The Simpsons: Virtual Springfield

The Good
Here's your chance to wander through the Simpsons' home town of Springfield and visit all those famous, favorite locations. Buy a Squishee at the Kwik-E-Mart. Press some buttons on Homer's console at the nuclear power plant. Mix up a "Flaming Moe" at Moe's bar. It's all here. The game does a good job of preserving the humor and the flavor of the television show. All of the original voice actors supply the voices of the various characters; no cheap immitations here.

The Bad
This game is basically "Myst" with a Simpsons theme. The "goal", such as it is, serves as little more than an excuse to explore. There are Simpsons collector cards to find and collect and you need to find various objects in order to gain access to some areas in the game. That's about it.

Although you're supposedly free to wander around Springfield at will, clicking on the screen moves you from one location to the next, with no opportunity to wander from the beaten path or even just look around in between locations. The result is a somewhat restrictive feel.

The Bottom Line
If you're a Simpsons fan, you'll enjoy this game, at least for a while. If you're not, it will likely get dull and tedious very quickly.