Editorial: Why people love Smash Bros

Why people love Smash Bros

          In case you missed it (but let’s be honest, if you’re reading this you didn’t), Nintendo announced recently that the next game in the Super Smash Bros. series would be coming to Nintendo Switch. Like everyone else, I freaked out when I saw the reveal, and while details are scarce right now, it got me super hyped for E3 to see what the game is truly going to be like.

          Smash Bros is a rarity in that even the lead-up to the game’s release is a blast. I remember checking the Brawl Dojo website every morning when I was a kid to see what new info director Masahiro Sakurai would drop that day. Whenever a new fighter was revealed they would be all I could think about that day, and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I woke up and saw Sonic the Hedgehog’s big blue face plastered on the “New Characters” section on that one special morning. Similarly I got super excited every time a new bit of info was dropped in the months leading up to Smash 4’s release, as the internet speculated on what characters would show up next.

          With the internet hotly debating the same classic topic of who will and won’t make it into this new game (I’ll have a list of my picks soon!), it got me thinking: what makes Smash Bros so special in that every time a new game is announced it turns into a year-long event of sorts?

          I think there are two reasons why. First of all, Smash is the only real game nowadays that allows you to fight as characters from different franchises in one single package.

          I mean, unless you count PlayStation All-Stars, but…nah.

          Smash’s roster appeals to everybody, regardless of what your favourite Nintendo franchises are. Everyone from Mario to unorthodox third-party surprise guests like Snake and Bayonetta are welcome, so you’re sure to find a favourite somewhere. The unpredictability of the roster announcements are also primarily what makes the pre-release material so much fun to follow. You never know who’s coming next, making it all the more exciting to follow along as Nintendo slowly peels the curtain back.

          But what really makes Smash such a fan-favourite for me is how accessible it is when compared to other fighting games. It takes a real pro to get the most out of Street Fighter or Tekken, but anyone can pick up a controller and figure out how to play Smash Bros. The controls are super easy to learn, and while skilled players can do some insane stuff, it’s the type of game that anyone from any background can pick up and play.

          At the end of the day Smash Bros is a game that brings us together, despite being a game where you kick the crap out of your friends. There’s nothing better than a bit of friendly competition when all your friends gather together to play a few matches. In a way Brawl and Smash 4’s awful online modes help bring friends closer together because you kinda have to be in the same room as the people you wanna play with to really get a match going.

          Seriously though, Nintendo, you’ve gotta fix the online in Smash for Switch. Give us Splatoon 2 quality servers. They’re not perfect but they’re a damn sight better than the laggy mess 4 was whenever anything happened on the screen ever.

Timeless Review: “The Darlington 500”

Driving Miss Lucy

(This review contains spoilers!)

          One thing I love about Timeless is how different each week can feel. While last week was high in both stakes and suspense, this episode focused more on genuine character moments as we got development for all three of our leads, while still continuing some of the crazy plot threads from last time. And, big shock, it’s still really, really fun to watch.

          The Mothership has been spotted heading down south in 1955, and the Time Team is in hot pursuit. At first it looks like Rittenhouse is going to kill famous NASCAR driver Ryan Millerson, but surprise! Millerson is one of those sleeper agents they talked about last week.

          Words cannot describe how much I love this as a plot point. There was always a sense of safety when the Time Team met a friendly face in the past back in Season 1, and while there’s still a bit of that here, it’s so cool to have the potential of their new friends turning out to be Rittenhouse. I really hope they find new and cool ways to surprise us with these over the next few episodes.

          They escape with the help of driver Wendell Scott, a real historical figure who is pretty darn awesome. I didn’t know who Wendell Scott was before seeing this episode, but now I’m pretty interested in learning more about him. That’s another thing I love about this show: even with all the action, jokes and crazy Rittenhouse twists it always finds a way to sneak a little history lesson in there too. Edutainment at it’s finest.

          They realize Millerson’s plan is to blow up a booth filled with the automobile industry’s most elite, and this is when things get crazy. Scott smuggles them back into the racetrack, Millerson is killed and Wyatt, who turns out to be a total car nut, steals the armed vehicle and gets into a car chase getting it away from the other racers. It’s hilarious and awesome at the same time.

