I got to the 9th key on my Hallmark Pac-Man Christmas ornament…        

The Princess is in my Castle…

When I go to the arcade, games pay me to play them…

I am the “you” Nintendo refers to by Wii “U”…

I once beat every game at Chuck E. Cheese with a single token…

I’ve been beating video games since my mamma was a baby…

The King does what Nintendon’t…

I don’t get Pac-Man fever, Pac-Man gets “the King” fever…

My thumbs are insured for $1,000,000 by Lloyd’s of London…

Whenever video games blow out candles on their birthday cake, they wish that they could beat me… 

As soon as I pull into Funspot’s parking lot, the employees begin screaming, “There’s a Donkey Kong kill screen coming up!”…

I relax by playing 4 player death matches in Goldeneye 64 against myself…

A winner is me…

Mr. Game and Watch asks me for the time…

The first time I played Golden Tee, I got a hole in one on every hole…

I have a 4DS…

I jumped so high on Konami’s Track & Field high jump event that I knocked a bird out of the sky… 

Contra, Moon Patrol, and Dig Dug are all based on my life…

Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora’s Tower were afraid to come to the USA ‘cause they knew I would beat them… Earthbound 2 is still afraid

I had to register my Dualshock 3 as a lethal weapon…

Geometry raised the white flag and surrendered to me…

Madden NFL waits outside my house until midnight on release day…

Every Labor Day I give video games time off, from getting beaten by me…

Video Games New Year’s resolution? To stop getting beat by me… It doesn’t even last one day

I play videogames better than “Flynn”ybody…

“IGAU” is targeted like a laser bullet at the well known (and well established) audience of comic book fans who play fighting games (and vice versa). There have been numerous titles in the Marvel vs. Capcom franchise and Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe brought Batman and the gang into the fray a few years ago. However, X-men: Children of the Atom and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles “Smash Up” and “Tournament Fighters” were the only notable titles which relied on the strength of the comic book universe to complete their respective roster’s… until now.

          The DC Universe exclusively fills the roster in this game

One has to wonder if limiting the roster to comic book characters will ultimately help or hurt sales for this title. As a huge fan of Captain Marvel (known as Shazam in this game) I will buy just about anything in which he is represented. I am sure there are some people who feel the same way about Aquaman or Harley Quinn and they will certainly pick up “IGAU” for this reason. Those of us with a favorite character in the roster could care less about sales and we are happy to live vicariously through this game. But how many more people would have bought this game if Samus Aran was on the roster? For instance, at the time of writing this review (2PM CST on launch day) there were only 356 in the “IGAU” Miiverse Community. At the same time there were nearly 12K in the Walking Dead Survival Instinct community; a game which received mediocre reviews and sales at best but has massive recognition due to the TV show supplementing the comic book. As ridiculous and heretical as this may sound, if Luigi were included in “IGAU” there would have been 100 times the people in its Miiverse Community. After all, it is well known that the inclusion of Link in Soul Calibur 2 gave that title a massive boost in sales. Only time will tell whether the DC roster will generate decent sales and a loyal fan base for “IGAU.”

  To everyone upset about Superman’s new outfit, take solace in that fact that we are not too pleased with “Hoodie Shazam” either.

How Does it Look? The character models fit somewhere between those in Mortal Kombat and Batman Arkham Asylum. The backgrounds are detailed, busy, and huge. Gamers will be pleasantly surprised by the detail and size displayed whenever a super move is executed. The entire game has a darker look to it, as though Metropolis has come under the shadow of Gotham City. That is due to the storyline which, for your benefit, I will not spoil in this review. The cut scenes also look great, are well acted, and transistion flawlessly into gameplay. The only gripe I can think of is that someday it would be nice to see how a cell shaded DC fighting game looks.

How does it sound? Good bone crushing thuds and earth shaking explosions. The voice acting is excellent, something you would expect from the makers of Mortal Kombat.

How does it play? If you have played MK vs. DC or the more recent Mortal Kombat you will be in familiar territory. The game controls like a Mortal Kombat title with the exception of fatalities and the inclusion of more background interactions. A key to winning fights and enjoying this game is to know the arenas well. The is a new addition to the battle called “The Clash.” Whenever it comes up you can gamble a portion of your special meter. This feature will be more popular during multiplayer matches than in single player modes. The storyline is laid out in a similar fashion to MK vs. DC and Mortal Kombat. You will progress through the story via the characters relevant to each chapter. The Wii U version uses either the Gamepad or Pro Controller and both work fine. It should be noted that the Gamepad screen only has 2 modes; display what is on the TV screen or a moves list for your current character.

