Platform: Sinclair ZX Spectrum
Region: Region Not Set
Developer(s): Arc Developments
Publishers(s): Ocean Software Ltd.
ReleaseDate: 1991-01-01
Players: 1
Co-op: No
THE SIMPSONS (BART VS. THE SPACE MUTANTS) A WORD FROM BART SIMPSON Hello, fellow humans. Bartholomew J. Simpson here with a very important secret: SPACE MUTANTS ARE INVADING SPRINGFIELD! That's right, man! A buncha slimy, horrible totally gross and putrid monsters are taking over the bodies of the people who live there and they wanna build a weapon that's gonna take over the entire planet! Pretty cool, huh? Anyway, yours truly is the only one who can see 'em cause of my X-Ray glasses so it's up to me to stop 'em! I've gotta spraypaint things, get radical on my skateboard, use my trusty slingshot and in general, behave like a nuisance, man. Plus, with evil dudes like Nelson the bully and Sideshow Bob getting in my way, it's a good thing I've got the rest of the Simpsons to help me out! So if you're a decent person, a patriot and somebody who cares about this sorry planet, you'll do the right thing. Save the Earth! PLAY THIS GAME! Thanks, man. LOADING SPECTRUM CASSETTE 128K ONLY Place the cassette in the recorder ensuring that it is fully rewound. Select LOADER option and press RETURN key. Press PLAY on your recorder - the game will now load automatically SPECTRUM +3 DISK Set up system and switch on as described in your instruction manual. Insert disk and press ENTER to choose LOADER option. This program will then load automatically. CASSETTE CPC 464 Place the rewound cassette in the deck, type RUNT and then press the ENTER/RETURN key. Follow the instructions as they appear on-screen. If there is a disk drive attached, then type |TAPE then press ENTER/RETURN key. Then type RUN"" and press ENTER/RETURN key (The | symbol is obtained by holding shift and pressing the @ key). CPC 664 and 6128 Connect a suitable cassette tape recorder ensuring that the correct leads are attached as defined in the User instruction Booklet. Place the rewound tape in the cassette recorder and type |TAPE then press the ENTER/RETURN key. Then type RUN"" and press the ENTER/RETURN key. Follow the on-screen instructions. DISK Insert the program disk into the drive with the A side facing upwards. Type |DISC and press the ENTER/RETURN key to make sure that the machine can access the drive, Now type RUN"DISC" and press ENTER/RETURN, the game will load automatically. COMMODORE Position the cassette in your Commodore recorder with the printed side upwards and wake sure that it is rewound to the beginning Ensure that all the leads are connected. Press the SHIFT key and the RUN/STOP key simultaneously. Follow the on-screen instructions - PRESS PLAY ON TAPE This program will then load automatically, For C128 loading type GO 64 (RETURN), then follow C64 instruction. PLEASE NOTE: This game loads in a number of parts: follow on-screen instructions. DISK Select 64 mode (if using Commodore 128). Turn on the disk drive, insert the program into the drive with the label facing upwards. Type LOAD "*",8,1 (RETURN) the introductory screen will appear and the program will then load automatically. CONTROLS This is a one player game controlled by Joystick only. To move Bart push the joystick left or right in the appropriate direction. To jump: push the joystick UP To jump higher: keep pushing the joystick UP To walk faster: move left or right whilst pushing UP on the joystick. To shoot weapons or spray-paint: press FIRE. To scroll through the inventory hold down the joystick and press fire. Release joystick when item required appears in the window. To use an inventory item pull down on the joystick and then release it. To Pause: select PAUSE in the inventory and press FIRE (C64 only). For a super long jump: Press FIRE and UP together. While on the skateboard hold down FIRE and press UP or DOWN to move the skateboard's position. THE STATUS SCREEN The Status Screen displays Number of hits left in current life, inventory items, Simpson's family member name as alien proofs are collected, score, lives, time left to complete level, weapon meter (how much ammo is left) and goals remaining to be collected on each level. GETTING THE FAMILY TO HELP If he tried hard enough, Bart could probably save the world alone, of course. But it'd sure be easier if Homer, Marge, Lisa and Maggie could help him. The problem is, Bart doesn't exactly have the best reputation for telling the truth, so he first has to convince his family he's not making this story up. How does he do it? By jumping on the heads of the people whose bodies have been taken over by Mutants. This forces the Mutants out of the bodies they've been controlling. They then leave behind proof of their existence that Bart must pick up before it disappears. Each time he gets one, a letter in the name of one of the Simpsons appears under their picture in the Status Screen. When their name is completely spelled out, that family member helps Bart battle the archenemy waiting