Software:The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Juggernauts

From HandWiki
Short description: 1992 video game
The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Juggernauts
European cover art
Developer(s)Imagineering[1]
Publisher(s)Acclaim Entertainment
Designer(s)Dan Kitchen[2]
Barry Marx[2]
Programmer(s)Bill Jannott
Tom Heidt (additional programming)
Artist(s)Bill Jannott[2]
Composer(s)Mark Van Hecke[2]
SeriesThe Simpsons
Platform(s)Game Boy
Release
Genre(s)Action, platform
Mode(s)Single-player

The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Juggernauts is a 1992 action-platform game developed by Imagineering and published by Acclaim Entertainment for the Game Boy. It stars Bart from The Simpsons in a game show based on American Gladiators, in which he has to compete in challenges to earn money. Critics gave The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Juggernauts average reviews.

Plot and gameplay

In The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Juggernauts, the player controls Bart Simpson from the animated television series The Simpsons. He is participating in a weekly game show called Juggernauts USA, based on the television program American Gladiators,[3][4] in which he has to run through obstacle courses, battle huge muscle-bound "juggernauts", and do various other challenges.[5] There are a total of seven challenges[4] that change from week to week. To make it onto the next week's episode of Juggernauts USA and avoid being eliminated, Bart must collect a certain amount of money from the challenges.[5]

Each of the four levels of The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Juggernauts are made up of an episode of the game show Juggernauts USA. Every challenge is based on a character from The Simpsons. For example, there is one challenge in which Bart has to run an obstacle course in Apu's Kwik-E-Mart store.[5] Another one is Dr. Marvin Monroe's "Hop, Skip and Fry", in which Bart jumps on a floor of tiles that randomly shifts from being safe to electrifying.[4] The others include basketball, skateboarding, a juggernaut fighting match, and a match of shoving at Moe's Tavern.[6] The characters Kent Brockman and Marvin Monroe are the game show's commentators; after the completion of a challenge they comment on Bart's performance.[4]

Development and release

The game was developed by Imagineering and published by Acclaim.[5] It was released in 1992 for the handheld console Game Boy.[5]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CVG74/100[7]
GameZone70/100[8]
Nintendo Power13.4/20[11]
Total!45%[12]
N-Force74%[13]
Rocky Mountain NewsB-[14]

The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Juggernauts received average reviews from critics.[6] UGO Networks commented that the game is "actually a pretty original idea with some decent gameplay and mix of genres — easily one of the better Simpsons Game Boy adventures," concluding that "it was all right; nothing stellar, but good enough."[6] Matt Williamson of Rocky Mountain News gave it a B− grade, commenting: "a hysterical sendup of the American Gladiators. Nice action sequences."[14]

In 2009, 1UP.com editor Bob Mackey reviewed the game in 1UP's official Retro Gaming Blog. He wrote that "Some of the events—out of seven total—are actually pretty entertaining; Dr. Marvin Monroe's Hop, Skip and Fry [...] could actually be updated for a more fleshed-out Xbox Live Arcade game. But the fighting-based mini-games throw a wrench in the works by leaving too much entirely up to chance and the limited controls of the Game Boy [...]. In what may be one of its few saving graces, Juggernauts unexpectedly captures a little of the Simpsons' written humor with its post-game commentary by Kent Brockman and Dr. Marvin Monroe. I wasn't exactly crying with laughter, but I actually got a few chuckles out of Monroe's psychobabble overanalysis of Bart's performance."[4]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Bart vs. The Juggernauts". http://www.gamefaqs.com/gameboy/585895-the-simpsons-bart-vs-the-juggernauts/data. Retrieved 2012-04-01. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Staff credits for Bart vs. The Juggernauts". http://www.gamefaqs.com/gameboy/585895-the-simpsons-bart-vs-the-juggernauts/credit. Retrieved 2012-04-01. 
  3. ↑ "Power Up! A Video Gamer's Guide to New Hits". Boys' Life (Boy Scouts of America, Inc) 84: 33. December 1992. ISSN 0006-8608. https://books.google.com/books?id=j_gDAAAAMBAJ&dq=Bart+vs.+The+Juggernauts&pg=PA33. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Mackey, Bob (2009-05-06). "Retro Revival Retrospective: The Simpsons Part 3". Retro Gaming Blog. 1UP.com. http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?publicUserId=5631527&bId=8987784. Retrieved 2010-08-03. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "Bart vs. The Juggernauts". http://gameboy.ign.com/objects/009/009724.html. Retrieved 2010-08-05. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Bart Vs. the Juggernauts". UGO Networks. http://simpsons.ugo.com/?cur=bart-vs-the-juggernauts&gallery=true. Retrieved 2010-08-05. 
  7. ↑ Keen, Steve; Rand, Paul. "Bart vs. The Juggernauts". Go! (13): 28–29. https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Go_Magazine_13/page/18/mode/2up?q=%22Bart+vs.+The+Juggernauts%22. Retrieved August 25, 2021. 
  8. ↑ Griffiths, Nick (November 1992). "Bart vs. The Juggernauts". Nintendo Game Zone (1): 42–43. https://archive.org/details/nintendo-game-zone-01/page/42/mode/2up?q=%22bart+vs.+the+juggernauts%22. Retrieved August 25, 2021. 
  9. ↑ Scope, Pepe (November 1992). "Bart Ataca de Nuevo" (in es). HobbyConsolas (14): 66–68. https://archive.org/details/HobbyConsolas014/page/n65/mode/2up?q=%22bart+vs.+the+juggernauts%22. Retrieved August 25, 2021. 
  10. ↑ Olivier (November 1992). "Bart vs The Juggernauts" (in fr). Joystick (32): 156. https://archive.org/details/joystick032/page/n155/mode/2up?q=%22bart+vs.+the+juggernauts%22. Retrieved August 25, 2021. 
  11. ↑ "Now Playing". Nintendo Power 42: 102–107. November 1992. https://archive.org/details/Nintendo_Power_Issue001-Issue127/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20042%20November%201992/page/n111/mode/2up?q=%22Bart+vs.+The+Juggernauts%22. Retrieved August 25, 2021. 
  12. ↑ Andy (December 1992). "The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Juggernauts". Total! (12): 95. https://archive.org/details/total-12/page/n93/mode/2up?q=action+in+new+york. Retrieved August 25, 2021. 
  13. ↑ "The Simpsons". N-Force 2 (1): 22, 24. July 1993. https://archive.org/details/nforce-magazine-V201/page/n21/mode/2up?q=%22Bart+vs.+The+Juggernauts%22. Retrieved August 25, 2021. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Williamson, Matt (1992-11-20). "Portable Game Systems Go A Long Way". Rocky Mountain News: p. 106. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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