The Inside Scoop on Gaming

I hesitate to use the word "classy" when referring to the style of Stuper Powers! Well done, yes. Classy, well, judge for yourself.

Stuper Powers! is the game for "Third-Rate Heroes". It's all about having superpowers which aren't really all that spectacular or useful (or when they are, are too bizarre for a big name hero). Creating a random character, I get a hero who has the powers Summon Buddha, Induce Vietnam Flashbacks, and Vacuum Butt (which is pretty much what it sounds like). That's pretty much all there is to a character, too. Your character is assumed to be able to do anything you can do. Anything questionable is resolved with a coin toss. The rules aren't as long as the list of authors!

Combat in Stuper Powers! is only slightly more complex than task resolution. After you hit, you figure out how much damage you did. When a person takes 5 points of damage, they're down for the count. They're not really dead, though. No-one dies unless the Big Mac Daddy (commonly known in other games as the GM) and players decide it'd be pretty funny for someone to die, usually messily.

So, is the game funny? Yes, if you like juvenile humor and general silliness (guilty on both counts). Is it classy? Not very, but the production values aren't bad for a $5 game. Is it playable? Probably. Unstoppable was giving out a sample adventure with the game at Origins which spoofed religious cults and a certain giant planet-eating alien. Amusing. The sole problem with the rules is that they don't include enough powers. With only 48 powers, and an equal chance of getting each, players will rapidly be begging their Big Mac Daddy for the opportunity to create their own powers (especially if their BMD thinks it's really really funny when player characters die).

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 3 (Average)

Stuper Powers!
Author: Ryan Dunlavey, Steve Ellis, Jamal Igle, Carson Jones, Stew Noack, Lauren Rabinowitz, Fred Van Lente, Alan H. Zatkow Category: game Company/Publisher: Unstoppable Reviewed by Kevin Mowery on 08/14/97. Genre tags: none	I hesitate to use the word "classy" when referring to the style of Stuper Powers! Well done, yes. Classy, well, judge for yourself. Stuper Powers! is the game for "Third-Rate Heroes". It's all about having superpowers which aren't really all that spectacular or useful (or when they are, are too bizarre for a big name hero). Creating a random character, I get a hero who has the powers Summon Buddha, Induce Vietnam Flashbacks, and Vacuum Butt (which is pretty much what it sounds like). That's pretty much all there is to a character, too. Your character is assumed to be able to do anything you can do. Anything questionable is resolved with a coin toss. The rules aren't as long as the list of authors! Combat in Stuper Powers! is only slightly more complex than task resolution. After you hit, you figure out how much damage you did. When a person takes 5 points of damage, they're down for the count. They're not really dead, though. No-one dies unless the Big Mac Daddy (commonly known in other games as the GM) and players decide it'd be pretty funny for someone to die, usually messily. So, is the game funny? Yes, if you like juvenile humor and general silliness (guilty on both counts). Is it classy? Not very, but the production values aren't bad for a $5 game. Is it playable? Probably. Unstoppable was giving out a sample adventure with the game at Origins which spoofed religious cults and a certain giant planet-eating alien. Amusing. The sole problem with the rules is that they don't include enough powers. With only 48 powers, and an equal chance of getting each, players will rapidly be begging their Big Mac Daddy for the opportunity to create their own powers (especially if their BMD thinks it's really really funny when player characters die). Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 3 (Average)