Savepoint: The Simpsons and their video game legacy
The Simpsons have been on TV for almost 40 years, with their first appearance on the Tracy Ullman Show in April 1987. A few years later they got their very own show and now 36 completed seasons later, they are still telling tales that range from heart warming to chaotic.
While they have only had a single movie - though a second is on the way, a handful of shorts, some comics and even a theme park ride, there gaming legacy is much broader. The Simpsons have had 26 games over the years, 27 if we count Lego Dimensions. And yes, while some of those games focus on other characters, mostly Itchy and Scratchy, the rest feature the title characters. Basically, for almost every 1.5 season of the tv series, there has been a game.
For genre fans, The Simpsons have had arcade releases, where it all began, racing games, platformers, interactive adventures and even a cartoon maker. Given their vast array of adventures, the smaller number of games seems quite tame, but as you go down this list, you will discover they have more going on than you might have expected.
The Simpsons
Released: March 1991 | Developer: Konami | Publisher: Konami
Platforms: Arcade, Commodore 64, PlayStation Network, PC, Xbox Live Arcade
This was the very first game to feature The Simpsons, which at this point were only 4 years old and little more than 2 years since they got their own series. What made this release special, was not that it let you play as the Simpsons, but rather it let you have four players, each taking control of one member of the family, well minus Maggie. It was actually canon at one point, with Smithers being a thief for Mr Burns, and Marge having rabbit ears under her hair. This is shown off if the character is hit by electricity and was a throw back to Matt Groening’s comic series Life in Hell.
The game was actually a side-scrolling beat ‘em up, which you could play solo or with three additional players, so cabinets would allow for players to duplicate characters, but usually it was one character per player. Each of the characters had their own abilities, based on the actions they had shown off in the tv series, but they could also combine their attacks to really lay the smack down. The game was released in arcades first and then was ported to other platforms, but it was in 2012 that the game got an updated release on modern platforms, though a little under 2 years later, that was pulled. Konami were kings of the arcade in the 90s and for many, The Simpsons is one of the reasons why.
Bart vs. the Space Mutants
Released: April 1991 | Developer: Imagineering | Publisher: Acclaim/Ocean Software/Arc Developments
Platforms: Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, NES, Sega Game Gear, Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega Master System, ZX Spectrum
One of the earliest showcases of just put it everywhere, Bart vs. The Space Mutants was the first game made for home consoles, with the game made by Imagineering for the NES, that developer would create 5 games for The Simpson. All the remaining versions were ported by Arc Developments, so they were quite the busy studio. Gameplay was fairly basic and had players take control of Bart, as he attempted to stop aliens from taking over the Earth.
The game was actually set to be the first title to be released for The Simpsons, but production issues saw it slip from its planned 1990 release until April 1991, which meant the game above got first place. Gameplay was fairly standard, at least for the time, as it was a side-scrolling platformer, with Bart even being able to skateboard. There were items that players could use, but like Mario, jumping on heads revealed the aliens hiding as humans. One of the big things players could do was spray paint things red, a colour hated by the aliens The game was a successful seller, but many folks did complain about the controls being quite the challenge.
Bart Simpson's Escape from Camp Deadly
Released: November 1991 | Developer: Imagineering | Publisher: Acclaim
Platforms: Game Boy
The second of three games from developer Imagineering in 1991, Escape from Camp Deadly would see players take control of Bart, as he attempts to escape from the aforementioned camp. For many today, this would be familiar to the tale Kamp Krusty, but the catch is that the episode aired on TV more than a year after this game released. This game would also be the start of a trend of games that were made for Nintendo’s Game Boy that never got released elsewhere.
Gameplay wise, it played like most other side-scrollers of its time, but a big thing for the game was that Bart would be able to change outfits, in order to get bonuses. Should Bart dress up as a beekeeper, then he would be safe from the bees that were all over the first stage. Lisa is in the game, but she plays a supporting role, offering up boomerangs for Bart to use, without them spit balls and barely edible food are all he can use. The big thing for the game was it was the first time we learnt about any family for C. Montgomery Burns, the series expanded that over the years, but at this point in time it was brand new. Ironfist Burns, the nephew of Mr Burns, has only ever appeared in this game, so his place within the great Simpsons cast is suspect at best.