Bottom Line- With all the talk about DLC (or lack thereof) for the Wii U and focusing on what isn’t in the game rather than what is, one can overlook the real “heart” of this game- the details. There are enough subtle messages for comic book fans to enjoy and “beneath the surface” moves for fighting game to master to keep players busy for months. This game is fun to watch and fun to play. Hopefully the Wii U version will generate enough interest to develop a healthy Miiverse Community for “IGAU.”

8/10- Thus saith the King.

Add 1 point for a bonus score of 9/10 for fans of “The Big Red Cheese.”

NSMBU is undoubtedly the intended “killer app” for the Wii U console. Fact is, it will be the best selling and most played game on the new console for the foreseeable future. So does it fill these Kuribo sized shoes? Yes it does. My first impression is that NSMBU somehow manages to fit securely into familiar territory as it breaks new ground for the series. Matter of fact, I would wager that if someone who has not played a Mario Bros. game since the NES played NSMBU, they would be able to easily navigate the menus and control Mario while at the same time be blown away by the beauty of the HD glory on the screen(s). 

                                                             Sure the acorn don’t fall from the tree. But when it looks this good, who cares?

We hope you like rodents because squirrels are everywhere in this game. From the new flying squirrel suit to the forests, deserts, and frozen tundras rife with the little critters. Apparently, climate change in the Mushroom Kingdom has forced the little fellers to migrate from their natural habitat.

                      Q- What are flying squirrels going to do tonight?

         A-The same thing they do every night, try to take over the world.

How does it look? Hands down it is the best looking Mario game ever, just as it should be. There will be moments in which you will just want to sit still and take in the scenery. When is the last time anyone could say that about a Mario game? Everything on the screen has personality, a trait many a platformer has tried to accomplish but has only ever been truly accomplished in Mario games. One way to get an idea of how far the graphics have come in this franchise is to pop in a copy of New Super Mario Bros. Wii into you Wii U. Just 3 years ago NSMBW was the visual pinnacle of 2D Mario games but compared to NSMBU, it is like making the jump from 8bit to 16bit again. Compare for yourself, NSMBU looks great!

How does it sound? If there is one area of the game which could have used more “new” it is the sound. With the exception of minor additions, we get the same soundtrack used for every game in this franchise. 

How does it play? You can control the game with the new Wii U Gamepad or a Wii Remote. In fact, it seems as though the game was made with the Wii Remote in mind since the title screen instructs us to “press 2.” However, the Wii U Gamepad gives has a twofold advantage because it has an analog stick and easy access to the touch screen for posting messages in the Miiverse. Either way, the on-screen action as is tight and precise as you would expect in a Mario game. Anyone familiar with the Mario universe will be right at home with the controls and even will have that “instinctual” understanding of how far Mario jumps, which mystery block has a power up inside, and the velocity and angle of every fireball you throw. This game does present a fair amount of challenge. Beginning with “world 2” you will start to lose lives, either by the difficulty of the stages themselves or by running out of time whilst looking for the star coins. 

What else? The Miiverse. It looks like it will become everything Nintendo said it would be…and more. Take equal parts social network and old school arcade chatter, mix thoroughly serve it up with easy access and there you have it! The newest and coolest thing in the Video Game world. 

          Baby Yoshi’s- We named them “Blowshi,” “Flowshi,” and “Glowshi” 

Bottom line- Nintendo has finally done it. By combining the greatest parts of Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World, NSMBU gives us the best of both worlds. Add to that a few new twists to the NSMB multi-player formula and you have the “killer app” for the Wii U. 

10/10- Thus saith the King

When a game like Nights Into Dreams gets an HD update and re-release, it is sure to please two types of gamers; those who loved the original (and long to play it again) and those who never got to play it (but always wanted to). Fortunately, this release will leave both types delighted. 

The original Saturn version, Christmas Nights, and online leaderboards are all noted as part of the re-release but in true old-school Sega fashion, there are a few “blank spots” on the game’s menu… What secrets does this awesome game still hold?

This King was a launch day buyer of the original Nights Into Dreams on for the Sega Saturn back in 1996. In fact, we still even have an unused Nights pillow case which was a pre-order bonus way back then. Although we know that a re-release of a classic game will inevitably lower the value of our original disc or cartridge a bit, we can rest assured that our pillow case value probably shoots up with renewed interest in the game. 

