The Simpsons: Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness

Last updated
Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness
Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness Coverart.png
North American cover art
Developer(s) Beam Software [1]
Publisher(s) Acclaim Entertainment
Designer(s) James Halprin [1]
SeriesItchy & Scratchy
Platform(s) Game Boy
Release
Genre(s) Traditional sports [1] platform
Mode(s) Single-player

Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness is a side-scrolling [2] action platform game and [3] miniature golf game released on the Game Boy in 1994, featuring the cat and mouse pair Itchy & Scratchy from the American animated television series The Simpsons . Developed by Beam Software, it was the first game to feature these characters. In the game, the player controls Scratchy as he plays through a miniature golf course of nine holes while at the same time avoiding Itchy's attacks. It received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics.

Contents

Gameplay

The player takes control of Scratchy as he plays through various mini golf courses, trying to achieve a good score, [4] while at the same time avoiding Itchy's attacks. [2] Itchy uses weapons such as grenades, bazookas, chainsaws, [3] meat cleavers, and dynamite. [5] Scratchy can acquire items, such as a baseball bat or throwing knives, [4] and power-ups to defend himself against Itchy. He can also use his putter as a weapon. [5] There are a total of nine levels, or holes, in the game. [3]

Development and release

Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness was developed by Beam Software and published by Acclaim. [2] [6] The game was released exclusively for the hand-held Game Boy console in November 1994. [1] Despite the violence, it was rated E (Everyone) by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. [3]

Reception

Critics gave Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness generally mixed to positive reviews. Nintendo Power gave it a 2.825/5 rating in their August 1994 issue. [7] In February 1995, VideoGames & Computer Entertainment wrote that "You'll never know just how fun miniature golf can be until you play this Itchy and Scratchy game. The unique gameplay sets it apart from other platform games, You play as Scratchy, who's trapped in a miniature golf park, Itchy's after Scratchy, equipped with chainsaws, electric cattle prods and flame throwers. You've got to maneuver your golf ball through each level. And watch out for all those little golf ball traps. You'll see plenty of innovative miniature golf contraptions. You get a golf game and an action game all in one." The magazine gave Miniature Golf Madness a 9 out of 10 rating. [8] GamePro rated the game 11.5/20, commenting that the controls are accurate but the graphics are boring and the music is repetitive, making an overall mediocre game. [9]

On The Simpsons, Itchy and Scratchy are featured in over-the-top violent cartoons in which Itchy repeatedly kills Scratchy. UGO Networks said they "assume that whoever thought of this [game] never actually saw the show. That's really the only excuse. Instead of maiming each other, Itchy and Scratchy decide to settle their beef on the miniature golf course." [2] They added, however, that "Despite the fact that it didn't make sense, the game's not too bad. You play as Scratchy and you have to drive your golf ball across a sidescrolling level and avoid being beat on by Itchy. It's certainly better than Bart and the Beanstalk , but that's not saying much." [2]

In a 1995 review of Miniature Golf Madness and The Itchy & Scratchy Game (1994, Game Gear, SNES), and SNES Classic Edition Jeff Kapalka of the Syracuse Herald-American wrote that Miniature Golf Madness has "all the pointless violence and mayhem that's in [The Itchy & Scratchy Game], but there's also the actual golf game that you have to survive. (The golf game is pretty neat, in and of itself. Throw in the aspect of sudden death - literally - and you've got an exciting, funny cart.)" [5] He also commented on the look of the game: "Playing on a regular Game Boy, the graphics are, of course, not as spiffy as on the Game Gear. But then again, there's nowhere near the amount of flicker, either. Scratchy's 'deaths' are pretty spectacular, nonetheless. I was able to get through a few rounds on the Super Game Boy, and the default colors were quite nice. (No custom border on the screen, though. Sigh.) Still, I'm hoping that Acclaim eventually manages to port this game over to the Game Gear." Kapalka gave the game 2.5/4 stars. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Marble Madness</i> 1984 video game

Marble Madness is an arcade video game designed by Mark Cerny and published by Atari Games Inc. in 1984. It is a platform game in which the player must guide a marble through six courses, populated with obstacles and enemies, within a time limit. The player controls the marble by using a trackball. Marble Madness is known for using innovative game technologies: it was Atari's first to use the Atari System 1 hardware, the first to be programmed in the C programming language, and one of the first to use true stereo sound.

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

The Itchy & Scratchy Show is an American fictional animated series featured on the animated sitcom 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">Beam Software</span> Former Australian video game developer

Krome Studios Melbourne, originally Beam Software, was an Australian video game development studio founded in 1980 by Alfred Milgrom and Naomi Besen and based in Melbourne, Australia. Initially formed to produce books and software to be published by Melbourne House, a company they had established in London in 1977, the studio operated independently from 1987 until 1999, when it was acquired by Infogrames, who changed the name to Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd.. In 2006 the studio was sold to Krome Studios.

<i>Kirbys Dream Course</i> 1994 video game

Kirby's Dream Course is a 1994 miniature golf video game developed by HAL Laboratory and Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). A spin-off of the Kirby series and the first released for the SNES, players control the pink spherical character Kirby through a series of courses by launching him towards the goal hole at the end. Kirby can hit enemies to collect power-ups that grant him unique abilities, such as those that allow him to destroy certain obstacles or fly around the level.

<i>The Itchy & Scratchy Game</i> 1995 video game

The Itchy & Scratchy Game is a platform video game that was released for the Super NES, and Game Gear. It stars the cat and mouse pair Itchy & Scratchy from the adult animated sitcom The Simpsons, and features the classic gory violence from the show. The main character is Itchy, who has to fight Scratchy. Reception of the game has been generally negative.

