The Simpsons Waterworld Joke Arcade Game Is Now A Real Game You Can Play

Over the many decades that The Simpsons has been around, the animated TV series has had a good grasp on video games, poking fun at the scene with numerous fake titles. One such example was seen in the season six episode "The Springfield Files" with a laugh at the expense of Kevin Costner's critical flop Waterworld. If you've ever wished that the game was real and playable without having to dump $10 worth of quarters into an arcade machine, the good news is that one industrious developer has turned the gag into a free PC game.

"I've always been fascinated by the fake video games that were occasionally seen in The Simpsons, and the Waterworld one always stuck out to me as a kid," creator Macaw45 explained. "Of course it's just a short joke poking fun at how expensive the production of the movie was at the time, but this fake game itself with its gigantic Kevin Costner character on the screen who takes a single step before the machine asks for more quarters always made me so eager to know 'what would be beyond that one screen you see in the show...'"

The game itself goes a step further than Milhouse ever did--before he needed to fork out more cash--and has fully-rendered sections to explore, plenty of secrets hidden about, and even a boss fight. If you'd like to try it out for yourself you can grab a download from itchio, and if you're feeling generous, you can reward Macaw45's hard work with a donation.

In other Simpsons news, a fan of the classic Hit and Run game starring Springfield's residents has begun work on a remaster mod. It's an impressive effort so far, and includes a number of cutscenes given a 2D makeover that brings the 3D game in line with the classic animated series.