                     It looks as good as we dreamed it could have back in ‘96

So how does this HD remake stack up to the original?

How does it look? Every stage has been lovingly recreated and faithfully transferred into HD. Sure, there are a few minor changes (for instance, it will say “bonus time begins” rather than “bonustime starts”) but everything (including the pop-up) looks great in HD. Even the unique “Sega” atmosphere, which began on the AM2 arcade machines and came home with the Saturn, somehow manages to remain in this HD paradise. 

How does it sound? Just like the original. Same wonderful, dreamy soundtrack (you can even play in mono) and sound effects. Heck, even the pause menu tone sounds great. I’d imagine there would have been a revolt like none other if they had messed with the soundtrack. 

How does it play? Just like the original. Left stick for movement, face button for boost, shoulder button for tricks. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. 

               The original Nights introduced analog control to the Saturn. 

The great thing is the esoteric nature of the game still shines brightly. You are never really told what to do or how to do it. Upon entering each level, you will encounter strange beings, earthly and otherworldly surroundings, and the power of flight seems like a logical activity in every dream. Only when noticing a familiar object (such as a clock keeping real time) do you realize the “game world’s” connection to the “real world.” These factors make Nights truly shine; as both a relic from the past and a breath of fresh air. It hearkens us back to a time when video games created landscapes unto themselves (complete with their own unique “laws” and rules of physics) rather than trying to shoehorn our world into a game. Yuji Naka and Sonic Team’s vision still flies high today. 

Bottom line- Nights did not become the “Mario-killer” it aspired to be back in 1996 but in 2012 Sega has given us the best remake of a beloved classic to date (including “true remakes” like Ocarina of Time 3D and “modern updates” like Punch Out.) Long-time Sega fans can sleep well tonight…

10/10 Thus saith the King. 

We have been long time fans of Kirby. In fact, we even contacted Nintendo early last year to request a remake for the brilliant Kirby’s Dream Course on the 3DS (which would be remarkable). Nintendo’s response was, “Thank you for your support but at this time there are no new Kirby games scheduled for release.” Since then, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land, Kirby Mass Attack, and now Kirby’s Dream Collection have been released (as well as Kirby’s Adventure as a 3D Classic on the 3DS). Why Nintendo was so secretive about upcoming Kirby games is a mystery but Kirby’s Dream Collection reveals the history of Kirby and shows just how much fun his games can be.  

                Thematic, screen filling borders have been added to every game.

The Games: 

6 “fan favorites” are available in this collection; Kirby’s Dream Land (Gameboy), Kirby’s Adventure (NES), Kirby’s Dream Land 2 (Gameboy), Kirby Super Star (SNES), Kirby’s Dream Land 3 (SNES), & Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64). Each of them looks great on the Wii but special consideration has to go to the 2 Gameboy offerings- they suffer none of the “screen blur” which plagued the handheld and they are fortunately grey and black instead of green and black in this collection. Also, Kirby 64 has never looked better!

You can use a Wii remote, Classic Controller, or Gamecube Controller for all the games and the control is precise no matter which you choose. 

While the 6 selections present a decent slice of Kirby history, only Super Star gives us a peek into the variety of game styles used by Kirby over the past 2 decades. Pinball land, Avalanche, and/or Air ride would have been nice diversions from the side scrolling adventures seen in all 6 titles on this disc. Plus, the GBA titles would have been cool (especially considering the expensive online prices for these carts). 

        You can learn about Kirby, random world history, and watch a few cartoons!

The Extras:

The game comes packaged with a neat book and soundtrack CD. Plus, the game disc has a history of Kirby and a Challenge Mode. The Challenge Mode is based on last years Return to Dream Land and takes place in an amusement park created by Magolor from said game. All in all, there is enough here to make anyone realize that Kirby’s career is worth celebrating. 

Bottom Line:

Each of the 6 games on this disc is a classic in its own right and if you love Kirby, you already know what you’re getting here. Although this collection is not skimpy, per. say, it would have been great to see 1 or 2 of the “oddball” titles make the cut. This becomes more evident when perusing Kirby’s history on this disc (even an ardent Kirby fan will be a bit surprised and overwhelmed when presented with the vastness of his body of work… and left desiring more gameplay from this collection). Perhaps, one day, Nintendo will release a 3DS version with the GBA games and our personal Holy Grail; a 3D version of Kirby’s Dream Course. 