The Simpsons: Bart vs. the World
Released: December 1991 | Developer: Imagineering | Publisher: Acclaim, Virgin Interactive
Platforms: Amiga, Atari ST, NES, Sega Game Gear, Sega Master System
The third game from developer Imagineering to release in 1991, The Simpsons: Bart vs. the World and like the other NES release from the developers, was ported to other platforms a few years later. The gameplay was fairly basic, at least compared to Space Mutants, as Bart simply had to collect items in each stage. The story was set up that Mr Burns rigged a competition hosted by Krusty the Clown, in order to rid himself of The Simpsons. As they would travel the world, they would encounter members of the Burns extended family, usually in the form of boss fights.
What made the game unique is that while Bart was the only playable character, the rest of the family did make appearances, unlike in Space Mutants. The game was also where Bartman made his debut, the superhero alter-ego of Bart, which was hot off the craze of ‘Do the Bartman’. One of the things the game offered players, was a chance to get different endings. If you found all of the Krusty branded items in each stage, not only would you get the best ending, you would also unlock a bonus stage. The response for this one was mixed, some folks loved it and some hated it, one thing many liked was the trivia section. At this point there had only been 2 seasons of the show, plus the original releases, so there were not a lot of things for fans to know.
Bart's House of Weirdness
Released: January 1992 | Developer: Distinctive | Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PC
One of a few games in this list that you might never have heard of before, Bart’s House of Weirdness was the first game to take Bart and throw him into a series of ‘mini-games’. These are not mini-games in the modern sense, but rather they were games that had different objectives, but all tied back into the main narrative. This was the second game from Konami about The Simpsons and was quite a bit different to their first efforts. Bart has been grounded, the opening sequence even reuses a few shots from the Do The Bartman song above, but as we know he never really listens, so he tries to sneak out.
Much of the game takes place around the house, in the attic as an example, but Bart does get out to the movies and the mall eventually. While the goal is getting out of the house, Bart must also help Maggie find her ball, so there are a few things to do. One of the more unique aspects of the game, is that Bart does not take damage as one might do in a traditional sense, but rather with each hit, he loses cool. Finding items that are cool, will restore your cool meter towards full, but the game does not instinctively tell you what is cool and what is not. The final section of the game has Bart travel to Krustyland in order to rescue his idol, Krusty from Sideshow Bob.
Krusty's Fun House
Released: May 1992 | Developer: Audiogenic | Publisher: Acclaim, Virgin Interactive
Platforms: Amiga, Game Boy, NES, Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega Master System, Super Nintendo, PC
While the last game ended with a visit to Krustyland, this game is about getting rats out of Krusty’s factory. The game is part platformer and part Lemmings, with the players taking control of Krusty. Each level has a number of rats that you need to exterminate, but in order to do that you need to guide them to Bart, who is waiting with a special machine. The rats could jump up one block, so anything two blocks or taller, required your help, it also let you pace them.
The game released across multiple platforms, as the publisher Acclaim loved to do, but it took around 18 months for them to roll out to all. It actually was a re-designed version of a game called Rat Trap, which the developers released the year before, but the generic things were replaced by Simpsons themed items and the main character become Kristy. This was actually one of the best reviewed games, at this point in time, which is a bit of a surprise given the main character was not one of the main characters from the show. There are more than 50 stages here and while some are fairly straightforward, other do need you to think a bit.
Bart vs. the Juggernauts
Released: September 1992 | Developer: Imagineering | Publisher: Acclaim
Platforms: Game Boy
This was the fourth Simpsons game from developer Imagineering and for a change of pace, they dropped a big adventure and instead went for a game show, well sort of. The game sees Bart Simpson take on the Juggernauts, characters on Juggernauts USA, a show that spoofs the American Gladiators concept, but instead of randomly created challenges, all of the ones here are themed to characters from the show.
