From their debut on the Nintendo Entertainment System to their classic arcade game and plethora of other games on seemingly every console ever created, The Simpsons have always had a stake in gaming history. Connected with publishers the likes of Konami, Electronic Arts and Acclaim, games based on the franchise have run the gamut in a variety of directions in terms of genre, quality and even legacy. In the mid-90s however, with the video game license for the animated sitcom in the hands of Acclaim, The Simpsons hit every console hard, releasing at least one new title a year for over a half-decade. Among them, Virtual Bart, with its unique original story and variety of gameplay options, remains as a solid expe rience that not only leveraged existing technology from previous Acclaim games but created an original story that was approved by the series creator, Matt Groening.
Virtual Bart may not be the most heralded game in The Simpsons franchise, but it was one that was full of passion. A huge fan of the series, it’s a special one for Flitman. Considering his work on games in the MLB Slugfest, NFL Blitz and Spider-Man franchises, that’s no small feat.
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Patrick Hickey, Jr., is the founder and editor-in-chief of ReviewFix.com and a lecturer of English and journalism at Kingsborough Community College, in Brooklyn, New York. Over the past decade, his video game coverage has been featured in national ad campaigns by top publishers the likes of Nintendo, Deep Silver, Disney and EA Sports. His book series, "The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult and Classic Game Developers," from McFarland and Company, has earned praise from Forbes, Huffington Post, The New York Daily News and MSG Networks. He is also a former editor at NBC and National Video Games Writer at the late-Examiner.com
