own a PlayStation 5.

Bumming around in the emptiness of space with nothing but their PlayStation 5-shaped ship and some toe-tappin' tunes, we start Astro Bot's story with our eponymous protagonist moving and grooving with myriad other Bots inside the safety of their shi--oh, shoot! An alien UFO attacks said ship and sends the entire vessel, including all occupants, all hurtling towards parts unknown. A crash landing results in our hero Astro waking up in a barren desert wasteland. With a nearby satellite which bestows the coordinates to some of his friends and the desire to repair their broken vessel, yet another rescue mission is on for Astro! Charm pours from every part of Astro Bot, and you'll get an immediate sense of that through the opening cutscenes. What is of the story is rather basic to start, but somehow, someway--and without spoiling anything, of course--the ending managed to pull my heartstrings a little bit. Not too shabby for a platformer.

With lasers shooting from Astro's shoes, does that mean these foes have just been... de-feet-ed? 

As for the said platforming of Astro Bot, our little droid dude does not have the acrobatics or move set of, say, Mario (and how can you not compare a 3D platformer of this scope and size to Nintendo's portly plumber?), but what he has to work with works well. He can jump (which to be fair, is expected of a platforming mascot), he can punch, players can hold the attack button down to perform a spinning punch that can turn on various interact-ables like platforms, lifts, and more. He also has lasers on his feet when he hovers--which has a dual purpose: one for extending the duration of his jump, and the second being to defeat foes underneath him. That's pretty much all there is to Astro's kit, which makes for an accessible lineup of moves, but also for veteran platforming fans, it doesn't bring much of a high skill ceiling either.

That said, in various levels, Astro stumbles upon a chest, when opened, grants him a new power-up ability for use only in that level. It essentially becomes an extension of his move set, adding further utility to Astro. Generally, a given power-up only adds one extra button to remember to press, and when combined with Astro's base move set, you have a complete package that doesn't overwhelm players. 

Whether it's an elephant backpack that causes Astro to inflate himself to fly high in the air and bounce around, a backpack in bulldog form that serves as a means for Astro to rocket his way upwards or forwards, breaking through glass like it was nothing, or green retractable boxing gloves that can pummel obstacles and enemies alike with ease, these extra abilities and power-ups add to Astro's repertoire. They certainly make for even more compelling platforming gameplay than what's already present and accounted for in Astro Bot.

Great for pulverizing baddies, pulling switches, and even knocking projectiles back at enemies,
these gloves have just the right amount of "punch" for the job!

Whereas part of the star is the platforming, which feels phenomenal and one always feels in control of Astro, the other part that the platforming shares the spotlight with is the immaculate level design. Between constantly throwing new ideas at the player in a way that I haven't experienced since Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, and bringing for the engaging and inventive platforming challenges on a consistent basis, Astro Bot definitely does not disappoint in the level design department. 

One level thrusts Astro high above the clouds with skyscrapers jutting out from them in a construction zone, complete with running and jumping along swinging girders before summoning a wrecking ball to demolish the entrance to a building in a phenomenal display of destructive physics (and just plain coolness as well). Meanwhile, another early and extraordinary level that really showcases the power of the PlayStation 5--even more so--has Astro able to switch between tiny and regular-size forms with a press of a button. Astro needs to shift between both forms to solve environmental puzzles and make progress, too. Seeing Astro shrink to the size of a mouse, with camera following in tow, and with another press of a button, instantly grow to his normal size without a loading screen in sight is immensely impressive. 

Time to ironically deconstruct some baddies here at the ol' construction yard!

Levels aren't just one and done linear affairs either. You can rush through them, for sure, but you'll not only be missing out on the superbly placed secrets such as Bots to rescue and Puzzle Pieces to obtain (seriously, some of these are truly hidden in some genuinely crafty and clever locations), but in order to face each boss in the game's six unique galaxies, you'll need to satisfy the amount of Rescued Bots required to open the level's lock. 

Thus, it behooves you to explore as much as possible. Not just to make general progress, but if you're anything like me (and let's be honest, in most cases other than this one you would hope to God you're nothing like me), you'll greatly enjoy thoroughly exploring each and every level to your heart's content. Even if there wasn't something major collectible-wise like a Bot or Puzzle Piece hiding off the beaten path, I'd usually find that my curiosity was rewarded by discovering a secret cache of coins or a photo op location, for instance. 

The level variety and design on display in Astro Bot is nothing short of amazing.

