Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Hilarious game with many inside jokes for fans.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
Based on 38 kid reviews
Kids say the game is entertaining for fans, featuring well-known characters and humor reminiscent of the show, though it contains mild language and cartoon violence that may not be suitable for younger children. Reviews highlight the differences across console versions, with the DS edition being a favorite among some, while others warn about adult themes and suggest it may be best for older kids rather than young children.
- fun for fans
- varied console experiences
- mild language
- parental guidance advised
- adult themes present
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
With a zany story line crafted by the Emmy award-winning writers from the TV show, the Simpsons family -- Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie -- are aware they're trapped inside THE SIMPSONS GAME, and so they use their newfound special powers to live out their fantasies and help save their town of Springfield. For example, the overweight father Homer can unleash a serious belch or change into a giant ball of fat to roll over enemies, while bad-boy Bart, armed with a slingshot, can peg off baddies with ease or glide through the air with his Bartman cape. Most missions let you play as one of two characters, and in some cases you'll need to use one in particular to take advantage of their abilities. When playing alone, the game's artificial intelligence controls the other family member, but at any time a second player can pick up a controller to start playing.
Is It Any Good?
This video game enjoys smooth "cel-shaded" animation that resembles the TV cartoon, even with the move to 3-D. The game offers 16 distinct "episodes" and more than 8,000 lines of dialogue. While a fan of the TV show will get a lot more out of The Simpsons Game than someone who is not, it's evident a tremendous amount of effort and detail went into this ambitious game. The end result is an adventure that's more fun than making a crank call to Moe's Tavern.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The Simpsons animated TV show was considered very offensive back in the early '90s -- Bart's underachieving attitude, Homer's language (which upset his religious neighbor, Ned), and some violence and gore -- but is this as big a deal today? Does the game push the envelope as the show did in its day, or is it now seen as clever, irreverent social satire? Does the game feel like an interactive episode of the show?
Game Details
- Platforms : Xbox 360 , PlayStation 3 , PSP , Nintendo Wii , Nintendo DS , PlayStation 2
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Electronic Arts
- Release date : November 1, 2007
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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