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20 Years of Doh: The cheers and jeers of The Simpsons video games
There have been many Simpsons games over the years, probably more than there needed to be in fact.
With so many great titles – and equally horrible titles (much like the seasons of the TV series) – it would be too hard to make a top ten list of one or the other. So I have instead compiled the top 5 and bottom 5 Simpsons games of all time.
This list is pretty straightforward when it comes to the best and worst but there will always be people who disagree so tell me what you think. Feel free to disagree. In fact, I encourage it. What would you add or delete? Feel free to disagree, in fact I encourage it.
5. Bart vs. the Space Mutants (1991 – DOS, Atari ST, NES, Sega Master System, Genesis, Game Gear)
This was the first console game to come out and I remember renting it every chance I got. You played as Bart who had to save Springfield from the evil Space Mutants. You had to collect and change anything that was purple to stop the aliens from building weapons. It had great humor from the show and you can even prank call Moe! Just a fun little classic platformer.
4. Hit and Run (2003 – PS2, GameCube, Xbox, PC)
The Simpsons meets Grand Theft Auto (minus the guns and hookers) You can play as different character driving around in different vehicles around Springfield. You have different missions and stuff to do like in GTA and it was multiplayer. The best part was if your car blows up you can drive around the burnt out husk.
3. The Simpsons: Virtual Springfield (1997 – PC, Mac)
You basically took a virtual tour of Springfield visiting all the locations you’ve seen on the show like Flanders house and Moe’s Tavern, everything. You can even visit the Stonecutters meeting hall. You can interact with almost everything, receiving various jokes and famous lines from the show and once in awhile a mini game. Definitely something fun to play once in awhile.
2. Krusty’s Fun House (1992 – Amiga, NES, DOS, Sega Master System, Game Gear, Game Boy, SNES, Genesis)
Man this was a fun game! You played as Krusty who has to get rid of the mice that have invaded his fun house. It’s a puzzle type game, in every level you have to use the different items to move the mice from the fun house to the mouse hole. If you beat the level you got to see Krusty dance and give his patenting giggle. They totally have to remake this.
1. Simpsons arcade game (Arcade, Commodore 64 and DOS 1991)
This was always my favorite arcade game when it was out. You played as the four family members who had to save Maggie from Mr. burns who kidnapped her after she swallows a stolen diamond. Each character had a weapon specific to them, Bart skateboard, Lisa jump rope, Marge vacuum cleaner, and homer used his feet and hands (he should have had a titanium rod). Homer and the kids could team up to multi attack too. It was a typical arcade style game where the purpose is to beat each level and the boss at the end.. With four friends and a handful of quarters, you could have yourself a fun night!
5. The Simpsons Game (2007 – Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Nintendo DS, PSP, PS2)
This title was fun at first, you played as different characters to accomplish different things and each character was unique in what he was able to do. It was only fun if you played multiplayer because expecting the computer to help you out when you need Bart to jump to a platform Homer can’t reach is not worth it. Basically the game got frustrating at times, plus it wasn’t always clear what you were suppose to do at other times. Only pick this up if you are a huge fan of the series and like platformers.
4. Bart Simpson’s Cupcake Crisis (1991 – handheld)
It’s one of those handheld deals where the whole screen is little black characters and only one thing moves on the screen. The object of the game is catch the falling cupcakes and give them to Marge who is waiting to the side. It is a cute little game, but redundant and annoying since it’s hard to see the little guy on the screen.
3. Bart’s Nightmare (1992 – Genesis, SNES 1992)
This game had a good idea; play as Bart and go through into different doors to do different adventures like Bartman, Bart as Godzilla and so on. I wouldn’t exactly call any of these nightmares. The mini games were hard at times frustrating. Plus you only had a few “Zs” to lose before you woke up and to start all over. Throw us a bone here, guys.
2. The Simpsons Wrestling (2001 – PS1)
What is there to say? You wrestle as Simpsons characters. Each character has it’s own specific moves and it is voiced by the original cast members, but those are the only pluses. Basically the graphics were choppy and just terrible. It was mainly a button mashing slap fest rather than a wrestling game.
1. Bart Simpson’s Escape from Camp Deadly (1991 – Gameboy)
This game was impossible. You play as Bart who gets sent to day camp only to find out it is run by a mean guy who wants kids to have no fun (Similar to the “Kamp Krusty” episode.) You only get like three hits before you die, causing you to start at the begging of the level (or at a checkpoint) and you had a crummy weapon, either a rock or a boomerang, that ran out of ammo. The enemies seemed invincible and don’t even ask about the bosses. It was just a very, very hard game. I remember yelling out loud while playing this and wanting to throw the GameBoy across the room. Thank goodness for Game Genie!!
Read [Games First] Also Read [Epinions]
With so many great titles – and equally horrible titles (much like the seasons of the TV series) – it would be too hard to make a top ten list of one or the other. So I have instead compiled the top 5 and bottom 5 Simpsons games of all time.
This list is pretty straightforward when it comes to the best and worst but there will always be people who disagree so tell me what you think. Feel free to disagree. In fact, I encourage it. What would you add or delete? Feel free to disagree, in fact I encourage it.
