Wisdom Tree’s *King of Kings: The Early Years* remains one of the more curious artifacts of the unlicensed NES library. Released in 1991, this multi-game cartridge sought to provide a "wholesome" alternative to mainstream action titles by focusing on the biblical accounts of the childhood of Jesus Christ. As a spiritual successor to the infamous *Bible Adventures*, the game utilizes a side-scrolling engine that prioritizes slow-paced platforming and animal handling over high-octane combat. While many unlicensed titles from the era are dismissed as unplayable shovelware, there is an earnestness to the design here that reflects the developer's commitment to their specific niche, even if the execution often falls victim to stiff controls and repetitive level design typical of the Color Dreams lineage.
The cartridge is split into three distinct segments: The Wise Men, Flight to Egypt, and Jesus and the Temple. In the first act, players guide a camel across a desert landscape, navigating treacherous terrain while collecting scrolls that provide biblical trivia. The "Flight to Egypt" segment shifts the focus to Joseph leading a donkey, requiring careful jumps to protect the infant Christ from environmental hazards and falling rocks. These mechanics are frequently interrupted by multiple-choice quizzes that test the player's scriptural knowledge to earn extra lives. While the variety in character sprites is appreciated, the physics are notably floaty, making precision platforming a frustrating exercise in trial and error that lacks the refinement of official Nintendo-licensed products.
Visually, the game is surprisingly colorful for an unlicensed release, though it lacks the polish found in contemporary titles from major studios. The music consists of synthesized renditions of classic hymns, providing a serene, if occasionally droning, backdrop to the gameplay. Ultimately, *King of Kings* serves as a fascinating window into a subculture of gaming that thrived outside the "Seal of Quality," offering a primitive but unique edutainment experience for collectors of the obscure.
