King of Kings: The Early Years
Encyclopedia
The King of Kings is an unlicensed NES
video game game published in 1991 by Wisdom Tree
, the creators of Bible Adventures
.
story relating to the early years of Jesus
. In all the games the health points are measured by scrolls, and more scrolls can be earned by answering trivia questions about the King James Version of the Bible. After a game is chosen at the main screen, the player has the choice between 2 game difficulties (Normal and Easy) and whether the Music is on or off.
who travel to baby Jesus on the first Christmas
collecting their specific gifts (frankincense, myrrh, and gold) along with scrolls, that initiate a question each related to the King James Version of the Bible. The background music consists of the carol "We Three Kings
".
The game itself is a side-scroller in which the player controls a camel
on which one of the Wise Men are riding. He must get to the end of every level while defeating enemies that are encountered with an attack which the camel appears to spit
some projectile
that destroys all enemies in one hit.
for safety from King Herod
. The background music consists of the carol "Go Tell It on the Mountain
".
The game controls and feel are very similar to "The Wise Men", but instead of a camel, the player controls a donkey
, and the attack is a kick from the donkey. The course spiral
s up and is completed once the player reaches the top.
in Jerusalem at the age of 12. The player takes the vantage point of Joseph, who is traveling
to Jerusalem to find Jesus. The background music consists of the carol "What Child Is This?
", a.k.a. "Greensleeves
".
The character is controlled in a side-scrolling manner, though in this game the player has more control over how high and low he can travel. The player controls Joseph instead of an animal this time, and the level is completed when Joseph reaches the right-most side of the course.
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
video game game published in 1991 by Wisdom Tree
Wisdom Tree
Wisdom Tree is an American manufacturer and distributor of unlicensed Christian video games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, PC, Mac, and Sega Genesis, headquartered in unincorporated Pima County, Tucson, Arizona, United States...
, the creators of Bible Adventures
Bible Adventures
Bible Adventures is a Christian video game by Wisdom Tree and not sold through video game retailers, first released in 1991 for the NES, and re-released in 1995 for the Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis. It contains three different games: Noah's Ark, Baby Moses, and David and Goliath, all of which are...
.
Gameplay
Gameplay was split into 3 games, each illustrating a BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
story relating to the early years of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. In all the games the health points are measured by scrolls, and more scrolls can be earned by answering trivia questions about the King James Version of the Bible. After a game is chosen at the main screen, the player has the choice between 2 game difficulties (Normal and Easy) and whether the Music is on or off.
Game 1: The Wise Men
In this game, the player takes the vantage point of one after another of the three Biblical MagiBiblical Magi
The Magi Greek: μάγοι, magoi), also referred to as the Wise Men, Kings, Astrologers, or Kings from the East, were a group of distinguished foreigners who were said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh...
who travel to baby Jesus on the first Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
collecting their specific gifts (frankincense, myrrh, and gold) along with scrolls, that initiate a question each related to the King James Version of the Bible. The background music consists of the carol "We Three Kings
We Three Kings
"We Three Kings", also known as "We Three Kings of Orient Are" or "The Quest of the Magi", is a Christmas carol written by the Reverend John Henry Hopkins, Jr., who wrote both the lyrics and the music. It is suggested to have been written in 1857 but did not appear in print until his Carols, Hymns...
".
The game itself is a side-scroller in which the player controls a camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
on which one of the Wise Men are riding. He must get to the end of every level while defeating enemies that are encountered with an attack which the camel appears to spit
Saliva
Saliva , referred to in various contexts as spit, spittle, drivel, drool, or slobber, is the watery substance produced in the mouths of humans and most other animals. Saliva is a component of oral fluid. In mammals, saliva is produced in and secreted from the three pairs of major salivary glands,...
some projectile
Projectile
A projectile is any object projected into space by the exertion of a force. Although a thrown baseball is technically a projectile too, the term more commonly refers to a weapon....
that destroys all enemies in one hit.
Game 2: Flight to Egypt
In this game, the player takes the vantage point of Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus traveling to EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
for safety from King Herod
Herod the Great
Herod , also known as Herod the Great , was a Roman client king of Judea. His epithet of "the Great" is widely disputed as he is described as "a madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis." He is also known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and elsewhere, including his...
. The background music consists of the carol "Go Tell It on the Mountain
Go Tell It on the Mountain (song)
"Go Tell It on the Mountain" is an African-American spiritual song, compiled by John Wesley Work, Jr., dating back to at least 1865, that has been sung and recorded by many gospel and secular performers...
".
The game controls and feel are very similar to "The Wise Men", but instead of a camel, the player controls a donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
, and the attack is a kick from the donkey. The course spiral
Spiral
In mathematics, a spiral is a curve which emanates from a central point, getting progressively farther away as it revolves around the point.-Spiral or helix:...
s up and is completed once the player reaches the top.
Game 3: Jesus and the Temple
This game alludes to the story which Jesus is left behind at the TempleTemple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
in Jerusalem at the age of 12. The player takes the vantage point of Joseph, who is traveling
Travel
Travel is the movement of people or objects between relatively distant geographical locations. 'Travel' can also include relatively short stays between successive movements.-Etymology:...
to Jerusalem to find Jesus. The background music consists of the carol "What Child Is This?
What Child Is This?
"What Child Is This?" is a popular Christmas carol written in 1865. At the age of twenty-nine, English writer William Chatterton Dix was struck with a sudden near-fatal illness and confined to bedrest for several months, during which he went into a deep depression...
", a.k.a. "Greensleeves
Greensleeves
"Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song and tune, a ground of the form called a romanesca.A broadside ballad by this name was registered at the London Stationer's Company in September 1580 as "A New Northern Dittye of the Lady Greene Sleeves". It then appears in the surviving A Handful of...
".
The character is controlled in a side-scrolling manner, though in this game the player has more control over how high and low he can travel. The player controls Joseph instead of an animal this time, and the level is completed when Joseph reaches the right-most side of the course.