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Sept. 18, 2015
FLYE OVER16 www.aerotechnews.com/lukeafb
NTERTAINMENT Thunderbolt
http://www.luke.af.mil
‘Super Mario ‘The League’
Brothers U’
Your weekly guide by Staff Sgt. Staci Miller
by Airman 1st Class Cory Gossett to entertainment
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“Super Mario Brothers” has been around since 1985. Genera- Welcome to the Fly Over, Luke’s source for everyday life concerns while mercilessly ridiculing each other and
tions of video gamers have grown up playing Mario. Nintendo placing way too much importance on their fantasy football league.
has made at least one Mario game for each of its systems. Since movie, book, video game, music and all things
then, the Mushroom Kingdom has been seemingly untouched. entertainment reviews. Using a four-point ´7KH/HDJXHµODXQFKHGLWVVHYHQWKDQGÀQDOVLFNDQGWZLVWHG
New “Super Mario Bros. U” for the Wii U console is the long- scale, the Thunderbolt staff provides in-depth season Sept. 9 on FXX.
awaited tribute to the 2D platformer that many reminisce reviews allowing the viewer an opportunity to
playing on their Nintendo and Super Nintendo consoles. While decide what new and classic entertainment op- For six seasons now, we’ve seen the gang set-up to shenanigans
QRWZLWKRXWLWVÁDZVLWVUHWURWRXFKHVDQGQHZXVHRIWKH:LL tions are worth their time. The Know a Critic in their personal and professional lives, all while attempting to
U gamepad makes it a worthwhile visit for any Mario fan. section helps the reader choose critics who win the elusive trophy. If you’ve never seen the show, do your-
have tastes similar to their own. VHOIDIDYRUDQGJHW1HWÁL[VR\RXFDQELQJHZDWFKVHDVRQVRQH
“New Super Mario Bros. U” follows many of the previous 2D through six. It’s roughly 24 hours of television and, no, you don’t
Mario games, using an open scrolling world map that enables 1/4 - Save your money need to know a thing about football or fantasy football.
players to scan out a sequence of levels they want to complete
on their way to save the princess from the Evil King Koopa, 2/4 - Wait for Netflix release The chemistry of the cast is great. The characters play off each
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SDWKVDVWDQGDUGUDWKHUWKDQRSWLRQDO3UHYLRXV0DULRJDPHV 3/4 - Worthy of Dine-in Theater
always contained secret levels and paths, but you were never It begins with Kevin (Stephen Rannazzisi) who is “league”
required to go out of your way to discover these paths to save 4/4 - Bombs on Target commissioner, and his wife, Jenny (Katie Aselton); Taco (Lajoie),
the princess. Now, you might end up going one path and Kevin’s older brother, who knows nothing about football; Andre
GLVFRYHULQJWKDWWKHOHYHOVDUHYHU\GLIÀFXOW\HWLI\RXWDNHD Know a critic 3DXO6FKHHUDSODVWLFVXUJHRQZKREHFRPHVWKHSXQFKLQJEDJ
different path those levels are shorter or possibly much easier. of the group; Ruxin (Nick Kroll), who’s so desperate to win he’ll
This also means that you can miss out on all the levels that the Cory Gossett is a “te- bribe a 9-year-old who actually does know something to give
game contains. Not all level paths are required to complete the chie” who enjoys building KLP JXLGDQFH RQ KLV SLFNV DQG ÀQDOO\ 3HWH 0DUN 'XSODVV
main game, but it still takes away from previous games and computers and testing the original champ.
also means you’ll need to backtrack to see each level. the latest and greatest
that comes from the tech In America, 27 million adults count themselves owners of
Graphically, the Wii U is a step above the original Wii. It’s industry. He also enjoys make-believe football teams, and they may be disappointed to
QLFHWRÀQDOO\VHH0DULRLQKLJKGHÀQLWLRQ/HYHOVDUHFULVS watching “Star Wars,” see that “The League” concerns itself with their passion only
and clean with many effects going on in the background. “Game of Thrones” and VXSHUÀFLDOO\<HVWKHÀYHJX\VDQGRQHZRPDQGRJHWUXWKOHVV
Sadly these effects don’t change throughout the game. By the the “Walking Dead.” about fantasy football, but the comedy comes from equal opportu-
time you will see new creative visuals the game is practically When not ‘geeking’ out, nity humiliation that is the basis of their friendships. The show
over, leaving you wondering what happened. It makes you Gossett he can be found playing spends far more time on “The League” members’ interpersonal
wonder why Nintendo skipped over this, especially when relationships and romantic side of their lives than it does on
other platformers for the Wii U such as Rayman legends or guitar or spending quality time with his wife and setting line ups or sending trade requests.
