The Simpsons Arcade Game

A real treat for anyone who has fond memories of the game from their youth. It looks and plays exactly like the original, and has enough fun extras to encourage multiple plays.

We're sure devoted fans will love what Konami has done with The Simpsons Arcade Game's home release, and now it can be introduced to a new generation of players who will discover just how joyous it is. It's a blast from the past that has very little going against it, outside of its length. However, the replay value, particularly from playing alongside friends, easily makes this one worth the D'oh!

Only in The Simpsons Arcade Game can you get a Mr. Smithers that is psychotic kidnapper and a suicide bomber, or have Mr. Burns as a death-dealing robot. This game and its characters don't make sense. They're bizarre, but they sure are fun to witness.

It feels like travelling to the past. Solid gameplay, but the dated graphics, while appealing to nostalgics, may well put off younger players. Still, definitely worth a look for any Simpsons fan.

If you look at The Simpsons Arcade Game from today's standards then the game is pretty terrible, with overly simple controls, rough graphics, and a very short campaign. But looking at the game through the eyes of a fan of the original cabinet from 1991 the game fares much better. It has what you'd expect a game based on The Simpsons to have: similar animation, fun gameplay, and entertaining multiplayer.

Whether you're tackling it solo or with friends, Simpsons Arcade likely won't take more than an hour to run through from start to finish, making the $10 price tag seem a little steep. Even so, there's a lot to take in, especially in this version.

For those not weaned in the coin-op heyday, The Simpsons Arcade might feel too repetitive and too short. However, for those of us who were, The Simpsons Arcade is an absolute blast.

Not only does it faithfully bring back the experience, but it's as complete of a package as one could ask for.

Fun, but don't expect longevity - without the need to feed coins into it, you'll be through it in half an hour. [May 2012, p.87]

Sore fingers aside though, The Simpsons Arcade Game not that difficult.

I don't regret my time with The Simpsons one bit and would have downloaded the game whether I was reviewing it or not. I'm sure plenty of brawler fans are in the same boat and won't be swayed one way or the other by reviews. However, if you've never heard of this game before now, it probably won't have the same sprinkling of magic dust as it does for longtime fans.

The Simpsons Arcade Game aims to satisfy most fans who had already enjoyed the original game and also manages to intrigue new recruits.

Fondly remembering The Simpsons Arcade is the caveat, though, as nostalgia is a key component to enjoyment. Objectively, by today's standards, The Simpsons Arcade is not very good. It's a brainless button-masher that is beaten through sheer attrition, and is so numbingly repetitive that one's thumb will feel arthritic despite the incredibly short length. To anybody playing this game for the first time, it's not going to be looked upon favorably in the least. However, Konami didn't release it for people new to the game.

An old coin-op just for the old gamers who want to live again the old feelings of the 90's arcade.

At 400 points, we'd call it a steal, and online co-op is a very nice bonus. At 800, though, we're just not that fussed. [Issue#83, p.105]

Nostalgic fun that's aged badly. [Apr 2012, p.105]

A little too easy and loose to really deliver the goods. With all the other solid brawlers on offer, it's difficult to see The Simpsons as anything but an innocent waste of time.

Ultimately, Simpsons Arcade is much richer with history than it is with content, but we'd easily play this over Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge.

The nostalgia factor will drive many to want to purchase this, but numerous flaws, possibly covered up the first time around by childhood innocence, and a lack of extra features should have you waiting for this to go on sale first.

Indefensibly shallow and repetitive, but still great fun for Simpsons fans and nostalgic arcade goers in general.

Mostly, The Simpsons Arcade Game is a phoned-in port. With so many companies generating improved remakes and ports, it's sad to see that Revolution has chosen to run something so simplistic for a game that hasn't aged very well.

As a re-release of a classic arcade game, The Simpsons: Arcade Game is not really bad but there's an obvious lack of content and the game feels rather shallow.

The Simpsons Arcade Game has a story that makes no sense, shallow gameplay, very little comedy and nonsensical boss battles. For ten dollars you're getting a brief experience that you'll likely never want to revisit. On the other hand, it's nice to see this game get a proper home console release after more than two decades!

It's a good thing this beat'em all can rely on a prestigious franchise, rather than its true gameplay qualities (multiplayer excluded). Because there is far better elsewhere for this price.