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.