Say what you will about licensed games, but Electronic Arts is giving The Simpsons a franchise-worthy outing this fall with its entire slate of The Simpsons videogames (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PS2, PSP and DS). But while the console versions are shaping up to be fun, the Nintendo DS version is flat-out astounding. In fact, pound for pound and pixel for pixel, there might not be a better gaming value this year.
The Simpsons for Nintendo DS largely follows the core plot of the console versions, but in a 2D world and with gameplay twists designed for the DS interface. For instance, the tag-team/co-op approach from the console versions is entirely intact, and although switching between characters is scripted, the gameplay is different enough from one character to the next that you won’t really mind the lack of switch control.
One level features Lisa using her special platform-creating 
ability to help Homer make it to the next checkpoint, while another level has Bart activating his Bartman flying mode to reach high-up locales and clear the path for Homer as well. Homer’s not a total boob, though, as he can bowl over bad guys and use a butt stomp to activate switches.
In each of these instances, the action unfolds on both the upper and lower screens, which really gives a nice vertical feel to each level. And, when firing projectiles or jumping from the air to the ground (or vice versa), the movement is seamless from one screen to the next. But while the screenplay is a no-brainer function for the DS version of The Simpsons, the real DS “special sauce” comes in the game’s navigation, minigame and multiplayer options.
Navigating through Springfield is accomplished by dragging the stylus over the screen to move the map from one building to the next. Move the camera around and stop at the theater, and you’ll be able to watch TV-quality segments from the show (22 minutes total are included on the cartridge). Fly over to the arcade, and you can play games such as Logger, a sawmill-inspired version of Frogger. And swing on by the Simpsons’ home, and you’ll be able to play a tongue-in-cheek Nintendogs clone called Pet Homer.
In Pet Homer, good old Homer is sitting on the sofa in all his tighty-whitey glory waiting for players to feed and entertain him. Toss him some donuts or beer, and his energy and happiness will naturally rise. Feed him too much, though, and he’ll go into cardiac arrest. At that point it’s time to break out the defibrillator, and resuscitate him by rubbing his chest with the stylus. Once he comes back to life (and he always does), you might think it’s time to counteract the heart attacks by feeding him some broccoli. That’d be a great idea — if he didn’t spit it right back out at you. Likewise, a shave might be in order for our underwear-clad dad, but the long-term effect are nil, consider the stubble grows back in a matter of seconds.
The four multiplayer modes in The Simpsons for DS are all available for multiple players with the use of just one cartridge, and we have a feeling those modes will get plenty of play time. Hungry Homer is an eating contest, Deathmatch features a bunch of Barts with slingshots, and two Golden modes involve gathering icons. Each mode supports team-based play, and all of them (like the rest of the game) have more than their fair share of humor.
With 2,000 lines of audio — the most ever for a DS game — 22 minutes of video, a single-player campaign, single-cartridge multiplayer modes and multiple minigames throughout Springfield, there are few faults to be found with The Simpsons for Nintendo DS. Although the game doesn’t officially release until winter, there’s enough content and fun to be had in this early version to satiate even the most hardcore fans of the storied TV show. We can only imagine how much fun this game is going to be when it finally hits stores.
— Jonas Allen
