Futurama

Futurama for PlayStation 2 is a 2003 third-person action-platform game based on Matt Groening’s science-fiction animated series. Developed by Sweden’s Unique Development Studios, it reached Europe through SCi Games and North America through Vivendi Universal Games; an Xbox edition arrived in the same period. The game places the Planet Express crew in an original crisis set around New New York in the year 3000, combining platforming, combat, exploration and animated story sequences. Its cel-shaded presentation was built to translate the show’s bold, simplified look into 3D, while the familiar cast and the series’ offbeat future give the adventure its unmistakable Futurama identity.

The story begins when Professor Farnsworth sells Planet Express to the formidable Mom. Her controlling interest gives her the leverage to take over Earth, leaving Fry, Leela, Bender and their colleagues to undo the deal and prevent her larger plan. The campaign sends the crew beyond their headquarters and across several distinctly Futurama locations, from the streets and sewers of New New York to the strange Sun People’s world, the hazardous Bogad swamps and an asteroid-strewn stretch of space. The stakes grow into a time-travel mission, but the narrative keeps the show’s comic tone through gags, fictional products and encounters tailored to its universe.

Rather than using one hero throughout, Futurama changes its playable character as the campaign progresses. Fry’s sections emphasize ranged combat and a selection of weaponry, while Bender’s stages lean more heavily toward jumping and navigation. Leela is equipped for close-quarters fighting, and Dr. Zoidberg appears in a shorter playable sequence. Basic movement lets players run, jump, climb and negotiate hazards, with enemies and environmental dangers reducing health. Character-specific health pickups restore the crew, and the Professor’s Re-animator functions as the game’s extra-life system, fitting a mechanical feature into the show’s absurd science-fiction world.

Levels blend straightforward action with platforming routes and light problem solving. Players may need to locate a switch, activate a generator, operate machinery or find a path through a hostile area before moving forward. Collectibles are scattered through the stages, including imprisoned Nibblers; rescuing them opens bonus material such as galleries and video clips. That structure gives reason to look beyond the direct route while the changing cast varies the moment-to-moment play. The game is single-player, with the focus remaining on a guided adventure rather than competitive or cooperative modes.

Futurama’s connection to the television production is central to its appeal as a licensed console game. Matt Groening received an executive game-design credit, and the project involved people from the series, including the returning voice cast. The resulting dialogue and animated scenes were designed as a new story instead of a retelling of a particular episode. Its extended animation later gained a second life: the game’s cutscenes and selected footage were assembled as “The Lost Adventure,” a bonus feature included with the 2008 Futurama film The Beast with a Billion Backs. For fans of the original run, the PlayStation 2 game remains a self-contained Planet Express adventure from the early 2000s.