The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare

From Sega Retro

n/a

BartsNightmare title.png

The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Flying Edge
Developer:
Licensor: Twentieth Century Fox, Gracie Films
Sound driver: GEMS
Genre: Action

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
US
$49.9549.95[2][3] T-81216
Videogame Rating Council: GA
Sega Mega Drive
EU
T-81216-50
Sega Mega Drive
UK
£39.9939.99[6][4] T-81216-50
Sega Mega Drive
AU
Sega Mega Drive
BR
044570
Non-Sega versions

The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare is a video game featuring characters from the Simpsons television series. It was released for the Sega Mega Drive in 1993.

Story

Bart Simpson falls asleep while studying and dreams of a strange universe where TVs and fairies roam the streets. The player must find Bart's lost homework and progress through the various levels to keep the homework pages and eventually wake up.

Gameplay

The game is a collection of mini-games, mostly in a platforming or shoot-'em-up style, which Bart must complete to retrieve the lost pages of his homework. Mini-games are accessed through a hub world called Windy World.

Windy World

Bart's Nightmare, Hub World.png

Windy World

Bart's Nightmare, Minigame Select.png

Mini-game doors

Bart must find pages of his homework, which appear randomly and blow down the street, while avoiding enemies such as living mailboxes and various characters from the show. The street becomes more dangerous as Bart collects more pages. Bart's health is depicted as a row of Zs.

Bart walks around using the D-Pad. The street scrolls endlessly in either direction. He jumps with A. He can defeat some enemies by jumping over them (but not on them, which hurts Bart). He can blow bubbles with his bubblegum by holding B; the player can move the bubbles around using the D-Pad as long as B is held. Bubbles can be used to repel enemies or to collect floating blue Zs that restore Bart's health (but red Zs pop the bubble). He spits out watermelon seeds with C, which can be used to defeat enemies or make them change direction.

Jumping over certain objects makes various items appear. Jumping over a moving mailbox turns it into one of several items: bubblegum or watermelons (which give Bart more bubblegum and watermelon seeds respectively), soda cans (which let Bart burp, which clears the screen of enemies, by holding C and pressing Up or Down), or question marks (which point toward the direction of a page when touched). Jumping over a basketball turns it into a skateboard that Bart can ride. The skateboard extends Bart's health bar the longer he is on it. Jumping over a Blinky fish turns it into a pillow. Collecting three pillows gives Bart another health bar if he runs out of Zs.

Jimbo and his gang occasionally appear to coerce Bart into strolling with them, causing Bart to lose control of his movements and have to move with them (though he can still jump). Hitting a flying saxophone summons Lisa Simpson with pixie wings to sprinkle fairy dust on Jimbo and his gang and transform them into rats, freeing Bart. However, if Bart is by himself, the Lisa pixie turns him into a frog that cannot attack. If Bart catches a kiss blown to him by an old lady, he reverts to his human form. Saxophones sometimes release blue notes that invert the player's directional controls temporarily.

Principal Skinner sometimes appears and tries to dress Bart in his Sunday school suit. If the player walks into Skinner, Bart changes appearance, moves more slowly, and can no longer fire at enemies or ride a skateboard; however, the suit also protect Bart from taking damage from all enemies (save for Jimbo and his gang). The suit wears off after a certain amount of time or when Bart jumps in a mud puddle.

When a page is found in Windy World, Bart can jump onto it. This causes him to shrink down on the page, and the player is given a choice of two randomly chosen mini-games. Bart automatically walks toward one of two colored doors, and the player can move him toward one or the other with Left or Right. Upon either failing the respective mini-game (and not getting the page back) or completing the mini-game (and receiving the page as a reward), the screen flashes back to Bart's room at night and shows the number of points the player has and the number of pages collected. Once a mini-game is completed, it cannot be played again. Both doors are the same color if there is only one mini-game to complete.

