"The Simpsons" is simply a classic. The animated cartoon redefined primetime television and has provided the world with memorable quote and trendy new terminology like "don't have a cow man!" There is an episode that defines at least one moment in everyone's life.
"The Simpsons" has also had a long run in videogames, having appeared on almost every console ever released since the late 1980s. "The Simpsons" have been an arcade brawler and a Grand Theft Auto rip-off, but Electronic Arts' iOS game captures their spirit the best.
After a disastrous release and a five month hiatus, The Simpsons: Tapped Out is back on the App Store, and this time it looks like Electronic Arts has gotten the game mostly right. There are few small hiccups like the occasional freeze or the ability to purchase doughnuts using fictional in-game money.
Simpsons: Tapped Out scores a rare success simply because it lets the Simpsons go back to the basic and be themselves- a completely dysfunctional family. The game lets your re-envision Springfield in whatever way you see fit. Move Flanders as far as away from the Simpsons as you want. This is Springfield SimCity style. The game is an addictive city-building and management game.
The lot of The Simpsons: Tapped Out is as crazy as your favorite Sunday night episode. It begins with Homer playing a Happy Little Elves social game on his myPad and failing to monitor the nuclear power plant's core temperature. Can you believe this guy still has a job? The core reaches critical and blows all of Springfield to high-heavens. Miraculously the entire population of the town survived the nuclear blast, but the town is completely in need of a rebuilding.
The first thing you build during the games tutorial mode is the Simpsons' house, and Evergreen Terrace. Then you will be prompted to rebuild the famous Kwik-E-Mart, and Homer's least favorite neighbor Ned Flanders' home. The tutorial truly helps you get a hand of the game's mechanics. You can pretty much build any location you have ever seen on the show.
But that were EA gets you with the extras. The game's currency is earned through accomplishing goal, but each goal is assigned a certain amount of time. For instance it will take you an hour to build Cletus' farm. You can speed things up with doughnuts. The real money price of these doughnuts can be up to $99.99 for a about 2,400 doughnuts. Doh! You can buy the doughnuts with the fictional money in the game but this takes patience and a lot of repeated task.
The good thing is that each citizen of Springfield can earn you some cash. So the more characters you bring back to life the more money you make to build the city back. You can also visit other alternate Springfields once a day to earn more cash.
As for the games negative aspects, the touch screen control doesn't always work correctly when you are moving around things and planting your shrubbery. The cut scenes are great, but the repetitive voice-overs can get a little bit tiring. And as I mentioned earlier sometimes the game freezes or loses its Internet connection.
I never got into the city-building games, but The Simpsons: Tapped Out has characters I already care about and pays enough homage to the show that I really am enjoying the game. I give it an 8/10. Plus you can't beat the free price tag.
Watch the game's trailer below...
