Virtual Bart

Overview

Virtual Bart was one of the many Simpsons games released on back in the early 1990s. In this game the player assumes the role of Bart Simpson who, while walking through the Springfield Elementary Science Fair, stumbles onto a virtual reality machine. Like the cool dude he is, Bart decides to give it a try, and that's pretty much the set up for the game. The VR machine is actually a wheel-like torture device that Bart is placed in and then spun. The wheel is adorned with various level icons and whichever one Bart's heads is pointing towards when the wheel stops is the level he must complete. The levels vary in theme and gameplay style, but each start/end with a brief cutscene and also contain a brief cutscene should if they are failed.

Like previous games in based upon the Simpsons license such as Bart vs The Space Mutants and Bart's Nightmare the game is infamous for it's high degree of difficulty. One notable example is the waterslide level where the only way to choose the correct path (Besides luck) is to follow a faint arrow that appears on another swimmers shirt. This is never explained to the player and even knowing this the arrow is still hard to spot.

Gameplay

Each level in Virtual Bart consists of a different gameplay style and mechanic and are discussed in more detail below. Level names slightly embellished to add flavor.

Dino Bart

Bart assumes the role of a dinosaur and must fight off prehistoric versions of Springfieldians while climbing Mt. Springfield in what is otherwise a very typical side-scrolling platformer level.

Baby Bart

Now Bart reverts back into his child-like self and goes about exploring Springfield in his own devil-may-care-with-a-diaper sort of way. Again, this is another side-scroller with a heavier reliance on skilled jumps.

Piggy Bart

The final side-scroller of the game, Piggy Bart has now turned Bart into a pig who must escape the Krusty Klown Pork Factory with all of his porky brethren. This time though, he'll have to deal in a more maze-like side-scroller gathering keys and avoiding guards.

Bart vs. Mt. Splashmore

A Mode-7 feast for the eyes as Bart rides down a water slide at Mt.Splashmore. Gameplay consists of guiding Bart down the slide in a race against time avoiding other swimmers and where taking the wrong turn could result in precious lost seconds or instant death.

Bart vs. The Class Photo

In an effort to avoid taking a class picture, Bart hides out behind the bushes at Springfield Elementary and throws tomatoes and eggs at his classmates (since if they're all messy, they can't take the picture, naturally). With limited ammunition, each shot must count, and hitting teachers or other non-children (while they're not distracted anyways) results in an instant game over.

Mad Bart: Beyond Thunderdome

This game is a clear homage to Road Rash and Mad Max. In it, Bart is in a destroyed Springfield after the nuclear power plant finally melted down due to the workers' incompetence, and now he must drive his motorcycle to his home while avoiding various hazards and other drivers. The school bullies take up their role as antagonists, and, like Mt. Splashmore, Bart has only a limited amount of health and time in order to complete his mission.