The Simpsons Wrestling Is Officially 20 Years Old And We Feel Really Old Now

Big Ape Productions' The Simpsons Wrestling has officially turned 20 years old in 2021, despite failing to live up to the hype factor at the time.

The Simpsons Wrestling first arrived in Europe in March 2001 on the PlayStation 1 before it was released in North America the following month.

Developer Big Ape's title, published by Activision in North America and by EA in Europe, saw the wonderfully memorable Simpsons characters collide with the world of wrestling.

Of course, The Simpsons family was available on the title's roster alongside several fan-favourites, including Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Groundskeeper Willie and Moe Szyslak.

And players could watch Simpsons characters compete inside the ring across numerous iconic locations in Springfield, including Moe's Tavern, the Kwik-E-Mart and the Nuclear Power Plant.

Whether it was a single-player experience or local multiplayer with some pals, The Simpsons Wrestling has fond memories for many when they were kids.

While it might not have had the WWE element of wrestling some might have hoped for, players mashed the different buttons on the PlayStation controller as they drained their opponent's health meter.

Oh, and that's not to mention a player scrambling around the ring to collect the U, N, A and T letter that appeared in order to successfully perform their character's 'TAUNT' ability.

Yeah, the experience of The Simpsons Wrestling was far from refined -- it was really clunky -- but almost anyone who owned a PS1 wanted to play it when it came out.

"As a kid, I had a lot of fun playing this. And I've spent weeks to beat [Mr] Smithers but I couldn't beat him until today," one person said.

While someone else posted: "I know it's supposedly one of the worst games of all time, but this game was an absolute laugh back in the day. Good for a laugh with friends."

A third wrote: "This game is amazing and terrible at the same time. Sure, its controls are pretty bad, but it's fun to play."

And a fourth added: "This has just unlocked a memory for me. Man, wow. Haha, nostalgia."

Remaster of The Simpsons Wrestling? No. Remake? We would definitely be open to that idea.

Featured Image Credit: Big Ape Productions/EA

Topics: GAMING, EA, Electronic Arts, PlayStation, Wrestling, PS1

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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