Bart's House of Weirdness
Encyclopedia
Bart's House of Weirdness is a platform game
published by Konami
in 1992 for DOS
. Developed by Distinctive Software
, it is based on the Simpsons
franchise and features many aspects from the series. In the game, the player controls Bart
as he escapes from the Simpsons' house
after being grounded
by his parents. On his adventures throughout town, Bart is equipped with various weapons that are used to fend off enemies and animals. Bart's House of Weirdness does not have a wide fan base because it was only released for DOS, but the early reviews of the game were positive, at least in terms of graphics and sound. A 2009 1UP.com
review heavily criticized the gameplay of the game.
/strategy
platform game
that uses single screen movement. The plot sees Bart
grounded to his room by his parents Homer
and Marge
after having pulled one too many pranks. With nothing to do, he quickly gets bored and escapes from the home. He travels around town, and eventually heads to an amusement park where he has to save Krusty the Clown from his archenemy Sideshow Bob
.
The game has six levels and a final battle. The player controls Bart as he helps his sister Maggie
recover her ball, explores the basement and attic of the Simpsons' home, sneaks out to the movie theater and the Springfield Mall, and has a dream in which he is inserted into the Itchy & Scratchy universe. During these levels, Bart fights dust bunnies
, spiders (in the attic), ghosts (in the basement), space mutants (at the movie theater), and Itchy and Scratchy (in the dream world).
Bart is able to utilize a variety of weapons in the game, including a burp gun, a slingshot, spray paint
, and water balloons. The player controls these weapons with either a keyboard
or a joystick
. The joystick control has two modes: one for shooting and one for jumping. Whenever the player misses one of the creatures and they are able to hit Bart, the life bar
, called the "Cool-O-Meter", drops. In order to regain Bart's coolness, they player must find a cool item that he can use. When the player has completed all levels, Bart goes to the Krustyland amusement park to save Krusty from Bob.
and published by Konami
. It was announced by Konami at the June 1991 International Summer Consumer Electronics Show
in Chicago. The game was released in 1992 solely for the DOS
platform, and was available for both Color Graphics Adapter
(CGA) and Enhanced Graphics Adapter
(EGA), but not Video Graphics Array
(VGA). Writers for UGO Networks have commented that the fact that Bart's House of Weirdness was released exclusively for DOS "more than likely tells why its critical acclaim is zilch and fan support non-existent. It's surprising it got such a limited release, seeing it was published by Konami, who usually have no problem distributing games on a variety of platforms." Similarly, a 1UP.com
editor wrote that the game is "mostly-unknown (there's not even a single video of it on YouTube
)" and that it "deserves a little more coverage, if only to acknowledge its existence".
magazine by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in the "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game five out of five stars, and commented that "Without a doubt, Bart's House of Weirdness is one of the best arcade games we’ve played. It also happens to be one of Konami’s best products!" They added that "With superb Roland
sound (the TV show theme and opening animations are quite good) and smooth animation, our only wish is that Konami would consider releasing this fine arcade delight with full VGA support sometime in the future. If you like Bart and really enjoy arcade games, you have to get this one." William Burrill of Toronto Star
commented that "the graphics in House of Weirdness are sharp and colorful, and look much like the television show. Music from the real show is also included, along with digitized samples of Bart's rather whining voice."
In 2009, eighteen years after Bart's House of Weirdness was released, 1UP.com editor Bob Mackey reviewed the game in 1UP's official Retro Gaming Blog. He praised the game for its graphics, but was critical of the gameplay. Mackey wrote that "the graphics are far more impressive than any other Simpsons title at the time, outside of the arcade brawler. In fact, the graphics alone were responsible for my childlike [...] excitement over House of Weirdness; [...] they're pretty lush — even if they're not entirely faithful to the show. Bart's PC translation might be just a little off-model, but it's a gigantic leap over his duck-like visage seen on the NES." He added, however, that the game "is completely unintuitive, your goals aren't made clear, it's never certain if you're doing the right thing, and you're often locked into screens with no apparent way out but death." Mackey also criticized the levels' structure that "seems more randomly-generated than anything" and the fact that the "big, beautiful" sprites
sometimes do not move well.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
published by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
in 1992 for DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
. Developed by Distinctive Software
Distinctive Software
Distinctive Software, Inc. was a Canadian software house established in Burnaby, British Columbia, by Don Mattrick and Jeff Sember. It is the predecessor to EA Canada....
, it is based on the Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated 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 family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
franchise and features many aspects from the series. In the game, the player controls Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
as he escapes from the Simpsons' house
742 Evergreen Terrace
742 Evergreen Terrace is the fictional street address in Springfield of the Simpson family home in the animated television series, The Simpsons and in the feature film The Simpsons Movie. In the series the house is currently owned by Homer Simpson...
after being grounded
Grounding (punishment)
Grounding is a form of punishment given to children, preadolescents or adolescents by their parents for misbehavior....
by his parents. On his adventures throughout town, Bart is equipped with various weapons that are used to fend off enemies and animals. Bart's House of Weirdness does not have a wide fan base because it was only released for DOS, but the early reviews of the game were positive, at least in terms of graphics and sound. A 2009 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
review heavily criticized the gameplay of the game.
Plot and gameplay
Bart's House of Weirdness is an action/adventureAdventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
/strategy
Strategy game
A strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome...
platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
that uses single screen movement. The plot sees Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
grounded to his room by his parents Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
and Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
after having pulled one too many pranks. With nothing to do, he quickly gets bored and escapes from the home. He travels around town, and eventually heads to an amusement park where he has to save Krusty the Clown from his archenemy Sideshow Bob
Sideshow Bob
Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared briefly in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale, a member of...
