List of The Simpsons video games

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Arcade cabinet for The Simpsons, the first video game released featuring the Simpson family. The Simpsons Arcade Game.jpg
Arcade cabinet for The Simpsons , the first video game released featuring the Simpson family.

The Simpsons is an American animated television sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody 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]

Contents

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 many genres, such as the puzzle game Krusty's Fun House (1992), the sports game Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness (1994) and racing game Road Rage (2001). The Simpsons is also one of the franchises spotlighted in the toys-to-life video game Lego Dimensions (2015).

Video games

As of October 2020, 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.

Key
Blank cell indicates title was not released on any platform(s) by the specified manufacturers
Cell with games console(s) indicates title was released on platform(s) by the specified manufacturers
List of The Simpsons video games
TitleRelease detailsPlatform(s)
Microsoft Nintendo Sega Sony Other
The Simpsons [7]
  • Released: March, 1991 (Arcade)
  • Publisher: Konami
  • Developer: Konami
XBLM PSN Arcade
IBM PC
Commodore 64
Bart vs. the Space Mutants [8] NES Game Gear
Genesis
SMS
Amiga
Atari ST
Amstrad CPC
Commodore 64
IBM PC
ZX Spectrum
Bart Simpson's Escape from Camp Deadly [9] Game Boy
Bart vs. the World [10] NES Game Gear
SMS
Amiga
Atari ST
Bart's House of Weirdness [11] IBM PC
Krusty's Fun House [12] [lower-alpha 1] Game Boy
NES
Super NES
Game Gear
Genesis
SMS
Amiga
IBM PC
Bart vs. the Juggernauts [13] Game Boy
Bart's Nightmare [14] Super NES Genesis
Bartman Meets Radioactive Man [15] NES Game Gear
Bart & the Beanstalk [16] Game Boy
Virtual Bart [17] Super NES Genesis
Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness [18] Game Boy
The Itchy & Scratchy Game [19] Super NES Game Gear
Genesis [lower-alpha 2]
The Simpsons: Cartoon Studio [20] Windows Macintosh
Virtual Springfield [21] Windows Macintosh
The Simpsons Bowling [22] [lower-alpha 3] Arcade
Night of the Living Treehouse of Horror [23] GB Color
The Simpsons Wrestling [24] PlayStation
Road Rage [25] Xbox GameCube PS2
The Simpsons Skateboarding [26] PS2
Road Rage [27]
  • Released: June 30, 2003
  • Publisher: THQ
  • Developer: Altron Corporation
GBA
Hit & Run [28] Windows
Xbox
GameCube PS2
The Simpsons Game [29] Xbox 360 Nintendo DS
Wii
PS2
PS3
PSP
Minutes to Meltdown [30] [31] [lower-alpha 4]
  • Released: 2007
  • Publisher: EA Mobile
  • Developer: G5 Entertainment
Mobile
Itchy and Scratchy Land [32] [lower-alpha 5] Mobile
The Simpsons Arcade [33] [lower-alpha 6]
  • Released: December 9, 2009 (J2ME)
  • Publisher: EA Mobile
  • Developer: IronMonkey
iOS
J2ME
Tapped Out [34] [35]
  • Released: February 27, 2012 (iOS), February 6, 2013 (Android), June 24, 2013 (Kindle)
  • Publisher: EA Mobile
  • Developer: EA Mobile
iOS
Android
Kindle [36] '
The Simpsons Arcade [37] [lower-alpha 7]
  • Released: August 16, 2021 (Arcade1Up Stand-Up)
  • Publisher: Arcade1Up
  • Developer: Arcade1Up
Arcade1Up Stand-Up

See also

Notes

  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).
  7. The Simpsons Arcade The Simpsons™ Arcade Machine Bundle available directly from Arcade1Up includes a riser, light-up marquee, stool, and tin wall sign. Live WiFi enabled with no monthly subscription required.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krusty the Clown</span> Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise

Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky, better known by his stage name Krusty the Clown, is a recurring character on the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta. He is the long-time clown host of Bart and Lisa's favorite TV show, a combination of kiddie variety television hijinks and cartoons including The Itchy & Scratchy Show. Krusty is often portrayed as a cynical, burnt-out, addiction-riddled smoker who is made miserable by show business but continues on anyway. He has become one of the most frequently occurring characters outside the main Simpson family and has been the focus of many episodes, some of which also feature Sideshow Bob.

