The Simpsons have been on television longer than any other television family and recently became the subject of a full-blown theatrical animated feature that was well received at the box office and by fans of the Fox show. Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa (and Maggie) have also appeared in many a video game but none has really been true to the series or the characters until the spectacular The Simpsons Hit & Run hit the PS2, Xbox and GameCube. As the next-generation consoles were yet to hit store shelves, EA announced a next-generation The Simpsons title and so EA brings us The Simpsons Game for the PlayStation 3. It’s back to the streets of Springfield again.  

 
Wow, Indiana Jones really let himself go.

The Simpsons Game is a platform game with some action tossed in that will bring to mind the old arcade game that had Bart smacking people with his skateboard. It’s a game that does not play by the conventional platform gaming rules. In fact, it mixes several different gaming elements that act not as an homage to a number of popular games but as a hilarious The Simpsons-styled spoofs. The game’s story - written by the show’s writers - finds Bart in possession of a magical gaming manual that features him and the rest of his family. The game manual points out that he and his family have super powers and so the family sets out in a number of misadventures that lead them to the discovery of the mystery behind the game manual.

Like the show itself, the game not only pokes fun at other games but itself and it comes through in some of the game levels. It begins, for instance, with Homer eating everything in sight in the Land of Chocolate (a fantasy sequence that was showcased in one of the episodes from the show). That includes the chocolate bunnies that attack him as Homer platform jumps on Oreo cookies and giant chocolate cakes. Other levels have Homer and Bart taking down three school bullies who are running amok in the Springfield museum and another level has Homer in an eating contest that features him and Springfield’s other rotund citizens.

The really fun and funny levels are the ones that parody actual games. There’s a Medal of Honor level - called Medal of Homer - and a level that connects with a side story that has Marge protesting against a violent video game called Grand Theft Scratchy (an obvious nod to Grand Theft Auto, of course). Scattered throughout the game are other playful jabs at Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow of the Colossus and there’s even an EverQuest level. The Comic Book Guy also does a great job of pointing out gaming clichés from escort missions to the glitches that have characters walking into walls and trying to twitch their way through said wall. Of this, the Comic Book Guy says “Oh goody, yet another game where inbred geniuses think they can walk through walls.”

 
The Land of Chocolate … by far the #1 travel destination by chocolate lovers everywhere including Homer.

As far as the gameplay is concerned, The Simpsons game is actually very fun and the controls are the kind you can simply pick up and just start playing. Sadly, the camera is not your friend and it often gets in your way during platform jumping. It’s upsetting to fall off a platform because the camera doesn’t pull back enough to see how far you are from the ledge of a platform you’re standing on. Even with these problems, though, controlling each member of the Simpson family is a treat … especially when their abilities come into play. Homer starts out with a powerful belch but his real power comes in the form of his Homerball transformation where he can bounce his way through areas. Bart transforms into his alter ego Bartman, which allows him to climb certain surfaces and glide to other platforms. Lisa has the Hand of Buddha that allows her to pick up objects, freeze things or send a lightning bolt. Marge has the ability to gather a mob to do her bidding as well as deploy baby Maggie to navigate through areas only babies can crawl through to pull switches. Later, each Simpson gains new abilities that fit the level’s playing style.

As a single-player game, you can manually switch between characters using the D-pad but the game really shines with a friend taking up the role of the secondary character on a single console. In fact, with the pick-up-and-play feature, a friend can easily just drop in during the middle of a level or at any point. There are also Time Challenges that are unlocked after completing levels. It basically allows you to replay a particular level with a timed objective you must complete.

When it comes to the graphics, The Simpsons Game displays some impressive FMV that looks exactly like actual footage from the show itself. The again, the in-game graphics - while containing characters that look true to the show’s overall look - lack sharper character models. The good news is that you will instantly recognize all of Springfield’s citizens as they pass by you on the street. Many of the locales from the show look decent as well. There are also some good visual effects such as smoke and explosions and the riot scene will not fail to impress.

 
Welcome to Springfield, the only place where people can block the sun and alien invasions look like this.

While the visuals do the job without looking very next-generation, the game’s sound is what will win gamers over with the witty dialogue, great voice acting from all the cast members from the show and a great score. Dialogue was created specifically for the FMV sequences but scattered throughout the levels you’ll encounter favorite characters spouting some hilarious lines from different episodes from the show (little Ralph Wiggums and Disco Stu will simply crack you up). The sound effects work well enough throughout the game but you have to love that sweeping score that changes with each level and situation that pops up.

The Simpsons Game for the PlayStation 3 is a fun and hilarious romp that might be on the short side and comes with a few gameplay problems but the overall package makes for a Simpsons game that will please gamers and fans of the animated series. While The Simpsons Hit & Run is still a true classic and the best game featuring our favorite warped family, this one has enough surprises. The Simpson-styled humor makes this a fun game to play.

Gameplay: 7.5
The game is actually very short but there are a number of great moments in the game that playfully point out gaming clichés with comical nods to games from Medal of Honor to Katamari. The platform action is handled well enough since The Simpsons license is used perfectly throughout. As a single-player game, the game is fun but this one was meant to be played with others.

Graphics: 8.0
Visually, the game displays cinematic cut scenes that look straight out of the new season of the show but the in-game cel-shading isn’t as pretty as the cut scenes. Still, the characters are easily distinguishable and the visual effects are actually good.

Sound: 9.5
Thanks to the show’s writers, the dialogue is filled with hilarious zingers and some memorable lines (including one from The Sims creator Will Wright). The music is also a major highlight and it changes wonderfully throughout the game. In fact, some of it is just beautifully handled … especially in the Everquest level.

Difficulty: Medium
The game isn’t incredibly challenging and the puzzles are easy to solve but the platform jumping is might tough thanks to the weak camera and there’s a major battle (I won’t spoil things by describing it because you really have to experience it for yourself) that will give you some trouble.

Concept: 7.5
The game hilariously spoofs every game from Everquest to Grand Theft Auto and you can freely explore most of Springfield where you’ll encounter everyone who continues to appear on the show like Disco Stu and Superintendent Chommers. The game’s dialogue is also written by writers from the show so expect some great lines. Oh, you can also play the game with a friend but there’s no online multiplayer.

Multiplayer: 8.0
No online co-op mode will surely not sit well with the Comic Book Guy and it certainly won’t sit well with gamers who like co-op with somebody besides their kid brother or sister. Still, offline the co-op runs smoothly because this game is really meant for two-players.

Overall: 7.5
You don’t play The Simpsons Game but rather you experience it, and that alone is worth a glance or two if you’re the proud owner of the PS3. While it’s not as engrossing as The Simpsons Hit & Run, the humorous off-the-wall levels still makes this a fun game for fans of the series and any gamer who likes their platform games with plenty of humor will find a lot to like about this game.