for him at the end of the level. Important Note: Don't let Bart jump on the head of someone who isn't taken over by a Mutant! To learn who is and isn't a Mutant, use the x-ray specs. X-RAY SPECS Make sure the X-Ray specs have been selected from the inventory. Then pull down on the joystick and Bart will look through the glasses and be able to tell which people have been taken over by the Mutants. Be careful; if he hops on the head of someone who hasn't been taken over he'll be penalized one hit. GOALS These are the ingredients the Mutants need to build their Ultimate Weapon, which they'll use to conquer the world. To save the Earth, Bart must collect, destroy, hide, change, and otherwise ruin these objects so the aliens can't gather them up. He must collect the amount of items shown on the Status Screen, fight off and avoid a bunch of enemies along the way and then do battle with some evil familiar foes at the end of each level. If Bart manages to complete an entire level, the Mutants modify their machine so it can use some other ingredient. Level 1: The Streets of Springfield PURPLE-COLOURED OBJECTS Purple objects are the first ingredients the Mutants need for their Ultimate Weapon. Be on the lookout for anything coloured purple. Bart will be able to use spray-paint in this level, but he won't be able to spray everything. Try to be creative and figure out other ways he can get rid of the purple objects. Level 2: The Springfield Shopping Mall HATS Hats are the Mutants' second choice for building their weapon. Collect as many as you can, but if you come across people who are wearing hats, Bart must first knock the hat off their head before he can collect it. Level 3: Krustyland Amusement Park BALLOONS Balloons are the next ingredient the Mutants will be after. Bart can find them at the Krustyland Amusement Park. He can grab the balloons or shoot them with his slingshot (which is easier) but first he's got to find his slingshot. Bart can also play games of skill and chance at Krustyland. Here's how: C64 - Push UP on the joystick when he's standing in front of a game. SPECTRUM/AMSTRAD - Select a coin when he's standing in front of a game. Then you'll see instructions on what to do next. If he has to shoot or throw press the FIRE button. (C64 only) - If he has to place a bet, move the Joystick LEFT or RIGHT to move the coin, and press FIRE to stars the wheel spinning. Remember to have enough coins to play, and also remember that Bart might sometimes have to jump to hit a target. Level 4 : Springfield Museum of Natural History EXIT SIGNS The next ingredient is exit signs, which the Mutants have snuck into the museum after hours to steal. Bart can touch these signs to collect them, but some of them are pretty high up. If he can't reach them, use tasers guns, which you can pick up along the way. Watch out for the laser alarms and just about everything else here - some things take on a life of their own past closing time. Level 5 : Springfield Nuclear Power Plant POWER RODS Nuclear power rods are the final ingredient the Mutants can use to build their machine. Bart must make his way around the Power Plant where Homer works, collecting all the rods he can find. Then he has to hightail it to the basement and put them back in the reactor. The maximum amount of rods he can carry at one time is 4 and they're displayed on the Status Screen where the Simpsons faces were. The reason the faces aren't shown there anymore is because they're all at the plant helping Bart The Elevator and Stairs Bart can't move around the plant unless he uses the elevators or the stairs. To move Bart into the elevator he has to be standing right in front of it. Press the FIRE button and the elevator will arrive at his floor and the door will open. Push UP on the joystick and he'll enter. Push LEFT or RIGHT to pick the destination floor, and then press the FIRE button again. (C64 only) When he gets to that floor, push DOWN on the joystick to exit. Note: Some elevators stop at all floors, some are express. Bart Entering a Stairway If you want Bart to use the stairs, push UP on the joystick and he'll go in the door. When he's in hold down the FIRE button while pressing UP or DOWN on the joystick to pick the destination floor. Release the FIRE button. C64 only - you must also push DOWN on the joystick to exit the stairway. Bart can only travel to one floor at a time. WEAPONS Bart is only allowed to shoot at goals and anything else that's firing or throwing something at him. The way to get weapons is to pick them up as you go along, so keep your eyes peeled. Bart can only use these weapons in the level he finds them in, and pressing the FIRE button fires them. After Bart's collected a weapon, he carries it with him at all times until the ammo's used up. Then he loses that weapon and has to find a new one to do more damage with. Bart can pick up and carry as many weapons as he can find. But each time he uses one, his ammo supply goes down (paint, darts, slingshot