Each galaxy contains two levels that house secret exits in them, warping Astro to a place called the Lost Galaxy. Here, more levels present themselves, a single level opening up for each exit found. Galaxies also contain bonus levels, such as quick battles against a plethora of foes, obstacle-laden bonus courses, and much more. With 300+ Bots to optionally acquire, numerous Puzzle Pieces to collect, and dozens of secret exits, there is a great deal of goodies to be discovered and obtained within Astro Bot.

As stated, rescuing Bots (some, not all) is needed to make headway in the game to fight Astro Bot's bosses. These showdowns are without exaggeration, terrific and massively epic encounters. From the very first one where Astro deals with a King Kong-like goliath of a gorilla, avoiding the beast's held bells as he creates shockwaves while having Astro rocket himself into them, and later the gorilla's teeth to deal damage, you're in for a good time. Unlike the standard levels where it's one hit and Astro's KO'd (though thankfully standard levels contain copious amounts of checkpoints so death is seldom a frustration), boss battles allow Astro three hits to take before our heroic bot is busted. 

Ask not for whom the bell tolls. (Even though we know it tolls for Astro here!)

Without much need to say (yet I'm saying it anyway), Astro Bot is a celebration of PlayStation and its 30th anniversary, and with that, there is a comprehensive amount of references thrown in. Everything from each world--or in Astro Bot's case--galaxy concluding with obtaining one of the stolen parts from a PlayStation 5-shaped ship, to the majority of Bots that are rescued being modeled after characters from games that have graced the PlayStation across its seven major platforms, including handhelds, is an ode to PlayStation and its rich history. 

Aside from these references, each galaxy's conclusion brings with it a level based off one of many PlayStation franchises. These aren't just based off the levels in aesthetics, they pretty much play like an Astro Bot-ified--as it were--version of the games, too. Without revealing anything not seen in official marketing for the game, the level based off Kratos's Norse adventure, has Astro borrowing the God of War's axe, being able to toss it at foes and switches, and call it back to his hand, just like in the more modern versions of the God of War games. Needless to say, there are more levels than just well-known and high-selling goodies. The first themed level had me absolutely giddy as a fan of an early 3D PlayStation platformer, and a certain PlayStation Portable series found its way to Astro Bot as well--lovingly made into a level by Team Asobi. You can tell the team really did its homework when designing these odes to PlayStation in ingeniously crafted level form. Par for the course, really, considering the rest of the game is just as smartly made.

Not one to let an ample opportunity go to waste, Astro even dresses for the part sometimes!

Would stumbling upon and rescuing the same, generic, nameless Bots throughout Astro's adventure have the same impact as discovering a hidden Solid Snake-inspired Bot, or an Alucard from Castlevania? Most likely not, but the references also don't create the pretense that Astro Bot wouldn't be able to stand on its own two feet with just its engaging gameplay, immaculate level design, and immense charm. The references only add to that spark of joy, and your mileage on that will vary depending on how deep your PlayStation knowledge and fandom goes--and also decidedly how well you know and appreciate some of the real deep cuts pulled in Astro Bot, too!

Monkey-see, monkey-climb. This level uses the tilt and shoulder buttons
of the PlayStation 5's DualSense controller to scale these banana-shaped ledges.

When you're not exploring levels and out and about in the galaxy, you're in the Crash Site, the hub of Astro Bot. This hub world is absolutely one of my favorites in a 3D platformer. It consists of the main circular sandy area where all of the rescued Bots congregate, and in a Pikmin-like fashion, there are points around the hub where you can call upon the help of your Bot army to create makeshift ladders, platforms, and swings out of themselves. They can also help you push and pull objects to create new pathways as well. The hub is also where the Gacha machine is, where all of those coins accumulated throughout Astro's adventure may be spent on randomized prizes, such as new costumes for Astro, actions for the Bots in the hub, and different colors for Astro's ride, not-so-coincidentally a DualSense controller. 

Astro Bot is one of the more technically impressive and jaw-dropping games on the PlayStation 5. That goes for aesthetics as well as seeing just how much the physics system gets a workout too, between glass platforms shattering underneath the trail of Astro upon walking on them, to seeing oodles and oodles of beach balls tumble down the waterslide along Astro as seen in the very first level. Astro Bot is a clean, crisp, colorful game that offers a steady frame-rate, gorgeous views, and is just an utter delight to look at. Musically, Astro Bot fares well, too. The catchiness of tunes, some remixed from past Astro Bot games, while most are brand-new works, presents itself throughout each track of the game. It might not be to everyone's liking--as for some, the music might be obnoxious, but for me, it had my toes tapping and head bobbing to it as I played. 

