The Simpsons: Road Rage (PlayStation 2)


The Simpsons Road Rage features some of the show's characters as they taxi people around to raise money. Mr. Burns has started a bus transit line, but the buses are obviously dangerous and he must be stopped. The solution to this is equally dangerous driving and expensive prices. Because logic.



You start out with only a few characters and one area, but unlock more as you go. You select a character and you're then given a time limit, depending on your difficulty setting (which can be changed in the options menu). Passengers will have blue, circular lines around them and you must stop inside the circle to pick them up. Once you do, you'll be given a destination and a time frame to arrive in. The sooner you get there, the bigger a bonus you'll get, plus the fare for travel time. The destination will be surrounded in yellow lines and you must stop within them to deliver your passenger. Then you pick up another one, all until time runs out. If you fail to deliver a passenger in the allotted time, they'll leave the car and you'll have to go pick up somebody else.



During your runs, you'll also sometimes be challenged to avoid traffic, leading to a $250 bonus, or to hit a certain number of objects, leading to a $1000 dollar bonus. As you drive, character will sometimes say funny one liners or engage in small banter depending on who you're using and who you've picked up. Mr. Burns will also try to sabotage you by running in to you and slowing you down, as will the nuclear bus.



Each car has it's advantages and disadvantages, and on average the areas get harder as you go. Once your run is complete, you'll get a rating, be able to register your score, and your money will go towards unlocking new areas and characters. Areas are unlocked in order but characters can be selected freely. You'll need more and more money to unlock things the more progress you've made.



The is also a Sunday Drive where you can drive around at your leisure, and this is a good way to discover shortcuts and secret roads to help you in Road Rage mode. You can also undertake a Mission Mode where you'll be given ten specific objectives, which will allow you to unlock a special car.



Characters:
(In no particular order):
Homer: Family Sedan
Marge: Canyonero
Bart: Soap Box Racer
Lisa: Elec-taurus
Grandpa Abe: Shriner Car
Ned Flanders: Station Wagon
Reverend Lovejoy: Book Burning Mobile
Professor Frink: Flying Car
Apu: Sports Car
Homer: Mr. Plow
Barney: The Plow King
Moe: Sedan
Chief Wiggum: Police Car
Snake: Lil' Bandit
Krusty: Klown Kar
Groundskeeper Willie: Tractor
Otto: School Bus

Overall this is a very fun game, and it has some genuinely funny dialogue in at that makes it quite amusing. It does have some downfalls, though. It gets repetitive and especially towards the end when you need a lot of money to unlock one more thing, you'll find yourself needing a break. Also sometimes the dialogue of one character doesn't match well with another. The game has terrible load times and can be glitchy, which can either be frustrating or amusing. I did have a lot of fun with it before and I will again in the future, but it is best enjoyed in small doses where it will be a lot of fun, rather than playing it constantly where it gets boring.

Verdict:
LIKED IT