22nd February 2003, 8:08 PM
Mr. Burns has bought the Springfield bus company, irradiated all of the buses and jack fares way up. So Springfield residents start using their own cars as taxis to zip people around town as fast as possible.
This game is frighteningly remiscent of Crazy Taxi but with a few differences, some good, some bad. For one, Springfield is huge, and packed with show references and familiar locations like the Kwik-E-Mart and Springfield Elementary. A good portion of the environment is destructable, such as street lights, trees, and signs. Thing is, they fall very unrealistically. It looks like a toy car driving to a platic tree, it moves with you, wobbles then falls down. In place of the classic green arrow now is a big yellow hand pointing to your destination. There are about 20 characters you can use to drive, (most need to be unlocked) each with their own vehicle. Groundskeeper Willie has a tractor, Professor Frink drives a flying car, and Grandpa drives a tiny Shriners car.
The real treat in this game is the voice acting. Everyone you pick up and all the drivers voices are the actual voices form the show. There are some great lines too. Flanders: "Could you take me to Reverend Lovejoys house? I want him to bless my new haircut" or Abe Simpson after hitting something "Oh, there's my pelvis!". One problem is timing though. In an odd game I drove Flanders to his destination, then picked up and drove Hans Moleman to his destination, and on my way to getting <i>another</i> passenger I finally hear Flanders thanking me for the ride, even though he's blocks away. Again, not good timing.
Simpsons fans (such as myself) should get a kick out of this game. If you liked Crazy Taxi there's really not much here not to like. Rent it first, if you think you'd enjoy it more by all means buy it, but I suggest waiting until your local rental store starts selling used copies for cheap. It's a fun and amusing games, but I personally won't pay 50 bucks for it.</font>
I rate The Simpsons: Road Rage a 7.5 and recommend at least renting it.
This game is frighteningly remiscent of Crazy Taxi but with a few differences, some good, some bad. For one, Springfield is huge, and packed with show references and familiar locations like the Kwik-E-Mart and Springfield Elementary. A good portion of the environment is destructable, such as street lights, trees, and signs. Thing is, they fall very unrealistically. It looks like a toy car driving to a platic tree, it moves with you, wobbles then falls down. In place of the classic green arrow now is a big yellow hand pointing to your destination. There are about 20 characters you can use to drive, (most need to be unlocked) each with their own vehicle. Groundskeeper Willie has a tractor, Professor Frink drives a flying car, and Grandpa drives a tiny Shriners car.
The real treat in this game is the voice acting. Everyone you pick up and all the drivers voices are the actual voices form the show. There are some great lines too. Flanders: "Could you take me to Reverend Lovejoys house? I want him to bless my new haircut" or Abe Simpson after hitting something "Oh, there's my pelvis!". One problem is timing though. In an odd game I drove Flanders to his destination, then picked up and drove Hans Moleman to his destination, and on my way to getting <i>another</i> passenger I finally hear Flanders thanking me for the ride, even though he's blocks away. Again, not good timing.
Simpsons fans (such as myself) should get a kick out of this game. If you liked Crazy Taxi there's really not much here not to like. Rent it first, if you think you'd enjoy it more by all means buy it, but I suggest waiting until your local rental store starts selling used copies for cheap. It's a fun and amusing games, but I personally won't pay 50 bucks for it.</font>
I rate The Simpsons: Road Rage a 7.5 and recommend at least renting it.