Cute, fun game

I got this game as a Christmas gift after having seen the ads on tv (both in the UK and in the US), so I do not know how much was paid for it. The game itself is actually written by the show's writers, and has a lot of well-done animated sequences inbetween each "episode" (although admittedly they do look strange in 3D). All the characters are also voiced by the actual actors.

The format is very much like the previous Simpsons game, (Hit & Run), with mini missions (episodes) to complete. You can play as any character - so far I've only completed a third of the game, but I've already played as Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart, and (for a few tasks) Maggie, who Marge shamelessly uses to crawl into dangerous and tiny spaces. The menu to enter different episodes is in the form of a 3D map of Springfield, and to enter each episode you click on a particular building around which most of the episode's action revolves. Unfortunately some of the buildings are a bit of a cheek and don't involve any gameplay - for example, Moe's Tavern is actually really just the credits, but the choice of song here is quite funny (Scorpions' "Rock You Like A Hurricane").

The episodes themselves are very creative, the best one I've seen so far being the infamous Land of Chocolate (dreamt about by Homer in "Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk"), in which Homer is chased by chocolate bunnies, jumps off of Marshmallows and has to follow a white chocolate rabbit. Other episodes involve Lisa & Bart walking through a blood factory for a video game, and Marge recruiting mob members to help her ban said game.

The gameplay is very easy to get used to - there are several checkpoints throughout each episode which mean that if Bart is shredded by a chainsaw or Homer drowns in chocolate syrup, providing you have enough lives left, the game will resume immediately from that checkpoint without losing too much playing progess. Apart from the Land of Chocolate, each episode involves two characters, who have to work together to allow the each other to progress through the episode.

As the game progresses you unlock various character traits, which allow the teamworking aspect to be more creative. Bart may be able to grapple-hook his way to a higher platform and unlock a way for Homer to get through a locked door, and Homer can eat a few pizzas/hot dogs to balloon himself to King-Size Homer size, and use his overinflated body as a battering ram to allow Bart to get past an obstacle. By performing or experiencing some "video game cliches", other items and powers can be unlocked.

While the episodes are extremely creative and fun to play due to the pacing, the episodes themselves are quite short. Although I am an avid gameplayer, I am no expert, and my skill level falls quite low on games that aren't arcade-style fighting and racing etc. So far I have found this game quite easy, and have read other reviews online saying that it is a very short game in general.

The only other issue would be that it is sometimes a bit easy to get stuck in a level with nothing to do, but taking note of the dual screen and exploring every inch of the level helps out here, as, unlike in Mario games, there is no floating toadstool/alien/dinosaur to hold your hand and tell you what to do (by the way, yes, I do love Mario). It's also quite useful to go back through any level you've completed and try to collect the various items (coins, coupons, beer caps, depending on the character) to unlock items and skills.

I have also noticed that gameplay is rather difficult when playing with the female characters. Lisa is depressingly easy to kill, and the one level I've played so far with Marge has her recruiting mob members to fight enemies for her. It's more difficult for Homer to be beaten, which I suppose does make sense given each character's proportions.

And speaking of which, I should add that one of the cuter features of this game is the Pet Homer, who basically sits on the couch in his underwear doing absolutely nothing. You can feed him (not broccoli though, as it ruins his mood), play ball with him, give him a DS to play with, get Bart to slingshot things at him (you can aim it), tickle him, and defibrillate him if he gets a heart attack, among other things.

The game is obviously modified for the DS, but does make consistent use of the dual screens, giving you a much wider scope of the episode environment as you play. It also requires regular use of the stylus for various tasks, which can get a little tricky when you've got to do something on a time frame. I have not played the Xbox or PS3 versions, but I know that the actual gameplay (and of course, graphics) do differ significantly. Ultimately, this game is very fun to play, thanks to each episode being broken down into a number of mini-missions, and shared between a number of characters.