It's one of the best 2-D platformers I have played in recent memory, maybe ever. Sure the license is still 2 for 10+ in my book (The arcade game being the other enjoyable one), but the Simpsons have finally gotten a game that captures the spirit of the series just right.

The gameplay is fairly run of the mill, with switches and jumps and glides and such, but it's wrapped up in such a great design package, you can forgive it for not being more original.

The game parodies geek culture and many, many video games, including their own lame ones from the past, and has many mini games that mimic other popular series from the 80's. Hearing a booming voice say "Homer needs food badly" in the Guantlet parody was really a nice touch. There is also a 2600 controller and plaque memorializing it in heaven later on in the game.

This game is everything a well written humor game should aspire to be. Every other "funny" game should take note of how it is done, then make the platforming more original.

The game is very short, as are most DS games that get this level of polish (Duck Amuck comes to mind), and it is frustrating in some parts that reminded me of Double Dragon and Batman both on NES that some people may not be able to get past. Not TMNT/Battletoads hard, but definately some tricky jumps and floating puzzles, as well as a few instances where the objectives weren't clear enough to understand what to do.

But overall, worth a playthrough for anyone who is either a fan of the show or a old gamer.