| Futurama | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Unique Development Studios |
| Publisher(s) | VU Games / Fox Interactive |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 Xbox GameCube (Cancelled, except in Europe) |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | |
| Media/distribution | DVD |
Futurama is a 3D platform game based on the science fiction cartoon series Futurama. Versions are available for the PS2 and Xbox, both of which use cel-shading technology. Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance games were planned for release, though they were cancelled due to a belief that their popularity was short-lived. Due to this, it was released on the Nintendo GameCube in Europe, although no physical proof of this has ever been found.[1][2][3] The cutscenes of the game are presented as an entire "lost episode" of Futurama on the DVD of The Beast with a Billion Backs.
Contents |
Gameplay is a mix of action and platforming. As the game progresses, players play as each of four characters: Fry, Bender, Leela and Zoidberg. Fry's levels mostly involve shooter mechanics, possibly based on the Ratchet and Clank series, as he can use a multitude of guns. Bender's levels are platformer-oriented, based on the Crash Bandicoot series, while Leela's revolve around hand to hand combat. Zoidberg features in a short segment that plays similarly to the warthog levels from Crash Bandicoot. There are several Nibblers hidden in each level; collecting them unlocks extras such as movie clips and galleries.
The game begins with Professor Farnsworth, wearing a sombrero, selling the Planet Express delivery company to Mom, explaining that it had been losing money for years due to mismanagement. The buyout gives Mom ownership of more than fifty percent of Earth, allowing her to become the supreme ruler of Earth. Soon after this, she enslaves humanity.
After Fry, Leela, Bender, and Farnsworth repair the inexplicably broken ship, they escape from Earth with the Professor's new invention, The Re-animator (which closely resembles a giant toaster), which brings the crew back to life every time they die. However, Mom pursues them in an effort to capture Farnsworth. She hopes to turn Earth into a giant warship, and Farnsworth is the only person who knows how to build an engine large enough to move the Earth. She ultimately captures Farnsworth, places his head in a jar, and sends the ship hurtling into the Sun with Fry, Leela, and Bender on board.
After discovering that the Sun is habitable, they help the Sun People, then head for the planet of Bogad, where Farnsworth’s mentor, Adoy, lives. Adoy has invented a time machine, which he uses to send Fry, Leela and Bender back to a few minutes before Mom buys Planet Express from the Professor. However, the ship crashes into Planet Express, destroying the ship. This prompts them to steal the ship of the past, leaving the broken ship to be repaired by their past selves. They attempt to stop the sale, which prompts Mom to send Destructor to attack them. They defeat the robot, but the Re-animator gets damaged and falls on Destructor, causing it to fall on top of them. Angry at the fact that the robot killed his crew, the professor refuses to sell Planet Express. But after Mom bribes him with a sombrero, he sells, and the events of the game continue in an endless cycle.
While the game remains generally faithful to the series, many characters are omitted altogether, such as Amy Wong, who is completely absent from the game. Only her locker appears.
| Character | Voice actor | # of cut scene appearances | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philip J. Fry | Billy West[4] | Numerous | |
| Leela | Katey Sagal[4] | Numerous | |
| Bender B. Rodriguez | John Di Maggio[4] | Numerous | |
| Dr. John Zoidberg | Billy West[4] | Three |
| Character | Voice actor | # of cut scene appearances | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth | Billy West[4] | Numerous | |
| Morbo | Maurice LaMarche[4] | One | Appears in the opening cut scene, alongside Linda. |
| Linda | Tress MacNeille[4] | One | Appears in the opening cut scene, alongside Morbo. |
| Mom | Tress MacNeille[4] | Numerous | Main antagonist. |
| Hermes Conrad | None | Numerous; first level | Can be seen in his office in the first level, with a brain slug feasting on his brains; this a reference to the episode "Raging Bender". |
| Scruffy | None | Numerous; first level | Can be seen sleeping in the flooded basement of the Planet Express building. |
| Walt, Larry and Igner | John Di Maggio (Igner)[4] Maurice LaMarche (Walt)[4] David Herman (Larry)[4] |
Numerous | Serve as bosses throughout Bender's mission. |
| Sal | John Di Maggio[4] | One | Helps Mom in taking over the universe. |
| Ra-Ra the Sun King | David Herman[4] | Two | |
| Adoy | David Herman[4] | Two | Former tutor of Professor Farnsworth. |
| Mighty Sun God | Maurice LaMarche[4] | One | Appears as a boss character in Leela's mission. |
| Nibbler | Frank Welker[4] | Numerous | Serves as a collectible, throughout the game. |
| Destructor | Maurice LaMarche[4] | Numerous | Appears throughout the last three levels and is the final boss. |
Development on the game started before the series' cancellation,[5] but the game wasn't released until after the last episode had already been shown. Thus, the game has been known as a "lost episode" of sorts since it includes 28 minutes[6] of new animation.[7]
Many of the crew from the Futurama series worked on the game. Matt Groening served as Executive game developer and David X. Cohen directed the voice actors. These voice actors were the original actors from the series: Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, and David Herman. Cast members Phil LaMarr and Lauren Tom weren't included in the game due to budgetary reasons. Also adding to the authenticity of the game was the original music composition provided by Christopher Tyng who also composed the music in the series and Futurama scriptwriter and producer J. Stewart Burns who scripted an original storyline for the plot. The music during the end credits of the game is later used in the four straight-to-DVD Futurama films; in the extended intro of Bender's Big Score, and rearranged versions during the end credits of the subsequent three films.
Gameplay was generally considered lackluster,[8][9] though the cutscenes were described in Wired as "side-splitting".[10]
The cutscenes, along with some in-game footage provided by Cohen, were included as Futurama: The Lost Adventure (described by Cohen as "the 73rd episode")[10] on the direct-to-DVD movie Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs.[11]
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