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]
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
editAs of October 2020[update], 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.
| 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 |
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Krusty's Fun House was released on the Super NES and Genesis as Krusty's Super Fun House.
- ^ The Sega Genesis version went unreleased.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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).
- ^ 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.
- ^ The Simpsons Arcade (2009) is a re-imagining of the original The Simpsons Arcade Game (1991).
- ^ 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.
References
edit- ^ The Simpsons: America's First Family (television documentary). BBC. 2000.
- ^ 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..
- ^ Gerard, Jeremy (February 21, 1990). "Bad Language, Hurt Feelings and Success". The New York Times. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
- ^ "Stern Pinball, Inc. Announces A Wild 'Simpsons Pinball Party'". Stern Pinball. Archived from the original on June 26, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
- ^ "Bartman: Avenger of Evil". IGN. News Corporation. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ "Bart Simpson's Cupcake Crisis". IGN. News Corporation. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ Weiss, Brett Alan. "The Simpsons – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Bart vs. the Space Mutants:
- Irwin, Jeff. "The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Space Mutants – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- Irwin, Jeff. "The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Space Mutants – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Weiss, Brett Alan (October 3, 2010). "Bart Simpson's Escape From Camp Deadly – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Baker, Christopher Michael (October 3, 2010). "The Simpsons: Bart vs. the World – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ "The Simpsons: Bart's House of Weirdness – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Krusty's Fun House:
- Baker, Christopher Michael. "Krusty's Fun House – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- Game, All. "Krusty's Super Fun House – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- "Krusty's Fun House – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ "The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Juggernauts – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Weiss, Brett Alan. "The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Marriott, Scott Alan. "The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Marriott, Scott Alan. "The Simpsons: Bart & The Beanstalk – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Virtual Bart:
- Wigmore, Glenn. "Virtual Bart – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- Wigmore, Glenn. "Virtual Bart – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ "Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ "The Itchy and Scratchy Game – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Savignano, Lisa Karen. "The Simpsons Cartoon Studio – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Shani, Tamara. "The Simpsons: Virtual Springfield – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ "The Simpsons Bowling – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Deci, T.J. "The Simpsons: Night of the Living Treehouse of Horror – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ House, Matthew. "The Simpsons Wrestling – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Deci, T.J. "The Simpsons Road Rage – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Weiss, Brett Alan. "The Simpsons Skateboarding – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Marriott, Scott Alan. "The Simpsons Road Rage – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Marriott, Scott Alan. "The Simpsons: Hit & Run – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Marriott, Scott Alan. "The Simpsons Game – Overview". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ "The Simpsons: Minutes to Meltdown". EA Mobile. Electronic Arts. Archived from the original on December 29, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
- ^ Buchanan, Levi (July 24, 2007). "The Simpsons: Minutes to Meltdown Review". IGN. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
- ^ "The Simpsons: Itchy & Scratchy Land". EA Mobile. Electronic Arts. Archived from the original on August 7, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
- ^ "The Simpsons Arcade". AllGame. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Davis, Justin (February 27, 2012). "Build Your Own Springfield in The Simpsons: Tapped Out – iPhone Preview at IGN". IGN. News Corporation. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
- ^ "Gamespot Tapped Out Android". CBS Interactive Inc. 20 April 2016.
- ^ "The Simpsons: Tapped Out (Kindle Tablet Edition)". Amazon. June 24, 2013. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
- ^ "The Simpsons Arcade". AllGame. Arcade1Up. Retrieved August 16, 2021.