          The only thing I would really change about this episode is the weird pseudo-subplot they give Mason. For some reason they give up like three minutes of time to him going to give a TED Talk type of presentation and then Agent Christopher pulling him out of it. It doesn’t add anything to the car storyline, and I would’ve much rather spent those three minutes with Jiya, Flynn, or even Wendell Scott. Maybe it’s setting something up for later on down the line, but it seemed pretty pointless from where I’m standing.

          Despite that, this was a fantastic second episode. Despite being much more focused on fun than the first episode’s focus on suspense, it was able to balance the two of them excellently. Wendell Scott was an awesome guest, we got to find out even more about Lucy, Wyatt and Rufus, and it had a pretty insane ending.

          Seriously, why don’t more people watch this show?

FINAL SCORE

9/10

Amazing

Railway Empire Review

Off the rails

(This review is spoiler-free!)

          I like tycoon games quite a bit. I’m always up for a round of Zoo or RollerCoaster Tycoon, or any of their modern counterparts.

          Speaking of that, when is somebody gonna make a Zoo Tycoon spiritual successor on the level of Planet Coaster or Cities: Skylines? I’ve been waiting for that for years. Hopefully Jurassic World: Evolution will be good…

          Anyways, I was…intrigued by the prospect of Railway Empire. A train tycoon game didn’t sound particularly engaging to me, but several positive reviews left me interested to see what the game had to offer.

          I played it for about an hour and came to the conclusion that the only people who’ll truly get the most out of this game are true train enthusiasts. I’m glad they’ve got a modern game that’ll appeal to them, but for me Railway Empire was painfully boring.

          The game starts with you placed in wild western America with the mission of creating the best railway there ever was. You can connect various tracks and stations between different towns and try to get your trains to complete various objectives for you.

          I didn’t hate the presentation overall. The look of the game reminded me a lot of classic tycoon games of yesteryear, and that’s always fun. It doesn’t push the PS4 to its breaking point, but for a train building game that’s okay.

          But I do have an issue with the game being on the PS4. Typically tycoon-style games have stuck to the PC with how easy it is to tab out and do something else while your profits rise. Then you come back when you finally have enough money and start building new rollercoasters or animal exhibits again. With the PS4 this isn’t an option. Much like Birthdays the Beginning, this is a game that, despite having long chunks of time without much happening, requires you to put aside time to focus on it and it alone since you can only run one thing at a time on console. Sure, you can check your phone during the slow periods, but nobody plays video games for an excuse to look at Twitter halfway through.

          And, unfortunately to say, this game is pretty darn boring. You make stations at the various towns spread across the map, tie them together with railways, map out the route you want the train to take, and then watch ‘em go! …And then you wait for them to complete objectives for you. And the trains move really, really slow. And unlike Birthdays the Beginning there’s no time speed-up option, so you’re stuck waiting for the trains to get to where they need to be as they chug along.

          You can ride with the trains and blow the whistle though, so that’s kinda fun.

          While the controls worked fine, I actually found the game to be kind of unresponsive at times in terms of the presentation and why certain things were happening. Oftentimes rails just wouldn’t connect to stations to finish paths, and I’d have to resort to trial and error until finally it wanted to work.

          Let me tell you about what made me quit playing: The Great Corn Catastrophe. To finish a string of missions I had to tie two towns on separate sides of the map together with railways. Alright, simple enough. My next job was to ferry 20 pounds of meat to the new town on the opposite side of the map from the rest of my railway. I sent a train to the station I’d already established for resources, and after 10 minutes of watching him chug along (it even broke down at one point), he finally started on his way back…bringing corn instead of the meat I needed.

          In an attempt to fix this problem I created a new station at a resource that only supplied meat, but for whatever reason despite being scheduled and tied to the town I needed to deliver it to, that new train never moved from its starting position. ARGH!

          After this comedy of errors I checked out Freeform Mode to see if it would be more fun. I stared at the screen for about two minutes before realizing that building a massive railway wouldn’t be nearly as fun or rewarding as making the theme park or zoo of my dreams, and I turned the game off.

          Is Railway Empire a bad game? No. If you like trains, I think this one is worth giving a try. But for the rest of us, this game is way too slow, unresponsive, slow, boring, and slow to be enjoyable. Did I mention it was slow? ‘Cause it is. It’s really slow.

FINAL SCORE

4/10

Mediocre

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Review: “Principia”

(Hammer)Time to go

(This review contains spoilers!)

