Software:The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man

From HandWiki
Short description: 1992 video game
The Simpsons:
Bartman Meets Radioactive Man
NES cover art
Developer(s)Imagineering[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)Acclaim Entertainment[lower-alpha 2]
Producer(s)Dan Kitchen
Designer(s)Barry Marx
Dan Kitchen
Roger Booth
W. Marshall Rogers
Programmer(s)Chung S. Lau
Shen Jian Long
Roger Booth
Bill Jannott
Artist(s)Glen A. Schofield
Gregory A. Faccone
Composer(s)Mark Van Hecke
SeriesThe Simpsons
Platform(s)NES, Game Gear
ReleaseNES
Game Gear
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Single-player

The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man is a 1992 platform game based on the Fox animated television series The Simpsons. Released by Acclaim Entertainment for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Gear, it follows Bart Simpson as he embarks on a comic book quest to rescue his kidnapped idol, superhero Radioactive Man.[3] The game received mixed reviews from critics, with criticism being directed at the gameplay control.

Gameplay

Bartman Meets Radioactive Man is a side-scrolling platform game. Throughout the four chapters, Bartman is faced with enemies he has to defeat. He only has five life points, but if he loses one or more of them they can be restored. This is done by collecting radioactive signs. The player is able to collect lightning icons that give Bartman the ability to shoot lightning bolts at enemies from his eyes. His other weapons are kicking and punching. In addition, Bartman must avoid the deadly traps that are scattered at various places in the levels.[4] At the end of each chapter, Bartman must face one of the super villains that stole Radioactive Man's powers.

Plot

Bart Simpson is at home reading a Radioactive Man comic book only to be shocked as Radioactive Man's sidekick, Fallout Boy, jumps out of it. Fallout Boy tells Bart that he must venture into the comic book universe in order to save Radioactive Man, who is being held captive at the black hole-orbiting prison Limbo Zone. Once inside the comic book world, Bart transforms into his superhero alter ego Bartman and has to defeat three super villains that have stolen Radioactive Man's powers: Swamp Hag, Dr. Crab, and Lava Man.[3][5] After collecting these powers, Bartman must find Radioactive Man and team up with him to defeat Brain-O the Magnificent, the mastermind behind the evil plot.

Development

The game was developed by Imagineering and published by Acclaim. It was released in 1992 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and the handheld Game Gear.[3][6] At the time when the game was released, the "Bartman" alter ego was popular in merchandise relating to The Simpsons, although the character rarely appeared in the television series. Radioactive Man had not been featured much either at that point.[7] In regard to this, an 1UP.com editor commented that "when it comes to mining the show for content, Bartman Meets Radioactive Man is really reaching."[7] The Simpsons creator Matt Groening was involved with the development of earlier video games based on the series, having final approval on all storylines and character designs. For Bartman Meets Radioactive Man, Groening changed a character named Queen Ant DeLuvian to Queen Grouchina, though no character with either name exists in the released version of the game.[8]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
NESSGG
GamePro13/20[9]13/20[10]
GameZone71/100[11]N/A
Joypad56%[12]N/A
ONM73/100[13]N/A
Total!67%[14]N/A
Video Games (DE)68%[15]N/A
Electronic GamesN/AB+[18]
N-Force77/100[19]N/A

Bartman Meets Radioactive Man received generally mixed reviews from critics. In February 1994, the GamePro magazine commented, "Though it's not a toxic waste of time, Bartman meets Radioactive Man is an average game with handicaps that affect its playability and your enjoyment. Only you can determine if it's a meltdown or not."[20] Game Players gave the game a 44/100 rating with the rationale that "it's full of frustrating jumps, and there are no passwords [for saving]."[20]

In the fifth issue of Nintendo Magazine System, reviewer Andrew called Bartman Meets Radioactive Man inferior to Krusty's Fun House and gave it a score of 73 out of 100.[13] He wrote that the game starts in a "promising manner," but quickly "degenerates" into a generic platforming game, concluding with "It would be easy to ignore Bart Meets Radioactive Man, and, if you did, you wouldn't miss out on much. But if you can cope with boring graphics and monotone tunes, you have a tough game that should take a while to complete."[13]

In 2009, 1UP.com editor Bob Mackey reviewed the game in 1UP's official Retro Gaming Blog. He wrote that Bart "still has the same awful, inconsistent jumping from his first NES game. [...] Really, this game could have been somewhat interesting if the developers used the Radioactive Man character to parody existing comics and comic eras—as they did in the show and the Radioactive Man comic book—but that's asking way too much of a licensed 8-bit game."[7]

Writing for Tribune Media Services in 1993, columnists Chip and Jonathan Carter gave Bartman Meets Radioactive Man a more positive review. They wrote that "we haven't seen a bad Simpsons game yet, and Bartman's actions and graphics are as good as the others. This one-player cart's not quite as much fun as the first two NES Simpsons games — probably because it's harder — but it still stands mask and cape above most other 8-bit games."[6] The game received a 70/100 rating from the Dutch magazine Power Unlimited in 1994.[20]

Notes

  1. ↑ Game Gear version developed by Teeny Weeny Games.
  2. ↑ Released under the Flying Edge brand name on the Game Gear.

