1. The Simpsons Wrestling Apu Season
2. The Simpsons Wrestling Apu Game

'The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons' is the seventh episode of The Simpsons' ninth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 16, 1997. It was written by Richard Appel and directed by Steven Dean Moore.^[2]Wwe wrestling roster. The episode sees Apu Nahasapeemapetilon marry Manjula, and incorporates several aspects of Hindu wedding ceremonies, which the writers researched during the episode's production. Appel pitched the episode several years before season nine but the idea was not used until Mike Scully became showrunner. The episode's subplot, which sees Homer stay at the Springfield Retirement Castle, was initially conceived as a separate episode, but could not be developed in enough detail.

The episode received positive reviews.

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is a recurring character in the animated TV series The Simpsons. He is an Indian immigrant proprietor who runs the Kwik-E-Mart, a popular convenience store in Springfield, and is best known for his catchphrase, 'Thank you, come again.' He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the episode 'The Telltale Head'. 'The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons' is the seventh episode of The Simpsons' ninth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 16, 1997. It was written by Richard Appel and directed by Steven Dean Moore. The episode sees Apu Nahasapeemapetilon marry Manjula, and incorporates several aspects of Hindu wedding ceremonies, which the writers researched during the.

Plot[edit]

At a bachelor auction, the available bachelors on display are deemed undesirable, and the auction generates no money at all. Marge then nominates Apu, who is deemed a success by the women at the auction. He goes out on dates with many of the town's women, and begins to enjoy his bachelor lifestyle. However, he receives a letter from his mother in India, reminding him of his arranged marriage to Manjula, the daughter of a family friend. Not wanting to get married, Apu asks Homer for advice, who suggests Apu tell his mother that he is already married. Days later, Apu thinks that he has escaped the marriage until he sees his mother walking towards the Kwik-E-Mart. To cover him, Homer tells Apu to pretend that Marge is his wife.

At the Simpson residence, Marge disapproves of the plan, but decides to do it for Apu's sake. While the plan is under way Homer decides to stay in the Springfield Retirement Castle with his father, posing as resident Cornelius Talmadge. Homer enjoys his stay at the home immensely, until the real Cornelius returns, at which point he flees. He returns home and gets into bed with Marge. Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilon enters to say goodbye, but is shocked to see Marge in bed with another man, and Apu on the floor. Tired of the whole charade, Marge forces Apu to tell his mother the truth, who declares that the arranged marriage will proceed as planned.

The wedding is held in the Simpsons' backyard, but Apu still has second thoughts about it. However, when he sees Manjula for the first time in years, he is shocked by her beauty and wit, and feels less reluctant. The pair then decide that perhaps the marriage can work after all. Homer, poorly disguised as Ganesha, tries to stop the wedding but is chased off by one of Apu's relatives.

Production[edit]

Writer Richard Appel pitched 'The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons' at a story retreat several years before the ninth season, but it could not be fitted into a season at that point. Mike Scully liked the idea and so decided to use it in his first season as showrunner.^[3] Homer's subplot at the retirement home was an idea that Scully had had for a long time. The plot could not be sustained for a whole episode, so it was fitted into this one.^[4]

The bachelor auction was created solely to provide more evidence that Apu was the best bachelor in Springfield. Appel found that the scene 'wrote itself', as every other man in Springfield is essentially a loser compared to Apu.^[3] The scene acted as the episode's opening set piece, a concept that Scully liked to use in every episode.^[4] The montage of Apu getting several different hair styles originally included three more, but they ended up being cut for time.^[4] The shot in which Apu's mother falls to the ground, a joke that the staff love, was inspired by an incident when Moore saw a man fall in much the same way.^[5] The joke was only inserted to buy Apu and Homer more time to come up with a lie.^[4] Homer writing 'Where are the sticky buns' on a sheet of paper after Apu asks him for advice is one of Mike Scully's favorite jokes.^[4] Before the wedding, Bart fuels a 'sacred fire' with pages from a hymn book. Originally, he used pages from the Bible, but after the scene had been animated, Scully found the joke 'horrible' and changed the book title to 'Hymns'.^[4]

Andrea Martin provided the voice of Apu's mother, recording her part in New York City. She wanted to get the voice perfect, so in between takes she listened to tapes of Hank Azaria reading lines for Apu, to make sure her voice could realistically be Apu's mother's.^[4] During the flashback to Apu's childhood, the animators made sure not to show Manjula, as they wished to reveal her at the end of the episode.^[5]

