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{{Infobox VG| title = The Simpsons Cartoon Studio |image = cartoonstudio2.jpg |developer = Big Top Productions |publisher = [[Fox Interactive]] |designer = |engine = Based on [[Felix the Cat's Cartoon Toolbox]] |released = 1996 |genre = |modes = [[Single player]] |platforms = [[Microsoft Windows]], [[Mac OS]] |ratings = [[ESRB]]: E<br>[[Office of Film and Literature Classification (Australia)|OFLC]]: G |media = [[CD-ROM]]<ref name="LaRue">{{cite news|last=LaRue|first=William|title=Simply 'Simpsons' Fans Devoted To Witty Writing, Inside Jokes And Parodies|newspaper=Syracuse Herald-American |date=1996-04-21}}</ref> |requirements = |input = Mouse and [[Computer keyboard|Keyboard]] |preceded by = |followed by = }} '''''The Simpsons Cartoon Studio''''' is a [[computer program]] based on the animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]'' that was released for [[Microsoft Windows|PC]] and [[Mac OS|Mac]] computers in 1996 by [[Fox Interactive]]. It allows users to create their own ''Simpsons'' cartoons, using characters, sounds, music, and locations from the show. The cast members of ''The Simpsons'' provided their voices for the program. ''The Simpsons Cartoon Studio'' has received generally positive reviews, although there has been some criticism too. ==Gameplay== ''The Simpsons Cartoon Studio'' is a design program for creating cartoons using characters, sounds, music, and locations from the American animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]''.<ref name="UGO">{{cite web|title=Simpsons Cartoon Studio|url=http://simpsons.ugo.com/?cur=simpsons-cartoon-studio&gallery=true|publisher=[[UGO Networks]]|accessdate=2010-08-10}}</ref><ref name="Szadkowski2"/> To create a cartoon, one first selects a background, then inserts characters, props, and special effects, and after that adds dialog, sound effects, and music.<ref name="Ojeda-Zapata">{{cite news|last=Ojeda-Zapata|first=Julio|title=From Klingons To 'Ay Caramba!'|newspaper=[[St. Paul Pioneer Press]]|date=1996-05-13}}</ref> The program allows users to send the finished cartoons to friends through email<ref name="Milvy"/> or save it onto a hard drive or a [[floppy disk]].<ref name="Ojeda-Zapata"/> There are seventeen characters, fifty special effects, two-hundred-and-seventy props, and thirty-five backgrounds in ''The Simpsons Cartoon Studio'', with thousands of individual [[cel]]s hand-drawn by actual ''The Simpsons'' cartoonists.<ref name="Szadkowski2"/><ref name="Szadkowski">{{cite news|last=Szadkowski|first=Joseph |title=Smell of money|newspaper=[[The Washington Times]]|date=1996-06-01}}</ref> Every character has a set of actions; for example, [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] can crawl, ride on a [[Tubing (recreation)|tube]], and run away screaming, while [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] can run, trip over, cycle, ride his skateboard, and paint graffiti with spray-paint.<ref>{{cite news|last=LaRose|first=Phil|title=Computer E's|newspaper=[[The Advocate (Louisiana)|The Advocate]]|date=1996-11-03}}</ref> Backgrounds featured range from the [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]] to Bart's room, and props include tables, blenders, and the three-eyed fish [[List of animals in The Simpsons#Blinky|Blinky]].<ref name="Palm"/> ==Development== ''The Simpsons Cartoon Studio'' was released for [[Microsoft Windows|PC]] and [[Mac OS|Mac]] computers in the middle of 1996.<ref name="UGO"/> It was developed and published by [[Fox Interactive]],<ref name="IGN">{{cite web|title=The Simpsons Cartoon Studio|url=http://pc.ign.com/objects/571/571290.html|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=2010-08-10}}</ref> and uses an improved version of the interface from ''[[Felix the Cat's Cartoon Toolbox]]'' that was developed by Big Top Productions.<ref>{{cite web|title=Big Top Productions|url=http://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/big-top-productions/developed-by/|publisher=[[MobyGames]]|accessdate=2010-08-10}}</ref> The dialogs featured in the program were provided by the actual cast members of ''The Simpsons''.<ref name="Szadkowski2"/><ref>{{cite news|title=You can control Bart|newspaper=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]|date=1996-11-26}}</ref> ==Receptions== Critics gave ''The Simpsons Cartoon Studio'' generally favorable reviews,<ref name="UGO"/> and it received a lot of hype in the United States around the time it was released.<ref name="Malitz">{{cite news|last=Malitz|first=Nancy (''[[The Detroit News]]'')|title='Simpsons' CD-ROM lets you create a cut-and-paste cartoon |newspaper=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]|date=1996-10-09}}</ref> A reviewer for ''[[The Palm Beach Post]]'' wrote that it is not very easy to create the cartoons: "Layering characters, props, sound effects and dialogue into seamless animation is no small task, and you'll invest a good chunk of time with this CD-ROM before you're ready to premiere your own ''Simpsons'' episodes. But if you're fan enough to go the distance, this is a remarkably versatile program that turns out great-looking cartoons."