Review: The Simpsons Arcade
by Staff Writer
January 1, 2010
Overview
The Simpsons Arcade is a classic arcade style beat em up game that plays just like an early 90s stand up arcade game. The game begins with a meeting between the powerful people of Springfield including Mr. Burns, Mayor Quimby, and the Texan. They have a secret plan that is saved to a USB drive inserted into a Donut.
Smithers is transporting the donut when Homer runs into him, picks it up, and is about to eat it when Quimby takes it from him, and drives off. From this point Homer vows to get the Donut setting the stage to fight through numerous baddies in multiple locations to get the Donut back.
Features
In the entire game you play as Homer going through six locations: downtown springfield, the springfield mall, channel six studios, krustyland, GOP headquarters, and Burns' mansion. Over 20 levels are included which are merely checkpoints with four checkpoints per location. Mini-games are also included once you complete an entire map.
The controls are straightforward with a virtual control stick on the left, and a red and green action button on the right. Red is for attack, and green is for jump.
The Good
The Simpsons Arcade is a fun fighting game that is accessible to any user, and every Simpsons fan. Every level is packed with action making you fight multiple baddies at once. This is classic arcade button mashing at it's finest.
The boss battles are really well done, and each provide a different tactic to beat. Each boss is tough, and you will really need to be on your toes to defeat them. What really makes them great is that you're fighting well known characters.
Overall if you like arcade fighting games this is an exact copy, overlaid with a Simpsons theme and ported tot he iPhone. Everything you would expect is included, and really the only quality one of it's kind in the App Store.
The mini-games are a nice addition, and the only problem is that they come so few and far between. It's a nice change of pace tilting to collect donuts, and inflating balloon heads. Also when you lose a life you have to swipe to slap homer awake. In the game the use of special items is really fun to deal massive damage with a baseball bat, oversized hammer, plutonium rod, and taser (don't tase me bro).
The game also has very nice graphics as though it has even nicer detail than the TV show. The backgrounds are intricately designed, and each character seems to have depth. The animations are great too from homer's flailing arms to the butt smash.
The included soundtrack is wonderful to listen with a more upbeat and varied version of the simpsons theme song in the menus. Each of the areas has their own theme song, and the sound effects of the punches and Homer's grunts are classic. The controls work really well so you always feel like you're in control.
Playing through all six levels with four checkpoints each will give you a lot to do. You'll spend even more time when you have to replay the beginning of levels without a save system. It's too bad there are no online high scores or multiplayer.
If you're a Simpsons fan you'll thoroughly enjoy walking through the various environments recognizing everything. Then fighting Chief Wiggum, Kent Brockman, Bumblebee Man, Squeaky voiced teen, and Roger Meyer's Jr.(current head of Itchy & Scratchy Studios) to name a few. Also you see Flanders, Millhouse, and Nelson who reveal one ups.
The Bad
A couple problems keep this game down. The biggest problem is that the game is just a button masher. There is one action button, and you just press it as many times as you can. Homer does different animations, but it's still just the same button press. There are no combos, or any variability in pressing other than holding for a charge attack. The game just feels too button mashing to compete against the best games in the category.
One main concern is that there is practically no save system. If you complete an entire area the game saves your progress. An entire area though is composed of four "levels" which take quite awhile to get through. The game doesn't save your level progress so if you make it to the 3rd level in krustyland, but have to exit for any reason, the next time you come in you have to start krustyland over again.
Quite frankly we shouldn't have to deal with this in any mobile game, and especially not from the likes of EA. You would think such a large studio could figure out a save system that tons of indie developers have. The two most relevant in the fighting category would be OMG Pirates and Samurai Way of the Warrior that both save your checkpoint progress in the larger level.
Another problem is that you can only play as Homer. It's great to play as Homer, but it would be so much better to get to play as Marge, Bart, and Lisa each with their own attributes. Instead they are just temporary power-ups thrown in. Also the game is score based with huge multipliers like any arcade fighter. The problem is that they are all local. No multiplayer of any kind is included leaving the game pretty one dimensional.
Another small concern is that there is hardly any voice acting. There is one line taken from a show for each of members of the family. There is no other voice acting the rest of the game from any of the other characters. Also the enemies don't vary much as you progress through the game. Finally EA advertises checkpoints as levels when in actuality there are only 6 levels just with four checkpoints.
