14 DAY TRIAL // 
"Woo-hoo!" is probably one of the most familiar lines from the Simpsons TV show together with "Mmm?chocolate?" and of course Homer's trademark "D'oh!". That's why I went "woo-hoo!" when I found out that EA Games are about to release a title featuring the famous Springfield-based characters. Lisa, Marge, Bart and Homer will embark in what is probably their best gaming adventure so far and an experience that will put you through parody versions of the most famous gaming phenomena. The Simpsons Game is due for a late October release, but the Xbox 360 demo of the game is available right now on the Xbox Live so don't hesitate to download it and give the title a spin.
Medal of Homer Parody is the middle name of the game, as EA's title manages to gather all famous titles from the last years in a big pile and mock them all. We're dealing with a 3D action-adventure platformer that allows playing as Bart, Lisa, Homer or Marge as you enter the world of GTA, Medal of Honor, Shadow of the Colossus and even God of War. However, they're not the gaming cults we've known so far, as they feature one or more of the four above-mentioned characters messing things up.
In the "Medal of Homer" level, for example Homer and Bart are WWII soldiers, fighting in France, while in "Grand Theft Scratchy", the Simpsons start a riot against this title and in "Shadow of the Colossal Donut", Bart and Homer fight a giant "Lard Lad". There's also a "God of Wharf" challenge that pits Lisa and Bart against a couple of crazy dolphins. Each member of the Simpson family has a special ability, which will become useful at some point during the game. Homer, besides being annoying and mocking Bart, can inflate and start rolling around, killing those pesky Krusty clones.
Yeah, that crazy clown seems to be the ideal villain, along with those drooling Cyclop-like aliens, that always meet their doom when attacking Springfield. Homer's fatal ability is his green burp that can be charged into a super-burp if you're really into some explosive damage. Meanwhile Bart's abilities rely on his alternate self, the superhero known as Bartman, a mocking replica of Batman (costume included). Sometimes, by collecting special pickups, Bart can turn into Robobart and perform some Robocop action, like shooting lasers.
As Bartman, the little fellow can fly and glide using his cape and hang on trees and poles using a special rope. If you like to keep it simple and just use Homer's renegade son, he'll wield a slingshot and use his fists to eliminate those Krusty clones. Homer, besides inflating and burping, can also use his fists and transform into a red ball of fire; thingy is he eats some peppers.
Sitar Hero Springfield manages to get deformed and destroyed after the attack of a huge critter called Lard Lad, so the next-gen console's power is put to good use. However, most of the gamers won't be expecting top class eye candy from a title like this, but rather pure humor and that Simpson-flavored irony we adore. Guess what? It turns out that the creator of the hilarious Springfield family, Matt Groening is the game's final boss? How's that for a tough nemesis?
There's one thing I really should mention, as it got me extremely frustrated while playing the game's demo? The Xbox 360 demo version of The Simpsons Game allows you to fight that Lard Lad as Homer or Bart, but it will be an extremely tough fight, since you can only take down the overgrown kiddo by hitting his weak points. Those are accessible only if you climb on a building or crane and the creature has the bad habit of becoming numb in wide open areas, where there's no way to reach his weak spots. Also, surprisingly enough I even managed to get beaten a couple of times and had to retry the level.
The reward? Hearing Homer say something like "Believe in yourself son! I know I don't", as he runs away while Bart fights the Lard Lad. It's true that the game is plagued by a couple of serious camera angle issues, but that's a forgettable aspect once you get to inflate Homer and make him jump around like a ping-pong ball.
Neverquest "Neverquest" is a parody of the famous RPG Everquest, featuring Homer and Marge as elvish warriors? Practically, there's not one single gaming hit that has escaped EA's criticism, including their own titles. While fighting the Lard Lad, you'll see huge Madden covers on the walls, but the athletes will be characters from the Simpsons, instead of famous footballers.
All you Simpsons fans must have foreseen this, but I'll say it, even if it's obvious: this is one of those titles where the audio experience is far more important than the graphical one. Who cares about next-gen graphics when Homer's about to kick Bart's behind, with his typical fatherly love and the famous "Why you little?!" line? We'll do with the TV show's graphics, plus a bit of extra polish and hopefully a fix for those camera issues.
Oh, did I mention that during the fight against the Lard Lad the reporter that's on the scene keeps telling the audience about personal aspects of his life? We'll hear that the man has had drinking problems, that his wife left him and that he's a man of many vices. Aren't all Springfieldians? In case you don't own an Xbox 360, don't fret, because the game's producers have announced The Simpsons Game "for every platform ever made" and some of the trailers even included Commodore or Amiga platforms. Of course, they were removed after later editing?
All in all The Simpsons Game is a lengthy adventure, featuring 16 episodes, each comprising four levels and emphasizing each character's abilities. You'll be amused to see that you can switch between characters, when you'll be in control of Bart and Homer in a similar way to the one used to switch characters in the X-Men or Fantastic Four titles. Just press the D-pad buttons and you'll control the character you want, sometimes even creating an ambush by using Homer as a decoy while Bart shoots one of the enemies with his slingshot.
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon Remember the Indian fellow that owns the local Springfield store? His name is Apu? whatever and if you can spell it you're the man! Also, those guys back at EA should really be able to spell "success" right about now, in any language and even backwards, as they've struck gold by exploiting a huge franchise and allowing us to play the Simpsons, instead of watching them on the TV screen. I'm still waiting for a Halo 3 parody in Matt Groening's show, as they've already done parodies for most of the recent major events, like the death of Pavarotti. The producers of the show meant no harm, as they've made Homer a singing opera star, but only when he lays on his back like he were a dead man? Only two weeks left till the game comes out and we're already anticipating a mountain of fun and brilliant mockery delivered through the classic Simpsons humour.