The staff researched arranged Hindu marriages, learning about ideas such as the lotus flower being used as a message, but a majority of the information turned out 'not to be as hilarious [as the writers] had hoped', and so was dropped.^[3]Steven Dean Moore, the episode's director, researched the design of every aspect of Indian culture shown in the episode.^[5] The events of the wedding, as well as many of the items present, were all taken from traditional Hindu marriage ceremonies.^[5]

Cultural references[edit]

The instrumental accompanying Barney in the bachelor raffle is 'My Guy' by Mary Wells. The Foreigner song 'Hot Blooded' plays over Apu's bachelor binge,^[1] and he dances in a manner similar to Riverdance.^[5] Additionally, an Indian version of The Carpenters' song '(They Long to Be) Close to You' is sung at the wedding;^[1] an Indian vocal group was hired to sing, while Alf Clausen wrote the instrumental part.^[4] During Apu's bachelor binge, he gets a haircut at the barbershop 'Hairy Shearers', clearly a reference to cast member Harry Shearer. The scene where Moe walks on and off the stage without breaking his stride was loosely based on a moment that occurred during a stand up show of comedian Redd Foxx. During a show in Las Vegas, Foxx came on stage to the Sanford and Son theme song, only to find that there were very few people in the audience. Foxx reacted angrily, and refused to do a show for such a small audience. He then walked off stage. The house orchestra, puzzled by Foxx leaving, simply played him off with the Sanford and Son theme song again.^[3] This incident was also referenced in the later episode 'Trash of the Titans', when Ray Patterson is reinstated, although the reference is more similar to the real event.^[6]

Reception[edit]

In its original broadcast, 'The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons' finished 22nd in ratings for the week of November 10–16, 1997, with a Nielsen rating of 11.6, equivalent to approximately 11.4 million viewing households. It was the third highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following The X-Files and King of the Hill.^[7]

Todd Gilchrist of IGN named the episode one of his favorites of the ninth season in his review of the DVD boxset,^[8] while Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, called it 'a good fun episode'.^[1]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdWarren Martyn; Adrian Wood (2000). ''The Two Mrs Nahasapeemapetilons''. BBC. Retrieved 2007-10-27.
2. ^Gimple, Scott (1999). The Simpsons Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family ..Continued. Harper Collins Publishers. p. 16. ISBN0-06-098763-4.
3. ^ ^abcdAppel, Richard (2006). The Simpsons The Complete Ninth Season DVD commentary for the episode 'The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons' (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
4. ^ ^abcdefghScully, Mike (2006). The Simpsons The Complete Ninth Season DVD commentary for the episode 'The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons' (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
5. ^ ^abcdeDean Moore, Steven (2006). The Simpsons The Complete Ninth Season DVD commentary for the episode 'The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons' (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
6. ^Meyer, George; Scully, Mike; Maxtone-Graham, Ian; Groening Matt (2006). The Simpsons The Complete Ninth Season DVD commentary for the episode 'Trash of the Titans' (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
7. ^Associated Press (November 20, 1997). ''Bella Mafia' leads CBS to no. 1'. Sun-Sentinel. p. 4E.
8. ^Gilchrist, Todd (2006-12-21). 'The Simpsons — The Complete Ninth Season'. IGN. Retrieved 2007-11-02.

External links[edit]

• 'The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons' at The Simpsons.com
• 'The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons episode capsule'. The Simpsons Archive.
• 'The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons' at TV.com
• 'The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons' on IMDb

The Simpsons Wrestling is a fighting video game based on the animated television seriesThe Simpsons. Developed by Big Ape Productions and published by Activision (Electronic Arts in Europe) for the PlayStation, it was first released in Europe in March 2001, followed by North America a month later. It is also the only Simpsons video game released for the PlayStation

There are 20 characters in the game, all of whom are voiced by the same actors that provide their voices in the show, and each character executes his or her own exclusive moves and gestures and power moves in the wrestling ring. The matches take place in detailed 3D locations from Springfield. A round in the game ends when one wrestler pins his opponent for a three count. Two victorious rounds wins a match. Unlike in traditional wrestling rules, the opponent may be pinned belly-down.

The game was widely panned by critics, and is considered to be one of the worst video games of all time.

