Review: The Simpsons
Having wowed the arcade world with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989), Konami repeated the trick in 1991 with an arcade version of The Simpsons. The game begins with Waylon Smithers robbing a jewellers in Springfield and during his escape he bumps into the Simpsons. A jewel ends up in the mouth of Maggie and she is abducted by Smithers leaving the rest of the family to begin the frantic pursuit. The game has four playable characters and is at its best when all of them are used. Marge heads into battle armed with a hoover, Homer uses his fists and kicks, Bart relies on his skateboard, while Lisa has a skipping rope that doubles as a makeshift whip. Nice.
There are eight stages and your adventures take you through the likes of Krustyland, Moe’s tavern, a graveyard and finally the nuclear power plant where final battles against Smithers and Mr Burns await. You have an assortment of enemies to face, some being thin suited guys and others being slightly more bulky, while a tricky boss battle can be expected at the end of each stage. The look and feel of Springfield is there for all to see. While your characters have their own abilities, they are also able to combine and launch devastating attacks. Marge and Homer band together and form a human wheel, which causes mayhem for your enemies. Bart and Lisa hold hands and yell at their enemies which can be annoying but boy is it effective. There are two bonus levels in there as well just for fun and allow you to compete against your friends, firstly inflating a balloon and secondly rousing your characters from a deep slumber.
The Simpsons remains a fantastic adaptation of the TV show. Great voice work from the cast and a plethora of locations from Springfield for you to explore keep this one feeling fresh and original throughout. The combo attacks are a decent touch but for me this isn’t as good as the Turtles arcade game. Fans of The Simpsons will adore this though and anyone that enjoyed the side scrolling beat ‘em ups of the early nineties will struggle to find fault here.
Verdict: 4/5
About the Author:
I was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England and have always been a bookworm and enjoyed creative writing at school.
In 1999 I created the Elencheran Chronicles and have been writing ever since. My first novel, Fezariu’s Epiphany, was published in May 2011. When not writing I’m a lover of films, games, books and blogging.
I now live in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with my wife, Donna, and our six cats – Kain, Razz, Buggles, Charlie, Bilbo and Frodo.
David M. Brown – who has written 871 posts on Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave.
