Virtual Springfield

[Diversity Pumpkin]

This was the best Simpsons game, imo. Unfortunately, my CD doesn't work anymore since it was only compatible with windows 98. Is there any way I can still play it?

Either way, did anybody else ever play this? I can only find a few things about it online - there's only like, one or two youtube videos with footage. I hope it's not completely forgotten about.

[Toomanygrandmas]

I had Virtual Springfield too. I enjoyed it too, and would love to replay it now, finding all of the episode references that I missed when I was younger. Unfortunately, I can't find the disc anywhere

I think there was also a copy of the game at my primary school. Also, were you meant to be travelling around Springfield as a specific character, or just playing as 'yourself'?

[Diversity Pumpkin]

You were just playing as yourself. People would acknowledge your existance specifically; I remember Lisa doing it a few times, always being embarassed that you were witnessing her dysfunctional family. I also remember playing games at the arcade, but only Larry the Looter off the top of my head.

When you won, you got a website (foxinteractive.com/frink/) but it doesn't work anymore. =( Apparently it had a whole bunch of cool stuff on it, but archive.org gets me nothing. I want to know what was on there.

[Toomanygrandmas]

Yeah, people at my primary school kept on insisting you were playing as Bart, despite the fact that you can see him around Springfield.

Out of curiosity, how did you win? I remember that there were some things you could collect, but as far as I remember all there was to do was to click on different parts of the maps (I specifically remember being able to make Satan appear in the nuclear power plant, and throwing tomatoes at a poste of Sideshow Bob in Bart's room), maybe watch some animations related to it, and play some Simpsons games at the arcade. There was no way of winning Larry the Looter, was there?

Also, I know the game was all about uncovering secrets. I think you could go to the roof of Apu's store, but were there any other really secret areas, that required certain items? It says so on wikipedia, but I'm curious as to where.

[Diversity Pumpkin]

You had to collect all... 72 (?) cards, and each one had a different Simpsons character. Then you got a card with the website address on it. And no, you couldn't beat Larry the Looter, despite me trying countless times, lol. It was just following the joke from the series.

There were lots of hidden areas - like finding the stonecutters ring to get into the stonecutters meeting and stuff. You probably figured that one out though. I checked on IGN, and it contains some more...

- First, go under Bart's bed, attached to the top is a note, grab it. Go to the school, go to Bart's locker (one on the left) and look for a paper that you can grab from the side of the door. Go to the retirement center and look in the bottom drawer. There should be a ring. Now go to STONECUTTERS and Homer will be singing. Crawl under the shelf and look in a box. There's the key to Mr. Burn's fireplace.

- After you get the key for the secret room in Mr. Burns' office (found in the Stonecutters podium) go to Mr. Burn's office. If you click on the floor in front of his desk a model will pop up.

- Go into the mayors office (townhall) and look in his desk to get the key that has Krusty's face on it then you'll have access to Krusty's office!*

- Go to Moe's, look in his desk and find keys that says "SPANKY" and you'll have access to Skinner's office!

*Man, I don't think I even got access to Krusty's office! That's a new one. There are loads of secret areas that you don't need items for, though. My favorite bits were just strolling down the streets of Springfield and looking at all the cool stuff. I remember seeing Truck-O-Saurus over a fence. And I vaguely remember visitng the Springfield Gorge too. God, that was so cool. I want to play it again! =(

[The Sovereign]

probably isnt hard to find a rip of it online somewhere

[SUPERFOX5]

I wish I could have played this, it looks interesting.
Hopefully someday they will make an updated version of it.

[Dark Homer]

it was neat

[Real Melvin]

it lives on the internet!

[Jesse Pinkman]

only simpsons games i have played were hit and run, the arcade game, and The Simpsons Game. but this one sounds really fun, looking through this thread

[DotheBartman]

only simpsons games i have played were hit and run, the arcade game, and The Simpsons Game.

Man oh man have you lived a charmed life...

This game looked neat. I feel it would age a little poorly, though, since modern games have made it much easier to explore virtual worlds from movies and shows while also playing an actual GAME. And explore them in 3D and whatnot.

But it's gotta be better than any of those Acclaim abominations.

[leprechaun_dan]

Never played it unfortunately, but it does sound like fun.

[Toomanygrandmas]

I've always wanted to play Hit and Run. It looks really fun, and packed full of references.

[Dark Homer]

I watched all of hit & run on youtube last year

it looked fun

[Hommer]

Hit and Run is a great game. My dad said he used to have a Virtual Springfield disk, but we're still looking for it. If we find it, I'll post some screenshots.