Each game received 1 point in our review but 4 more servings of Kirby goodness would have made this collection a 10/10. 

6/10 Thus saith the King

Throughout the current generation of consoles, the King has cycled through yearly installments of Madden NFL on each platform. For Madden NFL 13, the King decided to purchase the Wii version of the game for two reasons; First- the king knew that there would be few, if any, reviews for the Wii version and wanted to give the Kingdom valuable insight; Second- the King wanted to test the merit of EA Sports as the Wii era draws to a close (will EA Sports just sit on the bench by simply giving Madden 12 a roster update or will they score a last second TD for Wii owners?). 

Having spent some time with Madden 13’s various gameplay modes and controller options the King proclaims that Madden NFL 13 is a winner. In fact, it is  the best Wii Madden ever. 

As soon as you put the disc in your Wii, you will notice a more serious Madden NFL than ever before…even the logo screen on the Wii’s home menu looks serious. The game boots with an inspiring speech and video montage starring Ray Lewis and you will also notice the EA Trax soundtrack has been replaced by a bombastic instrumental score. You will be guided through plenty of options (favorite team, amount of Madden experience, play call style, and control preference) and presented a variety of game modes (play now, franchise, multiplayer, and minigames). The game will automatically check for roster updates but there is no online play in Madden NFL 13 for the Wii. This may be a huge negative for some players, but it does not matter to the King. We buy Madden to play through the season along with the Green Bay Packers (of whom the King is a shareholder). Simply put, each gameday eve. we play Madden in order to get ready for some  football.                                                                                                            

This visuals for Madden games on the Wii have a torrid history, including everything from recycled PS2 graphics (with a slapped on Mii version of John Madden) to the distinctive “cartoon style” players introduced a few years ago. Fortunately, Madden 13 has replaced the over the top player models with more realistic (albeit still video gamey) pigskin heroes. One thing we really like is the new scoreboard and various on-field displays. These graciously disappear whenever the ball is snapped and dedicate the entire screen to the gridiron. This is something the King believes all EA Sports games, on any platform, should also do. The action on the screen moves a bit slower than the PS3 or 360 but this does not take away from the flow of the game. Players on the field will react accordingly after big plays and the instant replay system works quite well. 

Simply put, the commentary and presentation are better than ever before in Madden 13. Jim Nantz and Phill Simms are actually fun (and informative) to listen to and the brief (but welcome) pre-game, halftime, and post-game updates are very cool. You will also hear authentic stadium sounds (i.e. “Go, Pack, Go! and “Bang the drum all day”)and the home crowd gets fired up at the proper times during the game. It is also fun (and somewhat realistic) to hear John Madden ramble on whenever you glean his play-calling wisdom. 

Franchise mode now has a bidding war when signing players and you will get a bit nervous after creating yourself, boosting every attribute to 99, and watching your rival try to outbid you. Other than that, anyone familiar with previous Madden’s will be quite comfortable with this year’s franchise mode. 

As stated previously, multiplayer in Madden 13 is strictly a local affair. It is in the multiplayer modes where Madden’s sense of humor comes to play and there are plenty of “party game” options to be found (5 on 5, Huddle up, and the “multiplayer franchise mode” called Road to the Super Bowl). 

There is a control option for everyone and options to fine tune each of them (Wii remote sideways, Classic Controller, Nunchuck/remote). Plus, the excellent Call Your Shots feature is here in all its glory! Which begs the question- Since you can use the Call Your Shots feature with the Classic Controller, why isn’t it in the PS3 and 360 versions?

Bottom line- If you need online play, this is not the game for you. If you don’t care about online play, you can thank EA Sports for giving Madden NFL a proper swan song on the Wii. 

8/10 Thus saith the King

The King has always been an ardent fan of Mario. In fact, we vividly remember the first time we saw Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 when they were released eons ago on the NES. The year that SMB3 came out we took a summer off work and dedicated all of our time to this brilliant title. 

On the footsteps of Super Mario 3D Land, Nintendo has released New Super Mario Bros. 2 for the 3DS. Most people agree that Super Mario 3D Land set the bar for 3DS games and this has inevitably led to high expectations for NSMB2. First things first- this game does not utilize the 3D features of the 3DS like SM3DL. The higher you turn up the 3D slider, the blurrier the backgrounds become. Now this is not to say that the 3D effect isn’t “cool” we just suggest sliding the 3D control until the 3D just barely kicks in.  