          I’m just gonna cut right to the chase here: I thought this episode was terrible. Like, full blown awful. The whole story about collecting gravitonium wasn’t really interesting, the character dialogue was pretty cringey, and the subplot with the return of Werner Von Strucker was just plain sad. I’m not even sure what purpose he and Dove Cameron’s character serve in this season aside from being a new Hydra or Watchdogs that Team S.H.I.E.L.D can fight their way through while trying to complete an objective as well as a way to tie up any loose ends the show has left hanging.

          So today instead of recapping the episode and talking about a few specific things I did or didn’t like, I’ll instead be talking about why I think it’s time for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D to hang up its lanyard and join Agent Carter on the big broadcast network in the sky.

          I am proud to say that I have never missed an episode of S.H.I.E.L.D. The show has had its ups and downs over the years, but I have always been there to see what Coulson and crew were up to next. I remember that when the show was at its best I would literally count down the days until the next episode would be on. I adore this show.

          But with the announcement that the writing staff are going to be deliberately designing the season finale as a potential stopping point for the series, I think it’d be in their best interests to leave the show there. I have a few reasons for this.

          First of all, the MCU has changed dramatically since Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D premiered back in 2013. Initially designed to tie in with the epic shakeups to the Marvel world brought in by Captain America: The Winter Soldier, once Hydra had finally been removed from the fold once and for all this show was kinda left as a rebel without a cause. Season 4 was quick to solve this problem by bringing in three separate storylines that capitalized on the fun and adventurous parts of S.H.I.E.L.D, but after what I can only assume to be a dramatic budget slash Season 5 has been little more than talking in dull grey hallways with barely any fun to speak of.

          Why not end a show based on an organization that has barely even been mentioned in the MCU movies since Phase 3 started and replace it with something that ties in closer with the films that seem to be getting more and more successful with each passing release? Why not have a show set in one of the wilder parts of the Marvel Cosmic Universe or in Wakanda or somewhere we can’t see anywhere else but in a Marvel property? Just because Inhumans stank like a rotten egg on a summer’s day doesn’t mean that a Marvel galactic-themed show can’t work with a different creative team.

          Plus with Infinity War and its sequel next year the MCU as a whole will be changing dramatically, and that means having to let go of some of the stuff from the past. I think S.H.I.E.L.D will fit comfortably being remembered as the MCU’s first and most popular TV show in a pre-Infinity War world.

          And that leads me to my last point: this season has been so disappointing that I’d rather see one of my favourite shows go out with some dignity left than have another season twist the knife even harder. I want to remember S.H.I.E.L.D as a show that had our heroes fighting Ghost Rider, evil Inhumans and Grant Ward, not a show where they stand talking in a hallway with no discernible end goal in mind.

          So, yeah, that’s my thoughts on why a show I love so dearly should end. This episode was crap, and I’ll see you next week.

FINAL SCORE

2/10

Awful

Star Wars Wednesday: Splinter of the Mind's Eye

Splinter of the Mind’s Eye

          We’ve covered a lot of firsts here on Star Wars Wednesday. We’ve seen the first Star Wars video game, the first Star Wars theme park ride, the first Star Wars fan film, and (begrudgingly) the first Star Wars TV appearance.

          Today we’ll be looking at something that I’m honestly surprised I haven’t covered yet: the first Star Wars Expanded Universe novel! It’s time to look at Splinter of the Mind’s Eye!

          Released in February 1978, Splinter was the first Star Wars book to contain a new story not from the movies. While there’d been a novelization of A New Hope around for a few years, this was the first one released that told an all-new story. You can thank Splinter for the now 40 years of new Star Wars books that expanded and built upon the movies in new and creative ways.

          Splinter of the Mind’s Eye wasn’t always a book, however. Initially it was conceived by George Lucas as a low-budget sequel to A New Hope should the movie turn out to be a flop like most of the cast and crew expected. A lot of the book reflects this fact: almost the whole thing takes place on a planet covered in fog, Han is absent (as Harrison Ford hadn’t signed on for any more movies yet), and, according to author Alan Dean Foster, Lucas asked him to remove a space battle sequence from the opening, presumably because it’d cost too much to shoot.

          But, as we all know, the movie turned out to be an unprecedented success story, and Splinter was finished and turned into a book to be released while Lucas worked on the far more ambitious and impressive sequel fans were undoubtedly expecting.

