Stalin vs. Martians
Encyclopedia
Stalin vs. Martians is a parody
real-time strategy
video game developed by Black Wing Foundation, Dreamlore and N-Game, released on April 29, 2009. Described as "trashy and over-the-top" by its creators, the game mocks World War II
strategy games and utilizes pythonesque
humor. The developers state that Stalin vs. Martians is "obviously a parody, which sometimes gets close to being a satire
" and is "halfway to becoming a trash icon of gaming industry for years". In some interviews the lead designer of the game compares Stalin vs. Martians to the Troma films.
As of July 22, 2009, the game is no longer available to be purchased. The reason for this is currently unknown. The official website contains information that upgraded version of Stalin vs. Martians is on the way and will be available for download.
. GameSpot
awarded the game 1.5/10, calling it "perhaps the worst RTS
game ever created". The site also named it 2009's Flat-Out Worst Game. IGN, which rated the game a 2/10, noted the game's total lack of any RTS-related elements and asked whether it was made in 1994 and sealed into a vault until 2009 given how dated the visuals looked. Resolution, awarding the game 35%, warned readers not to purchase the game, but conceded that it is occasionally "incredibly amusing". Rock, Paper, Shotgun called the game "rubbish" but admitted: "there’s certainly car-crash value, especially if you tie yourself in theoretical knots deciding exactly how much of the game is satire". The Escapist was more positive, noting that "Whatever it was, it's clear that the development team had a very fun time making the game, and filling it with as many Soviet clichés as possible." and "The presentation can be funny, and it's so absurd at times that you really have to experience it for the sheer audacity of it, but ... the game itself is below average at best". Russian MTV programme Virtuality and its spin-off portal Games TV were quite enthusiastic about the game and its humour.
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
video game developed by Black Wing Foundation, Dreamlore and N-Game, released on April 29, 2009. Described as "trashy and over-the-top" by its creators, the game mocks World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
strategy games and utilizes pythonesque
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
humor. The developers state that Stalin vs. Martians is "obviously a parody, which sometimes gets close to being a satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
" and is "halfway to becoming a trash icon of gaming industry for years". In some interviews the lead designer of the game compares Stalin vs. Martians to the Troma films.
As of July 22, 2009, the game is no longer available to be purchased. The reason for this is currently unknown. The official website contains information that upgraded version of Stalin vs. Martians is on the way and will be available for download.
Reception
Stalin vs. Martians received scathing reviews from critics. It has an average score of 23.41% on GameRankings as well as 25% on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
awarded the game 1.5/10, calling it "perhaps the worst RTS
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
game ever created". The site also named it 2009's Flat-Out Worst Game. IGN, which rated the game a 2/10, noted the game's total lack of any RTS-related elements and asked whether it was made in 1994 and sealed into a vault until 2009 given how dated the visuals looked. Resolution, awarding the game 35%, warned readers not to purchase the game, but conceded that it is occasionally "incredibly amusing". Rock, Paper, Shotgun called the game "rubbish" but admitted: "there’s certainly car-crash value, especially if you tie yourself in theoretical knots deciding exactly how much of the game is satire". The Escapist was more positive, noting that "Whatever it was, it's clear that the development team had a very fun time making the game, and filling it with as many Soviet clichés as possible." and "The presentation can be funny, and it's so absurd at times that you really have to experience it for the sheer audacity of it, but ... the game itself is below average at best". Russian MTV programme Virtuality and its spin-off portal Games TV were quite enthusiastic about the game and its humour.