The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man is a 1992 platform game based on the Fox animated television series The Simpsons. Released by Acclaim Entertainment for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Gear, it follows Bart Simpson as he embarks on a comic book quest to rescue his kidnapped idol, superhero Radioactive Man. At the end of each chapter, Bartman must face one of the super villains that stole Radioactive Man's powers.
Plot
Bart Simpson is at home reading a Radioactive Man comic book only to be shocked as Radioactive Man's sidekick, Fallout Boy, jumps out of it. Fallout Boy tells Bart that he must venture into the comic book universe in order to save Radioactive Man, who is being held captive at the black hole-orbiting prison Limbo Zone. Once inside the comic book world, Bart transforms into his superhero alter ego Bartman and has to defeat three super villains that have stolen Radioactive Man's powers: Swamp Hag, Dr. Crab, and Lava Man. After collecting these powers, Bartman must find Radioactive Man and team up with him to defeat Brain-O the Magnificent, the mastermind behind the evil plot.
Development
The game was developed by Imagineering and published by Acclaim. It was released in 1992 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and the handheld Game Gear. At the time when the game was released, the "Bartman" alter ego was popular in merchandise relating to The Simpsons, although the character rarely appeared in the television series. Radioactive Man had not been featured much either at that point. In regard to this, an 1UP.com editor commented that "when it comes to mining the show for content, Bartman Meets Radioactive Man is really reaching."
Reception
Bartman Meets Radioactive Man received generally mixed reviews from critics. In February 1994, the GamePro magazine commented, "Though it's not a toxic waste of time, Bartman meets Radioactive Man is an average game with handicaps that affect its playability and your enjoyment. Only you can determine if it's a meltdown or not." Game Players gave the game a 44/100 rating with the rationale that "it's full of frustrating jumps, and there are no passwords [for saving]." He wrote that the game starts in a "promising manner," but quickly "degenerates" into a generic platforming game, concluding with "It would be easy to ignore Bart Meets Radioactive Man, and, if you did, you wouldn't miss out on much. But if you can cope with boring graphics and monotone tunes, you have a tough game that should take a while to complete."