The game ends if Bart loses all of his Zs and takes damage one more time or if he successfully completes all the mini-games. Bart is awarded a letter grade depending on the player's score and how many pages were collected. Slightly different endings are shown where the players sees the Simpson family's reactions to Bart's grade by having the paper affixed to the refrigerator.

Mini-games

The mini-games can be played in any order. At the end of each mini-game, Bart finds a page and collects it by jumping on it. There are eight pages of homework to collect total; some mini-games reward more than one page.

Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Bartzilla 1.png

Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Bartzilla 2.png

Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Bartzilla 2 Boss.png

  • Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Bartzilla 1.png

  • Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Bartzilla 2.png

  • Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Bartzilla 2 Boss.png

Bartzilla
Door color:
Green
Pages rewarded:
2
Bart, as a giant monster similar to Godzilla, stomps through the streets of Springfield and destroys an army with fire breath and visual lasers. After being zapped by a shrink ray, Bart climbs the Springfield State Building and fights his parents as "Homer Kong" and "Momthra."

While devastating the city, Bartzilla walks automatically; he stops walking with Left. He breathes fireballs straight ahead with Right, to his left with Up, or to his right with Down. He shoots laser beams from his eyes straight ahead with C (higher than the fireballs), at the road to his left with A, and at the monorail tracks to his left with B. The mini-game ends if Bart takes too much damage, though there is no visual indication of how much damage he has taken.

While climbing the building, Bartzilla climbs with Up and moves with Left and Right. He stops climbing with Down. People in the building throw trash out of the windows. Bartzilla is knocked back if something hits him. The mini-game ends if he falls past the end of the screen (which scrolls upwards continually). Bartzilla electrifies his body with A, B, or C, which is how he defeats Homer Kong.

Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Bart's Bloodstream.png

Bart's Bloodstream
Door color:
Purple
Pages rewarded:
1
A journey into Bart's bloodstream, where Bart must use an air pump to inflate and destroy germs. The paper appears at the top of the screen, surrounded by a force field. Collecting a "Smilin' Joe Fission" when it appears weakens the field; when six are collected, the field busts, so Bart can collect the paper.

Bart swims in any direction using the D-Pad. Touching a germ with the air pump attaches it, then Bart can pump it up by pressing A repeatedly until the germ bursts. Germs with pointed helmets attack Bart if he swims over them, which knocks him up and detaches him from germs. Germs with round helmets toss grenades, which end the mini-game if they explode on Bart.

Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Itchy and Scratchy 1.png

Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Itchy and Scratchy 2.png

Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Itchy and Scratchy 3.png

Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Itchy and Scratchy 4.png

Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Itchy and Scratchy 5.png

Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Itchy and Scratchy 6.png

  • Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Itchy and Scratchy 1.png

  • Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Itchy and Scratchy 2.png

  • Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Itchy and Scratchy 3.png

  • Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Itchy and Scratchy 4.png

  • Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Itchy and Scratchy 5.png

  • Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Itchy and Scratchy 6.png

Itchy & Scratchy
Door color:
Yellow
Pages rewarded:
2
Bart is attacked by the duo of Itchy and Scratchy, wielding an assortment of weapons, as well as hostile household objects such as telephones and vacuum cleaners. Destroying all of the enemies in one area lets Bart enter the next area. Bart moves in any direction using the D-Pad. He jumps with A and uses his weapon with C. He starts with no weapon but can find a mallet, a plunger gun, or a fire extinguisher.

Bart has a health meter that goes down as he takes damage and gets three tries. Some weapons, such as bazooka shells or giant knives, are instantly fatal. This is the only mini-game divided into two separate parts; Bart must locate another page in Windy World to collect the second page. The second part ends in a boss fight against a furnace monster.

Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Bartman.png

Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Bartman Boss 1.png

Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Bartman Boss 2.png

Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Bartman Boss 3.png

Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Bartman Boss 4.png

  • Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Bartman.png

  • Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Bartman Boss 1.png

  • Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Bartman Boss 2.png

  • Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Bartman Boss 3.png

  • Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Bartman Boss 4.png

Bartman
Door color:
Blue
Pages rewarded:
1
Bart flies over Springfield as the superhero "Bartman." There are four sections, each filled with enemies and ending in a boss fight: Sherri and Terri in a hot air balloon, Barney Gumble on a pink elephant, Waylon Smithers in a blimp (Bart faces him twice), and eventually Mr. Burns in a biplane. This mini-game plays like a shoot-'em-up. Bart flies in any direction using the D-Pad. The playfield scrolls vertically. He shoots his slingshot with A. He can only shoot forwards. His shots arc downwards with gravity, but they can be aimed diagonally up or down.

Bart has a health meter that goes down as he takes damage and gets three tries. He loses control momentarily when he is hit. In addition to avoiding enemies, Bart must avoid clouds of radioactive gas in the last section. Apu appears on a magic carpet and drops bottled Squishees that replenish Bart's health when collected.

Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Temple of the Maggie 1.png

Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Temple of the Maggie 2.png

  • Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Temple of the Maggie 1.png

  • Bart's Nightmare, Minigames, Temple of the Maggie 2.png

The Temple of the Maggie
Door color:
Orange
Pages rewarded:
2
Bart, as Idaho Simpson (a parody of Indiana Jones), must make his way through the balancing columns in the Temple of the Maggie. The player can pan the screen by holding C while pressing Left or Right to look ahead or behind.

Bart jumps onto a stone column using the D-Pad. Pillars drop down when Bart jumps on them, which causes another pillar to rise up. Low pillars fall when Bart jumps on them. Flames also appear to indicate that a stone column is likely to crumble if Bart steps on it. Bart starts with only one chance to complete the mini-game, but collecting a Golden Egg gives him another chance. Getting hit by Maggie's pacifier (which is shot when Bart passes by her stone carving in the background) also ends the mini-game. There are two stages, each with a page reward at the end.

Blue Demons appear and poke Bart into adjacent columns. Bart can use his whip by holding A and picking a direction on the D-Pad.

Production credits

  • Acclaim Development by "The Black Team": Mark Flitman, Donn Nauert, Mike Arkin, Tom Rademacher, Joe Allocco, Linda Spelman
  • Windy World, Bartzilla, Homer Kong: John Lewis Guymon Jr
  • Temple of Maggie, Itchy & Scratchy by: James Michael Henn
  • Germs, Bartman: Craig Seastrom
  • Animations, Multitasking, Conversion Design, Base Support Code: John Lewis Guymon Jr
  • Hardware & Development Tools: Joe Barnes
  • Testing & Analysis: Richard Reagan, Lee Smith, Matt Grate, Brian Miller
  • Project Manager: Harald Seeley
  • Artwork: Virginia Sargent
  • Music: Dean Morrell
  • Data Compression: Lynn Pugh
  • Miscellaneous: Bryon Paul Hapgood
  • Special Thanks To: Shauna, Little John, Brittany, Jacob
Source:
In-game credits
Bart's Nightmare MD credits.pdf
[7]

Magazine articles

Main article: The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #50: "September 1993" (1993-xx-xx)
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in GamePro (US) #51: "October 1993" (1993-xx-xx)
also published in:
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Hacker (HR) #8: "07/1995" (1995-xx-xx)
also published in:
  • Hacker (HR) #9: "09/1995" (1995-xx-xx)[11]
  • Hacker (HR) #10: "10/1995" (1995-xx-xx)[12]
  • Hacker (HR) #11: "11/1995" (1995-xx-xx)[13]
Logo-pdf.svg

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
62 №15, p42/43
Sega Mega Drive
62
Based on
1 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
60
[14]
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
60
[15]
Consoles + (FR)
55
[16]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
80
[6]
Electronic Games (1992-1995) (US) NTSC-U
89
[17]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
68
[2]
GamesMaster (UK) PAL
55
[18]
Joypad (FR) PAL
79
[19]
Mega (UK) PAL
35
[4]
Mega Action (UK) PAL
90
[20]
Mega Force (FR)
82
[21]
Mega Power (UK) PAL
60
[22]
MegaTech (UK) PAL
75
[23]
Player One (FR)
85
[24]
Score (CZ)
30
[25]
Sega Magazin (DE)
61
[26]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
39
[27]
Sega Pro (UK)
75
[28]
Sega Zone (UK) PAL
47
[29]
Supergame (BR)
75
[30]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
70
[31]
VideoGames (US) NTSC-U
50
[3]
Sega Mega Drive
65
Based on
22 reviews

