1. The Simpsons Video Games Wiki
2. The Simpsons Video Games Commercial
3. The Simpsons Video Games
4. The Simpsons Lisa Plays Video Games

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The Simpsons is an American animated television sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satiricalparody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its eponymous family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. It is set in the fictional town of Springfield, and lampoons American culture, society and television, and many aspects of the human condition.^[1] The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a pitch for a series of animated shorts with producer James L. Brooks. Groening created a dysfunctional family and named the characters after members of his own family, substituting Bart for his own name. The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987 and after a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show and became a hit series for Fox.^[2][3] The growing popularity of the series motivated video game developers to create video games based on the series. Two pinball machines have also been produced; one self-titled, that was only made available for a limited time after the first season finale (1990) and The Simpsons Pinball Party (2003).^[4] Additionally, several handheld device games have been released, such as Bartman: Avenger of Evil (1990) and Bart Simpson's Cupcake Crisis (1991).^[5][6]

29 rows  Video games. As of June 2014, 27 video games focused on The Simpsons series have been released. The following table showcases the correspondent title, release date, publisher, developer and the platforms on which each game was released along with any other relevant information. Simpsons video games have spanned all sorts of video game genres and systems, including The Simpsons: Hit and Run, The Simpsons Road Rage, The Simpsons Skateboarding, The Simpsons: Virtual Springfield, The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Juggernauts and Krusty's Super Fun.

Video games based on the series have reached multiple platforms since their debut in 1991. The Simpsons' first video game release, The Simpsons, developed and published by Konami, saw a release on the Commodore 64 and DOS, while Bart vs. the Space Mutants (1991), developed by Imagineering, expanded the franchise into new platforms, including the Amstrad CPC, NES and Master System. Over the next few years, the franchise would continue to expand, releasing system-exclusive games, such as the PC's Cartoon Studio (1996) and the PlayStation's The Simpsons Wrestling (2001). The release of The Simpsons Game (2007), developed by EA Redwood Shores (Visceral Games), further expanded the franchise, appearing on new platforms including the Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Due to the series' longevity, The Simpsons video games have also spanned across many genres, such as the puzzle gameKrusty's Fun House (1992), the sports gameItchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness (1994) and racing gameRoad Rage (2001). The Simpsons is also one of the franchises spotlighted in the toys-to-life video game Lego Dimensions (2015).

Video games[edit]

As of June 2014, 27 video games focused on The Simpsons series have been released. The following table showcases the correspondent title, release date, publisher, developer and the platforms on which each game was released along with any other relevant information. A detailed overview of each game can be found in their corresponding articles, with the exception of games without articles, which instead have a brief overview in a footnote.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

1. ^Krusty's Fun House was released on the Super NES and Genesis as Krusty's Super Fun House.
2. ^The Sega Genesis version went unreleased.
3. ^The Simpsons Bowling is a 3-D trackball arcade game in which the player controls one of eight different bowlers (Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Mr. Burns, Apu, Krusty the Klown and Groundskeeper Willie), all of which have different strengths and weaknesses.
4. ^Minutes to Meltdown is a pseudo-3D action game in which the player controls Homer as he races to the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to prevent a nuclear meltdown. The game is thirty minutes long (the player must get Homer to the power plant in that time) and has three levels (one at the Simpson's home, one on the streets of Springfield, and one at the plant).
5. ^Itchy and Scratchy Land is an action game in which the player controls either Homer, Bart, Lisa or Marge as they go through Explosion Land, Unnecessary Surgery Land, Torture Land and Searing Gas Pain Land at the amusement park Itchy & Scratchy Land.
6. ^The Simpsons Arcade (2009) is a re-imagining of the original The Simpsons Arcade Game (1991).

References[edit]