The game featured more well known characters, at least for the time with Moe, Barny and Apu all showing up in games. Kent Brockman and Dr Marvin Munroe were the commentators of the action, well after the action at least. There were 7 challenges that players had to overcome, but it was not about winning a match, players will need to ensure they earnt enough cash to move onto to the next episode. Unlike Bart’s camping adventure above, players really seemed to enjoy this game far more, with it selling and reviewing well, which would give the developers another shot at a Simpsons game, more on that further down.
Bart's Nightmare
Released: October 1992 | Developer: Sculptured Software | Publisher: Acclaim
Platforms: Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Super Nintendo
Part adventure game, part mini-game, Bart’s Nightmare was a unique release, at least for the time. The setup was simple, Bart was doing his homework and fell asleep, but an open window and active fan saw his papers blown outside of it. In order to ensure he did not fail the assignment, Bart heads out after them, and the chaos ensues.
The adventure part comes from tracking down your missing pages, you will need to avoid obstacles like Jimbo and his gang. As you explore the world you would eventually locate some of your missing pages and them jump into them, like Mary Poppins. Only here there is no cartoon derby to undertake, instead you choose one of two doors, which lead to a mini-game. These could be as simple as stomping through Springfield as Bartzilla or flying above it. While praised for its graphics, a lot of complaints came back to it just being hard to play.
Bartman Meets Radioactive Man
Released: December 1992 | Developer: Imagineering | Publisher: Acclaim
Platforms: NES, Sega Game Gear
This was the final game from developer Imaginerring, who had five games to their name, with players becoming Bartman, Bart’s supehero persona, as he embarks on a quest to save Radioactive Man. What is great for this game are the three baddies that have captured Radioactive Man, one of which is called Dr Crab and looks a lot like Dr Zoidberg.
Players were able to punch and kick there way across the various stages, as well as use Bartman’s laser vision in order to defeat those who kidnapped Radioactive Man. There were only 5 stages, so it was not a terribly long game, but those willing to play were rewarded with a good time, just not a long time. The only catch though, was that the game did not have the best controls, which often forced players to beak away from it. What was interesting is that the game was first made for the NES, but then another studio, Teeny Weeny Games created a new version for the Game Gear, making this one to have a home console release for one platform family, ie Nintendo, but then get a handheld release via another, ie Sega.
Bart & the Beanstalk
Released: February 1994 | Developer: Software Creations | Publisher: Acclaim
Platforms: Game Boy
The first Simpson game from developer Software Creations, though not their only licenced effort, it is perhaps the only time the Simpsons have adapted a known fairly tale into a game. As you might have guessed from the title, this is a take on Jack and the Beanstalk, with Bart taking the place of Jack.
The gameplay was similar to others released previously, in that Bart could run, jump and attack, but where this changed was with the requirements. Players did not just need to get to the end of a stage, they had to find enough coins. That connected it back to the fable, though Bart being able to pick up dynamite was new. Sadly, the game did not do well with reviewers or players, as many picked on it for being a copy of the fable and calling out the bland insertion of Simpsons into it. Others had issues with the controls, calling the game out for it being just to frustrating to play, which combined with the less than exciting game world, meant this was one game, that did not sprout massive sales.
Virtual Bart
Released: September 1994 | Developer: Sculptured Software | Publisher: Acclaim
Platforms: Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Super Nintendo
This is perhaps one of my personal favourite games of all time, there is nothing amazingly spectacular about it, but there is fun to be had. Much like Bart’s Nightmare above, this game is about Bart doing mini-games, where things change is that here, there is no adventure to go on in between them. At the school science fair, Bart gets trapped into a virtual reality machine made by Martin Prince and as it spins around, he lands on a new game to experience.
The game split itself up into side-scrolling games and mode 7 games, or sudo-3d. The side-scrollers had you play as a dino-bart as he tried to get back to his cave, a baby Bart as he wanted to get ice cream, or Pig Bart, who longed to escape from Krusty’s Slaughterhouse. The other games used a sudo-3d style had Bart trying to ruin the class picture, escape hordes of bikers in a Mad Max style world and get to the bottom of a waterslide. Now while I personally love the game, a lot of players criticised the controls and for good measure they are not the most flexible. Completing a game saw the wheel spin again and you repeated that until you either failed or completed all the games. Depending on which, you would get a different ending to the game.
Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness
Released: November 1994 | Developer: Beam Software | Publisher: Acclaim
Platforms: Game Boy
This was the debut game for Itchy and Scratchy and was made here in Australia, so yay us. Players would control Scratchy and attempt to complete a round of mini-golf, but as we know that cat is always harassed by thar darn mouse.
There really isn’t much to say about this game, it is mini-golf after all. I suppose though, where things change from a standard mini-golf game is that Itchy is constantly trying to thwart your play by throwing grenades, chainsaws and other dangerous items into your path. Players really liked it and reviewers were on the fence, some loved and some didn’t, but at the end of the day, it was a fun mini-golf game.
The Itchy & Scratchy Game
Released: March 1995 | Developer: Bits | Publisher: Acclaim
Platforms: Sega Game Gear, Super Nintendo
The chance for players to play as Itchy and give grief to Scratchy, should seem like a recipe for success, but that was not the case for this game. Here players were tasked to complete a number of stages, all themed to short cartoon episodes, with a boss being at the end of the stages, but that is where everything fell apart.
The entire point of the game was to hurt Scratchy and the cartoon violence was intact, though slightly censored on the SNES. The games problem was that while it contained a lot of items to pick up, it did not let players actually do so, which left them running around with mallets. The idea was you would do a lot of damage to Scratchy, while avoiding taking damage and if you did enough, that you would get a boss fight. But it was not fun and in the Gear Gear release, there were no boss fights. This is one of the worst games in the list and players showed it by not buying it, which caused the Mega Drive version to be cancelled.
The Simpsons: Cartoon Studio
Released: July 1996 | Developer: Big Top | Publisher: Fox Interactive
Platforms: Mac, PC
If we wanted to be technical, we could have left this one out, as there is no actual game here, but it is a rare release and its fun, so we are counting it. The Simpsons: Cartoon Studio let you create your own shorts featuring a plethora of characters and locations from the show, this was flash animation, before there was flash animation.
The studio let you use 17 different characters from the show, along with 35 backgrounds and more than 250 props. All of that combined to let you create things that were quite interesting, as long as you knew the limitations of the characters. Homer could crawl as an example, where as Bart could run, so you would need to take those into consideration. As this was an official product, you can also insert lines recorded by the stars of the show and then share your creations via email, which was a big deal at the time.
Virtual Springfield
Released: September 1997 | Developer: Digital Evolution | Publisher: Fox Interactive
Platforms: Mac, PC
This is perhaps the game I remember the most from my childhood when it comes to the Simpsons, because it was the first time ever that the entire city was explorable. You could explore the home of the family and then head to the school, or Kwik-E-Mart and more, all while discovering the secrets the game had hidden around.
This was not just about clicking on everything, but instead exploring in order to complete a collection of cards. Some of these will be easily spotted, some are hidden and others are in locations you have to unlock. There is more going on though, because there are mini-games to play and even arcade games, which were seen in the tv show. There was a map, though while not accurate today, was the first time players got to see where everything was located and of course, lots of lines from the various characters to enjoy as you explored.
The Simpsons Bowling
Released: October 2000 | Developer: Konami | Publisher: Konami
Platforms: Arcade
Konami were the powerhouse of arcade games in the late 80s and early 90s and the very first Simpsons game ever goes to them, which is why this one was such a weird release. 8 years after their last game, the company were back and this time took a shot at one of the most repeating sports in the series, bowling.
The game offers you the choice of 9 different bowlers, with Homer and Apu being among them, and also weirdly Kang in disguise and Mr Burns. Each character had their own strengths, so choosing the right bowler could impact how well you did. Homer was a general all-rounded, Willie had the most power and Mr Burns could curve more than the rest. Each of the characters had their own victory sequence if they won the matches, giving players a reason to bowl as the others. This game was released again via Arcade1Up, with the original The Simpsons Arcade game included, but its no longer in production.
