The Simpsons Game
The Simpsons Game is a 2007 action-adventure video game featuring characters from the animated television series The Simpsons, developed primarily by EA Redwood Shores and published by Electronic Arts for platforms including the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable.[1][2] The game employs a self-referential plot in which the Simpson family discovers they exist within a fictional universe and acquires superpowers from a game manual, enabling them to combat threats like alien invaders and corporate entities in Springfield while satirizing video game tropes and industry practices.[3] Written by the Emmy Award-winning staff of the Simpsons television series and featuring voice acting from the show's principal cast, the title emphasizes humor rooted in the franchise's established canon and pop culture references over innovative gameplay mechanics.[4] It incorporates co-operative multiplayer elements allowing players to control pairs of family members with complementary abilities, such as Bart's slingshot and Homer's burping attacks, across levels parodying genres from platformers to shooters.[4] Upon release on October 30, 2007, in North America, the game garnered mixed critical reception, earning aggregate scores of approximately 71 out of 100 on Metacritic across versions, with commendations for its witty script and faithful representation of the source material offset by critiques of repetitive level design and uneven controls.[4][1] No major controversies surrounded its development or content, distinguishing it from prior Simpsons licensed titles that faced harsher dismissal, though it failed to achieve blockbuster commercial success amid a saturated market for media tie-ins.[4]Gameplay
Core Mechanics
The Simpsons Game employs third-person platforming and action-adventure mechanics, where players control members of the Simpson family to traverse linear levels inspired by the television series' settings and scenarios. Core actions include jumping between platforms, climbing objects, and navigating environmental hazards, often requiring precise timing to avoid falls or obstacles.[5][6] Combat consists of basic melee attacks such as punches and kicks against enemies like mutants or aliens, supplemented by context-sensitive finishing moves on stunned foes.[5] Each playable character possesses unique superpowers unlocked progressively through story progression and collectibles, enabling puzzle-solving and environmental interactions; for instance, abilities allow flight, matter manipulation, or grappling hooks to access new areas or defeat tougher enemies.[7][8] These powers integrate into the gameplay loop by necessitating character switches in single-player mode or cooperative play, where levels typically feature two controllable Simpsons who must combine abilities to advance.[5] Local two-player co-op supports drop-in/drop-out functionality, with the second player assuming control of the alternate character without restarting sections.[9] Players collect items like "Simpson Balls" and "Challenge Tokens" scattered throughout levels, which contribute to unlocking upgrades from Professor Frink's shop, enhancing powers or granting new ones to deepen strategic options in combat and traversal.[10] The camera system, controlled via the D-pad or right analog stick depending on the platform, follows the active character but has been criticized for occasional obstruction by environmental geometry during platforming sequences.[5][11] Overall, the mechanics emphasize episodic progression across 16 levels, blending humor with straightforward objectives like defeating bosses or dismantling machinery.[6]Playable Characters and Powers
The playable characters in The Simpsons Game consist of the five Simpson family members—Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie—each equipped with distinct abilities essential for progressing through levels, solving environmental puzzles, and engaging in combat.[12] These powers are unlocked progressively and can be upgraded via collectible cards found in the game world, enhancing their effectiveness in gameplay.[12] Homer's abilities center on transformation and brute force. He can inflate into a helium-filled state using scattered tanks to float over obstacles, roll into Homerball form for dashing attacks or smashing barriers, and later acquire Gummi Homer mode to phase through certain objects after consuming gummi substances provided by Professor Frink.[12] His combat options include punch attacks, burp stuns, and a charged super burp for area damage.[12] Marge specializes in crowd control and support. Her primary power involves using a megaphone to recruit neutral non-player characters into a mob, which she can then direct to attack enemies, build structures, or perform other tasks.