Crazy Bus
Venezuelan video game
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Crazy Bus (also spelled CrazyBus) is a 2004 unlicensed bus simulator video game.[2][3] Originally created as a tech demo, it was subsequently put on a ROM cartridge and published by an unauthorized 3rd party for the Sega Genesis.[4] The game was developed by Venezuelan game developer Tom Maneiro under the alias "Tom Scripts." [2]
| Crazy Bus | |
|---|---|
Title screen | |
| Developer | Tom Scripts[1] |
| Composer | Tom Scripts |
| Engine | BasiEgaXorz |
| Platform | Sega Genesis |
| Release | 2004 |
| Genre | Driving simulator |
| Mode | Single player |
History
Crazy Bus was initially uploaded online as a software test program made for the Sega Genesis. It was developed by Venezuelan Tom Scripts (real name Tom Maneiro).[2][5] After attracting the attention of video game enthusiasts in the United States and elsewhere, a ROM cartridge was created by a third party, complete with cover art and a user manual.[6][7] Neither the game's creator nor Sega were involved in the release of the cartridge.[4][7]
Gameplay
The gameplay both in Version 2.0 and 1.0 simply consists of driving a 2D bus back and forth. Driving the bus forward accumulates points, with a highest possible score of 65,535 points (the maximum value that can be stored in an unsigned 16-bit integer). Driving the bus backwards subtracts points; however, points can roll over to the maximum score of 65,535.[8] The game also allows the player to honk the horn of the bus.[3][4] Players can choose between the following buses:
- Irizar Century 390 (Spanish)
- Busscar Jum Buss 360 (Brazilian)
- Encava 6000 (Venezuelan)
- A Generic School Bus
- Marcopolo Paradiso GV1150 (Brazilian)
The game's "soundtrack" music is composed of random tones, generated with a pseudorandom algorithm.[9]
Reception and legacy
Crazy Bus has gained notoriety for its bizarre, scrambled music.[10][11][12][13][14][15] The soundtrack has been described by ScreenRant as "one of the most over-the-top and intolerably shrill soundtracks of all time"[3] and by CBR as "chaotic".[16] The soundtrack was featured on the 2022 "Level Up: Gaming Soundtracks" episode of BBC Radio 3's Late Junction music programme.[5]
In 2014, the game was reviewed in episode 124 of the popular web series Angry Video Game Nerd, where all aspects of the game were criticized for poor quality.[2][8] According to a 2021 report published by the University of Carabobo, while Crazy Bus didn't achieve commercial success as a pirated game, the subsequent popularity of Crazy Bus drew attention to other games published in Venezuela.[2]
The game is considered notable as an unusual part of video game history and is often played by YouTubers and Twitch streamers, who mainly treat it as a strange novelty.[17]