7ULQHKDYHFUHDWLYHÁDUHIRXQGRQHDFKOHYHO their 100-pound puppy, Buddy.
From the outset this show is way funny with the characters
The Wii U gamepad, tablet with buttons, can be used as Miller Staci Miller is a pho- not at all politically correct and not concerned with hurting feel-
a controller or as a standalone device. The game allows you tojournalist who enjoys ings. The humor is tasteless and irresistible, an unlikely mix of
WR KDYH ÀYH SOD\HUV EXW WKH JDPHSDG ZLOO QRW DFWXDOO\ EH and reading books. the outdoors and be- juvenile jokes about sex and bodily functions, with elements of
controlling a Mario character. They assist players by adding ing active. When she’s screwball comedy. A good comparison is ‘It’s Always Sunny in
EORFNVWRMXPSRQDQGDUHDEOHWRVWXQHQHPLHV3OD\LQJDV not pumping iron in 3KLODGHOSKLD· EXW KDYLQJ PRUH OLNDEOH FKDUDFWHUV DQG UHO\LQJ
single player with the gamepad does make it slightly easier the gym, she’s off on more on good humor than shock value.
to see hidden coins and other secret areas on each level. You a hiking adventure or
can also play the game using a regular Wii U controller or a playing rugby. When I was compelled to check out this show as a football fan and
Wii Mote controller. relaxing inside, she fantasy football player. I also read a few reviews which compared
enjoys watching NFL it loosely to “Seinfeld.” I would agree with this assessment in
Audio is another aspect that Nintendo could have expanded football (Go Bengals!) that it has intricate, often intersecting story lines, while having
on. While there are a handful of new tracks, most levels keep everyday situations with absurd outcomes.
the same repetitive song. While they have remixed previous
songs, they all have a whimsical feel to them. Enemies will ,ZDVQRWVXUSULVHGWRÀQGRXWWKHFUHDWRUDQGGLUHFWRUVRI¶´7KH
start singing and occasionally break into dance during certain League”’ had also written for “Seinfeld” and directed episodes of
beats that add visualization to the sounds found throughout another great comedy, “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
the game.
The downside to this show is that to get the best value for your
Traditional Mario powers ups are back such as the mush- watching, you have to watch every episode. Some people, like
URRPDQGÀUHÁRZHU7KHUHDUHDOVRQHZDGGLWLRQV7KHEH- me, will actually enjoy this aspect. However, if you are one who
ORYHG WDQRRNL VXLW KDV EHHQ H[FKDQJHG IRU D Á\LQJ VTXLUUHO likes to pick and choose, a lot of the inside-joke humor will not
costume, allowing players to glide and cling to walls at any be as funny as it could be.
time. Yoshi is back but there are also new baby Yoshis with
XQLTXHDELOLWLHVVXFKDVLQÁDWLQJLQPLGDLURUEORZLQJEXEEOHV Of course, no season of “The League” would be complete
to attack enemies. without some cameos by real NFL players. Based on the trailer,
Season 7 includes Arizona Cardinals safety, Tyrann Mathieu,
Aside from a few technical components New Super Mario and defensive end, Calais Campbell.
Brothers U is a great game that pays homage to its previous
iterations, keeping players entertained and coming back for Remember, you don’t really have to know NFL players or
more. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, there was no real ZKDW DQ ,'3 UDQNLQJ LV WR ORYH DQG ODXJK XQFRQWUROODEO\ DW
need to. Nintendo has struck a balance in all things, show- “The League”.
ing the world that after 30 years, Mario isn’t dead and that
there’s more life in the series, creating a game that is both This series is rated TV-MA for sexual content, strong language
nostalgic and modern that everyone can enjoy. and some drug use.
“If anything, the varied antics and comfortable
jokes courtesy of the main players proved that this
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These people will continue to be pretty terrible to
one another in order to win this year’s trophy.”
~Amber Dowling, IGN.com
