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Are You Ready For A Kim Jong-un Video Game?

by Samantha Sabin

Ever wanted to be a dictator of a small, communist country in Asia? Well, the Atlanta based-gaming and entertainment studio Moneyhorse Games has your back with a Kim Jong-un video game named Glorious Leader!. In its new, retro side-scrolling video game for PC and mobile devices, anyone can become North Korea dictator Kim Jong-un — even your little brother who is obsessed with video games. Which is disturbing.

The game shows Kim Jong Un gallivanting through the forest on a unicorn, in a basketball game with his bff Dennis Rodman, and of course, battling the capitalist United States forces. But wait, it gets better: Kim Jong Un is also seen burning an American flag in the game trailer, because of course, it wouldn't be a Kim Jong Un video game without that.

Glorious Leader! is set to be released by the end of 2014, and the game allows users to "defeat waves of imperialists, combat over-the-top bosses and ride unicorns" over seven levels, according to the game's website. This is the only game Moneyhorse Games is advertising right now, or has even created. With this talker of a game, the boys at the studio are setting a high bar for themselves — despite the creators lack of plans for an Apple version of the game.

Jeff Miller, CEO of Moneyhorse Games, spoke with The Guardian about the game, saying that it was inspired by his fascination with North Korea. He wanted to get people talking about the secretive country, and this was the best way he could think of.

Now, that's all fine and dandy. But along with other video games like "Crackathon," a game created by two University of Waterloo students that's based on Toronto's crack-loving mayor Rob Ford, "Glorious Leader!" begs the question: Is satire being taken too far?

OK, maybe.

Miller saying that the game is geared towards people in their 20s and 30s "who are big into retro right now." So, yes, the game is most definitely going to trivialize the regime, which the UN recently compared to Nazi Germany.

How can someone take a country or a person seriously while they're riding a unicorn or playing basketball with Dennis Rodman? It's not possible. It's only a matter of time until a video game about Russian leader Vladimir Putin fighting zombies comes out — Oh, that's already happening? Never mind!

But don't worry — at least users will have an option between a unicorn, narwhal, or a unicorn of the sea to choose from while they're poking fun at North Korea!