Crazy Bus
Crazy Bus (also spelled CrazyBus) is a 2004 unlicensed bus simulator video game. Originally created as a tech demo, it was subsequently put on a ROM cartridge and self-published for the Sega Genesis. The game was developed in Venezuela by Tom Scripts.
History
Crazy Bus was initially uploaded online as a software test program that could be played on the Sega Genesis. It was developed by Venezuelan Tom Scripts (real name Tom Maneiro) using Sonic the Hedgehog as a base. 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. Neither the game's creator nor Sega were involved in the release of the cartridge.
Gameplay
The gameplay simply consists of driving a bus back and forth to accumulate points, with a highest possible score of 65,535. The game also allows the player to honk the horn. Players can choose between five buses from Brazilian, Venezuelan, and Spanish brands, including a yellow school bus.
The player can also drive the bus backwards and subtract points, however, can roll over to the maximum score of 65,535. The menu screen music is composed of random tones, generated with a psuedorandom algorithm.
Reception and legacy
Crazy Bus has gained notoriety for its bizarre, scrambled music. The soundtrack has been described by ScreenRant as "one of the most over-the-top and intolerably shrill soundtracks of all time" and by CBR as "chaotic". WatchMojo ranked the title screen music #1 on its list of "Top 10 Most Annoying Songs and Music In Video Games". The soundtrack was featured on the 2022 "Level Up: Gaming Soundtracks" episode of BBC Radio 3's Late Junction music programme.
In 2014, the game was reviewed in episode 124 of the Angry Video Game Nerd series, where it was criticized for poor quality in all areas. According to a 2021 report published by the University of Carabobo, while Crazy Bus could not achieve commercial success as a pirated game, the subsequent popularity of Crazy Bus drew attention to other games published in Venezuela.
The game is considered notable as an unusual part of video game history and is often played by YouTubers and Twitch streamers interested in the topic. A mod was created of Sega Genesis Classics that included Crazy Bus.