![]() I’m sure hardcore gamers will love all the in-jokes tucked in there for them. ![]() There are some interesting ones hidden within Big Super Happy Fun Fun, like the dog statue with a key in its mouth and a familiar-looking shield on its back. SA: God of the Wharf: Hot Chowder is glorious–we put in a special camera just to show off that billboard in Day of the Dolphin. Any favorites or particularly obscure ones that you’d like to tell us about? GS: The Simpsons Game, like the show, is littered with pop-culture references. The writers said, “No, dolphins are the new zombies,” and in a stroke changed a simple zombie knockoff into Day of the Dolphin! In general, once the story and episode set was worked out, we’d go back and forth with concept art and discussing story references to come up with all of the right characters to put into this crazy world. At one time the game team was adamant about having zombies come alive from the graveyard in Act 2–when Kang and Kodos invade. SA: Everything created for the game was always worked out with all of the creative partners. Did the show’s creators have input into those characters or were they made entirely by the game’s artists? GS: You’ve said that a large number of the characters in the game were created specifically for the game. Many of the visual gags were similarly worked out in concept art, then we’d build a space and look for ways to cram more pieces into it like signage, posters, symbolic statues from other games, etc. Then the writers were given dialogue spec sheets for how many lines of story or chatter we needed in the game, and they’d work with the design team to fit it all in. All level designs would start with a high-concept of how it will fit into the overall story then details would be refined with the writers on which characters should be in there, what are the main points for gameplay purposes, and what are the key story points that need conveyed. SA: Since we had the core concept of the Simpsons being self-aware that they are inside a video game, we had a plethora of material to choose from to start parodying the game industry. GS: In terms of game design, what came first: the levels or the jokes? In other words, did you build the levels in The Simpsons Game around concepts discussed during the writing process, or did you tailor your plot/jokes/dialogue to the levels that were already there? Matt and the writers had continuous feedback on the game’s content, from look and feel to puzzles and playfield it’s been an amazing partnership. No one wanted a “Simpsons meets latest genre name” game–everyone wanted something that fully displayed the Simpsons universe, was true to the fans of the show, and was, in its own right, a great new game. The core story concept comes directly from that team. Scot Amos (SA): Intimately! From the start, this was a brainchild of the writers and creators of the show to do something epic and new within the Simpsons franchise. Hardly a classic, but an alright effort.GameSpot (GS): How closely have you worked with Matt Groening and the writers who work on the TV show? The graphics are slightly off the mark, and the characters don't really fit well into the 3D environment created for them.Īll in all, if this wasn't The Simpsons, certain things would not be forgiven (like the dodgy camera movement). The storyline is as outrageous as we have come to expect from the family, and tries hard to include references for fans at every opportunity. ![]() Each character has their own set of powers, none of which are particularly fun. You play as Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Marge or Homer, swapping between the characters to complete certain tasks, (a nice way to include the whole family, but a tad dull). The timing of its release just after the film screams of 'cash in' but, like the recent motion picture, it does have it's moments. I really thought I was going to hate this game. Rivalling Disney for its exposure, it has become the embodiment of its own ongoing parody of big business. If you have not heard of The Simpsons - Hello, welcome to Earth! The Simpsons is one of the biggest franchises on the planet. Platform(s): PSP, PS2, PS3, Wii, DS, XBOX360
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