Bartman Meets Radioactive Man
Encyclopedia
The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man is a platform game
published by Acclaim
in 1992 for the Nintendo Entertainment System
(NES) and Sega Game Gear
. Developed by Imagineering, the side-scrolling game features Bart Simpson
on a comic book quest to rescue his kidnapped idol, superhero Radioactive Man. Bartman Meets Radioactive Man received mixed to negative reviews from critics, with criticism being directed at the gameplay control.
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. After collecting these powers, Bart must find Radioactive Man and team up with him to defeat Brain-O the Magnificent, the mastermind behind the evil plot.
Bartman Meets Radioactive Man is a side-scrolling platform game
. Throughout the four levels, Bart 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 Bart the ability to shoot lightning bolts at enemies. His other weapons are kicking and punching. In addition, Bart must avoid the deadly traps that are scattered at various places in the levels.
. It was released in 1992 for the Nintendo Entertainment System
(NES) and the hand-held Sega Game Gear
. 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. In regards to this, an 1UP.com
editor commented that "when it comes to mining the show for content, Bartman Meets Radioactive Man is really reaching."
magazine gave it a 2.5/5 rating, commenting that "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." Similarly, UGO Networks wrote that "As Bartman, Bart's got some superpowers and battles comic book villains in this amazingly average side-scroller. Like a lot of the Simpsons games, there's nothing to really make it shine or distinguish itself from any other game on the racks." 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]." The website MobyGames
commented that "most of the level sequences require precise timing and pixel-perfect jumping precision." In addition, the authors of the book Video Game Bible: 1985-2002
wrote that "simply put, the poor control of this game ruins what should have been a very entertaining title. Side scrolling levels featuring some nice colors and detail are showcased in this otherwise disappointing title."
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."
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 Bartmans 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." The game received a 70/100 rating from the Dutch magazine Power Unlimited
in 1994.
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 Acclaim
Acclaim Entertainment
Acclaim Entertainment was an American video game developer and publisher. It developed, published, marketed and distributed interactive entertainment software for a variety of hardware platforms, including Sega's Mega Drive/Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, and Game Gear, Nintendo's NES, SNES, Nintendo...
in 1992 for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
(NES) and Sega Game Gear
Sega Game Gear
The was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
. Developed by Imagineering, the side-scrolling game features Bart Simpson
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...
on a comic book quest to rescue his kidnapped idol, superhero Radioactive Man. Bartman Meets Radioactive Man received mixed to negative reviews from critics, with criticism being directed at the gameplay control.
Plot and gameplay
At the beginning of Bartman Meets Radioactive Man, Bart SimpsonBart 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...
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
Black hole
A black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
-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. After collecting these powers, Bart must find Radioactive Man and team up with him to defeat Brain-O the Magnificent, the mastermind behind the evil plot.
Bartman Meets Radioactive Man is a side-scrolling 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...
. Throughout the four levels, Bart 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 Bart the ability to shoot lightning bolts at enemies. His other weapons are kicking and punching. In addition, Bart must avoid the deadly traps that are scattered at various places in the levels.
Development
The game was developed by Imagineering and published by AcclaimAcclaim Entertainment
Acclaim Entertainment was an American video game developer and publisher. It developed, published, marketed and distributed interactive entertainment software for a variety of hardware platforms, including Sega's Mega Drive/Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, and Game Gear, Nintendo's NES, SNES, Nintendo...
. It was released in 1992 for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
(NES) and the hand-held Sega Game Gear
Sega Game Gear
The was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
. 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. In regards to this, an 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 commented that "when it comes to mining the show for content, Bartman Meets Radioactive Man is really reaching."
Reception
Bartman Meets Radioactive Man has received mixed to negative reviews from critics. In February 1994, the GameProGamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
magazine gave it a 2.5/5 rating, commenting that "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." Similarly, UGO Networks wrote that "As Bartman, Bart's got some superpowers and battles comic book villains in this amazingly average side-scroller. Like a lot of the Simpsons games, there's nothing to really make it shine or distinguish itself from any other game on the racks." Game Players
Game Players
Game Players was a monthly video game magazine founded by Robert C. Lock and published by Signal Research, in Greensboro, North Carolina. The original publication was titled Game Players Strategy to Nintendo Games...
gave the game a 44/100 rating with the rationale that "it's full of frustrating jumps, and there are no passwords
Password (video games)
In many video games of the 8-bit and, to a lesser extent, 16-bit eras , after a level was beaten and/or when all continues were used, the game would display a password, that when entered in the game would allow the player to return to this part in the game...
[for saving]." The website MobyGames
MobyGames
-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
commented that "most of the level sequences require precise timing and pixel-perfect jumping precision." In addition, the authors of the book Video Game Bible: 1985-2002
Video Game Bible
The Video Game Bible was founded in 2001 by Andy Slaven and Michael Collins. It published a game collector's guide, which covered United States-released home consoles from 1985 to 2002....
wrote that "simply put, the poor control of this game ruins what should have been a very entertaining title. Side scrolling levels featuring some nice colors and detail are showcased in this otherwise disappointing title."
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
8-bit
The first widely adopted 8-bit microprocessor was the Intel 8080, being used in many hobbyist computers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, often running the CP/M operating system. The Zilog Z80 and the Motorola 6800 were also used in similar computers...
game."
Writing for Tribune Media Services
Tribune Media Services
Tribune Media Services is a syndication company owned by the Tribune Company.The company has two divisions, "News and Features" and "Entertainment Products"...
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 Bartmans 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." The game received a 70/100 rating from the Dutch magazine Power Unlimited
Power Unlimited
Power Unlimited is a Dutch multi-format computer and video games magazine. It is the biggest gaming magazine in the Benelux. The first issue was released in June 1993.-History:...
in 1994.