<i>Bart Simpsons Escape from Camp Deadly</i> 1991 video game

Bart Simpson's Escape from Camp Deadly is a 1991 platform video game for the Game Boy. Developed by Imagineering, it was published by Acclaim Entertainment in North America and Europe in 1991. The game was released in Japan in 1993. In Bart Simpson's Escape from Camp Deadly, the player controls Bart from the television series The Simpsons as he escapes from an unpleasant summer camp run by ruthless counselors. The plot is similar to that of The Simpsons episode "Kamp Krusty", although the game was released nearly a year before that episode aired. Critics gave the game mixed to negative reviews.

<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>Krustys Fun House</i> 1992 video game

Krusty's Fun House is a puzzle video game based on the animated sitcom The Simpsons.

<i>The Simpsons: Bart & the Beanstalk</i> 1994 video game

The Simpsons: Bart & the Beanstalk is a platform game released in February 1994 for the hand-held console Game Boy. It was developed by Software Creations and published by Acclaim Entertainment, and is based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The game is a parody of the fairy tale "Jack and the Beanstalk"; a large beanstalk grows far up into the sky outside the home of Bart Simpson, whom the player controls. Bart climbs the beanstalk all the way to the top and adventure ensues. Bart & the Beanstalk has received mixed to negative reviews from critics.

<i>The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man</i> 1992 platform video game

The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man is a 1992 platform game published by Acclaim for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Gear. Developed by Imagineering, the side-scrolling game features Bart Simpson on a comic book quest to rescue his kidnapped idol, superhero Radioactive Man. Bartman Meets Radioactive Man received generally negative reviews from critics, with criticism being directed at the gameplay control.

<i>PGA Tour Golf</i> 1990 video game

PGA Tour Golf is a golf video game and the first in the PGA Tour game series. It was developed by Sterling Silver Software and released in 1990, for MS-DOS. It was initially published by Electronic Arts, which subsequently released versions of the game for Sega Genesis and Amiga in 1991, followed by a version for the SNES in 1992. By 1994, Tengen had published versions for Sega's Master System and Game Gear consoles. PGA Tour Golf received generally positive reviews for its realism, sound, and camera. Several critics considered the computer versions to be the best golf game available at the time of its release. It was followed by PGA Tour Golf II.

<i>Side Pocket</i> 1986 video game

Side Pocket is a pocket billiards simulation released as an arcade video game by Data East in 1986. It was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy, while an enhanced remake was later released on the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Game Gear. The game spawned two sequels, as well as arcade spin-off series titled Pocket Gal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Day the Violence Died</span> 18th episode of the 7th season of The Simpsons

"The Day the Violence Died" is the eighteenth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 17, 1996. It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Wes Archer. Kirk Douglas guest stars as Chester J. Lampwick, Alex Rocco as Roger Meyers Jr., Jack Sheldon as an anthropomorphic constitutional amendment, Suzanne Somers as herself, and Phil Hartman as Lionel Hutz. The end of the episode features Lester and Eliza, who resemble Bart and Lisa Simpson as they appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show in the 1980s.

<i>George Foremans KO Boxing</i> 1992 video game

George Foreman's KO Boxing is a sports video game produced by Acclaim, featuring boxer George Foreman, released in 1992. Three years later, Acclaim released another game with Foreman: Foreman For Real.

<i>Riddick Bowe Boxing</i> 1993 boxing video game

Riddick Bowe Boxing is a multiplatform boxing video game released in 1993. It was also released for the Game Boy and Game Gear consoles.

<i>PGA Tour 96</i> 1995 video game

PGA Tour 96 is a sports video game developed by Hitmen Productions for the PlayStation, MS-DOS, and Windows versions, Unexpected Development for the Game Boy version, NuFX for the Sega Genesis and 3DO versions, Ceris Software for the Game Gear version, and Polygames for the SNES version and published by EA Sports for PlayStation, MS-DOS, Windows, Game Boy, Sega Genesis, 3DO, Game Gear and SNES.

<i>NFL Quarterback Club</i> (video game) 1993 video game

NFL Quarterback Club is an American football video game for multiple platforms that features quarterbacks from the NFL. It is the first game in Acclaim Entertainment's NFL Quarterback Club series.

<i>Putt & Putter</i> 1992 video game

Putt & Putter is a miniature golf video game released for the Master System in April 1992 and Game Gear in December 1991. It was developed by SIMS Co, and published by Sega. In Brazil the game was called Mini-Golf. The back of the box describes it as a cross between mini-golf and pinball.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness". GameFAQs . Retrieved 2011-03-06.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Itchy and Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness". UGO Networks. Archived from the original on 2013-01-05. Retrieved 2010-07-31.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness". IGN . Retrieved 2010-07-31.
  4. 1 2 "Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness". MobyGames . Retrieved 2010-07-31.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Kapalka, Jeff (1995-04-30). "Cat And Mouse Game, With A Twist". Syracuse Herald-American. p. 14.
  6. ↑ "Itchy & Scratchy Golf Tech Info". GameSpot . Retrieved 2010-07-31.
  7. ↑ "Itchy & Scratchy Golf Reviews". GameSpot . Retrieved 2010-07-31.
  8. ↑ "Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness". MobyGames . Retrieved 2010-07-31.
  9. ↑ "Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness". GamePro . No. 68. IDG. March 1995. p. 122.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.