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The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare

1992-10-12

Developer: Sculptured SoftwarePublisher: Flying Edge, Playtronic, Acclaim, Tec Toy

SNES, Genesis/MegaDrive, SFAM

Single playerThird person, Side view

Shooter

Platform

Sport

Action

Bart has to stay up late and write a paper for class tomorrow. For once, he is determined to get a good mark. However, very quickly, he falls asleep. Nightmare after nightmare haunt his subconscious, and it is up to you to get over each one, so that Bart will eventually wake up. From such dreams as being in an episode of Itchy & Scratchy to swimming through his own bloodstream, this platformer offers a nice challenge through its many diverse levels.

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RetroPerspective_Reviewed a game1 month ago

The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare

Soundtrack

Visuals

Gameplay

Story

Regarding the control scheme, it should be noted that I played the Sega Genesis version. I think the worst part of Bart's Nightmare is the lack of a password or save system. If the player was not forced to play the whole game at once to finish it, then I'm sure its reputation would be a lot less negative. Conceptually this game is great, but the presentation reeks of low effort and potentially a rushed development period. The jumping is clumsy mostly due to awkward hitboxes. This is made worse when you're wearing the suit and tie you get from Skinner, because it makes you move slower. I can't imagine why anyone thought an invincibility power up that reduced your movement was a good idea. I eventually avoided getting the suit because it was a bother to use properly. The first part of Bartzilla was partially fun, but one of the more confusing to figure out in terms of controls. I think it would have been better if they didn't force the player to hold left to avoid moving forward. There were too many moments where you failed because you either didn't know an enemy was coming, or your movement gave you a tiny window of time to react, The second part of Bartzilla was bothersome because pushing up on the d-pad does not move the player up a little bit at a time. It locks the player into an animation where Bart made three arm movements pulling himself up. The length of this animation made me climb into many hazards and dragged out the game. The game where you inflate germs was fun, but you're not given an indication that you should grab the nuclear power mascot character when he appears on screen. The Maggie temple seems to be where most people hate this game, but it isn't as dumb you might think. I liked the control scheme here. You hold down a button and can whip in any direction. So, if you see Satan coming after you, stand still and attack where he lands. He is hardly a bother. The portraits of Magge will spit pacifiers at you, but only when the pacifier itself is near the far left of the screen. If you watch carefully, you can gauge the flight path of the pacifier and avoid it easily. There is no excuse for the way the platforms work, and they serve only to waste the player's time. Jumping around while trying to avoid hazards and ensuring the blocks push each other upwards is where this becomes stupid. Bart Man was a mostly capable shmup except for a few cheap tricks, and it was one of the mini games I managed to beat as a kid. While Apu drops plenty of HP items for you, Smithers' missiles can kill you in two hits. It is possible to destroy them with careful timing. Unfortunately, Smithers has no proper movement pattern. After his missiles are gone, he is programmed to move away from you when you move towards him, and move slightly towards you when you move away. This drags out the fight and often guarantees you won't be able to kill him, because he'll leave after a certain amount of time. The boss of this level has a much more distinct pattern the player can easily exploit. The last mini game might be the easiest to exploit, because you can sit at the top of the screen, hold down the hammer button, and kill anything that comes near you. The Simpsons home also has some of the worst instant death moments in the game, which is why I recommend staying at the top of the screen. Itchy can instantly kill you with a large kitchen knife, and the vacuums will incinerate you with fire. This level has a boss, but it isn't difficult. Make sure you grab the fire extinguisher nearby and you'll be fine if you move away to attack the smoke it spits at you. One of the worst aspects of the game is how many random events happen, including finding the pages to play the mini games. You don't need to move very far before something new can appear off screen in the opposite direction you're moving, and moving back will give you new hazards or enemies immediately. Jebediah Springfield heads can spawn in hordes, the bus zooms down the street constantly, and the trees regularly hide enemies. Gaining HP is clumsy because you have to blow bubblegum bubbles, then guide them to the Zs you see floating around. What kind of absurd way of keeping the player alive is this? You get a continue by jumping over three fish, but they rarely appear. Your HP bar can be extended with accompanied healing, pending you're able to ride it long enough get anywhere. Jump over lots of mailboxes and maybe you'll find a page. Enemies reduce your total points when they hurt you, and you're expected to get at least 100,000 to get an A rating. This game is designed to work against the player in every possible way, and ruined a great concept for a Simpsons game. It is hard to tell if the developers didn't care, or didn't have enough time to do a good job.

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AKATheSkayReviewed a game9 months ago

The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare

The Indiana Jones level is bullshit

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YunalescaSWEReviewed a game9 months ago

The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare

Soundtrack

Visuals

Gameplay

Story

Hats? Like why?

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ThisGuyMike_moved a game from Want to play to Playing3 years ago

The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare

I stream Retro games on Tuesdays!

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