Virtual Bart

Virtual Bart is a 1994 action video game developed by Sculptured Software and published by Acclaim Entertainment. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Sega Genesis in September 1994. It is based on the American animated television series The Simpsons, and has players control Bart Simpson through a selection of six minigames based around various themes. It is the final Simpsons game to star Bart Simpson, as well as the final Simpsons game released for the Genesis; in Japan, it was one of the last games released for the system as a whole.

Virtual Bart was conceived as a follow-up to The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare (1992), with Mark Flitman as producer. The game received generally mixed reviews from critics upon release. Reviewers criticized the game for its high difficulty, controls, and lack of polish, though praised the gameplay variety, graphics, and overall presentation. Retrospective reviews have been more critical, with it often being ranked as among the worst Simpsons games.

At a science fair, Martin Prince presents a virtual reality device that displays six educational exhibitions. However, Bart causes the device to malfunction and gets trapped in it. Bart must complete the six programs to escape the machine. If Bart successfully completes every stage, he escapes from the device and Homer then enters the machine. If the player gets a Game Over, Bart is released from the machine, looking ill.

Virtual Bart consists of several minigames, similar to Bart's Nightmare. Unlike Bart's Nightmare, the game does not feature a hub world and each stage is selected randomly using a spinning roulette wheel, though it also features a Practice Mode that allows the player to pick one of the levels. Gameplay for Jurassic Bart, Baby Bart, and Pig Bart consists of platforming, while Class Picture, Mount Splashmore, and Doomsday Bart consist of different play styles.

All stages feature a time limit. If the time runs out, the player loses a life. Additionally, all stages except for Class Picture feature a health bar, which decreases every time Bart gets hit. Several stages feature corn dogs that restore Bart's health, as well as extra lives.

Once a stage is completed, it cannot be repeated; if the wheel lands on an already-completed stage, it will continue spinning slowly to the nearest remaining stage panel. If the wheel lands on the skull or corn dog panel (which quickly alternates between showing each item), the player will lose or gain a life, respectively. If the player fails a stage, they lose one life and are taken back to the roulette wheel. Failure when the player has no extra lives prematurely ends the game. Otherwise, the game ends after all stages are cleared.