Homer, Bart and company entertain

The Simpsons Road Rage\nRating: T for Teen\nFor: Playstation 2, Gamecube, XBOX\nBy: EA Games\nWhen it comes to college culture, certain icons have left an indelible mark on vocabulary, attitude and lifestyle. Head and shoulders above all other icons is probably "The Simpsons," the longest running show on TV.\nThe stories, characters and catchphrases are favorites of almost any college student you talk to. Video games are also popular with college students. Rarely, other than a solid arcade game, have these two items crossed paths with any success. "The Simpsons Road Rage" for the Playstation 2 triumphs in mixing the two. \nThe idea is simple, if not easy. Using any of the large roster of players, navigate through six different courses, taking various residents of Springfield to their chosen destination. By doing this you earn money with which you can buy more characters and more boards. But this is not the attraction of the game, which lies instead in the voices, graphics and boards themselves.\nAll of your favorite characters are here from the show. Of course there is the Simpson family themselves, but also you'll find Chief Wiggum, Apu, Snake and Barney, just to name a few. And among your different passengers is my personal favorite, Ralph Wiggum, the chief's son who always has a great bit of wisdom to dispense, which is another great feature of the game. All of the characters are voiced by the actual actors in the show, saying some of the actual lines that the fans have come to know and love. \nThe courses themselves are great too, in that each depicts a different part of Springfield that you see in the show. From the Simpson house to the Kwik-E-Mart to Moe's Tavern, all the hangouts are here in great detail. And the graphics are fantastic. While it's obvious that you aren't in the show itself, the casual observer might be fooled by the vivid depictions of the boards and characters.\nYou don't buy games like this for their challenge, you buy them for the entertainment value. And this game delivers that in spades. Whether you are driving solo or going head to head with a friend, "The Simpsons Road Rage" is sure to leave you and your buddies having a good time. Now if you excuse me, Homer and I have to make it to the Bowl-o-Rama on the double. \n

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