Bart Simpson bounces off shelves, collects batteries, and dodges cats. Someone decided in 2021 to create a completely new Bart game for Mega Drive that nobody expected and probably didn't need.

Virtual Bart Redux is a fan project — homemade creation for a thirty-year-old console. It's a 2D platformer with Ben 10-style retro design where Bart dons various costumes that grant special abilities. One mask gives him speed, another the power to fly. Classic stuff — jumping, collecting items, avoiding enemies, reaching the goal line. The environments pull from classic Simpsons, so the graphics aren't anything to write home about, but it has that specific homemade charm.

What makes playing fun? Primarily the pace. The game doesn't want to drag things out — levels aren't too long and costumes switch up pretty frequently. The controls are solid, no major lag. The difficulty is reasonable, neither too easy nor frustrating. But it's missing something — predictable obstacles, run-of-the-mill level designs, no moment where the game surprises you. It plays fine, it's competent, but without passion.

For a personal project someone made just for themselves, it's not bad at all. They managed to compile a game that works, sticks to eighties and nineties principles, and gives no reason for mockery. That's the biggest compliment I can give — it's not an attempt, it's a finished product.

Today you can find it on RetroSource or similar ROM hack sites. If you're curious what the Simpsons world looks like through the lens of a homemade game by a former enthusiast, it's worth five minutes of playtime. It won't blow your mind and it won't send you to hell, so why not.