Even the coins in Astro Bot are PlayStation themed! 

All in all, Astro Bot constantly brought me joy with its creative levels and charming presentation throughout my 8-10 hour initial playthrough. I knew I really thought the game was something special when almost immediately after beating the game for the first time and collecting all there was to collect (earning the Platinum trophy, too), I started a fresh save file to enjoy a new playthrough all over again. It takes a special game to have me do that, and wouldn't you know it--Astro Bot is such a game. 

It gave me cozy feels with its abundance of charm, it delivered rewards through thoroughly exploring its well crafted and designed levels, it presented me with "one more time" desires with its challenging bonus levels, and it kept me engaged from beginning to end, and then, as stated, back to the beginning again with a new playthrough. Astro Bot not only offers a magical gameplay experience that utilizes the DualSense controller in innovative (but fortunately for accessibility reasons, optional) ways, but also offers a game that is a shining example of pure, unadulterated fun in videogame form. 

[SPC Says: A]

Introducing the Start of a Brand-New "Experimental" Video Series: Mario Superstar Baseball (GC)!

Thank you, everyone, for your patience with new video content and updates on my YouTube channel! Your wait will hopefully be deemed as worthwhile with a brand-new video series! It's Mario Superstar Baseball as part of the SuperPhillip Sports Network! Enjoy this experimental new series, having myself do impromptu commentary over my playthrough of the Mario Sunshines/Fireballs in the game's Challenge Mode! 

I learned two major things while making this video: 1) How to splice two videos together to seamlessly look like I'm commentating live as opposed to over recorded footage, and 2) I suck at baseball terminology! 

Regardless, I hope you'll like what you see and listen to! I'm always desiring constructive feedback, so feel free to hit me up in the comments with what you think! Thanks, all!

Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines (NSW, XBS, PC) Review

We continue our theme of platformers, particularly indie ones, with Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines from Medallion Games. I review this title as played on the Xbox Series S.

These Grapple Dogs are out of this world.

The last time we left Pablo and friends, our puppy protagonist had just defeated an evil robot named Nul. After the battle, a mysterious being not-so-subtly alluded that the fight was far from over with a new threat lingering in the shadows. Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines picks up immediately from there with a new mission: collect all four Allkrystal pieces before the multiverse as our heroes know it is destroyed by the aforementioned new threat, Vyr--and a new playable character, the brooding, gun-toting Luna.

What follows is that of four worlds, each containing one piece of the shattered Allkrystal, each guarded by one of Vyr's commanders. Though first, Pablo and Luna must venture through several platforming levels both exploration and obstacle course-based to gather enough jewels to open the way to each boss's domain. 

Our protagonist Pablo is getting into the swing of things.

Like its predecessor, Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines contains a multitude of levels, featuring an abundance of platforming challenges, and--as expected from the title--points to use each dogs' grappling hook to swing across chasms and over obstacles and hazards. Levels are linear affairs, but there are plenty of opportunities to explore off the beaten path, whether for extra berries--the currency of Cosmic Canines--or more interestingly, hidden jewels and treasure chests containing new skins for Pablo and Luna's grapple hooks. It's to players' benefit to explore levels fully, as these previously mentioned jewels are the means to progress in worlds, opening gates that lead to even more levels.

Venture through the ocean blue (or in this case, the waters beige) of the world map.

Each character has their own separate set of stages to move through, utilizing their unique abilities. Pablo can charge and punch enemies, as well as bounce to generate more height. Whereas Luna's most prominently featured ability is that of her firing her gun, which she can shoot in 360 degrees with the use of the right analog stick. She also has a helpful dash, whether on land or in midair that takes a brief period to recharge before being able to use it again.

Run and gun (or dash and bash) as newcomer Luna!

Levels offer a dynamic range of gimmicks, mechanics, and platforming challenges for players. One level had Luna firing at targets that turned on and off blocks that could be used to either leap on or off of, slide down or climb up wall jump-style, or to block enemy fire or obstacles like lasers. Eventually some multitasking was needed, as I was required to both swing and aim at a target at the same time before making a jump to the newly revealed block created by the shot target. Meanwhile, another level featured a pink and orange shade that turned all characters into silhouetted form. The level would change shades on different beats (also displayed visually with a meter at the top of the screen for less rhythm-inclined players like myself), thus shifting which platforms were stable and solid to stand on.

