Many big things have happened in the last few years. In 2007, The Simpsons starred in their first movie ever, the show hit 400 episodes, various 7/11 stores turned into real life Kwik-E-Marts, and in the fall of that same year EA released The Simpsons Game across many platforms. In 2008, Universal Studios opened The Simpsons Ride. In 2009, the show received a brand new opening in High Definition. And if that wasn't enough, Marge Simpson posed semi nude in Playboy! So with the show being on what seems to be a pop culture high, why hasn't anyone ported or remade the Simpsons Arcade game?
Now, now, I realize that I am basically making a Monkey's Paw wish (Treehouse of Horror 2). But since the world seems to be celebrating The Simpsons in many different ways, why hasn't anyone thought of re-releasing the Simpsons Arcade game, especially since it's considered to be one of the best Simpsons games ever? With all three major consoles featuring services dedicated to downloadable games, now would be the perfect time to re-release the arcade version.
A port would do just fine. But if the creators are smart, they will remake it so the game is more relevant to the Simpsons today. I mean, the arcade game was released when the show was still young. With the show going on for 20 years they have a lot of new material to work with. Maybe change the storyline a bit. Instead of Mr. Burns being the one kidnapping Maggie, have Snake be the villain. Or, even better, use the established evil antagonist, Sideshow Bob. Of course, Mr. Burns could still appear as a boss, but having him as a kidnapper and a diamond thief would be weird.
The series now has many established villains, such as Snake and Sideshow Bob
As for the graphics, they should definitely be remade. But instead of 3D models, the game should have 2D, high-resolution sprites. It's a proven fact that the Simpsons were never meant to be in 3D. They look weird. Even one of the trailers for The Simpsons Movie celebrated the fact that the movie was completely in 2D. So the game should stay true to its roots and be in 2D. The sprites could be re-drawn by the original animators and presented in high definition, and you would have a game that looks and feels like playing the show. The locales could even be updated to show some the series' famous locales, like the Comic Book Guy's shop, the School, and the Kwik-E-Mart.
It's also a proven fact that the Simpsons cast is very loyal to the show, and would voice anything Simpsons-related. The remake should have new lines voiced by the characters, and and without hardware limitations the cast could REALLY strut their stuff. We could all enjoy hilarious lines as we plow through hordes of generic enemies. Hell, have the Simpsons writers create all of the game's dialogue!
These characters have a lot to say…
The gameplay should be left intact. The original arcade game was a beat 'em-up that allowed up to four players on one cabinet. It's hard to screw that up. The only change to be made is the addition of modern gaming conventions such as online play for up to four players, achievements, unlockables, and additional modes that go well beyond the original game. And speaking of unlockables, the developers shouldn't go light on the fan service. Once again, the series has over 20 years of material, and fans would eat it up if they had a game that celebrated and even lampooned its history. The recently released South Park: Let's Go Tower Defense Play features tons of clips from the show, character bios, artwork, and other goodies that fans love. So, if a Simpsons Arcade Game remake is made they should include these types of little bonuses.
The beauty of South Park: Let's Go Tower Defense Play lies in its fan service
I realize that the original game was made by Konami, and the current holder of the Simpsons videogame license is EA. This, however, shouldn't be a major issue. Konami also made TMNT: Turtles in Time. That didn't stop Ubisoft, the current holders of the franchise, from remaking the game as TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. And The Simpsons Game proved to be pretty solid, so EA shouldn't have much of an issue creating a remake of the arcade game.
The Simpsons Game was a pretty decent effort by EA
While I wait for this to happen, I'll just keep enjoying the show. I know it's not as good as it used to be, but I still have a soft spot for it. I grew up with the Simpsons (and turned out surprisingly fine…), so it's hard for me to ignore them, and will remain loyal to the show till it finally decides to take a bow.
What do YOU think? Would you want a Simpsons Arcade port? Does the idea of a remake sound exciting?
"Hmm, a remake of the Simpsons Arcade Game? WORST. IDEA. EVER!"