<i>The Simpsons: Hit & Run</i> 2003 action-adventure game

The Simpsons: Hit & Run is a 2003 action-adventure game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Vivendi Universal Games. It is based on the American animated sitcom The Simpsons, and is the twenty-second installment in the Simpsons series of video games.

<i>The Itchy & Scratchy Show</i> Fictional animated cartoon on The Simpsons

The Itchy & Scratchy Show is a fictional animated series featured on The Simpsons. The cartoon depicts a blue mouse named Itchy, who repeatedly maims or kills a black cat named Scratchy, and is typically presented as 15- to 60-second shorts that are a part of The Krusty the Clown Show. Itchy & Scratchy is filled with graphic violence that almost invariably prompts laughter from The Simpsons characters, especially Bart and Lisa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bongo Comics</span> Defunct American comic book publisher

Bongo Comics Group was a comic book publishing company founded in 1993 by Matt Groening along with Steve & Cindy Vance and Bill Morrison. It published comics related to the animated television series The Simpsons and Futurama, as well as the SpongeBob SquarePants comics, along with original material. The company was named after Bongo, a rabbit character in Groening's comic strip Life in Hell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa's First Word</span> 10th episode of the 4th season of The Simpsons

"Lisa's First Word" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on December 3, 1992. In the episode, as the Simpson family gathers around Maggie and tries to encourage her to say her first word, Marge reminisces and tells the story of Lisa's first word. Elizabeth Taylor appeared for the voicing of Maggie's first word.

"Krusty Gets Busted" is the twelfth and penultimate episode of the first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox Network in the United States on April 29, 1990. The episode was written by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky, and directed by Brad Bird. In the episode, Krusty the Clown is convicted of armed robbery of the Kwik-E-Mart and imprisoned. Convinced that Krusty has been framed, Bart and Lisa investigate the crime and learn that Krusty's sidekick, Sideshow Bob, is the culprit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror IX</span> 4th episode of the 10th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror IX" is the fourth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 25, 1998. This is the ninth Treehouse of Horror episode, and, like the other "Treehouse of Horror" episodes, contains three self-contained segments: In "Hell Toupée", Homer gets a hair transplant and is possessed by the spirit of an executed criminal; in "Terror of Tiny Toon", Bart and Lisa are trapped in a special, extremely violent episode of The Itchy & Scratchy Show; and in "Starship Poopers", Marge reveals that Maggie is the product of a one-night stand with the alien Kang.

"Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 3, 1992. The plot follows Bart continually getting in trouble, and how Homer is unable to give him any suitable punishment. Marge gets Homer to agree to make a punishment stick, and he forbids Bart to see the new Itchy & Scratchy movie for not watching Maggie, a punishment that Homer takes very seriously.

"Boy-Scoutz 'n the Hood" is the eighth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 18, 1993. In the episode, Bart, intoxicated from an all-syrup Squishee, mistakenly joins the Junior Campers, a Boy Scout-style organization. Homer and Bart join a father-son rafting trip which goes awry when they are stranded at sea.

<i>The Simpsons: Barts House of Weirdness</i> 1992 video game

The Simpsons: Bart's House of Weirdness is a platform video game published by Konami on January 1, 1992 for MS-DOS. Developed by Distinctive Software, it is based on the Simpsons franchise and features many aspects from the series. In the game, the player controls Bart as he escapes from the Simpsons' house after being grounded by his parents. On his adventures throughout town, Bart is equipped with various weapons that are used to fend off enemies and animals. Bart's House of Weirdness does not have a wide fan base because it was only released for DOS, but the early reviews of the game were positive, at least in terms of graphics and sound.

<i>The Simpsons: Barts Nightmare</i> 1992 video game

The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare is a 1992 video game developed by American company Sculptured Software based on the television show The Simpsons. The game, split into two parts, follows Bart on the street, trying to find his homework pages. The second part of the game consists of minigames. It was released on the SNES and the Sega Genesis. A sequel, Virtual Bart, was released in 1994. Production conflicts resulted in American game designer Bill Williams to leave the video game industry. The game received reviews from critics such as Entertainment Fun comedy and more!

