The Simpsons Game (Xbox 360)

Double d'oh.
2/18/2008 12:00 AM | 0 Comments | Page 2 of 2

Of course, this wasn't the only time the game gave me a case of red-ass.

While battling Lard Lad, the show's iconic donut-wielding statue, I used Bart's slingshot to open up a secret hatch in his back, revealing a weak point. I climbed inside said weak point, pressed the Y button when prompted, and did damage to Lard Boy. Lard Boy and I were off to a promising start.

But then, as all levels in The Simpsons Game seem to do, this one took a turn. The game informed me that I had to target a second weak point on Lard Boy's back. OK, no problem. I peppered it with my slingshot. A second hatch opened -- but this one was located higher up on his back, which meant I couldn't simply double-jump up to grab it, as I'd done with the first hatch. I had to hit Lard Boy, open the hatch, then hope that I was positioned high enough to do a Bartman glide over to it -- and I had to do this within about 15 to 20 seconds.

It was at this point that my next-door neighbors called to make sure I was not being murdered in my apartment.

Never have I tried so hard to like a game, tried so hard to enjoy a game, only to feel slapped in the face again and again.

The game's designers have found a way to justify these design choices by having Comic Book Guy pop up on-screen to point out any videogame clichés that I encountered. Exploding barrels, pressure pads, and in the case of Lard Boy, an obvious weak point on an enemy all resulted in appearances by Comic Book Guy.

Funny? Sure, in that self-referential Simpsons way.

But fun? Not even close.

The designers want me to see the limitations of the game as funny, clever observations on the limitations of the medium. Instead of finding a work-around for these clichés, or coming up with novel gameplay ideas, The Simpsons Game decides to celebrate them.

And this is the game's fatal flaw.

The game does feature plenty of insider references to videogames. When Lisa has to cross a river, suddenly logs and crocodiles appear. In another level, a Donkey Kong-esque ape kidnaps Professor Frink, and I had to make my way through several Mario-like warp pipes in order to save him. And I had to do it all while enduring attacks from Ryu-like "street fighters" and Madden-esque football players.

But to get to experience these clever references -- there's even a very sly DOOM nod (listen for it) -- you'd have to be either a rabid, seen-every-episode Simpsons fan or a borderline masochist.

Verdict: Torched.

This review was based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.