.
The game has six levels and a final battle. The player controls Bart as he helps his sister Maggie
Maggie Simpson
Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James...
recover her ball, explores the basement and attic of the Simpsons' home, sneaks out to the movie theater and the Springfield Mall, and has a dream in which he is inserted into the Itchy & Scratchy universe. During these levels, Bart fights dust bunnies
Dust Bunnies
Dust Bunnies was the third album by the Dutch indie band Bettie Serveert, released in 1997.-Track listing:All tracks by Carol van Dijk#"Geek"- 3:52#"The Link" - 3:09#"Musher" - 3:09#"Dust Bunny" - 2:12#"What Friends?" - 2:47#"Misery Galore" - 4:02...
, spiders (in the attic), ghosts (in the basement), space mutants (at the movie theater), and Itchy and Scratchy (in the dream world).
Bart is able to utilize a variety of weapons in the game, including a burp gun, a slingshot, spray paint
Aerosol paint
Aerosol paint is a type of paint that comes in a sealed pressurized container and is released in a fine spray mist when depressing a valve button. A form of spray painting, aerosol paint leaves a smooth, evenly coated surface, unlike many rolled or brushed paints. Standard sized cans are portable,...
, and water balloons. The player controls these weapons with either a keyboard
Computer keyboard
In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches...
or a joystick
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
. The joystick control has two modes: one for shooting and one for jumping. Whenever the player misses one of the creatures and they are able to hit Bart, the life bar
Health (gaming)
Health is a game mechanic used in role-playing, computer and video games to give value to characters, enemies, NPCs, and related objects. This value can either be numerical, semi-numerical as in hit/health points, or arbitrary as in a life bar....
, called the "Cool-O-Meter", drops. In order to regain Bart's coolness, they player must find a cool item that he can use. When the player has completed all levels, Bart goes to the Krustyland amusement park to save Krusty from Bob.
Development and release
Bart's House of Weirdness was developed by Distinctive SoftwareDistinctive Software
Distinctive Software, Inc. was a Canadian software house established in Burnaby, British Columbia, by Don Mattrick and Jeff Sember. It is the predecessor to EA Canada....
and published by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
. It was announced by Konami at the June 1991 International Summer Consumer Electronics Show
Consumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
in Chicago. The game was released in 1992 solely for the DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
platform, and was available for both Color Graphics Adapter
Color Graphics Adapter
The Color Graphics Adapter , originally also called the Color/Graphics Adapter or IBM Color/Graphics Monitor Adapter, introduced in 1981, was IBM's first color graphics card, and the first color computer display standard for the IBM PC....
(CGA) and Enhanced Graphics Adapter
Enhanced Graphics Adapter
The Enhanced Graphics Adapter is the IBM PC computer display standard specification which is between CGA and VGA in terms of color and space resolution. Introduced in October 1984 by IBM shortly after its new PC/AT, EGA produces a display of 16 simultaneous colors from a palette of 64 at a...
(EGA), but not Video Graphics Array
Video Graphics Array
Video Graphics Array refers specifically to the display hardware first introduced with the IBM PS/2 line of computers in 1987, but through its widespread adoption has also come to mean either an analog computer display standard, the 15-pin D-subminiature VGA connector or the 640×480 resolution...
(VGA). Writers for UGO Networks have commented that the fact that Bart's House of Weirdness was released exclusively for DOS "more than likely tells why its critical acclaim is zilch and fan support non-existent. It's surprising it got such a limited release, seeing it was published by Konami, who usually have no problem distributing games on a variety of platforms." Similarly, a 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
editor wrote that the game is "mostly-unknown (there's not even a single video of it on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
)" and that it "deserves a little more coverage, if only to acknowledge its existence".
Reception
The game was reviewed in 1992 in issue 179 of DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
magazine by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in the "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game five out of five stars, and commented that "Without a doubt, Bart's House of Weirdness is one of the best arcade games we’ve played. It also happens to be one of Konami’s best products!" They added that "With superb Roland
Roland Sound Canvas
Roland/Edirol Sound Canvas lineup is a series of PCM-based MIDI sound modules and PC sound cards primarily intended for computer music usage, created by Roland Corporation. All Sound Canvas modules are General MIDI compatible...
sound (the TV show theme and opening animations are quite good) and smooth animation, our only wish is that Konami would consider releasing this fine arcade delight with full VGA support sometime in the future. If you like Bart and really enjoy arcade games, you have to get this one." William Burrill of Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
commented that "the graphics in House of Weirdness are sharp and colorful, and look much like the television show. Music from the real show is also included, along with digitized samples of Bart's rather whining voice."
In 2009, eighteen years after Bart's House of Weirdness was released, 1UP.com editor Bob Mackey reviewed the game in 1UP's official Retro Gaming Blog. He praised the game for its graphics, but was critical of the gameplay. Mackey wrote that "the graphics are far more impressive than any other Simpsons title at the time, outside of the arcade brawler. In fact, the graphics alone were responsible for my childlike [...] excitement over House of Weirdness; [...] they're pretty lush — even if they're not entirely faithful to the show. Bart's PC translation might be just a little off-model, but it's a gigantic leap over his duck-like visage seen on the NES." He added, however, that the game "is completely unintuitive, your goals aren't made clear, it's never certain if you're doing the right thing, and you're often locked into screens with no apparent way out but death." Mackey also criticized the levels' structure that "seems more randomly-generated than anything" and the fact that the "big, beautiful" sprites
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
sometimes do not move well.
External links
- The Simpsons: Bart's House of Weirdness at GameFAQsGameFAQsGameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003. It is currently owned by CBS Interactive. The site has a database of video game information, cheat codes, reviews, game saves,...