[burnin']

virtual springfield and hit n run are my favorites because they take you through different areas of springfield and have a lot more detail and references which make them so awesome to play as a fan.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

Man oh man have you lived a charmed life...

This game looked neat. I feel it would age a little poorly, though, since modern games have made it much easier to explore virtual worlds from movies and shows while also playing an actual GAME. And explore them in 3D and whatnot.

But it's gotta be better than any of those Acclaim abominations.

You haven't lived until you've played Virtual Bart!

[Snaked]

I have the game, after looking for it for a number of years when I saw an advertisement for it on the back of the Cartoon Studio CD Case which my cousin got for me back in early 2001. For 3 years I longed to find a copy of it but to no avail. Then, my uncle and aunt gave me the copy their nephew had and I was overjoyed. Alas, I was slightly disappointed when I finally got my hands on it.

Maybe an MMO or RPG-esque-style remake could be done in the future (THAT would be awesome!).

& the Acclaim games weren't THAT bad, were they? (Bart vs. the Space Mutants, Krusty's Funhouse, the Itchy & Scratchy Game and Virtual Bart are decent, while the others are more or less good for nostalgic reasons).

[DotheBartman]

You haven't lived until you've played Virtual Bart!

I have. It's awful. As are the others mentioned (excluding Krusty's Fun House which I'm not sure I've played).

Space Mutants is maybe one of the worst games I've played ever.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

The first Simpsons game I ever played was either Virtual Bart or Bart vs. the Juggernauts I don't remember. Considering I was 6-7ish I actually look back fondly on Virtual Bart but yeah it was pretty bad, but I do remember liking the tomato/egg tossing level. Though I haven't actually played it in 12+ years...

[Company Picnic]

I've always wanted to play Hit and Run. It looks really fun, and packed full of references.

It plays a bit like GTA but the vehicle handling is a lot blockier. It's still a great game though, the selection of vehicles and depth of the levels is excellent, it's actually pretty enjoyable to seek out the cards and wasps on each level. Played through it last autumn for the first time in a long while (in time for Halloween, those who've played through the game may understand why) and will probably do the same again this year.

My Simpsons gaming debut was Wrestling on the PS1. It was an excellent novelty but it wore off quite quickly.

[BeSharp]

I STILL have my disc.. Minus it's packaging etc.. However, if anyone knows a way I could play it on my Windows Vista computer.. Please let me know.

[Solid Snake]

It should run in compatibility mode for Win 95. I've managed to get it running in Win7 doing that.

[Mr. Krikt]

I adored Virtual Springfield. It was one of the few "games" I enjoyed on the PC back then.
I think I remember being able to go in and out of one of the rooms in Krusty's studio to collect a new card underneath the poster. I just barely remember the Professor Frink page..

[BeSharp]

Just found my copy in an old disc wallet.. RIGHT NEXT TO 'Cartoon Studio'!!

[Kayasith]

Eh, I looked at the game, and the gameplay, it didn't interest me. Still, im sure for some, the exploration of the town was interesting.

As for me, I liked the game, simpsons arcade from konami, and of course, I liked the Hit and Run soundtrack. (the gameplay of Hit and Run, while kinda fun, was also a collectathon)

[Hommer]

Just found my copy in an old disc wallet.. RIGHT NEXT TO 'Cartoon Studio'!!

Sir, you are lucky.

[BeSharp]

Sir, you are lucky.

Forgot how excellent Cartoon Studio was. Managed to get it working on a Windows XP laptop, still cant get Virtual Springfield working though.

[Hommer]

Try setting the compatibility to Windows 95. Right-click on the icon, then click the Compatibility Tab.

[Quote Unquote Sir]

I always felt like there was some kind of curse on Simpsons video games. Generally the problem was that they were too hard. Not that I want all games to just be super easy, but what made these so maddening was that they'd just go on and on until they're not fun anymore. Eventually, I'd just lose interest because they were so frustratingly tedious in their difficulty.

"Virtual Bart" and "The Simpsons Hit N' Run" are two good examples. I was with "Virtual Bart" for awhile, but the levels were just ENDLESS. I always dug the water slide level and the throwing tomatoes at school one, but they were more like bonus games than actual levels.

As for "The Simpsons Hit N' Run", I got fed up with the ridiculously hard timer-based challenges. Even when I won, it was so close, I'd probably just make it with about 3 seconds left. I mostly completed that game, but there's one Apu timer race I never could pass.

I never really played "Virtual Springfield", but it sounds more up my alley since it didn't just keep ratcheting up the difficulty level until it just became a drag to play. I'd prefer more travel-based games like that, instead of games that just repeat the same level/challenge formula, just with different backgrounds and characters and more constraints making it more impossible to pass.