<ref name="Palm">{{cite news|title=Direct, Animate 'The Simpsons'|newspaper=[[The Palm Beach Post]]|date=1996-08-17|page=3D}}</ref> Similarly, Jane Clifford of ''[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]'' called it "quite a challenging product" which produces cartoons that "really look professional."<ref>{{cite news|last=Clifford|first=Jane|title=Stuff a stocking with kids CDs the best amaze -- and educate|newspaper=[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]|date=1996-12-17|page=4}}</ref> Benjamin Svetkey of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' gave it a B+ rating, commenting that the cartoons created "can be entertaining, but they're hampered by a failing common to the make-your-own-movie genre: Since ''Cartoon Studio'' has a limited number of voice clips ('[[Β‘Ay, caramba!|Ay, caramba!]]', 'Mmm... donuts', and about 50 variations on 'Bart!'), your plot choices are restricted to the usual pranks, pratfalls, and catchphrases. Still, as Homer would say, ''The Simpsons Cartoon Studio'' is more 'Woohoo!' than '[[D'oh!]]'."<ref name="Svetkey">{{cite news|last=Svetkey|first=Benjamin|title=The Simpsons Cartoon Studio|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,294033,00.html|accessdate=2010-08-10|newspaper=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=1996--09-13}}</ref> ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]''{{'}}s Erika Milvy commented that "Fox's ''Simpsons Cartoon Studio'' may be more the '90s answer to [[Colorforms]] than a finely tuned animation resource, but dang if it isn't fun to watch [[Waylon Smithers|Smithers]] and [[Mr. Burns]] hula across the monitor as a three-eyed fish swims by," and added that "for the anally inclined, there's certainly a way to have these cartoons make more sense. But I prefer to toss rhyme and reason out the window."<ref name="Milvy">{{cite news|last=Milvy|first=Erika|title=Animate the Simpsons Yourself|url=http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/1997/01/1251|accessdate=2010-08-10|newspaper=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|date=1997-02-01}}</ref> Joseph Szadkowski of ''[[The Washington Times]]'' wrote that "For the amount of complicated computer stuff going on β frame by frame editing, character motion, voice overlays β even the most computer-illiterate individual should be able to figure this out. ''The Simpsons Cartoon Studio'' is a very fun, relatively inexpensive jaunt into the mind of [[Matt Groening|Mr. Groening]]."<ref name="Szadkowski2">{{cite news|last=Szadkowski2|first=Joseph|title=Bugged and plugged in - Interact on CD with Simpsons and famous bunny|newspaper=[[The Washington Times]]|date=1996-08-24|page=B4}}</ref> Mike Langberg of [[Knight Ridder]] was less positive, writing in his review that "At first glance, the CD-ROM provides a lot of raw material. There are 350 brief animations, running two or three seconds each, showing 17 characters from the show in numerous poses. The CD-ROM delivery, unfortunately, falls flat[...]." He explained that "''Simpsons Cartoon Studio'' is awkward to operate and limited in what it can accomplish, producing animated sequences that are jerky and out of sync. The CD-ROM comes with 15 cartoons created by the developers, running from 10 seconds to 55 seconds. None flow smoothly or tell funny stories. There's no reason to expect the rest of us will do any better."<ref>{{cite news|last=Langberg|first=Mike ([[Knight Ridder]])|title=`Simpsons' CD-ROM Is Lame, Man|newspaper=[[Tulsa World]]|date=1996-08-31}}</ref> Similarly, Nancy Malitz of ''[[The Detroit News]]'' wrote that "you move the characters around and invent the scenarios, but in the end you might feel your creativity wasn't heavily challenged. The whole deal is essentially a cut-and-paste operation. You can't create characters of your own, and the kind of automatic synchronization of sounds with movement that you see in a simple product like Video Jam isn't available, so things look sort of choppy no matter how hard you try."<ref name="Malitz"/> ==References== {{reflist|2}} ==External links== *{{moby game|id=/simpsons-cartoon-studio}} {{Simpsons games}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Simpsons Cartoon Studio, The}} [[Category:1996 video games]] [[Category:Mac OS games]] [[Category:The Simpsons video games|Cartoon Studio]] [[Category:Windows games]] [[es:The Simpsons Cartoon Studio]] [[fr:The Simpsons Cartoon Studio]] [[nl:The Simpsons Cartoon Studio]] [[sv:The Simpsons Cartoon Studio]]
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