Night of the Living Treehouse of Horror
Released: March 2001 | Developer: Software Creations | Publisher: THQ
Platforms: Game Boy Color
The second Simpsons title from Software Creations, this time instead of focusing on adapting a known story, the game was focused on the Treehouse of Horror series of episodes that The Simpsons are known for.
The five members of The Simpsons family all get a chance to shine in the game, well Homer gets three, but they all get at least 1 level each. All of these take a page from either known horror stories or elements from the show, Maggie for example gets turned into a Fly, but in the show it was Bart who had that done. A lot of folks loved the idea of the game, it reviewed well on design, but like countless other games of the time, the controls really let it down and getting to the later stages proved a challenge. This to date, is the only game that is focused on the Simpsons and their Halloween specials.
The Simpsons Wrestling
Released: April 2001 | Developer: Big Ape | Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: PlayStation
For all the games in this list above this title, some might not be your cup of tea, others might be exactly what you were after, but for this one, it is neither. The Simpsons Wrestling sounds good on paper, 20 different characters from the show, all voiced by their respective actors and jump into a ring to fight it out. Sounds good right?
It was not good. In fact it was panned by critics for its visuals, its controls, its gameplay, almost everything except the voice and sound. The game might have taken place within a ring like a WWE match, but that is where things ended. The controls had you playing more like it was Double Dragon than any known wrestling game. There is no saving this game, there are some fun moments had within, but it is without a doubt one of the worst Simpsons games ever made, and might even make a top 10 of worst games period.
The Simpsons Road Rage
Released: November 2001 | Developer: Radical Entertainment | Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
What a difference a few months makes hey, after wrestling with a horrible game in April 2001, Simpsons fans got a decent-ish one in November that same year. No matter which way you slice it, Road Rage is basically Crazy Taxi, but with the Simpsons instead of The Offspring.
What I laugh at with the story, is that Mr Burns buys all public transport, then closes them down. He then rolls out his own line of radioactive busses, and the people of Springfield come together to offer rides to other citizens, basically becoming Uber, more than a decade before Uber. If you have played Crazy Taxi, you have played Road Rage and that is really it, there is more here of course with missions and multiplayer, but the core of the game is the same as the series that inspired it. The game got a GameBoy Advance version in 2003, which kept the story but altered the gameplay to match the power of that system.
The Simpsons Skateboarding
Released: November 2002 | Developer: The Code Monkeys/Altron Corporation | Publisher: Electronic Arts/THQ
Platforms: Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2
A year after raging on the roads of Springfield, The Simpsons and all the other folks calling the town home, had to deal with their town being converted into a skate park. The Simpsons Skateboarding was a game that took more than a fair bit on inspiration from Tony Hawk and other sports games of the day, just without any of the same fun.
Much like the above game, Tony Hawk was clearly an inspiration for this release, but it had nowhere near the nuance or fun that the inspiration series offered. There were 9 characters playable, all of which had their own moves, and were voiced by the actors from the show. There were multiple game modes to go through, including freeskate and the ever popular HORSE. Sadly, none of that appealed to fans, as the game was panned critically and commercially. In fact the game was often reported to be one of the worst PS2 games, which follows on from Wrestling being one of the worst PS1 games. The game had a strong idea, but sadly the developers just could not quite reach the heights they were ollieing for.
The Simpsons: Hit & Run
Released: September 2003 | Developer: Radical Entertainment | Publisher: Vivendi Universal Games
Platforms: Nintendo GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Here we are, the best Simpsons game of all time and one of a handful of licenced videogames that understands its source material. The game was actual created by the same team at Radical who just a few years earlier released Road Rage, but this time instead of Crazy Taxi, it was Grand Theft Auto that was the inspiration.
Perhaps one of the reasons this game did so well was that it knew what it wanted to be and it was created in concert with the creators and actors of the show. That way characters behaved as you expected them to and not just how someone believed they might, based on their own understanding of a character. The gameplay was mostly GTA 3 in flavour, with a lot of driving to missions and undertaking them, plus there were a lot of things to find and collect and characters galore. A YouTube search will give you so many opinions on why this game is so beloved.
