Game Stooge

PREVIEW: The Simpsons Game

• Scribbled on October 7th, 2007 by Mitch Dyer
• Filed in Action, Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Platformer, PlayStation Network, Previews, Sony PSP, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3

EA is as well known for creating original games as The Simpsons game franchise is for its quality; that is to say, not at all. Combining these two seems like a nefarious plan to unleash a titanic amount of suck upon the gaming community, but as you delve in to the game you’ll soon realize there is no conspiracy here. If you hit up the PlayStation Network today you’ll find a demo for EA’s upcoming action/platformer based on the long running The Simpsons series. Before you make any judgments I think that a visual demonstration is needed. What the franchise has looked like in the past was a pale imitation of the show, shanty and sloppily done, but EA has completely jacked-up the visual finesse so well that you’ll be slightly disoriented when the 2D animation becomes 3D gameplay. The Simpsons Game presents familiar characters and environments in a gorgeous, colorful manner that fans of the game will recognize and appreciate, as well as stupendous fanservice to gamers frustrated with the agonizing clichés that have been haunting them for decades.

The level we played begins with a 2D “cinematic” very much in the vain of the television series. Kent Brockman, local news anchor, is covering Bart and Homer Simpson chasing down a muderous and animated Lard Lad, local giant and donut shop mascot as he terrorizes an iconic area of Springfield. Why they’re chasing him down is unknown, but hey, it’s a video game.

As the cinema fades out and the gameplay fades in the player is given the choice of playing as both Bart and Homer interchangably at will with the D-Pad. Both the characters have special abilities, Homer turns in to a globular mess of tubby obesity with rolling/attacking capabilities and Bart transforms in to Bartman, capable of grappling to higher altitudes and gliding in the air off buildings and upwards from air vents/blasting fire-hydrants. Both of the characters serve a purpose, but in reality Homer is almost useless in the battle against a renegade mascot on a terrifying spree across Springfield.

As Bart, you’ll find it much simpler to sneak behind the colossus (and that he is: this entire mission is a parody/reference to Shadow of the Colossus) and break open the 3 panels on his back that you’ll climb on to destroy his innards. Remember those infuriating clichés I mentioned? The game recognizes this and rewards you for finding invisible walls, lethal water characters can’t swim in and of course, blatantly obvious weak points. Other rewards include finding Krusty Koupons for Bart and Duff Beer bottle caps for Homer, which encourages platforming and presents players with in-game-trophies.

Your typical 3D action gameplay applies here, running around collecting power-ups to use against enemies (in this case, evil EA branded Krusty the Clown dolls on a mission for your blood) including baseballs for Bart’s slingshot and Homer’s fiery belching. Certain show-referencing power-ups enable the characters to become invincible, but limit certain moves like jumping or gliding.

What differentiates this game from other typical 3D action games is its camera: it’s attrocious to the point of wanting to throw your controller. The camera frequently gets caught behind pieces of geometry in the environment and limits your ability to see anything but the back wall of the Quik-E-Mart, and while locking on to enemies or destructables (which is randomly done as far as I can tell) the camera will not follow the character, meaning as Lard Lad turns a corner, you’ve got to waste a shot unless you move your left hand to the right stick, or something equally as inconvenient.

Overall, The Simpsons Game has incredible promise. It matches the mood of the series since its literally laugh-out-loud funny. Tons of gaming parodies, (EA Presents: Maddening Football?) genuinely funny dialog from the real actors and great references to previous seasons add to what amounts to generic-but-fun gameplay and gorgeously colorful visuals that could fool someone that they’re watching a real cartoon. EA could very easily provide a solid and very purchasable title this Fall season if the rest of the game is as fun, comical and clever as our preview game. Please though, for the love of God, fix that ‘janky’ camera.