1. ^The Simpsons: America's First Family (television documentary). BBC. 2000.
2. ^Groening, Matt (1997). Richmond, Ray; Coffman, Antonia (eds.). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1st ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. p. 14. ISBN978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN98141857. OCLC37796735. OL433519M..
3. ^Gerard, Jeremy (February 21, 1990). 'Bad Language, Hurt Feelings and Success'. The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
4. ^'Stern Pinball, Inc. Announces A Wild 'Simpsons Pinball Party''. Stern Pinball. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
5. ^'Bartman: Avenger of Evil'. IGN. News Corporation. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
6. ^'Bart Simpson's Cupcake Crisis'. IGN. News Corporation. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
7. ^Bart vs. the Space Mutants:
   • Irwin, Jeff. 'The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Space Mutants – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
   • Irwin, Jeff. 'The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Space Mutants – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
8. ^Weiss, Brett Alan. 'The Simpsons – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
9. ^'The Simpsons: Bart's House of Weirdness – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
10. ^Weiss, Brett Alan (October 3, 2010). 'Bart Simpson's Escape From Camp Deadly – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
11. ^Baker, Christopher Michael (October 3, 2010). 'The Simpsons: Bart vs. the World – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
12. ^'The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Juggernauts – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
13. ^Marriott, Scott Alan. 'The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
14. ^Weiss, Brett Alan. 'The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
15. ^Krusty's Fun House:
    • Baker, Christopher Michael. 'Krusty's Fun House – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
    • Game, All. 'Krusty's Super Fun House – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
    • 'Krusty's Fun House – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
16. ^Marriott, Scott Alan. 'The Simpsons: Bart & The Beanstalk – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
17. ^Virtual Bart:
    • Wigmore, Glenn. 'Virtual Bart – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
    • Wigmore, Glenn. 'Virtual Bart – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
18. ^'Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
19. ^'The Itchy and Scratchy Game – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
20. ^Savignano, Lisa Karen. 'The Simpsons Cartoon Studio – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
21. ^Shani, Tamara. 'The Simpsons: Virtual Springfield – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
22. ^'The Simpsons Bowling – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
23. ^Deci, T.J. 'The Simpsons: Night of the Living Treehouse of Horror – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
24. ^House, Matthew. 'The Simpsons Wrestling – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
25. ^Deci, T.J. 'The Simpsons Road Rage – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
26. ^Weiss, Brett Alan. 'The Simpsons Skateboarding – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
27. ^Marriott, Scott Alan. 'The Simpsons Road Rage – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
28. ^Marriott, Scott Alan. 'The Simpsons: Hit & Run – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
29. ^Marriott, Scott Alan. 'The Simpsons Game – Overview'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
30. ^'The Simpsons: Minutes to Meltdown'. EA Mobile. Electronic Arts. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
31. ^Buchanan, Levi (July 24, 2007). 'The Simpsons: Minutes to Meltdown Review'. IGN. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
32. ^'The Simpsons: Itchy & Scratchy Land'. EA Mobile. Electronic Arts. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
33. ^'The Simpsons Arcade'. AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
34. ^Davis, Justin (February 27, 2012). 'Build Your Own Springfield in The Simpsons: Tapped Out – iPhone Preview at IGN'. IGN. News Corporation. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
35. ^'Gamespot Tapped Out Android'. CBS Interactive Inc.
36. ^'The Simpsons: Tapped Out (Kindle Tablet Edition)'. June 24, 2013. Retrieved July 26, 2013.

The Simpsons is an arcadebeat 'em updeveloped and published by Konami released in 1991. It was the first video game based on the eponymous franchise to be released in North America. The game allows up to four players to control members of the Simpson family, as they fight various enemies in order to rescue the kidnapped Maggie.^[1] The game was ported to the Commodore 64 and MS-DOS soon after its launch in the arcades, and was released as The Simpsons Arcade Game. It was also released under that title on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in February 2012, however it has since been removed from both services.^[2][3]

Plot[edit]

As the Simpson Family -- Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie—take a stroll through town, they encounter a jewelry store being robbed by Waylon Smithers, who bumps into Homer, leading a precious diamond he stole to land in Maggie's mouth. With Maggie using the diamond as a makeshift pacifier, Smithers takes Maggie with him, sending various goons to keep the Simpsons from following him. Fighting their way through various areas, such as Krustyland, Moe's Tavern and even a dream world, the Simpsons eventually arrive at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, where they face against not only Smithers, but also Mr. Burns, who attacks them in a plutonium-powered mech. After managing to defeat Burns, the Simpsons rescue Maggie and head back home, while Homer breaks the fourth wall by throwing the diamond right to the player.

Gameplay[edit]

The Simpsons is a side-scrolling beat 'em up for up to four players, with each one playing as a member of the Simpsons family: Marge, who swings her vacuum cleaner; Homer, who punches and kicks; Bart, who wields his skateboard; and Lisa, who attacks with a jump rope. Along with the standard array of jumping and attacking, two players can team up to form a joint attack, which differs depending on which characters are used. For example, Homer can lift Bart up to use him as a melee weapon, whilst teaming him up with Marge puts them into a powerful cartwheel attack. Players can also pick up food items to restore health, as well as objects they can throw at enemies and items that temporarily power up their attacks. Players are given a small number of lives, which are lost if the player's life bar runs out. If the player runs out of life with no lives remaining (represented by a Bart-like devil appearing before them), the player has 20 seconds to add credits or the game ends. At certain points in the game, players compete against each other in button-bashing minigames to earn additional points (computer controlled characters replace characters not being played by real people).^[1]