Gameplay[edit]

The game is loosely based on professional wrestling games, but more closely resembles a beat-'em up. The game can be played in two modes: a tournament style single-player game or a grudge match where two players can interact. The matches take place in ten different detailed 3D locations from Springfield, such as the Simpsons' house, the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, the Kwik-E-Mart, and Moe's Tavern.^[1] Letters float around in the wrestling ring, and if a wrestler collects enough of them, they can taunt and temporarily become invincible.^[2] A round ends when one wrestler pins their opponent for a three count. Two rounds are needed to win a match.^[3]

Each time a successful attack is performed on a player, their health meter depletes. Players with low health stay stunned for longer when knocked down. A player can increase their health by picking up food items that randomly appear in the ring. Running and attacks drain stamina. If a player does not have enough stamina to perform a certain move, it becomes unavailable until they recover. Stamina is regained through not pressing the actions buttons or picking up certain items. Attacks which require more stamina are generally more effective. The stun meter only appears when the opponent is knocked down. It depletes gradually, but the stunned player cannot move until the Stun meter is completely drained. A player can reduce the stun meter faster by pressing the action buttons, or by receiving certain attacks. If a player is low on health, the stun meter will normally be higher, making pin attempts harder to resist. Once a player's health is completely depleted, it will only take one hit to stun them. Certain attacks to a stunned opponent will actually reset the stun meter.

During matches, wrestlers have a health meter that drains as they perform special moves, and gradually refills when they are not attacking. Different moves use up different amounts of energy, and certain characters can win any match by repeatedly using a particularly damaging move that does not require much energy.^[2] Several different power-ups are also available in the game, including a donut that increases speed, bowling pins that can be used as clubs, and bubble gum that slows players down.^[4]

In addition to health items, the letters A, N, U and T appear randomly in the ring. If either player collects enough to spell the word 'TAUNT', they can then perform a taunt. The taunt will completely drain the opponent's stamina, making them unable to attack for a limited time.

Characters[edit]

The game features 20 characters from the show, all of whom are voiced by the same actors that provide their voices in The Simpsons. The player begins with only 8 of the 12 main characters to begin with. Others can be made playable by unlocking them, or unlocking a certain game mode.

• Homer - Homer is the most balanced character in the game, but relies particularly on brawling.
• Bart - Bart is a faster character who uses toys (skateboard, catapult) to make up for his lack of strength.
• Lisa - Lisa is another smaller character who uses her speed to make quick strikes on opponents. Her saxophone attack can hit an opponent anywhere within the ring.
• Marge - Marge has good reach but lacks strength. She uses household items as weapons. She can even use Maggie to limit an opponent's movement.
• Barney - Barney is one of the stronger characters, but lacks speed and stamina. His attacks are based on beer (including throwing beer glasses).
• Krusty - Krusty is a balanced character who uses a combination of brawling and typical clown paraphernalia.
• Apu - Apu is a brawler with moderate strength, but has good speed and stamina.
• Groundskeeper Willie - Willie uses gardening equipment to either keep opponents at a distance or to limit their movement.
• Bumblebee Man - (Unlockable) Bumblebee Man is a balanced brawler.
• Moe - (Unlockable) Moe is one of the faster characters who relies on fighting dirty. To that end, he carries a lot of makeshift weapons.
• Ned Flanders - (Unlockable) Ned Flanders is a weak character with very strong special attacks. His prayer attack is the most damaging in the game as it causes high damage, stuns instantly and hits repeatedly anywhere in the ring. He also fully recovers when pinned, so opponents must beat him twice just to win one singular round.
• Professor Frink - (Unlockable) Frink is a hard to control character who relies on gadgets to wear down opponents.
• Mr. Burns - (Boss Character) Waylon Smithers fights on Mr. Burn's behalf while Burns stands outside of the ring. Their strongest attack involves Mr. Burns throwing explosives into the ring that do not affect Smithers. They are only playable in the Mr. Burn's Office level.
• Kang and Kodos - (Boss Character) Kang battles on behalf of this team while Kodos supports by throwing random items into the ring. They are only available in the Spaceship level.
• Itchy - Itchy is a cartoon mouse with a lot of dangerous booby traps and weapons. He is only available in his own stage and can only battle Scratchy.
• Scratchy - Scratchy is the long-suffering victim of Itchy. However, his moves and attributes are comparable to Itchy's. He is only available in his own stage, meaning that he can only battle Itchy.

