The Simpsons and video games have had an unlikely love affair that spans over three decades, with the former influencing the latter in countless ways.
In 1991, just two years after its debut, Acclaim released Bart vs The Space Mutants, a side-scrolling platformer where Bart must defeat an extraterrestrial invasion. Despite mediocre reviews, it sold 1m copies and inspired a string of Bart-focused games, cementing the connection between The Simpsons and video games.
The show itself has also used video games as a satirical tool to poke fun at its characters and their quirks. Springfield's arcade Noiseland is filled with amusing coin-operated games, while games like Billy Graham's Bible Blaster are used to mock the show's more serious moments.
However, it was 2003's Simpsons Hit & Run that probably best foreshadowed this Fortnite tie-in. A glorious Homer-fronted pastiche of Grand Theft Auto, where you can drive around Springfield and carry out missions while visiting locations like Android's Dungeon and Krusty Burger.
Now, Fortnite has become a miniature version of The Simpsons, complete with popular characters and well-known locations. It's an example of the symbiotic relationship between the two, showing how The Simpsons has continued to thrive as a cultural icon despite its decline as a must-watch TV phenomenon.
Fortnite might not be the place you wanted to find a proper modern Simpsons game, but it makes sense for it to be here โ a palace of memes, soundbites and cartoonish antics that will no doubt continue to generate fun and money for many years to come.
In 1991, just two years after its debut, Acclaim released Bart vs The Space Mutants, a side-scrolling platformer where Bart must defeat an extraterrestrial invasion. Despite mediocre reviews, it sold 1m copies and inspired a string of Bart-focused games, cementing the connection between The Simpsons and video games.
The show itself has also used video games as a satirical tool to poke fun at its characters and their quirks. Springfield's arcade Noiseland is filled with amusing coin-operated games, while games like Billy Graham's Bible Blaster are used to mock the show's more serious moments.
However, it was 2003's Simpsons Hit & Run that probably best foreshadowed this Fortnite tie-in. A glorious Homer-fronted pastiche of Grand Theft Auto, where you can drive around Springfield and carry out missions while visiting locations like Android's Dungeon and Krusty Burger.
Now, Fortnite has become a miniature version of The Simpsons, complete with popular characters and well-known locations. It's an example of the symbiotic relationship between the two, showing how The Simpsons has continued to thrive as a cultural icon despite its decline as a must-watch TV phenomenon.
Fortnite might not be the place you wanted to find a proper modern Simpsons game, but it makes sense for it to be here โ a palace of memes, soundbites and cartoonish antics that will no doubt continue to generate fun and money for many years to come.