"Ice."

When one thinks of a Simpsons game, bad thoughts might run through their head. After all, almost all of the games based on The Simpsons are subpar at best. Virtual Bart, Simpsons Wrestling, Bart vs. the World, the list goes on and on. Somehow, in the midst of all those below-average games, there is one Simpsons game that shines above the rest. The aptly named arcade game, The Simpsons, is that stud.

The Simpsons is a side-scrolling, 1-4 player, beat 'em up game. And just like an episode of the TV show, the game has a quirky plot. In the game, The Simpson family bumps into a thief who was a very expensive diamond jewel. The jewel goes flying in the air and lands in Maggie's mouth. Maggie then uses the jewel as a pacifier. The thief, spotting the jewel in Maggie's mouth, doesn't just take the jewel, he takes Maggie, too! So now it is your duty to help the Simpsons get Maggie back.

You can play as either Homer, Marge, Lisa, or Bart through eight different levels. These levels range from places such as the Krustyland amusement park, downtown Springfield, and Moe's Tavern. Each level contains numerous enemies, with a boss at the end. Homer uses his fists to beat up the thugs, Marge uses a vacuum, Lisa uses a jump rope, and Bart uses his skateboard. If you are playing with someone else, you can also use ''combo attacks''. For example, Bart can jump onto Homer's back for extra damage, and Bart and Lisa have a clothesline-type attack to knock out their adversaries.

Most of the fun in the game is to be had by playing with more than one player. By going co-op, you will have a better chance at finishing the game, and it will be easier to knock out your enemies since there will be 2-4 of you and only one of them. Don't get me wrong, single player is still fun, but co-op is just brilliant.

If there's one problem with the game, it would have to be its replay value. While you will undoubtedly want to play the game over and over again until you beat it, you probably won't bother playing through the game again once you DO finish it. However, that's perfectly acceptable considering The Simpsons is an arcade game.

Visually, The Simpsons fares pretty well. The levels are full of detail, each place looks very similar to the TV show. All of the characters have the same characteristics that you would see on the show as well - there's Bart's grin, Marge's worrying face, and Homer's ''Why you little!'' expression.

The game's audio is also well done. Each character has their own soundbites, straight from the real life voice actors. There are also loud ''thuds'' when you hit an enemy. The music is wacky, cartoon-ish type stuff. Everything fits the Simpsons theme perfectly.

All in all, The Simpsons is a great arcade game. It's a shame that it wasn't ported over to a home console. Everyone should play The Simpsons, especially with another player or three. If you can ignore the lack of replay value (and I'm sure you can), then take a trip down to your local arcade. You don't want to miss this great game.

8

Best Feature - Co-op play is a blast.
Worst Feature - Lack of replay value.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/02/02, Updated 09/02/02