The Simpsons: Road Rage

Simpsons Skateboarding and Wrestling were both novelty games parodying successful genres, and Road Rage wasn't much different. Here, however, Crazy Taxi is the game being parodied. Pretty weird since Crazy Taxi was just an arcade-y game not really rooted in any specific genre other than driving. But, alas, we got a Simpsons version of it. And, you know what? Honestly, it's nowhere near as bad as the previous two games I mentioned. It's absolutely playable and enjoyable. But, as other reviewers have already stated, your enjoyment and fascination is not going to last long. It'll wear off within a couple of days each time you come back.

If you can get it for around 10 bucks, give it a shot if you're a big Simpsons fan. Otherwise, maybe just watching someone else play it.

The Simpsons: Road Rage is a quite good game. It has some flaws, but redeeming qualities as well.

Characters- Bart, Homer, Marge, Lisa, the whole enchilada of characters from classic animated show The Simpsons

Plot- Basically Crazy Taxi, Simpsons style.

Animation- Good for 2001, not that special looking for today's standards.

Sound- Average. Not bad, not good.

If you like The Simpsons and/or Crazy Taxi, definitely play this game. You will most certainly like it. Otherwise, give it a whirl if you can find it cheap, but other than that don't play it.

8.5/10 or: B

When heartless millionaire Montgomery Burns develops a nuclear bus the public begin to show signs of being irradiated. Always one to cash in on a get rich scheme, Homer paints `taxi for hire' on the side of his car and sets out into Springfield to collect passengers.

Basically Crazy Taxi set in the world of The Simpsons, this game sees you able to play as one of several different characters driving round several well known locations from the series, picking up characters and getting them to their destination as quickly as possible before your time runs out. The controls are very easy to get to grips with and the cars are easy to drive. The problem with the game is that it doesn't really go anywhere. After a few days it has little new to play for except unlocking the next character or area.

Because each game is only ever a few minutes long it becomes fun while it lasts but doesn't feel like a longer game. The best part is not the game play but the real feel of the Simpsons it has to it. The animation is good and the opening cartoon manages to capture the sense of humour of the series. Better than this are the voices and dialogue of the characters during the game, although this too gets a bit repetitive after while.

Overall this is a god rent for most people as it is picked up easily and fun to play for a short time. Big Simpsons fans might want to own it but for the most part it is a little too shallow to justify buying. Fun to pick up and play though.

This game followed close the the TV show. You basically have to do Taxi missions with the Simpson cast. It has most of the original cast and some funny parts. I really got a good idea what springfield looked like from the game. The rewards were a little outrageous to get, but other than that it was great. What would have made it better was if you was able to get out of the cars. Of course that will be in Hit and Run.

I've been a Simpsons fan all my life and this was one of the franchises best games. Sure, it borrows heavily from Crazy Taxi, but I feel its formula mixes greatly with the Simpsons franchise and is a game true fans enjoyed.

Mr. Burns has bought the Springfield bus company and turned them into destructive and dangerously radioactive nuclear-powered buses that are threatening Springfield. Now, it's up to not only Homer Simpson, but 16 other major cast members of the show to provide taxi service to Springfield pedestrians until they make enough money to buy the buses back.

The characters, which you gradually unlocked, all drove their own unique vehicles, like Homer in his pink sedan, Groundskeeper Willie in his tractor, Chief Wiggum in his police cruiser, and Snake in his sports car Little Bandit. And, of course, all of the vehicles have their own strengths and weaknesses. Barney's Plow king is slow and difficult to turn, but its bulk allows it to easily smash through objects and traffic, while Apus and Snakes cars are both greased lightning on the road, but their acceleration is a little slow and turning can be tricky at times. I did the best with Frink's flying car thanks to its excellent speed and acceleration and good handling, although it took some practice to master him.

There are almost thirty different characters you can provide fare to as you drive all around Springfields major sections, like Evergreen Terrace, the Entertainment District, Springfield Dam, and the Nuclear Power Plant. The game gives you a nice trip down memory lane as you see a huge variety of landmarks from the shows first ten seasons, like the Statue of Jebediah Springfield, Area 51A, La Maison Derriere, the Escalator to Nowhere, and Kamp Krusty. The dialogue is as brilliant and hilarious as it is on the show. Some of the characters who know each other even exchange unique lines.

It was recommended to cruise around the maps to learn their layouts and the destination each character frequented. You can utilize Sunday Drive to practice this, since it grants you unlimited time. Or so you can just go crazy and smash things for fun, since there's plenty of objects you can destroy. There was also a multiplayer mode in which two players would compete for fares, but I never got into it.