Anyone who tells you that they are unfamiliar with The Simpsons should be tarred and feathered and sent down Park Avenue holding some kind of bold, shivering rat of a dog. America's favorite yellow family is still going strong in its twentieth year, and even though their popularity may not be what it once was, fans still turn out in droves every Sunday night to see what Homer and company will do next. The show is really a cultural phenomenon, and its sheer longevity and creativity has forever earned it a place in television history.

   This has been a big year for the denizens of Springfield, with The Simpsons Movie dropping over the summer, and now The Simpsons Game appearing hot on its heels. Previous games based on the Simpsons franchise have enjoyed a mixed reputation at best, with classics like The Simpsons Arcade Game and The Simpsons Hit and Run serving as basically the only bright spots in a series of games that have been, well... awful. However, fear not loyal fans, as the development team at EA has provided us with a fun, hilarious romp through the Simpsons' animated universe.

What Would You Do If You Found a Manual for Your Life? Why Look for the Cheat Codes of Course!

   The game takes place on just another average Springfield day, with the members of the Simpsons clan going about their daily tasks. Bart ventures off to the local video game store to pick up a copy of Grand Theft Scratchy only to be stymied by Marge and her hatred of violent video games. Dejected, Bart starts on his way home, but from the heavens appears a manual for The Simpsons Game. Bart begins reading the mysterious book, and discovers that the entire family is not only starring in a video game, but that each of them has special powers. The missions start out as little more than the Simpson family exploiting their powers to take care of some personal business ("look ma, no hands!"), but things quickly take a turn for the worse. Soon Homer, Bart, Marge, and Lisa find themselves trapped in a world doomed for destruction, and only "the Creator" can put a stop to it all.

Punch and Grope, It's All I was Taught

Don't Buy the Collector's Edition

   Other major aspects of the gameplay are the item collection system and the cliché. As the Simpsons traverse the game's various levels, they have the opportunity to veer off the beaten path and track down character-specific collectibles. Get all the items in a level and you're rewarded with a trophy, earn enough trophies and your health bar increases. This could have been a simple, fun distraction, but unfortunately it's very poorly implemented. Each character can ONLY collect their designated items, and constantly switching back and forth just to get that last Duff beer cap or Try-N-Save coupon is really more trouble than it's worth. It's a shallow effort to stretch out the game's length, and you have to wonder why a modern developer thought it would be an important aspect to implement.

   One of the game's unique wrinkles is the cliché system. Basically, anytime you stumble upon a video game cliché (every game ever made contains crates, characters always seem to lack the ability to swim) Comic Book Guy will appear with a humorous comment pointing out just how unoriginal it is. This system serves as an amusing diversion that can be particularly rewarding for the members of our esteemed studio audience, long time gamers with a sense of humor. Think of it as the developers giving you a nod and a wink and pointing out that yes, they realize that giving bosses obvious weak points is stupid. Some people will see these clichés and say, "Well if you know they're unoriginal and dumb then why are you making me do it?" While that's a valid question, when you think about it, everything fits into the Simpsons ethos. Nothing is sacred, and they are willing to skewer even their own creations just to get a laugh

Homer Like Pretty Thing

   From the moment you fire up the game you'll be grabbed (try not to scream) by the game's visual presentation. The fully-animated cutscenes are done in the same style as the show, and it really shines in HD. The in-game graphics aren't quite as eye-popping, but they're by no means ugly. Games based on animated series' are still trying to find their art direction, as putting 2-D characters in a 3-D world never quite translates perfectly. However, it's still a very good-looking game, and you can see that developers are getting very close to perfecting the style.

   Complementing the visuals is an original script written and voiced by the show's creators and actors. The team has done a great job of putting all the irreverence, satire, and humor into game form, and you'll constantly find yourself chuckling at a particularly funny cutscene or character quip.

   The game does present some control issues, and suffers from the dreaded "adventure game camera syndrome." The camera is mapped to the right analog stick, but his has a nasty habit of getting stuck and cutting you off from the action. There are also some Tomb Raider moments where the camera will lock into a new position as you are making a jump, changing the control orientation and causing you to miss your jump horribly. See that really disturbing-looking ink blot waaay down there? Yeah, that used to be you. In addition, there is an issue with targeting when using secondary abilities. Holding the L1 button will lock you onto a specific enemy, and cycling through baddies requires a flick of the right analog stick. However, it's impossible to know who you'll be targeting next, and if you try and lock-on to a foe while your character is facing away from the enemy, it simply won't work. This results in a lot of running around in circles and getting blasted to death by baddies as you do the dance of shoddy targeting. Aside from these specific issues, the controls are just generally loose, and sometimes your commands won't quite register when you need them to. Normally, this sloppiness won't cause you any major problems, but with a developer the size of EA you would expect something a little more polished.

If You Don't Play this Game, the Big Happy Bear, She Will Die!

   If you understood the quote introducing this section, then you are the perfect candidate to play The Simpsons Game. This is a funny, amusing, and highly enjoyable title, but there are a few issues that keep it from reaching game immortality. A little more gameplay innovation, coupled with a tweaking of the controls, and this could have been one of those games that stand as a must-own. As it stands now though, fans of the show will love it, and that's really the primary audience anyway. Cancel your appointment with Dr. Nick, drop Grandpa off at the Retirement Castle, and tell Patty and Selma they'll have to come over another night, you've got better things to do.

       ... Brad