          He also said yes to the Holiday Special around this time…so that’s wonderful.

          But enough background, what exactly is this book about? Basically Luke and Leia are on a mission trying to find a mysterious Force artifact known as the Kaiburr crystal when they crash-land on the swamp planet of Mimban. But when it turns out that the crystal is actually on Mimban too, it’s a race against the clock to get it before Vader does.

          This book is also notable for being the first introduction of kyber crystals to the franchise, which have become a huge component of Star Wars these days. While not using the correct spelling of the crystals, the Kaiburr crystal was later explained as the most powerful of all kyber crystals. It could also enhance a user’s force capabilities, such as gifting the power of force lightning to those usually unable to use it.

          If you can track it down in either its original novel format or as the comic book adaption that was released in 1996, Splinter of the Mind’s Eye is worth a look if only because it’s the first Expanded Universe book ever created. It gets clunky at times these days, especially when you remember that it was originally intended to be a low-budget sequel to the first movie, but it’s enjoyable nonetheless.

Star Wars Rebels Reviews: “A Fool’s Hope/Family Reunion – and Farewell”

Goodbye Ghosts

(This review contains spoilers for the Rebels Series Finale!)

          Star Wars Rebels has been a weird show to say the least. I initially wrote it off as a kid-friendly spinoff to The Clone Wars, but after finally caving in and giving it a watch after hearing how good Season 3 was I was met with a show that utilized the mystic nature of the Force in several cool and creative ways, had a lot of awesome characters (including returning fan favourites like Ashoka, Rex and Thrawn), and a great starring cast of characters you learned to love over the years.

          And now we’ve reached the curtain call. Rebels has taken its final bow as we prepare to move into a new age of Star Wars TV led by Jon Favreau in a live-action setting. But was the finale good?

          For me these last two episodes essentially sum up everything that made Rebels great over these last few seasons. Great action, great characters, and great use of the Force in one last battle to free Lothal from the Empire.

          The first episode is the lesser of the two if only because it’s half an hour shorter than the extended finale, but it’s still great. Ezra’s called in help from some of the friends he’s made over the years, including Hondo and Rex. They group up and draw Governor Price and her forces to them, capturing her and giving the Lothwolves a delicious meal of raw stormtrooper.

          Seriously, they tore those poor troopers apart. It was pretty brutal, especially for this show.

          I especially liked how this episode treated the last few Clone troopers. While Rex got plenty of cool moments in the finale (as he deserves), his friends each had a nice moment too. I especially liked Wolfe’s remark about how the Lothwolves fought just like his old platoon. Even as someone who hasn’t seen the entirety of Clone Wars yet (heresy, I know), they were the best part of the ending for me.

          Moving onto the true finale, Thrawn arrived to prove to Ezra he’s still boss. Knowing that Ezra managed to get all his assets into one place away from Lothal City, he bombarded the planet, forcing Ezra to give himself over. Ezra was met with a holo-Palpatine disguising himself as the Senator version, and was tempted with a Force-vision of his parents. It’s a trap even Admiral Ackbar could see a mile away of course, and Ezra breaks free.

          And then we get to see something every single Star Wars fan has wanted to see happen onscreen: Palpatine’s royal guards actually doing something! Turns out they were wizards this whole time. Who knew?

          The episode ends with a very Lord of the Rings eagles-esque finale with the space whales from earlier in the series returning for one last fight, as well as Ezra facing off against Thrawn in person. The two of them are blasted away into hyperspace and disappear, leaving their endings completely open ended. Personally I’m pretty okay with that. Having Ezra around in the Original Trilogy would’ve cheapened Luke’s journey a bit, and we can’t really have someone as brilliant as Thrawn in the movies or the Empire’s more questionable decisions would make less sense. But they’re both too great to kill, so I’m glad they went with the choice of keeping them out of things for a while and going on a mysterious adventure together.

          So Lothal is saved, the movies progress as they do, and we get a nice “where are they now” epilogue. Zeb brought Kallus back to his home planet where they’ll surely be the subject of many romantic fanfictions for years to come. Hera had a son with Chopper Kanan named Jacen (wink wink to all you Expanded Universe fans out there) who shares his mom’s piloting abilities. Rex was confirmed to have fought in the Battle of Endor, so keep an eye out for him next time you watch Return of the Jedi! He’s in there for a quick second!

