It’s funny how Konami’s old-school arcade games somehow find a way to live on through Xbox Live Marketplace. Contra, Rush n’ Attack, Time Pilot…there’s quite a line-up there. But there’s a thriving market for the four-player beat-em-ups, as best sellers like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game and X-Men the Arcade Game has proven. So it shouldn’t be a bombshell to anyone that the company inevitably had to give in to the demands for a Simpsons arcade game translation. And now, out of the blue, we’ve finally gotten it.
The Simpsons Arcade Game is, without a doubt, one of the best games to be licensed with the Fox Television/Matt Groening franchise. It doesn’t shoot for lame gameplay gimmicks like those Acclaim games on the NES or SNES, nor try to stack unnecessary features to astonish fans, like EA’s Simpsons Game. Instead, it simply puts players in control of one of four members of the Simpsons clan and lets them run wild through Springfield, throwing objects and beating up bad guys while they set out to save Maggie, who’s been kidnapped by the dastardly Smithers during a jewel heist. The game will take you through eight stages of chaos, from a dream world to a forest to the power plant, where Montgomery Burns, the game’s final boss, is waiting to do battle. (In a robot suit, that is – c’mon, he’s an old man.)
Though the game itself is rather short – you could beat it in one sitting in about 45 minutes – it carries the kind of nostalgic value you’d expect from a good arcade game. Backbone Entertainment, no strangers to retro emulation, handles The Simpsons with an utmost deal of respect, with no stone unturned when it comes to recreating the arcade experience at home. In fact, when you first start it up, the screen is properly sized like an arcade monitor, though you can adjust it however you see fit.
Gameplay consists of usual beat-em-up tactics, though there are a couple of tricks worth mentioning. Throwing objects actually have some impact, especially if you’re using something like a family pet (Santa’s Little Helper!) or a bowling ball. Secondly, if multiple players are taking part in a session, you can team up with them for a temporary attack, doubling your strength. It’s kind of amusing watching Marge and Homer form a human bowling ball. (“Up and at ‘em!”) Finally, the button-mashing bonus rounds are a great way to earn extra points. Plus, you get to slap Homer!
Despite the short length, however, The Simpsons Arcade Game is a fabulous party game. Up to four players can take part in the action, either through a Local Game session or hopping online through Xbox Live. The online sessions we took part in ran without a hitch, even when players were dropping in. We figure it’ll be just as successful – and popular – as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, even if it’s twice the price at 800 Microsoft points.
This featured review concludes on the next page, please click Page 2 below to read more of our final impressions of The Simpsons Arcade Game.