The voice of Kent Brockman can be heard occasionally during matches as a commentator. Various characters make cameos as background images. Each character executes their own exclusive moves and gestures.^[1]

Development[edit]

Big Ape Productions developed The Simpsons Wrestling.^[4] At the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 2000, Fox Interactive announced its plans to produce and publish the game for the PlayStation console. Karly Young, director of Fox Interactive, said that the company had received an 'overwhelming' response to their previous Simpsons games, so they wanted to give the fans 'another dose of Bart and Homer—this time for PlayStation gamers'.^[5]

The following months, Fox Interactive looked to partner with somebody who could help publish the game. Activision, who knew the possible casual gamer interest in The Simpsons, announced on March 12, 2001 that it had signed a deal with Fox Interactive that would allow it to publish The Simpsons Wrestling in North America.^[6] Kathy Vrabeck, executive vice president of Activision, commented that 'The Simpsons is a property that enjoys phenomenal success across several entertainment mediums, including interactive entertainment. The acquisition of this game reinforces our strategy of delivering products based on powerful, recognizable brands.'^[7]

Reception[edit]

The Simpsons Wrestling received negative reviews from critics. It received an aggregated score of 41.21% on GameRankings^[8] and 32/100 on Metacritic.^[9] They criticized the game for having simplistic, unbalanced gameplay and bad graphics, but praised the game's audio track.

Doug Perry of IGN described The Simpsons Wrestling as one of the 'ugliest' games he had ever seen. He thought the graphics were 'choppy' looking, and the character outlines looked 'broken up'.^[11]Game Informer's Andrew Reiner criticized the game's design by saying that he did not think it held any wrestling qualities at all, and that the characters looked 'awful'. He said that instead of 'grappling' or performing 'devastating slams', you have to 'slap your opponent silly' by mashing the buttons redundantly.^[3] GameZone, however, called the graphics 'quite good, though a little clipped at times by the pace of the combat'.^[10] Perry also thought there was little wrestling in the game, instead it is 'all about smashing buttons and not having any skill whatsoever'.^[11] Reiner said that the game was a major disappointment and is 'one of the worst PS games to date'.^[3]

In contrast to the game's negative response, GameZone said that even though the game does not feature continuous play, 'the action flows well once into an event'. GameZone's review praised the game's audio track, and thought it was 'fun' because the comedy is straight from the television show, and the characters will 'bring a smile to your face'.^[10] Reiner also commented positively on the soundtrack^[3] and that the game may not be the best wrestling game available, 'but it delivers what the cover advertises'.^[10]GameSpot's Frank Provo said that 'wit' and 'charm' are the two most redeeming features of The Simpsons Wrestling, and in spite of the game's weak gameplay, it has 'plenty of laughs in store' that devoted fans of The Simpsons will enjoy.^[2] The BBC's David Gibbon wrote that the end result of the track is one that will not 'fail to impress fans'.^[1]

In Level 7, Homer sets out to stop the duo from taking over Springfield. Simpsons wrestling kang videos.

The Simpsons Wrestling received a 'Gold' sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),^[12] indicating sales of at least 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom.^[13] In 2018, Watchmojo.com ranked the game #1 'Worst' on their 'Top 10 Best and Worst Simpsons Video Games' List.^[14]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcGibbon, David (March 23, 2001). 'The Simpsons go Wrestling'. BBC. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
2. ^ ^abcdProvo, Frank (March 12, 2001). 'The Simpsons Wrestling for PlayStation Review'. GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
3. ^ ^abcdeReiner, Andrew. 'Simpsons Wrestling'. Game Informer. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
4. ^ ^ab'Activision ships The Simpsons Wrestling'. GameSpot. April 13, 2001. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
5. ^''Let's Get Ready to … D'Oh!'. Business Wire. May 11, 2000. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
6. ^Mar, Posted (March 12, 2001). 'Activision to publish The Simpsons Wrestling'. GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
7. ^'Activision Scoops up The Simpsons'. IGN. March 12, 2001. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
8. ^ ^ab'The Simpsons Wrestling for PlayStation'. GameRankings. Retrieved 2010-11-10.
9. ^ ^ab'The Simpsons Wrestling for PlayStation Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
10. ^ ^abcd'The Simpsons Wrestling Review - PlayStation'. GameZone. April 4, 2001. Archived from the original on March 10, 2005. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
11. ^ ^abcPerry, Doug (April 6, 2001). 'The Simpsons Wrestling Review'. IGN. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
12. ^'ELSPA Sales Awards: Gold'. Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. Archived from the original on March 19, 2009.
13. ^Caoili, Eric (November 26, 2008). 'ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK'. Gamasutra. Archived from the original on September 18, 2017.
14. ^'Top 10 Best and Worst Simpsons Video Games'. WatchMojo. May 28, 2018. Retrieved 2019-02-17.

The Simpsons Wrestling Apu Season

External links[edit]

• The Simpsons Wrestling at IGN
• The Simpsons Wrestling at MobyGames
• The Simpsons Wrestling on IMDb

The Simpsons Wrestling Apu Game