The Japanese version of the game includes many differences from the North American release.^[4][1][5] These changes include throwable small scale nuclear bombs that clear all on-screen enemies. A life bar that, unlike in the North American version, can accumulate three levels by eating food beyond the first full level. The player's life is turned into bonus points after they complete a level and is restored when the next level begins. In this version there are hidden items (food and weapons) which appear when the player hits specific points of the screen. Also, in the Japanese version the score system is different: each enemy character defeated gives the player a certain number of points, while at the North American version the player only earns a single point by defeating them. This is similar to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game score system.

The Simpsons Video Games Wiki

Legacy[edit]

Soon after its release in the arcades, the game received ports to Commodore 64 and MS-DOS computers developed by Novotrade. A listing on the Australian Classification Board website, posted on November 9, 2011, hinted at a port of the game being developed by Backbone Entertainment for multiple platforms.^[6] In January 2012, a high-definition port of The Simpsons Arcade Game was announced for PlayStation Network for release in February, with a release on Xbox Live Arcade also revealed.^[7] The port features online multiplayer, the ability to unlock the rare Japanese 4-player version of the game, and promotional content from the game's arcade launch.^[7] The game was initially made available exclusively to PlayStation Plus users at no charge.^[8] In December 2013, the game was removed from the PlayStation Network store, although at the time it was still available through the Xbox Live Marketplace; no reason for the removal was given by either Sony or Konami.^[9]

The Simpsons Video Games Commercial

A completely different title inspired by the arcade game, The Simpsons Arcade, was released by Electronic Arts for iOS on December 19, 2009. Unlike the arcade game, the title is a single player game where players control Homer, assisted by the other family members via power-ups. The plot is also slightly altered, as it revolves around a thumb drive containing plans for Burns' 'Project: Operation Mission' hidden inside a donut that Homer attempted to eat after bumping into Smithers, who had been tasked with securing the plans. With Burns' associates retrieving the donut and taking turns keeping it safe while Homer remains ignorant of the drive inside, his objective is simply to take back the donut.^[10]

Reception[edit]

ScrewAttack placed the Arcade version of the game as the #1 best cartoon-based game of all time.^[13] The PC/MS-DOS version of the game was reviewed in 1992 in Dragon #180 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in 'The Role of Computers' column. Wireless intellimouse explorer 2.0 driver. The reviewers gave the game 3 out of 5 stars.^[14]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcHopper, Steven (2012-02-03). 'The Simpsons Arcade Review'. IGN. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
2. ^'X-Men and The Simpsons Arcade Game disappear from PSN, still on XBLA'. Polygon. 2013-12-20. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
3. ^'The Simpsons Arcade takes us back to the bowling alley (review)'. VentureBeat. 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
4. ^'Hardcore Gaming 101: Konami Beat-em-ups'. hardcoregaming101.net. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
5. ^'The Simpsons (Arcade) - The Cutting Room Floor'. tcrf.net. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
6. ^Sterling, Jim. 'The Simpsons Arcade likely coming to consoles'. Destructoid.
7. ^ ^abMakuch, Eddie (February 1, 2012). 'Simspons Arcade Game hits XBL Friday'. GameSpot.com. CNet. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
8. ^Makuch, Eddie (January 31, 2012). 'Simpsons Arcade Game arriving next week for PlayStation Plus subscribers'. GameSpot.com. CNet. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
9. ^Tracey Lien (December 20, 2013). 'X-Men and The Simpsons Arcade Game Disappear From PSN, Still On XBLA'. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
10. ^'The Simpsons Arcade on the App Store on iTunes'. Itunes.Apple.com. 21 December 2009. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
11. ^Weiss, Brett Alan. 'The Simpsons -Review'. Allgame. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
12. ^McShea, Tom. 'The Simpsons Arcade Game Review'. GameSpot. Retrieved Nov 16, 2017.
13. ^'Top 10 Cartoon Games'. GameTrailers. ScrewAttack's Top 10. 17 July 2009. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
14. ^Lesser, Hartley; Lesser, Patricia & Lesser, Kirk (April 1992). 'The Role of Computers'. Dragon (180): 57–61.

The Simpsons Video Games

External links[edit]

• The Simpsons at MobyGames
• Simpsons, The at the Killer List of Videogames

The Simpsons Lisa Plays Video Games