Virtual Bart

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Virtual Bart
Virtual Bart.jpg
Developer(s) Sculptured Software
Publisher(s) Acclaim Entertainment
Platform(s) Super NES, Genesis
ReleaseSuper NES
  • NA: September 1994
  • EU: 1994
Genesis
Genre(s) Action
Mode(s) Single-player

Virtual Bart is a video game developed by Sculptured Software and published by Acclaim Entertainment. It was released for the Super NES and Genesis in 1994. It is a game based on the American animated television series The Simpsons and features Bart Simpson and other Simpsons characters.

Contents

The official guide to the game (Virtual Bart Official Game Secrets, Prima Publishing, 1995; re-published by the author, 2019) was written by Steve Schwartz. Although originally slated to be a guide to all Simpsons games, it took over a year to obtain the necessary permissions, limiting its coverage to only Virtual Bart.

Gameplay

Bart motors through the ruins of Springfield in the "Doomsday Bart" level of the Genesis version. Virtual bart apocalypse.png
Bart motors through the ruins of Springfield in the "Doomsday Bart" level of the Genesis version.

Virtual Bart consists of several minigames, similar to Bart's Nightmare . Unlike Bart's Nightmare, the game does not feature a hub world and each stage is selected randomly using a spinning roulette wheel. Gameplay for Dino Bart, Baby Bart, and Pig Bart consists of platforming, while Class Picture, Mount Splashmore, and Doomsday Bart consist of different play styles.

All stages feature a time limit. If the time runs out, the player loses a life. Additionally, all stages except for Class Picture feature a health bar, which decreases every time Bart gets hit. Several stages feature corn dogs that restore Bart's health, as well as extra lives.

Once a stage is completed, it cannot be repeated; if the wheel lands on an already-completed stage, it will continue spinning slowly to the nearest remaining stage panel. If the wheel lands on the skull or corn dog panel (which quickly alternates between showing each item), the player will lose or gain a life, respectively.

If the player fails a stage, they lose one life and are taken back to the roulette wheel. Failure when the player has no extra lives prematurely ends the game. Otherwise, the game ends after all stages are cleared.

The game consists of six different stages:

Plot

At a science fair, Martin Prince presents a virtual reality device that displays six educational exhibitions. However, Bart causes the device to malfunction and gets trapped in it. Bart must complete the six programs to escape the machine.

If Bart successfully completes every stage, he escapes from the device. Homer then enters the malfunctioning device, which explodes shortly thereafter. If the player gets a Game Over, the system "hangs" and the real Bart is trapped inside the device. [2]

Reception

Electronic Gaming Monthly scored the Super NES version a 4.8 out of 10, commenting that "The control is awful (like on the dinosaur stage), the stages unappealing, and the whole thing seems rushed." [8]

Reviewing the Genesis port, GamePro praised it as being "[virtually] identical" to the SNES original. They commented of the game itself that "The humorous variations on Bart, different game play (including behind-the-Bart racing and a shooter level), and cameos of Simpsons nitwits all combine to keep the action intriguing and funny." [9]

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References

  1. ↑ "Virtual Bart" (PDF). Game Players . October 1994. p. 11. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Virtual Bart game manual" (PDF).
  3. ↑ Eliot, Fish (September 1994). "Virtual Bart". Hyper . No. 10. pp. 52–53. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  4. ↑ Unfig, Überdosis (December 1994). "Virtual Bart". MANIAC! (in German). No. 14. p. 90. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  5. ↑ Andy; Josse (November 1994). "Virtual Bart". Total! . No. 35. p. 65. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  6. ↑ Charles, Russ (November 1994). "Virtual Bart". Electronic Games . p. 114. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  7. ↑ Keith; Damian; Ryan (October 1994). "Virtual Bart". Super Gamer . No. 7. pp. 58–59. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Review Crew: Virtual Bart". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 63. Ziff Davis. October 1994. p. 32.
  9. ↑ "ProReview: Virtual Bart". GamePro . No. 65. IDG. December 1994. p. 106.
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