In addition to level gimmicks, there are various power-ups to be found in Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines. Both characters stumble upon them in their respective levels, but the utility in how they use them is different. With the shock power-up, Luna gets what is essentially an electric shotgun, firing short bursts that absolutely demolish enemies that are too close for her comfort. It also charges up light bulbs, which in turn turns on certain platforms to be used. Meanwhile, Pablo's shock power-up form grants him the ability to roll into a ball and glide along electrical panels in an impressive and utterly delightful and fun way. 

Pablo's brand of flame power-up grants him the ability to charge in any direction in fireball form.

Previously, the first Grapple Dog tied the berries that you collected in levels with 100% completion, requiring players to gather them all to fully finish a level. This time around, berries are mainly the currency used in Toni's--Pablo's bunny girlfriend--shop. Here, health upgrades, grapple hook cosmetics, and character outfits for both Pablo and Luna can be purchased. It's nice to have some use for berries in this sequel rather than just having to collect them for a rote completionist purpose. 

Berries are also spent to open up special bonus challenge levels, where a central mechanic or power-up of the game is explored and focused on with greater depth. The goal of these challenge levels is either reaching the level's finish line, or in what comes off as an ode to Super Smash Bros.--whether intended or not--breaking all of the targets or collecting all of the level's berries within a time limit. 

Whereas Luna's flame power-up grants her a freakin' flamethrower! Flame on!

At the conclusion of each world, there is a battle against one of Vyr's righthand commanders. These battles are highly varied. One has a big blob of a boss pursue Pablo as our protagonist performs various platforming feats to reach points in the level where he can deal damage to the boss blob, while another features Luna in a more traditional battle of endurance against a boss with a shield who can only be damaged from above or from behind. The bosses are tougher endeavors than the main game, but they're also incredibly rewarding to beat.

Between completing levels--searching high and low for collectibles--speed-running levels to aim for gold medals, and beating bosses, there is a lot to do within Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines. You won't be left wanting for more content. Even after the base game is completed, there are much more difficult post-game levels to explore and complete for the "true ending" of the game. 

Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines does come equipped with two helpful accessibility measures for if the game gets too arduous or if players would prefer a breezier time. These are the abilities to nullify damage as well as jump infinitely, making the game and its various platforming challenges less, well, challenging. These can be turned on and off at any time, and there is no genuine penalty for using them.

In my experience with the Xbox Series S version of the game, I did encounter times where my character grappled and glitched unnaturally across the screen and through objects, to the point where the camera did not follow. Additionally, I received two error messages from a system level while playing, both when I used the leaf-grapple just over a ledge. I had to force-quit the game and restart, which was a bit vexing considering how long some levels can feel when you're scouring them for secrets and collectibles. That said, those glitches and errors were rare. 

Pablo goes to the poles (and climbs them, too)!

To me, and I'm sure this is no unique opinion, Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines looks the part of a Game Boy Advance game that never was--offering colorful, crisp, and detailed visuals that wouldn't be foreign to Nintendo's handheld. Locales look lovely, whether they're rain-drenched battlefields, futuristic cities full of monkey citizens, or desolate post-apocalyptic deserts. Well, as lovely as something post-apocalyptic can look, that is! The music is full of bops, delivering bouncy tunes and warm vibes when appropriate and foreboding and ominous sounds at more tense moments and levels.

Medallion Games managed to make an even more impressive sequel with Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines. The varying play styles of both playable characters has each feeling different and fun to use, the level gimmicks keep things fresh, and the secrets and collectibles are generally fun to find and well hidden. Some minor to maddening glitches and some difficulty jumps may rub some players wrong, but if you do decide to give this Grapple Dog sequel a chance, you'll most likely be in for a dog-gone good time.

[SPC Says: B+]

Gimmick! 2 (Multi) Review

For your Sunday night and for the first day of fall, a new review arrives on SuperPhillip Central. It's Gimmick! 2 from Bitwave Games, and here's the SPC verdict.

A star is reborn

The original Gimmick! released on the Nintendo Famicom back in 1992. The 16-bit Super Famicom was the new hotness in Japan at the time (and had been for a while), so the game was pretty much overshadowed, despite Gimmick! itself being one of the more technologically impressive Famicom games by virtue of being a late release in that system's life. Sunsoft of America opted to not localize the game in North America, but recently it finally saw its way to our shores--albeit digitally--via a remaster. 

Now, 32 years after the fact, Gimmick! 2 launches onto the Nintendo Switch (the platform of which this game was played on for this review), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, and PC. While the game has a colorful, charming, and whimsical appearance, don't be fooled--Gimmick! 2 is one challenging 2D platformer, but also one that's immensely rewarding.