          And finally Ashoka truly is alive, and her and Sabine have left on a mission to finally go and find Ezra. It’s a great way to close out a great series, while still leaving enough open for whatever story Dave Filoni wants to tell next.

          This was an awesome finale. Every single character got a moment in the spotlight, but the main focus was on ending Ezra’s story, which was handled perfectly. It was the perfect blend of action, humour and heart, which is exactly what Star Wars needs to be.

FINAL SCORE (A Fool’s Hope)

7/10

Good

FINAL SCORE (Family Reunion – and Farewell)

9/10

Amazing

Editorial: Top 8 CRAZIEST Boss Battles Ever!

Top 8 CRAZIEST Boss Battles Ever!

          You’ve just fought your way through a horde of enemies, puzzles and god knows what else to make it to the end of the level and find the secrets that await you at the end. But one final obstacle stands in your way. From the shadows, the boss emerges and challenges you to one final standoff.

          Bosses have been a part of gaming since nearly the beginning, and since then there have been some especially cool and creative ones thought up. Today I’ll be counting down 8. of my favourites! Keep in mind that this is my list and my opinion, so if there’s a boss that didn’t make the cut it’s either because I don’t know what it is or I didn’t think they quite deserved the cut.

          With that said…

8. Bowser (Super Mario Galaxy)

          There have been so many great Bowser battles over the years that it was hard to pick a single representative. I also considered the classic Super Mario 64 final fight, the towering Baby Bowser from Yoshi’s Island, the lava castle chase from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the Dark Bowser fight from Mario and Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, and the most recent battle from Super Mario Odyssey.

          But in the end the showdown from Galaxy won out, purely because it’s the single most epic fight against the Koopa king in any Mario game ever.

          Fighting across a few small planetoids in front of an exploding sun is epic enough, but the soundtrack to this fight alone is surprisingly intense for a game about a portly red Italian plumber going through space. It’s operatic, dark, and really makes you feel that this time Bowser is posing a real threat.

7. Akuma (Super Street Fighter II Turbo)

          Getting to this fight alone is a challenge in and of itself. To make Akuma appear, you must make your way through Arcade Mode, defeat all eight preliminary opponents plus the extra-tough Balrog, Vega and Sagat without ever losing and getting at least 3 perfect K.Os, meaning you have to not get hit once.

          Yikes.

          Once this is accomplished, Akuma will interrupt your climactic showdown with M. Bison by sending him packing and challenging you himself. He’s undeniably the hardest fight in the entire game, with super speed, high damage attacks across the board, and an immunity to being stunned. It’s a fight only true Street Fighter pros can take down.

6. Sans (Undertale)

          Undertale is a relatively easy game. The true challenge lies in what it does to your emotions.

          This boss is unlocked through the game’s final playthrough: the infamous No Mercy Run. You must travel through the world of the game once more, playing the game like a normal RPG and killing any and all monsters you come across, including the bosses you once befriended. And, at the end of it all, the toughest part of the entire game stands waiting for you.

          Sans, the chubby skeletal comedian that you once called a friend, lets loose with a barrage of bone-themed attacks to try and stop you one last time. His attacks move at a much higher speed than anyone else’s in the entire game, including the final bosses of the other two playthroughs. With the heavy metal-themed song Megalovania roaring in the background, it’s an epic finale to such a charming and heartbreaking adventure.

5. Ganon (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

          This one’s been blowing minds since 1998. After you’ve bested Ganondorf in wizard tennis and escaped with Zelda down his crumbling castle, it looks like you’ve succeeded in your quest.

          NOT.

          Ganondorf emerges from the rubble to try to kill you one last time, transforming into the enormous beast known simply as Ganon. With one swing of his blades the Master Sword is knocked away from you, leaving you defenseless (unless you forged Biggoron’s Sword, of course) and completely at his mercy. All you have left are the tools you’ve found in the dungeons along the way and your wits as you face down your biggest opponent for one final battle.

4. Tabuu (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)

          Brawl’s Adventure Mode is…weird. A massive crossover between Nintendo worlds titled “The Subspace Emissary”, the mostly-silent narrative has plot threads that don’t make a lot of sense, a huge lack of explanation, and mostly serves as an excuse to see characters like Samus and Pikachu do awesome stuff together in cutscenes.

