The Simpsons are back again on the PlayStation 2 and EA's interactive adaptation of the cartoon family is a hilarious parody of nearly every convention and cliché in the videogame world. Although there is no immense action or thrills, you are guaranteed good fun with laughs.
You really wouldn’t think that the funniest episode of The Simpsons would turn out to be a video game. Making a successful cartoon comedy in to a successful video game isn’t easy, but EA seem to have done just that.
EA perhaps has excellent reasons to be proud of their efforts with The Simpsons Game. The Simpsons Game uses an original storyline, featuring 8,000 lines of spoken dialogue written by members of the "Simpsons" writing staff. The audio tracks obviously featuring actors other than Nancy Cartwright, Julie Kavner, and Harry Shearer are very impressive and provide a lot of realism into the game.
Early in the story, the Simpsons learn that they aren't real, they are only characters in a videogame. Each of them vows to use their new game-given powers to achieve their personal goals: Homer simply wants to eat as much as he can with no ill side effects, Bart decides to play superhero as Bartman, Lisa vows to save the environment, and Marge sets out to ban the sale of a violent new videogame, Grand Theft Scratchy. For the past few weeks, there was talk that EA had removed the Grand Theft Auto-parodying GTS portions of the game for fear of legal action by Rockstar, but don't worry -- there are plenty of mice dressed as pimps in this game.
As you get further into the game, the Simpsons travel into the game engine where they witness EA's creative process (look for the zero-reading innovation meters) and face off against a famous game designer. They then travel through a handful of licensed Simpson’s games before confronting their creator in an attempt to stop the flood of cheap merchandise bearing their names. It's a bizarre and mildly convoluted premise for a game, but it leads to some hilarious situations.
The cell shaded graphics do an amazing job of recreating Matt Groening's distinctive art style in 3D. The Simpsons are definitely awkward characters to bring out of two dimensions, but this game does an admirable job. There were occasions, when all the characters onscreen were lined up properly, that the game looked 2D. The environments look great, too. The town of Springfield acts as the game's hub, and the game captures the feel of the place perfectly. As you roam around town, other citizens will stop and have conversations with you (often changing their discussions depending on which character you're controlling). It's a little touch, but it's a fun time waster in-between stages.
There is much about The Simpsons Game with a lot of potential to excite a fan, from the pitch-perfect visual presentation to the faithful inclusion of virtually every major denizen of Springfield. There were areas that EA didn’t go, but it’s more than we expected. There is so much that games offers, which is why it is a must have for any true Simpsons fan.
