Virtual Bart

Bart's reality goes virtual when he is strapped into Martin Prince's Virtual Reality experiment at the elementary school science fair. Each virtual reality program represents a stage in the game that Bart must play through in order to escape the machine before the programs crash.

Released: 1 September 1994
Platforms: SNES Sega Genesis
Genres: Action Platformer Puzzle
Developers: Sculptured Software
Publishers: —
Series: The Simpsons
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Third person
Themes: Action Science fiction Comedy
Country: United States
Age ratings: ESRB E

About

Virtual Bart is a 1994 action video game developed by Sculptured Software and published by Acclaim Entertainment. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Sega Genesis in September 1994. It is based on the American animated television series The Simpsons, and has players control Bart Simpson through a selection of six minigames based around various themes. It is the final Simpsons game to star Bart Simpson, as well as the final Simpsons game released for the Genesis.

Virtual Bart was conceived as a follow-up to The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare (1992), with Mark Flitman as producer. The game received generally mixed reviews from critics upon release. Reviewers criticized the game for its high difficulty, controls, and lack of polish, though praised the gameplay variety, graphics, and overall presentation. Retrospective reviews have been more critical, with it often being ranked as among the worst Simpsons games.

Keywords

post-apocalyptic
dinosaurs
minigames
shark
caveman
management
based on - tv show
bird
time limit
pixel art
dog
level selection

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

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, though it also features a Practice Mode that allows the player to pick one of the levels. Gameplay for Jurassic 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.

Story

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 and Homer then enters the machine. If the player gets a Game Over, Bart is released from the machine, looking ill.

Development

Virtual Bart was developed by Sculptured Software, with Mark Flitman as producer. Flitman had previously served as an associate producer on The Simpsons: Bart's House of Weirdness, released by Konami in 1992 for DOS computers. Virtual Bart was conceived as a follow up to Bart's Nightmare, and at one point had the working title of Bart's Worst Nightmare. Virtual Bart features various digitised audio clips of Dan Castellaneta (as Homer) and Nancy Cartwright (as Bart); additional voice clips of Dan Castellaneta as Groundskeeper Willie were recorded, but went unused.

Originally, Virtual Bart was going to be developed in stereoscopy using technology similar to Valiant Comics (which Acclaim had purchased in 1994), but financial and eye strain concerns led to the idea being scrapped midway through production.

Reception

Electronic Gaming Monthly said the whole game felt rushed during development and that the control was awful, describing the dinosaur-themed stage as being particularly poor.

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."