Review: The Simpsons Game - Woo Hoo!

Mike Bantick
Thursday, 22 November 2007 16:44

Opinion and Analysis

Everybody's favourite dysfunctional yellow family get another video game outing.  Is it fun for all the family?

For over ten years now the parody humour of the Simpsons TV show has found it difficult to spill over into various video game incarnations.  So it was only natural that this time around, the parody humour centres largely on the video game industry itself.

The Simpsons Game
	Developer	EA
	Publisher	EA
	Rating	PG
PS2,PS3, PSP, DS, Wii, Reviewed on Xbox 360

In essence The Simpsons Game is a relatively easy, not overly long action platform game.  Players take the role of any of the family members as they tackle levels taken from popular episodes of the shows history.

In fact this is where the bulk of the enjoyment can be had.  Simpsons fans will love all the big as well as more subtle nods to past Simpsons TV moments.  The humour is grand, both in game and during the cut scenes.

Playing out like an extended episode, the games story is all about the Simpson family finding themselves trapped inside a video game.  Bart finds a manual to The Simpsons Game that explains his new "video game powers" and so it begins.

Rendered in crisp colourful detail, that whist faithfully producing Springfield, surrounds and episodic worlds (such as the "world of chocolate"), due to its faithfulness the maps can feel empty.

Game play itself is rather mundane, with some characters <*cough Homer *> being more fun to play than others.

Each level will require two family members to complete, whilst the game can be played in two player co-op mode, this is generally useless, as to solve each puzzle requires one players ability at a time.  The game is best played solo, switching between abilities on the fly.

Homer, can belch debilitating gas, turn into a destructive fat ball, or transform into Gummi or Helium Homer as needed.  Bart has his trusty slingshot, and Bartman cape for a glide move.

The girls get their own moves, with Lisa able to swing her Saxaphone (saxa-ma-phone?), whilst Marge uses here megaphone blowback, or can gather a mob of do-gooders to her aid.  Maggie can also be "deployed"

Level design is okay, with many video game clichés wheeled out as appropriate.  Comic Book guy as you progress through the game will point out all these clichés.  And that is the point; the humour revolves around the self-parody.

Some levels are broken, with the player able to bypass many of the intended puzzles, sometimes by accident, for example, a quick burst of  "Ball Homer" speed can launch you over many a wall.

In many ways The Simpsons Game is not a game.  As I mentioned, it is a long interactive episode of the TV show. An episode that just happens to be a funny poke at video game clichés, with levels based around well-known games such as Medal of Honor, Grand Theft Auto and more.

At the same time it packs in as many Simpsonites from the show and beyond, including cameo's from Matt Groening (the shows creator) himself, and video game luminaries such as Spore, and The Sim's Will Wright.

As a video game, The Simpsons Game is the best effort yet to get the four fingered family into the gaming lounge, but as an extended Simpsons episode it garners even further praise.  I defy anybody not to fail an in-game puzzle because they were laughing too much.