Summary
Animation is a genre constantly being overhauled for the better due to the vast technological improvements. However, the biggest change to this format came in 1989, when the first episode ofThe Simpsonsaired on Fox. This new animated show aimed to provide audiences with normal sitcom plots, but the main difference was that the characters were cartoons. The show was a hit with children and adults, leading to a genre that is now known as adult animation.
The Simpsonswasn’t the only show to try and use animation to appeal to adults; the show has inspired many other projects since. When these adult animation TV shows are successful, the people who own them want to create merchandise based on that IP. As such, one of the most common forms of merchandise is a licensed video game.
Rick and Mortyis a different kind of adult animation show that ignores the traditional family sitcom setup to follow the mad scientist, Rick, and his grandson as they go on strange adventures while also adding a satirical look at sci-fi and fantasy tropes. The show was a massive success and the wider world that the show represents made it perfect for a video game adaptation. However, as is traditional for a show like this, the developers side-stepped making a normal triple-A action-adventure game togive fans a VR experience instead.
InRick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality, players take control of a Morty clone who was created to perform the chores that the real Morty does not want to do. As a VR game,Virtual Rick-alityplays like a simple set of instructions. However, when viewed as a new episode, the game shines as many of the original writers and voice actors return.
Arcade1Up The Simpsons Arcade Machine
The Simpsonswas a hit right out of the gate, which is why the people at the studio looked to create merchandise for the show immediately. Everyone from the early 90s remembers the swathes of Bart Simpsons t-shirts and toys, but one of the mostsuccessful pieces of merchandise wasThe Simpsons Arcade Game.
Set in Springfield, this pay-to-play cabinet was a classic side-scrolling beat-em-up game for up to four players that sees the rest of the family fighting through waves of goons after Maggie is kidnapped by Mr. Burns. Much like the early seasons ofThe Simpsons, the arcade game is very much of its time. Still, it is plenty of fun, and many young gamers remember this staple of the arcade.
4Futurama: Game Of Drones
Metacritic Score: 78
WithThe Simpsonsbecoming a runaway hit for Fox, one of its primary creators, Matt Groening, then went on to develop a new animated show for the next millennium.Futuramais set in the year 3000 and follows a delivery crew as they have some satirical adventures in space. Using the same art style asThe Simpsons,Futuramahas asimilar style of humorto the hit show but chooses to poke fun at sci-fi tropes rather than family sitcoms. As a result, this hit show was not as popular and has bounced back and forth from cancelation over the years.
However, much likeThe Simpsons, people behind the show also sought to make more money fromFuturamamerchandise. The show has had a few licensed games over the years, but the most popular is the mobile game andCandy Crushclone,Futurama: Game of Drones. This simple game tasks players with matching identical drones on a screen and that is it. The game is simple enough, but the returning voice cast was able to tide fans over untilFuturamawas renewed on Hulu in 2022.
When theGrand Theft Autoseries made the jump to 3D withGTA 3for the PS2, gaming changed forever. Almost every developer was looking to create the next open-world video game phenomenon. Meanwhile,The Simpsonswas still one of the most popular shows on TV, and so licensing the show tocreate a new open-world gameseemed like a no-brainer.
The Simpsons: Hit and Runtakes place in Springfield, and allows players to walk, run, or drive around the map to complete missions and races as principal family members of the main cast. This game served as a great introduction to open-world games for younger audiences and has enough jokes and references to appease fans of the show. It may not have been as shocking asGTA, butThe Simpsons: Hit and Runstill serves as a great child-friendly clone of the series.
After the success ofThe Simpsons, the creators behindSouth Parktook adult animation to another level. Using only construction paper, Trey Parker and Matt Stone brought to life a world where four young boys spout filthy language, act violently, and disgraceany celebrity that becomes newsworthy. As is the norm, theSouth Parkfranchise spawned many video games of varying quality. However, the most successful of these has been in the RPG genre.
South Park: The Fractured But Wholeallows players to construct a team of characters to explore the town from the show, and use their new superhero identities to fight enemies in turn-based combat while also mocking the current superhero media landscape in a great sequel toThe Stick of Truth. Sadly, the humor in this game does not land as well as in the first due to many other outlets making similar jokes at the time.
The first game to take theSouth Parkshow in this new RPG direction wasSouth Park: The Stick of Truth. Poking fun at the biggest show at the time,Game of Thrones, this game takes the protagonists ofSouth Parkon a new role-playing adventure that knows exactly how to satirize pop culture and video games as a whole.
Balancing the highly inappropriate humor of the show with some new gameplay functions,The Stick of TruthgivesSouth Parkfans a new immersive way to interact with that universe. Also, the game still manages to sneak in some trademark jibes at current events and celebrities. Overall,South Park: The Stick of Truthis a game that is hard to ignore for fans of adult animation.