"The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" is the fourteenth episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 9, 1997. In the episode, The Itchy & Scratchy Show attempts to regain lost viewers by introducing a new character named Poochie, voiced by Homer. The episode is largely self-referential and satirizes the world of television production, fans of The Simpsons, and the series itself. It was written by David X. Cohen and directed by Steven Dean Moore. Alex Rocco is a credited guest voice as Roger Meyers, Jr. for the third and final time ; Phil Hartman also guest stars as Troy McClure. Poochie would become a minor recurring character and Comic Book Guy's catchphrase, "Worst episode ever", is introduced in this episode.

"The Front" is the nineteenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired in the United States on the Fox network on April 15, 1993. In the episode, Bart and Lisa decide to write an episode of The Itchy & Scratchy Show; after their script is rejected, they resubmit it under the name of their grandfather Abraham Simpson, resulting in Grampa being hired as a staff writer. Meanwhile, Homer returns to high school to retake a failed science course.

Media is a recurring theme of satire on The Simpsons. The show is known for its satire of American popular culture and especially television culture, but has since its inception covered all types of media such as animation, journalism, commercials, comic books, movies, internet, and music. The series centers on a family and their life in a typical American town but the town of Springfield acts as a complete universe. The town features a vast array of media channels—from kids' television programming to local news, which enables the producers to make jokes about themselves and the entertainment industry.

<i>The Simpsons</i> discography

The Simpsons is an American animated television sitcom created by Matt Groening that has aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company since December 1989. It is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its eponymous family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. The show is set in the fictional town of Springfield, and lampoons American culture, society, and many aspects of the human condition. The popularity of The Simpsons led to the release of the 1990 double platinum album The Simpsons Sing the Blues, which contains original songs performed by the cast members of the show as their characters. The album spawned two hit singles—"Do the Bartman" and "Deep, Deep Trouble". A less successful sequel, The Yellow Album, was released in 1998.

<i>The Simpsons</i> Ride Attraction at Universal theme parks

The Simpsons Ride is a motion simulator ride located in the Springfield areas of both Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood. Based on the animated television series The Simpsons, the ride was announced in 2007 as a replacement for Back to the Future: The Ride at both parks. It first opened at Universal Studios Florida on May 15, 2008, and then a few days later at Universal Studios Hollywood on May 19, 2008. The producers of The Simpsons contributed to the design of the ride, which uses CGI animation, also worked on the ride's 2D animation. At the time of its opening, the ride featured state-of-the-art projection and hydraulic technology.

<i>The Simpsons Game</i> 2007 video game

The Simpsons Game is a 2007 platform game based on the animated television series The Simpsons made for the Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. The game was published, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It was released in North America in October 2007 and worldwide in November 2007. It features an original storyline written by Simpsons writers Tim Long and Matt Warburton. In the self-referential plot, the family discovers that they are forced to participate in another The Simpsons video game. Similar to the show, the game pokes fun at popular culture, many other video games, and Electronic Arts, its publisher.

<i>The Simpsons</i> (franchise) American animated comedy franchise

The Simpsons is an American animated comedy franchise whose eponymous family consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The Simpsons were created by cartoonist Matt Groening for a series of animated shorts that debuted on The Tracey Ullman Show on Fox on April 19, 1987. After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into The Simpsons, a half-hour prime time show that was an early hit for Fox, becoming the first Fox series to land in the Top 30 ratings in a season (1989–1990). The popularity of The Simpsons has made it a billion-dollar merchandising and media franchise. Alongside the television series, the characters of the show have been featured in a variety of media, including books, comic books, a magazine, musical releases, and video games.

"Bart vs. Itchy & Scratchy" is the eighteenth episode of the thirtieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 657th episode overall. The episode was directed by Chris Clements and written by Megan Amram. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 24, 2019.

References

  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. ISBN   978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN   98141857. OCLC   37796735. OL   433519M..
  3. Gerard, Jeremy (February 21, 1990). "Bad Language, Hurt Feelings and Success". The New York Times . Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  4. "Stern Pinball, Inc. Announces A Wild 'Simpsons Pinball Party'". Stern Pinball. Archived from the original on June 26, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  5. "Bartman: Avenger of Evil". IGN . News Corporation. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  6. "Bart Simpson's Cupcake Crisis". IGN. News Corporation. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
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  12. Krusty's Fun House:
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  14. Weiss, Brett Alan. "The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
  15. Marriott, Scott Alan. "The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
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  17. Virtual Bart:
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  26. Weiss, Brett Alan. "The Simpsons Skateboarding – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
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