Catapult to Krustyland
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The contents of this article or section are considered to be non-canon and therefore may not have actually happened or existed in-universe. |
Catapult to Krustyland
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Game Information
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Catapult to Krustyland was a promotional online game developed by 65 Media for The Simpsons Ride, a motion-simulator attraction at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood. The game was part of the official SimpsonsRide.com website, which launched in March 2008 ahead of the attraction's opening. Players used a catapult to launch Simpsons-style avatars over the gates of Universal Studios toward the fictional Krustyland amusement park. The game was accompanied by a character-creation system, a leaderboard, promotional contests, and other interactive content.
The game is no longer publicly playable and is considered lost media. Although contemporary descriptions, screenshots, forum discussions, and promotional material document its existence, no complete copy of the game has been publicly recovered.
Contents
Background[edit]
The Simpsons Ride was announced in 2007 as a replacement for Back to the Future: The Ride at both Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood. The attraction opened at Universal Studios Florida on May 15, 2008, followed by the Hollywood version on May 19.[1]
As part of the promotional campaign for the attraction, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood partnered with digital agency 65 Media, which had previously created the official website for The Simpsons Movie and its popular Simpsons Avatar Creator.[2] A dedicated website, SimpsonsRide.com, was launched shortly before the attraction opened.
The website was designed to allow visitors to interact with the world of The Simpsons while learning about the new attraction. Its central interactive feature was Catapult to Krustyland.[2]
Website[edit]
The SimpsonsRide.com website was designed by 65 Media. According to surviving documentation, portions of the site's design, layout, and Flash animation were created by Priscilla Gomez, who had also worked on the earlier The Simpsons Movie website.[3]
The site's main menu was designed to resemble the entrance to Universal Studios, with the Universal globe in the foreground and Krustyland visible behind the park's entrance. During the attraction's construction, Krustyland was depicted as being hidden behind a construction tarp. A Magic 8-Ball-style device was used as a countdown feature leading up to the attraction's opening.[3][4]
Various The Simpsons characters appeared throughout the website. Before the attraction opened, these included Sideshow Bob standing beside the catapult, Groundskeeper Willie guarding the entrance, and Ned Flanders with Rod and Todd. Some of these elements were subsequently replaced or altered after the attraction opened.[3]
After opening, the website's imagery included the Squeaky-Voiced Teen in a ride-photo booth, Sideshow Mel next to a camera, and the Simpson family crashing their car into the Universal globe. The website also featured an LED-style billboard that displayed fictional advertisements, including Buzz Cola promotions and an animated commercial for The Simpsons Ride.[3]
Gameplay[edit]
The central game, Catapult to Krustyland, was designed around a simple projectile-launching mechanic. Players operated a wooden catapult positioned on a hill and attempted to launch their selected character over the gates of "Universal Studios Theme Parks" and into Krustyland.[5][6]
The direction and strength of the wind affected the launch, requiring players to adjust their timing and trajectory. Various obstacles could interfere with the flight, including a swinging wrecking ball.[7]
Contemporary players described repeatedly attempting to clear the wall and experimenting with different characters. One April 2008 player reported successfully getting over the wall but being struck by the wrecking ball, while also describing the game's ability to launch Conan O'Brien's character into the Universal globe.[7]
The game included a scoring and leaderboard system, allowing players to compare their high scores with other users.[3]
Characters and avatars[edit]
A central feature of the game was its connection to the Simpsons Avatar creator on SimpsonsRide.com. Visitors to the website could create illustrated versions of themselves in the visual style of The Simpsons, referred to as "Avatars", and use them in the promotional activities associated with the website.[8][2][3]
The official press release also stated that, in addition to their own avatars, players could choose to catapult avatars representing their favorite candidates in the 2008 United States presidential election.[8]
Contemporary and later accounts indicate that celebrity and political figures were among the available characters. A contemporary forum discussion specifically mentions Conan O'Brien as a playable character.[7] A later search for footage of the game identified versions of John McCain, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Jay Leno, and Conan O'Brien as possible selectable characters, although the specific character names reported in that account have not been independently confirmed by contemporary official sources.[9][10][5][6]
Sweepstakes[edit]
The game was connected to a promotional sweepstakes announced by Universal on April 1, 2008. The promotion ran through May 31, 2008.[2]
The grand prize was a trip for four to either Universal Orlando or Universal Studios Hollywood. In addition, the winner's Simpsons Avatar was to be displayed at both versions of The Simpsons Ride.[2]
Contemporary players also reported that the game offered opportunities to win Universal theme-park tickets and iTunes gift cards. A discussion on DISboards from April 3, 2008 specifically refers to players attempting to win these prizes through the game.[7]
Additional games[edit]
Catapult to Krustyland was apparently not the only game planned for SimpsonsRide.com. Surviving screenshots reportedly show title cards for at least two additional games associated with The Simpsons Ride: The Screamatorium of Dr. Frightmarestein and Madam Manjula's Future Looker-After.[3]
The first was based on the fictional ride featured in the ninth-season episode "Bart Carny," while the second was based on a fictional Krustyland attraction associated with Manjula Nahasapeemapetilon.[3]
The surviving title screens suggest that The Screamatorium of Dr. Frightmarestein may have used a target-shooting or target-breaking mechanic, while Madam Manjula's Future Looker-After appears to have been based on a memory-card matching game. These gameplay mechanics have not been definitively confirmed because no playable copies or complete gameplay recordings of either game have been recovered.[3]
The website reportedly contained a message encouraging users to complete all of the midway games in order to receive exclusive content, suggesting that additional games may have existed beyond the two that have been documented.[3]
Preservation status[edit]
The SimpsonsRide.com website remained online for approximately two years after its launch. It was eventually retired by Universal around 2010, after which the domain redirected visitors to a Universal Studios website error page.[11][12]
A 2024 request for help locating footage of the game described it as apparently lost and sought surviving gameplay footage. Although contemporary descriptions, forum discussions, and promotional material documenting the game's existence remain available, the complete game itself has not been confirmed to be publicly preserved.[9]
Gallery[edit]
SimpsonsRide.com after the attraction's official opening
Game over screen
Victory screen
Jay Leno
Senator Talkgood
Senator Pantsuit
Senator Whitehair
References[edit]
- ↑ The Simpsons Ride. Wikipedia.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Moody, Annemarie. The Simpsons Movie Website Wins Two Webby Awards Animation World Network, May 19, 2008.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Catapult to Krustyland (lost promotional online game for Universal Studios motion simulator ride; 2008) The Lost Media Wiki.
- ↑ The Simpsons Ride Web site up Attractions Magazine, March 28, 2008.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 「CATUPULTO TO KRUSTYLAND」 The Simpsons Fan Club, November 5, 2008.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Simpsons Ride The Simpsons Fan Club, July 1, 2008.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Catapult to Krustyland Game DISboards, April 3, 2008.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Simpsons Ride - Press Release thestudiotour.com, April 1, 2008.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Footage of the online game Catapult To Krustyland Reddit
- ↑ Schroeder, Marjori. Universal lança site da atração Simpsons Ride Panrotas, April 3, 2008.
- ↑ Universal Orlando Resort website's error page.
- ↑ Wayback Machine copy of The Simpsons Ride website.
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