The Simpsons: Minutes to Meltdown
Released: July 2007 | Developer: G5 Entertainment | Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: Java for Mobile
One of a trio of mobile games made before the iPhone released, these Java based games offered very limited gameplay, which was the style at the time.
In this game Homer has to make it to the nuclear powerplant in order to stop it from melting down, due to a decision that he might be responsible for via his adoption of Plopper, aka Spider-Pig. The only problem, the angry residents of Springfield in the way. There really isn’t much to say about the game, it’s isometric in its presentation and was limited in what it offered, but it was ok for what it was. It also released the same time as The Simpsons Movie, making it a somewhat tie in.
The Simpsons Game
Released: October 2007 | Developer: EA Redwood Shores/Rebellion Developments | Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360
Before Electronic Arts were all about loot boxes and other online traps, they did invest in original games for a time, the biggest one of that era was The Simpsons Game. In a twist, this game was created with the characters knowing that they are in a game and was done alongside writers of the show.
The goal of the game is to save the 8-bit versions of each character from the creator of The Simpsons, Matt Groening and Will Wright, for some reason. As the characters know they are in a game, they are able to have fun with things, like Bart becoming Bartman and Homer being able to explore the land of chocolate, which is also the tutorial level. There were countless games before this one, but this looked like the show and of course, featured the actors again reprising their roles. In a fun twist, every platform this game released on, got a different cover art.
Itchy and Scratchy Land
Released: December 2008 | Developer: G5 Entertainment | Publisher: EA Mobile
Platforms: Java for Mobile
With all the above games, they are all about creating new stories for players to enjoy with The Simpsons, but for this one, it is about taking part in one, namely the episode where they go to Itchy and Scratchy Land, a place where nothing can possiblie go wrong.
Players have to traverse the various lands of the park, like Explosion Land and Torture Land, in order to save the park from the robots that have gone amuck. Homer is the main playable character, but there are times when you get to play as one of the other characters, well not Maggie. Most of the stages are fairly basic, but there are a host of puzzles to solve as you progress through. If you get stuck Comic Book Guy might be able to give you some tips. Like the previous mobile game, it was a product of its time and as such is quite limited in what can be done.
The SimpSons Arcade
Released: December 2009 | Developer: IronMonkey | Publisher: EA Mobile
Platforms: Java for Mobile
Basically take the idea of the very first game, replace the diamond with a donut and make it for iOS, that is what you get here. Of course, there is more to it than that, but when the game shares the same name with such a beloved title, it had a lot to live up to.
The gameplay is that of a side scrolling beat ‘em up, where as Homer chases down Mr Smithers and the donut he is carrying. You can punch, kick and even butt stomp folks in order to clear the stages. There are a lot more familiar faces as bad guys in the game, such as Chief Wiggum, Krusty the Clown and of course Mr Burns, but beyond that, there is not much more to say. Due to the age of the game, this is one title that is lost to time as it is no longer supported on modern devices.
The Simpsons: Tapped Out
Released: Febraury 2012 | Developer: EA Mobile | Publisher: EA Mobile
Platforms: iOS, Android, Kindle Fire
As of January 2025, this game is no more, which is good as it was a mobile game designed around extracting cash from players, but sad as there are now no Simpsons games out for players to get. Tapped Out at its core was a city building game, with players getting the chance to build their own Springfield.
Once again, Homer was bad at his job and caused the complete destruction of Springfield, which is why it was up to him to build the town up. Across the many years that the game ran, there were countless updates, seasonal events and more, which players were very happy about. The game is honestly more like SimCity, with players getting a chance to just enjoy things, but unlike good SimCity games, this was designed to make you spend cash, if you wanted to make good progress. The game was reported to have earnt some $130m USD in the first 2 years of its life, so it was clearly something people liked, but as I said at the top, the game is now offline.
And that is all she wrote, at least for now. Are there more games in the works for The Simpsons, who knows. Apart from the new seasons on the way, we know that a new animated movie is happening, but for games, there is no power left it seems.
Have you played any of these games over the years? Do any of them trigger that nostalgia hit?
