So, have you played the game yet?
Yes, I downloaded it from Wii Ware a couple of days after it was released last Monday.
What are your initial impressions of the game? Give us some highlights.
I think the game is very entertaining. Anytime you take something from reality and turn it in to a video game, I think the hope is that there is a subconscious reaction inside of the player that makes them feel like they are participating in the reality; and this game does that for me. I like the game because it is a challenging 2 minutes of competition that requires skill and focus just like a reality eating competition. And actually the game requires a lot of physical exertion, my arm is sore right now in fact from an intense burp-off duel I had recently with El Toro.
One of my favorite features of the game is the sounds that the characters and the announcers make. There is constant action in the game while getting the food to the mouth, chewing, clearing your stomach, burping, farting, biting your tongue, or suffering a reversal of fortune - the sounds and the vibrations of the Wii remote bring the action to life and defitnitely add to the comedy of the game. Good to hear Badlands' and George Shea's voices mixed in the game as well.
How does it feel to play yourself in a video game?
I pretty much continuously laugh when I am playing as myself or against my avatar in the game. It is an honor and it is a total blast to have a digital replication of myself that is based on me but yet still acts autonomously. Even though the character in the video game is based on me in reality, I don’t feel emotionally attached to my character however. For example, I recently competed as Crazy Legs against my girlfriend who played as my character in a hot dog eating contest. When I beat her and made her/me reverse the dogs I was happy that I won and had no sympathy for “Erik the Red”, the video game character, for blowing chunks. Though, I will admit it feels especially good to beat people while playing as myself.
How do you like your character’s look? Anything you would change?
My character has a fun look. My hair is super spiked; the bandana is obviously a signature of mine that I am glad they captured well. I like that my character is recognizable as me, in that the features do somehow look like mine (so I have been told) but also, some features are exaggerated, such as my elongated chin in the pre-match screen. I would obviously like my character to have more muscle mass and more capacity but okay reality gets in the way again.
Two small things I would change about my characters physical appearance would be my green shorts in the game mode and my sunglasses. Everyone knows that green shorts don’t match a red shirt, I think white or black shorts would look better on my character. And a more updated pair of sunglasses, the sunglasses my character is sporting look a bit like a classic pair of Vuarnets from the late 80’s. But all-in-all I am very happy with my character’s appearance.
Have you been able to beat the game by defeating all of the characters in the single-player mode?
Honestly, I have not been able to defeat Tim Janus at burritos yet which means I have not made it very far in the game. I guess the game is a little too much like reality in that sense.
How can someone get their hands on the game?
If you don’t own a Nintendo Wii yet then first you will need to buy one of those. If you already own a Nintendo Wii, than it is pretty simple, you can do it from your couch. The game is only available online through Wii Ware:
1. Connect your Wii to the Internet using WiFi or a lan line (requires USB converter sold separately). The Wii is already setup for WiFi so if you have a wireless internet connection at your home this is preferred and is really easy to setup (refer to the Wii owner’s manual for simple instructions).
2. Once your Wii is connected to the Internet, go to the Wii Shop Channel from the Wii Menu, Click Wii Ware, and search for Major League Eating the Game.
3. If you have never purchased anything from the Wii Shop Channel, you will first need to purchase Wii Points. 1,000 Wii Points are required to download the game. 1,000 Wii Points = $10.00 ($10.90 including tax). You can purchase Wii Points from the Wii Shop menu using your credit card (points show up immediately once your card information is approved).
4. Once you have the required 1,000 Wii Points in your account, Click on the game icon and click download the game (takes approximately 10 minutes to download)! The game will show up on your Wii Menu once it is downloaded. That’s it, start playing!
Do you think there will be future iterations of the game or a possible hard copy release?
Hopefully the downloaded version of the game will be a big success which could lead to a future hard copy release of the game. I would hope that a more robust hard copy version could include more current and old school eaters, more scenarios, and options to customize your own character. But I really think it all depends on the success of the current Wii Ware format.
Any final thoughts about the game?
The game really is comical and challenging to play especially in the Versus mode against your friends. For only $10.00 dollars, it is a steal and will help ease your hunger pains between competitive eating competitions.
I would like to say thank you to Major League Eating and Mastiff for making the game a reality. Don’t wake me up please.
(I will be posting some video of actual game play soon)
