Bart vs. the Space Mutants

Bart is alone here. An alien invasion taking place right in his hometown, and only he notices it. Nobody else, just the small mischievous blonde kid catapults himself into action.

This is a classic action platformer from the early nineties, when games based on famous characters and TV series were being made. Bart Simpson finds himself in an alternate version of Springfield, where extraterrestrials make their presence known through various strange mutated creatures. The goal is clear: make your way through levels, eliminate enemies, and reach the end of the map, where another challenge awaits Bart.

The controls are typical for their time – jumping, shooting, and collecting items. Bart behaves like a typical shooter in a costume, more interested in making progress as quickly as possible than elegance. The game features dynamite, flying saucers, and various weapons to shoot at mutants and strange monsters. The graphics are colorful and reasonably detailed for DOS, the textures and animations are simple but legible. The sound design appropriately supports the atmosphere, although the music and effects aren't anything that would stick in your memory.

In the nineties, this game was one of those projects that tried to turn a popular media phenomenon into game form, with mixed success. Bart vs. the Space Mutants holds up decently for its time – it's playable, has a clear purpose, and doesn't overcomplicate or annoy itself. It has aged in that its mechanics aren't anything special and the difficulty is sometimes more frustrating than motivating.

Today it will be played by those wanting to dig into a piece of computer culture from the turn of the eighties and nineties, or by those who enjoy seeing how famous characters fare in game form. It's available in the browser and can be beaten in roughly an evening without major trouble.