rocks). The Status Screen shows how much ammo he has left. Spraypaint You can find these cans on the streets of Springfield. Bart will need them to change the colour of some of the purple objects, so don't waste paint! Slingshot There are plenty of these around at the Krustyland Amusement Park. You get 12 shots with each one. (SPECTRUM/AMSTRAD: 6 shots) Dart Gun Find these on display at the Natural History Museum. Each one's got 12 shots. (SPECTRUM/AMSTRAD: 6 shots) OTHER USEFUL ITEMS Bart starts out the game with 10 coins, but he'll need a lot more. Coins are necessary to buy things and play games: and for every 15 he collects, he gets an extra life. When he gets that extra life though, 10 coins are subtracted from inventory. There are other useful objects that will come in handy in the heat of the battle. Try to figure out what they are and how and where to use them. One thing to keep in mind though you usually can't use something unless you've bought it. How to Buy Bart can buy items in most of the Springfield stores. If he's standing by a store entrance, push UP on the joystick and he'll go right in. The owner will ask him what he wants. Push LEFT or RIGHT on the joystick to choose an item. Then the FIRE button for each one you want to buy. The item will go into inventory. To get Bart out of the store, push DOWN on the joystick. Remember, these items cost money, so make sure Bart has enough coins. And here's a little tip about the rockets: If you want Bart to fire one, hurry up and make him light it. Those sparklers don't last forever. LIVES Bart gets a total of 3 lives. For each life he uses, Bart can sustain two hits. The second time Bart is hit, he loses that life. The only times Bart can lose one full life immediately is when he falls into a pit, wet cement, quicksand etc. Bart gets extra lives (sometimes one, sometimes more than one) when he finds the Krusty faces, and one extra life for every 15 coins he collects. Each of those lives consists of two hits. Remember, the other Simpsons will only help Bart in Levels 1-4 if he can get enough alien proofs to make them believe him. If he makes it to Level 5, the Power Plant, the whole family will be there for him. MARGE Bart's loving mom will be at the mall if he needs her, and at the Power Plant to ease his burden. HOMER Bart's dad will watch out for him at the museum, and at the plant too, but only if Bart finds him some boxes of donuts. LISA Bart's brainy sister can help out at Krustyland, and the two can make a winning combination at the Power Plant. MAGGIE Bart's baby sister who is too young to talk, but not too young to help. BART'S FRIENDS Crusty the Clown: TV show host and Bart's comedy hero. Look for him to get extra lives. Jebediah Springfield: The beloved founder of Springfield who can give Bart the power of invincibility. BART'S FOES The chief Mutants have sent these soldiers to carry out their plan: Zebloid: These hairy aliens hop up and down and back and forth. Glondip: They mostly crawl around the ground, but some of them hop up and down. Killer Klown: They can be found all around Krustyland, trying to help the Mutants wipe Bart out. This next bunch is totally evil: Bart's fought them all before. Now they want revenge - even if it means selling out the Earth to the Mutants! Nelson: Springfield Elementary's biggest bully. His weapons of choice are water balloons at 20 paces. Ms. Botz: The notorious babysitter bandit, a fugitive on the loose, and one of America 's most armed and dangerous. She stashes what she steals in suitcases and maybe Bart can use that against her. Sideshow Bob: Once he was Krusty the Clown's faithful friend, then he became a traitor. Now he's out on parole, and his feet are as big as ever. Dr. Marvin Monroe: Local family counsellor, radio call-in show host, quack. He likes using shock therapy, but lately he's gone soft in the head. Adil: Albanian superspy, explosives expert and former foreign exchange student Jimbo: The absolute worst kid in school, a skateboard freak and the only teenager in fifth grade. SCORING You can earn points for defeating enemies and accomplishing certain tasks. Here's what they're worth: ITEM POINTS End of level enemies 1,000 Major enemies within level 500 Removing alien from human 200 Proof 100 Goal 100 Jebediah Head (invincibility) 50 Coin 50 Complete level Time remaining on clock X 10 HINTS AND TIPS 1. Always check the clock and keep track of the time. 2. Try jumping on things, around things, and on top of things. You never know what will turn up. 3. In Springfield try to discover what ledges Bart can stand on. 4. There are lots of ways to get rid of purple-coloured objects. Be creative and experiment! 5. At the mall, Bart can't jump on a lollipop if its stick is pointed straight up or down. 6. Collect plenty of Krusty faces, weapons and coins. 7. There are warp zones, so try to discover them. Keep in mind that Bart can only warp to another place in the same level.
ESRB Rating: Not Rated
Genre(s): Adventure