[12] An upgrade to the Mega-Megaphone extends her influence range and adds a blowback attack to repel foes.[12] She can also deploy Maggie into narrow vents or gaps inaccessible to other family members.[13] Bart functions as a agile platformer with ranged and mobility tools. Equipped with a slingshot for shooting projectiles and a power shot variant for charged damage, he transforms into Bartman to glide using a cape, access ziplines, and employ a grapple hook for reaching elevated areas or pulling objects.[12] Upgrades like the Wrist Rocket and Super Cape further refine these capabilities.[12] Lisa's powers emphasize sonic and telekinetic manipulation. Her saxophone delivers stunning blasts or spinning area attacks, while the Hand of Buddha allows her to levitate and reposition large objects to create paths or defeat enemies.[12] Later acquisitions include lightning strikes and freezing beams for elemental combat effects.[12] Maggie has limited direct combat abilities but serves as a utility character, capable of crawling through tight spaces to activate switches or collect items on behalf of the family.[12] Her role is primarily puzzle-solving, often directed by Marge.[13]
| Character | Primary Powers | Upgrades/Secondary Abilities |
|---|---|---|
| Homer | Homerball roll, burp attacks, helium float | Gummi Homer transformation[12] |
| Marge | Mob recruitment via megaphone, blowback | Mega-Megaphone, Maggie deployment[12] |
| Bart | Slingshot shooting, Bartman glide/grapple | Wrist Rocket, Super Cape[12] |
| Lisa | Saxophone stun/spin, Hand of Buddha | Lightning, freeze beams[12] |
| Maggie | Crawl through small gaps | None specified[12] |
Plot
Narrative Structure and Themes
The narrative of The Simpsons Game unfolds across 16 episodic levels, each designed as a self-contained parody of video game genres or cultural tropes, linked by a meta-overarching storyline where the Simpson family acquires superpowers via an in-game manual and progressively uncovers their entrapment within a simulated video game world. Levels typically pair specific family members—such as Bart and Homer or Lisa and Marge—for cooperative gameplay, emphasizing character-specific abilities like Bart's slingshot or Homer's burping attacks, while hubs in Springfield allow exploration and side objectives that reinforce the plot's progression toward confronting existential threats to their reality. This structure mirrors episodic television formats but integrates fourth-wall breaks, such as characters referencing player controls or game mechanics, to advance the central revelation that their lives are player-driven simulations lacking autonomy.[14][15] The plot commences with Bart purchasing Grand Theft Scratchy, a Grand Theft Auto spoof, only for Marge to confiscate it, prompting the discovery of The Simpsons Game manual that bestows powers upon the family to combat Springfield's escalating chaos, including alien abductions by Kang and Kodos and a dolphin uprising. Midway, the narrative escalates into interdimensional travel, parodying titles like Pokémon (Mob Rules evolves into creature-collecting satire) and Medal of Honor (Medal of Homer), before culminating in levels like "Five Characters in Search of an Author," where the Simpsons infiltrate the creator's mansion (alluding to Matt Groening) and challenge God, depicted as a neglectful gamer who treats their universe as an idle mini-game on "The Planet Earth" console. This resolution, revealed through Ralph Wiggum's intervention, resets the world but affirms the family's agency, underscoring the game's recursive, self-aware loop.[6][14] Central themes revolve around satire of video game conventions and industry practices, with the family critiquing tropes like power-ups, boss fights, and sequel fatigue—explicitly jabbing at Electronic Arts' history of licensed tie-ins—while parodying broader media, from superhero origins (Bartman Begins) to environmental activism (Lisa the Tree Hugger). The narrative explores predestination versus free will, as characters rebel against scripted events and divine oversight, blending religious parody (God's portrayal as a flawed programmer) with family dynamics that prioritize chaotic unity over heroic individualism. These elements privilege humor over depth, using exaggeration to lampoon gaming's artificiality without endorsing player agency as genuine liberation.[15][14]Development
Concept and Pre-Production