Top 5 Simpsons Games
5. Bart vs. the Space Mutants (1991 – DOS, Atari ST, NES, Sega Master System, Genesis, Game Gear)
This was the first console game to come out and I remember renting it every chance I got. You played as Bart who had to save Springfield from the evil Space Mutants. You had to collect and change anything that was purple to stop the aliens from building weapons. It had great humor from the show and you can even prank call Moe! Just a fun little classic platformer.
4. Hit and Run (2003 – PS2, GameCube, Xbox, PC)
The Simpsons meets Grand Theft Auto (minus the guns and hookers) You can play as different character driving around in different vehicles around Springfield. You have different missions and stuff to do like in GTA and it was multiplayer. The best part was if your car blows up you can drive around the burnt out husk.
3. The Simpsons: Virtual Springfield (1997 – PC, Mac)
You basically took a virtual tour of Springfield visiting all the locations you’ve seen on the show like Flanders house and Moe’s Tavern, everything. You can even visit the Stonecutters meeting hall. You can interact with almost everything, receiving various jokes and famous lines from the show and once in awhile a mini game. Definitely something fun to play once in awhile.
2. Krusty’s Fun House (1992 – Amiga, NES, DOS, Sega Master System, Game Gear, Game Boy, SNES, Genesis)
Man this was a fun game! You played as Krusty who has to get rid of the mice that have invaded his fun house. It’s a puzzle type game, in every level you have to use the different items to move the mice from the fun house to the mouse hole. If you beat the level you got to see Krusty dance and give his patenting giggle. They totally have to remake this.
1. Simpsons arcade game (Arcade, Commodore 64 and DOS 1991)
This was always my favorite arcade game when it was out. You played as the four family members who had to save Maggie from Mr. burns who kidnapped her after she swallows a stolen diamond. Each character had a weapon specific to them, Bart skateboard, Lisa jump rope, Marge vacuum cleaner, and homer used his feet and hands (he should have had a titanium rod). Homer and the kids could team up to multi attack too. It was a typical arcade style game where the purpose is to beat each level and the boss at the end.. With four friends and a handful of quarters, you could have yourself a fun night!
Worst 5 Simpsons Games
5. The Simpsons Game (2007 – Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Nintendo DS, PSP, PS2)
This title was fun at first, you played as different characters to accomplish different things and each character was unique in what he was able to do. It was only fun if you played multiplayer because expecting the computer to help you out when you need Bart to jump to a platform Homer can’t reach is not worth it. Basically the game got frustrating at times, plus it wasn’t always clear what you were suppose to do at other times. Only pick this up if you are a huge fan of the series and like platformers.
4. Bart Simpson’s Cupcake Crisis (1991 – handheld)
It’s one of those handheld deals where the whole screen is little black characters and only one thing moves on the screen. The object of the game is catch the falling cupcakes and give them to Marge who is waiting to the side. It is a cute little game, but redundant and annoying since it’s hard to see the little guy on the screen.
3. Bart’s Nightmare (1992 – Genesis, SNES 1992)
This game had a good idea; play as Bart and go through into different doors to do different adventures like Bartman, Bart as Godzilla and so on. I wouldn’t exactly call any of these nightmares. The mini games were hard at times frustrating. Plus you only had a few “Zs” to lose before you woke up and to start all over. Throw us a bone here, guys.
2. The Simpsons Wrestling (2001 – PS1)
What is there to say? You wrestle as Simpsons characters. Each character has it’s own specific moves and it is voiced by the original cast members, but those are the only pluses. Basically the graphics were choppy and just terrible. It was mainly a button mashing slap fest rather than a wrestling game.
1. Bart Simpson’s Escape from Camp Deadly (1991 – Gameboy)
This game was impossible. You play as Bart who gets sent to day camp only to find out it is run by a mean guy who wants kids to have no fun (Similar to the “Kamp Krusty” episode.) You only get like three hits before you die, causing you to start at the begging of the level (or at a checkpoint) and you had a crummy weapon, either a rock or a boomerang, that ran out of ammo. The enemies seemed invincible and don’t even ask about the bosses. It was just a very, very hard game. I remember yelling out loud while playing this and wanting to throw the GameBoy across the room. Thank goodness for Game Genie!!
Read [Games First] Also Read [Epinions]
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Come on… I’ve played through Escape from Camp Deadly at least a dozen of times when I was around 11. You could beat it in less than 1 hour. Only hard thing that i remember was jumping and to find out to kill the lights with the boomerang.
on March 19, 2009 at 10:33 AM – LINKI loved Bart vs. the Space Mutants! And I remember playing the Simpsons arcade game back at Chuck E Cheese when I was little.
I also LOVED Escape from Camp Deadly. I adored it and would play over and over.
Bart’s Nightmare was pretty good. Challenging, but good. 😀
on March 19, 2009 at 03:47 PM – LINKcamp deadly pissed me off I don’t care what either of you say lol. I was little when it came out, maybe i should try playing it again. Did you ever get that glitch where you got caught throwing food in the cafeteria and they made you eat all the food you had but you would end up eating forever? That might have been a game genie glitch
on March 19, 2009 at 08:27 PM – LINKThat was a Game Genie glitch. XD I know because I had it happen once or twice when I used the game genie on the game.
on March 20, 2009 at 12:50 PM – LINK