Top 10 Best and Worst Simpsons Video Games

Top 10 Best and Worst Simpsons Video Games Much like the show after nearly 30 years, “The Simpsons” has been really hit or miss when it comes to video games. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top ten best and worst “Simpsons” video games. For this list, we’ll be looking at what we consider to be the best and worst “Simpsons” video games and alternating between the two throughout the list.

#5: WORST: “The Simpsons: Bart’s Nightmare” (1992)

“The Simpsons” was on top of the world in the early 1990s. It was extremely popular and received immense amounts of critical acclaim. This game, however, wasn’t nearly as well received. For one thing, the controls are absolutely abysmal, which makes controlling Bart and defeating obstacles a terrible pain in the butt. Aside from the atrocious controls, the objectives are always unclear, and the graphics are certainly nothing to write home about. And no, it’s not because it’s a nearly 30-year-old game. This mess was lame even back then.

#5: BEST: “Krusty’s Super Fun House” (1992)

“Krusty’s Super Fun House” was released the same year as “Bart’s Nightmare,” and it is by far the better game, despite its goofy title. The game has a rather outlandish concept to go with its name: you control Krusty the Clown as he directs rats through various maze-like areas. While the game isn’t amazing by any means, it certainly isn’t as bad as the others found on this list. The puzzles were somewhat fun to crack, and it could prove an interesting challenge for younger players. It’s not great, but it’s a harmless distraction for the kids.

#4: WORST: “The Itchy & Scratchy Game” (1995)

An Itchy and Scratchy-centric game could have been really interesting. Unfortunately, this game was an irredeemable pile of trash. The game has you control Itchy as he chases Scratchy and tries to kill him with various weapons. And…well, no, that’s about it. For one thing, the game completely does away with the humor and violence which makes Itchy and Scratchy so popular within the Simpsons universe. This would be excusable if the game was actually good, but it wasn’t. The controls were terrible, and the gameplay was mind-numbingly repetitive and boring. “The Itchy & Scratchy Game” deserves the kind of fate its title characters are used to.

#4: BEST: “The Simpsons: Night of the Living Treehouse of Horror” (2001)

Despite its mouthful of a title, “Night of the Living Treehouse of Horror” is actually a really fun Simpsons game. It serves as a side-scroller, and you play as the members of the Simpsons family as they travel through various Treehouse of Horror-themed levels. Because each level has a different theme, each stage has its own identity and gimmick which “borrow” the mechanics of other titles, like “Super Mario” and “Castlevania.” The animations and graphics are also pretty good for the Game Boy Color. It’s clear that a lot of love and care went into the development of this one.

#3: WORST: “The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants” (1991)

What is it with Bart-themed games being so… terrible? As we’ve established, “Bart’s Nightmare” was rather bad, and it’s entirely possible that the “Bart vs.” series, including this game and “Bart vs. the World,” were even worse. This game, like most others on this list, is a 2D side-scrolling platformer which sees Bart attempting to stop aliens from taking over the world. However, it seems as if the developers of this game were more interested in creating a show reference generator than an actual video game. The platforming is hopelessly generic, and the game is extremely frustrating. And not like “Dark Souls” frustrating. More like “these controls are terrible and the game is stupidly unfair” frustrating.

#3: BEST: “The Simpsons Game” (2007)

Yes, believe it or not, they were still making “Simpsons” console games as recently as 2007. Luckily, the developers were aware that the series was running stale at this point and made the plot and humor self-referential. It does wonders for the freshness of the story and the game itself, as it is filled with great writing and jokes that are actually funny. The game lampoons both the television show and video games in equal measure, and it reminds us of the bitingly satiric Simpsons of old. While the gameplay was admittedly a little generic and boring, it’s the writing which elevates this game far above the others.

#2: WORST: “The Simpsons Skateboarding” (2002)

We don’t know whose idea it was to blend “The Simpsons” and skateboarding together, but that person should no longer be employed in the video game business. As the title suggests, this game sees you controlling various Simpsons characters in a Tony Hawk-like skateboarding experience, only without any of the fun or excitement that those games had. The controls are clunky and the animations rigid, which makes the skateboarding a chore rather than a source of fun. The graphics and music are also particularly bad, and it seems as if the characters can’t go more than two seconds without spouting some stupid remark. This game is an exercise in tedium.

#2: BEST: “The Simpsons” (1991)

It’s an arcade game developed by Konami. Of course, it’s going to be one of the best! The game itself was nothing original; at the time, it was just like every other Konami beat-em-up, only with a Simpsons flare. However, that means that it was on the same quality level as similar Konami games at the time, and if you know anything about arcade games, you know that that is no small statement. It was a huge hit, and it would easily be the best Simpsons video game ever had it not been for one other…

#1: WORST: “The Simpsons Wrestling” (2001)

If you thought “Simpsons Skateboarding” was bad, you’ve clearly never played “Simpsons Wrestling,” because it’s a complete abomination of a game. The wrestling consists of smashing a button and hoping that the game’s abysmal hit detection actually registers, all while watching your character act out your commands in some of the most horrific animations we’ve ever seen. The only redeemable thing about this game is its voice acting, as it somehow managed to snag the cast of the show. Everything else is truly, truly awful.

#1: BEST: “The Simpsons: Hit & Run” (2003)

A “Simpsons” game really has no business being as good as “Hit & Run” was. Not only was it a fantastic “Simpsons” game (and easily its best), but it’s a great game in its own right. “Hit & Run” borrowed heavily from the “Grand Theft Auto” series, but it also improved upon the gameplay in numerous ways, including easier navigation and mission restarts. Its gameplay and wacky physics engine were spectacularly fun, and the graphics were good for the time, helping to bring the game’s magnificently-realized Springfield to life. It’s a “Simpsons” game for everyone, and it proved to be a massive surprise.