Electronic Arts initiated the project by developing an Xbox tech demo on March 8, 2004, to pitch for the video game license to Fox, aiming to secure rights for a Simpsons-based title.) This effort succeeded when EA acquired the license on November 2, 2005, with development commencing shortly thereafter in November-December 2005, targeting next-generation consoles.)[16] Pre-production spanned approximately one year, during which the team, led by Creative Director Jonathan Knight, immersed themselves in Simpsons media—including episodes, comics, and prior games—to distill the franchise's essence./Making-of_Movie) The core concept emerged from collaboration with Simpsons show writers, centering on the family discovering a manual that grants them superpowers and meta-awareness of inhabiting a video game, enabling satire of gaming conventions and genres./Making-of_Movie) Early explorations included diverse level ideas, such as "Day of the Dolphin" featuring Bart and Lisa combating dolphins, and visual prototypes emphasizing a 3D engine with custom cel-shading to mimic the show's 2D flat aesthetic./Making-of_Movie)) Key decisions in pre-production focused on character-specific powers derived from Simpsons traits—e.g., Homer's burp-induced rolling ball and Lisa's Hand of Buddha—while prototyping mechanics to parody titles across action, RPG, and strategy genres./Making-of_Movie) The team finalized Springfield's design by September 15, 2006, though it was later scaled down, and explored additional content like alternate character skins planned for DLC, ultimately cancelled following the 2007 Writers' Guild strike.) These phases established the game's structure as a multi-episode narrative, announced publicly on May 9, 2007, at a Simpsons milestone event.[17])Production Process
The production of The Simpsons Game was led by EA Redwood Shores studio in Redwood City, California, following a year of pre-production that involved concept exploration, initial level designs, and collaboration with The Simpsons television writers.[17] The core team included creative director Jonathan Knight, executive producer Scot Amos, art director Ash Huang, and lead game designer Greg Rizzer, with head writing duties handled by Matt Selman alongside Tim Long and Matt Warburton to ensure the storyline satirized video game tropes through self-aware Simpsons characters.[18] Daily builds were iterated upon with testing to maintain stability, refining an initial set of levels into the final 16 across various hubs in Springfield.[18] Visual production emphasized custom cell-shading technology to render 3D models with a 2D cartoon aesthetic, using Autodesk Maya for animations to achieve accurate lip-sync and expressions matching the original voice cast, who reprised their roles including Dan Castellaneta as Homer and Nancy Cartwright as Bart.[18] Audio direction under Paul Gorman incorporated original score by composers Chris Lennertz and Tim Wynn, while gameplay mechanics for character powers and co-op play were developed to blend platforming with Simpsons-specific humor.[18] Challenges included adapting passive television comedy into interactive gameplay, managing diverse level designs such as parodies of other games, and ensuring visual fidelity across platforms, with some content like a Nelson Muntz troll sequence cut from the Neverquest level.[18] For non-next-gen versions, production shifted to external developers like Rebellion Developments for PS2, PSP, and Wii ports, adapting core assets to lower-end hardware.[19] The process culminated in shipment for North American release on October 30, 2007, aligning with post-Simpsons Movie momentum.[20]Release
Platforms and Release Dates
The Simpsons Game was released for six platforms: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation Portable, and Nintendo DS.[13][21] The seventh-generation console versions (PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) and Wii version featured enhanced graphics and online features compared to the older PlayStation 2 and handheld ports, though core gameplay remained consistent across all.[22][23] North American releases occurred simultaneously on October 30, 2007, for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Nintendo DS versions, with the PlayStation Portable version following on November 5, 2007.[1][2][21] European launches took place on November 2, 2007, for most platforms, while Australian releases spanned November 6 to 8, 2007.[1][24] A limited Japanese release occurred on November 14, 2007, primarily for PlayStation 2 and Portable.[13]| Platform | North America | Europe | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 2 | October 30, 2007 | November 2, 2007 | November 6, 2007 |
| PlayStation 3 | October 30, 2007 | November 2, 2007 | November 8, 2007 |
| Xbox 360 | October 30, 2007 | November 2, 2007 | November 8, 2007 |
| Wii | October 30, 2007 | November 2, 2007 | November 8, 2007 |
| PlayStation Portable | November 5, 2007 | November 9, 2007 | November 9, 2007 |
| Nintendo DS | October 30, 2007 | November 2, 2007 | November 8, 2007 |