The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare

Mega Drive, US
BartsNightmare MD US Box.jpg
Cover
BartsNightmare MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Bart's Nightmare MD US Manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, EU
BartsNightmare MD EU cover.jpg
Cover
BartsNightmare MD EU Cart.jpg
Cart
Simpsons Bart Nightmare MD EU Manual.jpg
Manual
Mega Drive, AU

BartsNightmare MD AU Cart Top.jpg
BartsNightmare MD AU Cart Back.jpgBartsNightmare MD AU Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, BR
BartsNightmare md br cover.jpg
Cover

Technical information

Main article: The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare/Technical information.

References

  1. Sega Visions, "August/September 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 104
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 GamePro, "September 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 34
  3. 3.0 3.1 VideoGames, "September 1993" (US; 1993-0x-xx), page 56
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Mega, "November 1993" (UK; 1993-10-21), page 58
  5. 5.0 5.1 Sega Power, "October 1993" (UK; 1993-09-02), page 26
  6. 6.0 6.1 Computer & Video Games, "November 1993" (UK; 1993-10-15), page 73
  7. File:Bart's Nightmare MD credits.pdf
  8. Sega Visions, "October/November 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 20
  9. VideoGames, "November 1993" (US; 1993-1x-xx), page 52
  10. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "November 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 156
  11. Hacker, "09/1995" (HR; 1995-xx-xx), page 36
  12. Hacker, "10/1995" (HR; 1995-xx-xx), page 45
  13. Hacker, "11/1995" (HR; 1995-xx-xx), page 38
  14. 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 26
  15. 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 209
  16. Consoles +, "Octobre 1993" (FR; 1993-xx-xx), page 136
  17. Electronic Games (1992-1995), "October 1993" (US; 1993-09-23), page 64
  18. GamesMaster, "November 1993" (UK; 1993-10-21), page 88
  19. Joypad, "Octobre 1993" (FR; 1993-xx-xx), page 110
  20. Mega Action, "October 1993" (UK; 1993-09-09), page 34
  21. Mega Force, "Septembre 1993" (FR; 1993-0x-xx), page 114
  22. Mega Power, "September 1993" (UK; 1993-08-19), page 28
  23. MegaTech, "November 1993" (UK; 1993-10-20), page 61
  24. Player One, "Octobre 1993" (FR; 1993-xx-xx), page 148
  25. Score, "Únor 1994" (CZ; 1994-02-01), page 49
  26. Sega Magazin, "November/Dezember 1993" (DE; 1993-11-03), page 71
  27. Sega Power, "November 1993" (UK; 1993-10-07), page 70
  28. Sega Pro, "October 1993" (UK; 1993-09-09), page 75
  29. Sega Zone, "October 1993" (UK; 1993-09-xx), page 44
  30. Supergame, "Novembro 1993" (BR; 1993-11-xx), page 20
  31. Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 19


The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare

BartsNightmare title.png

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The Simpsons games for Sega systems
Sega Mega Drive
The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants (1992) | Krusty's Super Fun House (1992) | The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare (1993) | Virtual Bart (1994) | The Itchy & Scratchy Game (unreleased)
Sega Master System
The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants (1992) | Krusty's Fun House (1993) | The Simpsons: Bart vs. the World (1993)
Sega Game Gear
The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants (1992) | Krusty's Fun House (1993) | The Simpsons: Bart vs. the World (1993) | The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man (1994) | The Itchy & Scratchy Game (1995)
Sega Dreamcast
The Simpsons: Bug Squad! (unreleased)