References

  1. ↑ "NES Games". Nintendo of America. https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/nes_games.pdf. 
  2. ↑ LaMancha, Manny (March 1994). "The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man". GamePro (International Data Group) (56): 148. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_056_March_1994/page/n141/mode/2up. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man". http://cheats.ign.com/objects/612/612872.html. 
  4. ↑ "The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man". N-Force 2 (1): 16–18. July 1993. https://archive.org/details/nforce-magazine-V201. 
  5. ↑ Kapalka, Jeff (1994-04-17). "Bart Simpson Becomes Moving Target In New Games For Portable Systems". Syracuse Herald-American: p. 25. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Carter, Chip; Carter, Jonathan (1993-02-11). "Superheros arrive on the tube". The Gadsden Times. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=W74fAAAAIBAJ&pg=4072,1306773&dq=bartman-meets-radioactive-man&hl=en. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Mackey, Bob (2009-05-31). "Retro Revival Retrospective: The Simpsons Part 6". Retro Gaming Blog. 1UP.com. http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8991894. 
  8. ↑ Ascher-Walsh, Rebecca (August 7, 1992). "Matt Groening of 'The Simpsons'". Entertainment Weekly (Dotdash Meredith). https://ew.com/article/1992/08/07/matt-groening-simpsons/. Retrieved May 4, 2024. 
  9. ↑ Larry, Scary (January 1993). "The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man". GamePro (42). https://archive.org/details/game-pro-issue-42-january-1993/page/36/mode/2up. Retrieved August 12, 2025. 
  10. ↑ LaMancha, Manny (March 1994). "The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man". GamePro (56). https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_056_March_1994/page/n141/mode/2up. Retrieved August 12, 2025. 
  11. ↑ Pemberton, Daniel (April 1993). "bartman meets radioactive man". Nintendo Game Zone (5). https://archive.org/details/nintendo-game-zone-06/mode/2up. Retrieved August 13, 2025. 
  12. ↑ T.S.R. (October 1993). "The Simpsons: Bartman Meet Radioactive Man" (in fr). Joypad. https://archive.org/details/joypad-magazine-024/page/n105/mode/2up. Retrieved August 13, 2025. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 "Bartman Meets Radioactive Man with Fallout Boy" (in en). Nintendo Magazine System (5): 22–23. https://archive.org/stream/Nintendo_Magazine_System_05_1993-08_Trielle_AU#page/n21/mode/2up. 
  14. ↑ Steve (June 1993). "Bartman Meets Radioactive Man". Total! (18). https://archive.org/details/total-18-june-1993/mode/2up. Retrieved August 13, 2025. 
  15. ↑ "Bartman meets Radioactive Man" (in de). Video Games. April 1993. https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_1993-04_Markt_Technik_DE/page/n93/mode/2u. Retrieved August 13, 2025. 
  16. ↑ Walnum, Clayton (January 1993). "Bartman Meets Radioactive Man". VideoGames & Computer Entertainment 5 (1). https://archive.org/details/video-games-computer-entertainment-january-1993/page/n61/mode/2up. Retrieved August 12, 2025. 
  17. ↑ "Bartman Meets Radioactive Man". VideoGames & Computer Entertainment 6 (3). March 1994. https://archive.org/details/video-games-march-1994/mode/2up. Retrieved August 12, 2025. 
  18. ↑ Hardin, John Wexley (May 1994). "Bartman Meets Radioactive Man". Electronic Games. https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1994-05/page/n91/mode/2up. Retrieved August 12, 2025. 
  19. ↑ Tim; Nick (July 1993). "The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man". N-Force 2 (1). https://archive.org/details/nforce-magazine-V201/page/n15/mode/2up. Retrieved August 12, 2025. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 "The Press Says". MobyGames. http://www.mobygames.com/game/game-gear/simpsons-bartman-meets-radioactive-man/mobyrank. 
  • 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 lengthy 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]

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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari



Warning: Default sort key "Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man, The" overrides earlier default sort key "Mobygames".



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:The_Simpsons:_Bartman_Meets_Radioactive_Man&oldid=3955009"