As soon as you load up the cart (or the download- the full game is downloadable from the 3DS Shop) you will be brought into familiar territory. Look for 3 star coins on each level to spend them on new map paths, rinse, repeat. You will be reacquainted with Bowser’s family of mini-bosses, the now standard NSMB map, and music. One gripe we have straight off the bat is this- why has Nintendo chosen to recycle the music from NSMB for the 2 more recent games (NSMBWii and NMSB2)? There was certainly a vast difference between the soundtracks of the first Super Mario Bros., SMB3, Super Mario World, Yoshi’s Island, Super Mario 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy. Which brings us to our next point, it is now obvious that the New Super Mario Bros. games are a franchise amongst themselves. This means that there is nothing more than a few upgrades and changes in each console’s (DS, Wii, 3DS) entry. One can only expect the same will be said of the upcoming New Super Mario Bros. U. 

I guess if you take all this into consideration while playing these titles, it can make for an enjoyable (albeit familiar) romp through this particular area of the Mario universe (incidentally, let’s hope that Mario Universe will be a future release on the WiiU). However, do not go into this game expecting major changes such as those between SMB1 and SMB3, SMB3 and SMW, SMW and SMW2, SMW2 and SM64, etc. Heck even Super Mario Sunshine seems like a radical change from SM64 when compared to the minor additions of the New Super Mario Bros. titles.   

So what’s new in NSMB2? Mario has gone a bit Wario and is now coin obsessed and the quest for 1,000,000 coins certainly is addictive. There are new powerups, a “blockhead” (think of the propeller in SM3D Land) and a gold flower which produce coins; co-op play (a first for a handheld “traditional Mario” title); Street Pass and Spot Pass features; and improved graphics over the DS title. The control is similar to all 2D Mario titles but it does seem “floatier” than any other Mario game (using either the analog nub or the D-pad) which takes some getting used to. 

Overall, we do recommend this game, with the aforementioned caveats, but one has to wonder if Nintendo has gone a bit “Madden” with the NSMB series (so far, this seems to be the case with Galaxy as well… one more reason we need a Super Mario Universe). A casual game fan would be no more likely to differentiate between each NSMB game than they would between yearly installments of Madden. How long is it until we see “new animations” emblazoned on the back of the box as a selling point for NSMB games as well?

Bottom line-we do long for the “wow factor” we had when we first saw and heard Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario Galaxy. 

7/10 Thus saith the King

The King decided to take his first foray into the realm of NCAA football this year. In the past, the King had avoided purchasing NCAA as we saw it to be nothing more than Madden “previous year” 1/2. However, this year the King was intrigued by the inclusion of the Heisman Challenge. You see, the King has long admired Herschel Walker and the notion of not only winning the Heisman trophy with #34 but beating Herschel’s own stats was too good an opportunity to pass up. The King has repeatedly beat Herschel’s basic training books and even personally trained him for his UFC career but had yet to beat him on the virtual gridiron. 

The game boasts competent visuals (although EA Sports is promising a breakthrough for Madden this year) and the audio is great. The King has seen some reviews lambasting the game for dropped commentary and such (one even said Erin Andrews was not in the game, but the King has heard her sideline reports in our copy) but the King has been pleased by the authentic fight songs and gameday atmosphere. 

But how is the game play? The King says anyone familiar with Madden Football will fit right in and even be entertained by the “looser” playbook found in NCAA Football 13. The “reaction time” (think “bullet time”) feature is a nice little addition but wholly unnecessary. However, EA Sports take note- the “reaction time” feature would be awesome in Fight Night!

The most notable aspect of this game is the online community and their support of  user made rosters. EA Sports endorses this by offering roster share in the game. The King was amazed by the dedication of fansites such as operationsports.com which have a vast and accurate database of downloadable rosters. Even EA’s team builder site, easports.com/teambuilder, promises any high school hero an opportunity to play in their school colors (you can put yourself in the place of the stuck up jerk you couldn’t stand in high school, of course the King was the captain of his team and broke every record when he played). And college fans can find “best of teams” (like 1982 UGA) at the site as well. There is even a team for the Ashworth College Knights (a distance learning school w/o a sports dept.).

Bottom line- the “reality” of putting yourself in the game is much easier to accomplish in NCAA Football than it ever has been in Madden. 

8/10 Thus saith the King.