Our green plush toy turned living, breathing hero Yumetaro is back, and once more he's to rescue his young owner who has been taken away by a mysterious but mischievous sorcerer. The opening scenes deliver the story with partially animated cartoon stills that set up the story swiftly, thus thrusting players right into the action soon after.

When his owner is taken to a faraway, fantasy land by a nefarious sorcerer,
Yumetaro is on the job to rescue her!

Gimmick! 2 gently eases players into said action with some mild platforming challenges, and introduces (or in this case of players of its predecessor--re-introduces) players to its main mechanic--throwing a star. Yumetaro can conjure one of these stars at any time, summoning it over his head with both arms raised. This simple-seeming star has a multitude of utility to it. Yumetaro can throw it, hitting enemies with it as well as various star-shaped switches to activate rainbow platforms. 

A little star power here and there is what the job calls for!

More interestingly (though not to say the previous actions aren't fun to do), he can rebound it off walls and leap onto it, riding it as it bounces around. This action is mandatory for most of the game's challenges. Seeing as the physics for the star are so true-to-life, it's a matter of throwing the star with enough momentum, at the correct angle, and with the right velocity to have it either smack enemies with it, hit switches, or ricochet it off walls properly to get the job done.

Scratch that--make that a LOT of star power is what the job calls for!

In many aspects, Gimmick! 2 is as much a puzzle-platformer as it is an action-platformer. It's all about finding the right angle to throw your star, leaping correctly onto said star as it rebounds, and using it to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. 

I mentioned before how Gimmick! 2's colorful and cartoon-y appearance belies a truly tricky platformer, and while it's true that the game is challenging at its core, it's also rather lenient with checkpoint placements and amounts. I found failing a certain jump or sequence definitely gave me that addicting "I gotta try this ONE more time" feeling, which naturally turned into "I gotta try this TWENTY more times". Needless to say, some frustration was found, but moreover, I was overall enjoying my time banging my head (and Yumetaro's star) against the wall in an effort to push through and persevere.

The main game of Gimmick! 2 isn't overly long. It's six or so levels and a starting run (factoring in figuring out how to get through levels and solve platforming puzzles) will most likely take anywhere between 3-5 hours. With enough practice, a full playthrough of the game can be as short as 1-2 hours. That said, there's plenty to discover in each level outside of the main path. A myriad of treasure chests containing collectibles in the form of cosmetics like different headgear, as well as various skins for Yumetaro and his star, are strewn about each level. Many of these are placed in some truly fiendish to either find or reach locations. 

Treasure chests like this one are placed in some truly tricky locations,
requiring an eagle eye and some steady thumbs to pull off the platforming moves to reach them!

In addition to those optional treasures for cosmetic goodies, in order to get the "true ending", featuring an extended final level and series of boss encounters, players must discover hidden items placed in the most difficult of locations and miniature obstacle courses. These demand your star-throwing acuity be at the top of its game and a level of mastery, too.

To help aid with some (see: definitely not all) of the difficulty in Gimmick! 2, there is an Assisted mode. Truth be told, this is still an incredibly challenging game even with Assisted on. The original Gimmick mode features less health for Yumetaro, as well as more enemies and hazards to worry about, too. So, think of Assisted mode as a means to ease into the game better before tackling the more challenging Gimmick mode.

Spikes like these purple urchins are instant death, so leap and tread carefully, Yumetaro! 

On the presentation side of things, Gimmick! 2 is a charmer with a gorgeous hand-drawn art style brimming with color. It all runs at a smooth FPS too, which is especially necessary for a game where precision and timing are of the utmost importance when platforming, so any nasty frame-rate hitches would be unwelcome. What IS welcome, however, is the music done by veteran video game composer David Wise of Donkey Kong Country fame. The music is suitably catchy, hummable, and offers a slightly ambient sound.

While the relatively high price tag ($24.99 USD) for a relatively short game might seem like a gnarly proposition, Gimmick! 2 delighted and dazzled me with its cute, charming graphics on top of its occasionally grueling platforming challenges. While the game is quite difficult--especially when aiming for the aforementioned "true ending"--it's one where failures aren't extraordinarily punishing, simply putting you back to the closest checkpoint, at most, a mere minute away. Gimmick! 2 is in essence a game with retro-style challenge mixed with modern sensibilities. This mix makes for an excellent 2D platformer that with enough practice and patience will hopefully delight and dazzle you, too.

[SPC Says: B]

A copy of Gimmick! 2 was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.