Captain Underpants (video game)

Captain Underpants is a video game based on the book series of the same name by Dav Pilkey, developed in different versions by Equal Librium Inc. and Pocket Artists Ltd. for personal computers and the Game Boy Advance respectively (with a PlayStation version ported by The Code Monkeys) and published by Playfair under Bronzelight Studios (and Infogrames in PAL regions). The PC version was first released on October 2, 2001 in North America with the PlayStation and Game Boy Advance versions following on December 7, 2001.

It is the first in a trilogy of Captain Underpants games published by Bronzelight with Equal Librium and Pocket Artists involved, a second and third later being released in 2003 and 2006 respectively. For unknown reasons, it is the only game of the three to ever be released on a home console.

Due in part to the then-rampant popularity of the book series, the game sold well on all platforms despite middling reception, the PlayStation version eventually getting a discounted re-release in the Greatest Hits line. It also helped further establish the fledgling Bronzelight Studios as a budget publisher who could handle licensed properties.

Premise
Both versions of the game act as a partial retelling of the first four books in the Captain Underpants series. Mr. Krupp, the principal of Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, is fed up with George and Harold's constant pranks and especially their homemade Captain Underpants comic books, but when his punishment of them crosses the line into blackmail, they seek revenge. In the process of accidentally turning Mr. Krupp into their superhero Captain Underpants via the Hypno-Ring, they anger their science teacher Professor Poopypants and unleash an army of Talking Toilets among other things. So it's up to George and Harold to save the world!

PC/PlayStation versions
The game plays similarly to an arcade-style shooter and platform game fusion in a 2D perspective, with Captain Underpants shooting pairs of underwear at enemies or giving them wedgies before reaching the goal specified at the beginning of a level. Cartons of Super Power Juice are also scattered throughout levels, temporarily granting invincibility. This occurs in different areas such as the school and the big city with a boss fight every few levels before moving on to the next area.

Game Boy Advance version
Unlike the PC/PS1 versions, it is a straightforward 2D platformer where the player chooses George or Harold in most stages, Captain Underpants only occasionally being playable for boss fights. In addition to fighting enemies like Dr. Diaper, Professor Poopypants, Zorx, Klax & Jennifer and the Talking Toilets, George and Harold set up pranks or fix damage to places done by the villains depending on the level's objective.

Reception
Captain Underpants received generally mixed reception upon its release in 2001, with the PlayStation and Game Boy Advance versions getting the most reviews and scores from gaming publications.

GamePro opined the Game Boy Advance version was a better option and that the PlayStation version was "lightweight for the console's twilight years", still deeming both to be unremarkable and best suited for young gamers.

Other publications varied in terms of sentiment, with Electronic Gaming Monthly declaring it "too gross for veteran gamers" and (inversely) Game Informer dubbing it "like a grocery-store brand version of Boogerman (from the 16-bit era)".

Contemporary responses are slightly more positive, with some Captain Underpants fans stating it captures the tone of the book series faithfully and its gameplay (although nothing groundbreaking) works in conjunction with this upside.