So, it's come to this. I haven't been reviewing much, so I need to step things up. So, I'll pick games that I have something to say about. This...is one of those games...and it was the start of a line of horrible Simpsons games, with only a few good/mediocre games throughout. I can just imagine a Simpsons fan buying this game, and thinking his controller was broken.

Graphics - Not bad. Not good, either.
By no means does this game have bad graphics. However, most of the objects lack detail, and Bart's probably one of the worst-looking parts. His shorts are just a rectangle, and his nose disappears when he stands still. But, graphics aren't that important...unless they obstruct gameplay. Which they don't, thankfully.

Music/Sound - More music please?
While the music is of adequate quality, there aren't too many tracks during gameplay. In fact, there are only two music tracks spread out across five levels! There is different music when you fight a boss, but that music is really repetitive, and one of the boss songs is tortuously annoying. The sound effects aren't anything special, either, though it is of note that this same sound engine is taken to most of the games made by Imagineering Inc, and some published by THQ.

Gameplay - At least it tried to be different.
This game just has a lot of problems, which really hamper the enjoyment of the game. (By the way, I didn't use save states though any part of this game. I'm trying to emulate the experience of playing it on a real console.)

The first thing you will notice are the controls. To say they are completely illogical and needlessly complicated is quite the understatement. So, you use the A button to jump, and the A button to run, and...wait a second. JUMPING AND RUNNING ARE MAPPED TO THE SAME BUTTON?! What kind of logic is that? Didn't these game designers ever play their game? Haven't they played a game before to realize how bad of a decision that is? This makes it completely impossible to do a running jump. You can speed up in midair, by holding the B button...but your limited-ammo special item of whatever stage you're on is also mapped to the B button. Which means you will probably end up wasting valuable ammunition this way. Great job, Imagineering Inc. Using items is mapped to the Start button, and switching them is mapped to Select...but couldn't they just have you select an item, and use it, without having anything automatically mapped to the B button? By the way, since this takes up all the buttons on the controller, the pause function is an item in your inventory. Ah, I guess they had to put it somewhere.

There's a different goal for each level, and different playstyles for each. In the first level, it's mostly using items and spray paint to get rid of purple objects, in the second level, you just collect hats, whether they're just lying around or on a person's head, the list goes on. While this delivers different gameplay styles, it also brings problems, mainly with the first level. It's very possible to run out of coins and necessary items for achieving the goal of removing purple-colored objects. If this happens, which is very possible, you have no choice but to hit the reset button and hope that doesn't happen again.

The difficulty is on the same level as Ghosts n' Goblins, or probably even higher. The reason for this is that you only have two hit points. And no, unlike in Ghosts n' Goblins, you can't replenish lost hit points. While extra lives are in large supply, continues are nowhere to be found, and some sections of these levels are absolutely brutal, taking 2 or more lives from your stock. Did I mention that, in the second level, they expect you to land on tiny rotating platforms, along with moving platforms, with these controls over an instant death pit of wet cement? That's one of the easier jumping puzzles. Bart also gets no weapons whatsoever in the game, which means you just have to dodge everything. There aren't even non-lethal weapons that just stun enemies.

And, of course, since I suck at video games, I was barely able to make it halfway through the second level. That's with a secret(which AVGN had no clue existed) that gives you three extra lives and a sound test in the first level. You see, at the Kwik-E-Mart sign in the first level, if you shoot the E with a rocket, you get a sound test and a powerup that gives you three extra lives.

All of the bosses are Simpsons characters, like Nelson, the Babysitter Bandit, Sideshow Bob, etc. Of course, you'll probably have to die(or at least get hit) at least once before you will be able to dodge their attacks and counter-attack. This, of course, only adds to the difficulty of the game.

If you can actually get past the soul-crushing difficulty and the broken controls, this game might actually be fun. Just don't expect to get through the game, since the later levels get even more outrageously difficult. The fifth level is basically a maze with combination-lock doors and enemies everywhere in the most inconvenient spots. If you got through this game without Game Genie/savestates, I tip my hat to you, good sir.

Oops! I almost forgot to talk about the story...and why I gave it a 3. The reason I gave it a 3 is because it's basically a Simpsons version of the plot from They Live. Plagiarism is never a good thing, you know.

Final Rating:C- (Just slightly below average;still enjoyable, to an extent)

Final Thoughts:Whoa, when I was playing this, I didn't even expect to get past the first level. How surprised I was when I beat it with six lives remaining!

(Whoa, I'm cutting it close with my review quota. I just hope I'll be able to submit a few more reviews in the short amount of time I have left...)