The world of videogames allows for some truly bizarre creations that would be impossible in other media forms, and new independent game developer Moneyhorse have proven just that with the announcement of their first game, Glorious Leader!, an old-school sidescrolling shooter in which the player, North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un, must shoot his way past hordes of American forces.
The studio’s official website describes Glorious Leader! as an “epic tale about the triumph of Kim Jong Un over the entire American army.” Throughout the game’s seven levels, players will battle foot soldiers, enemies on motorcycles, tanks and drones. Sections of the game will also have Kim ride dolphins and unicorns while blasting through enemies.
Former basketball star Dennis Rodman, who is famously fond of the maniacal dictator, will be available as the second player character.
As the official trailer shows, the game’s sights and sounds hearken back to the days of the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo, with colorful 2D graphics, early 1990s midi music and low-fidelity sound effects.
Jeff Miller, CEO of Moneyhorse Games, who are based in Atlanta, said in an article by The Guardian that, given the nature of the characters involved in the game, they are trying to “carefully walk the line of satire without being an apologist for the regime.” After all, for those who don’t know, Kim Jong-un is the leader of a nation known for brutalizing its own people for the most trivial of reasons, with frequent executions and giant prison camps housing political prisoners and anyone who can be remotely associated with them.
Miller added that they are trying to gauge response by gamers to the concept of the game. Thankfully for Moneyhorse, reactions to the Glorious Leader! have largely been positive, with the game’s YouTube trailer amassing close to a million views in little over a week with nearly 4000 likes and only 134 dislikes. Miller also stated that he has received a number of requests from South Koreans asking if the game will be released in their country.
Glorious Leader is being developed for the PC and Android. A release for Apple devices is unlikely, according to Miller, given the game’s subject matter. You can expect the game sometime this year.