          It all comes to a head when the heroes unite together to find the mastermind behind all the shadow craziness unleashed upon their world: a weird cyberpunk-looking fella by the name of Tabuu. He promptly wrecks everyone with one attack, but later on with the help of a few other wayward heroes they are able to regroup, make their way through his Great Maze, and face off with him once again.

          Tabuu is a pretty tough customer, especially on the higher levels of difficulty. His Off Wave attacks will K.O. you in one hit if you aren’t careful, and he moves around so much that it’s hard to stay close and consistently damage him without him using an attack to send you flying. He’s easily the toughest boss the Smash series has ever come up with, and is a fitting end to such a crazy mode.

3. Galactus (Marvel vs. Capcom 3)

          What is it with fighting games and insanely hard final bosses?

          Galactus awaits you at the end of Marvel vs. Capcom 3’s Arcade Mode, and he will show you no mercy as you act as the last defense holding him back from devouring Earth. Before even you even make it to big purple himself you have to go through his guards, crystal clones of Doctor Doom and Wesker played at their highest difficulty and designed precisely for roughing up your trio of characters before the true fight begins. It’s not uncommon to lose a hero before you make it to the final battle, making Galactus all the more difficult.

          And when you finally make it to the true boss? Prepare to lose. Galactus has a massive health bar, and all his attacks cover nearly the entire battlefield and deal massive damage. I’d even go so far as to say that this boss is impossible to beat without taking at least one hit. While not impossible, Galactus is a fight that takes a lot of practice to take down.

2. Red (Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver)

          So you’ve finally done it. You’ve conquered the Johto League and taken down the Elite Four. You’ve beaten Lance and his hilariously cheated Dragonites that by all respects should still be Dragonairs at that level. You’ve made your way through Kanto and beaten all the gym leaders there, including former champion Blue. What’s left?

          The mysterious Mt. Silver looms overhead, with the promise of a deadly challenge awaiting at the peak. After making your way through the mazelike caverns and reaching the top, you’re faced with one final trainer battle: Red, your player character from the original games, appears, and he challenges you.

          Red is considered by many to be one of, if not the hardest trainer battle in the entire mainline Pokémon series. He comes packing a level 80 Lapras, a level 82 Snorlax, all three fully evolved Kanto starters each at level 84, and a deadly level 88 Pikachu, which is to date still the highest level Pokémon owned by a NPC trainer. While a bit of grinding practice and some clever type management (a Ground-type is an absolute necessity to beat Pikachu) will take down Red eventually, it’s still pretty cool to essentially get to fight yourself.

1. Mike Tyson (Punch-Out!!)

          The original surprise final battle, the showdown between yourself and Iron Mike Tyson in the original Punch-Out for the NES is something of legend. Never before did a video game allow you to go toe-to-toe with the reigning champ of a sport in real life until now.

          Fighting Tyson’s pixelated counterpart turned out to be as difficult as fighting Tyson in real life. You can legitimately go weeks and still not have figured out how to beat him. He’s that hard.

          His opener is deadly. For the first minute or so of the fight, every punch Tyson throws is a one-hit knockout. Your three lives will be spent before the battle’s even truly begun, and Referee Mario will be calling it a TKO before you know it. His punches move at blazing speed, and he has no real identifiable patterns you can follow.

          The only real way to beat Iron Mike is with the three P’s: patience, persistence, and practice. He’ll send you packing otherwise. Eventually you’ll start to figure out how he telegraphs his attacks, and slowly but surely bring down his health bar until he’s no more.

          If the fact that you’re fighting Mike Tyson and that he’s one of the hardest bosses in games history wasn’t enough, this fight becomes even more legendary when you look at what happened to it later on down the line. Eventually the contract that allowed Nintendo to use Tyson’s name and likeness ran out, and they didn’t have a keen interest in renewing it in an age before re-releases were a thing (plus, certain Tyson-related controversies might’ve made them a bit hesitant to be affiliated with him). So, in all subsequent ports of the original game, Tyson was replaced by the far less impressive “Mr. Dream”, who looks about as boring and ordinary as it gets. So these days anyone can say they beat Mr. Dream, but only those with an original copy of the game get the far more exciting bragging rights of being the few who were able to defeat Iron Mike Tyson.