The Simpsons-themed video games tend to fall more into the "d'oh!" column than the "woo-hoo!" column, but followers of the four-fingered dysfunctional family won't be disappointed with the new The Simpsons Game -- though you do need to be a fan to appreciate all the inside jokes. With a zany storyline crafted by the television show's writers, the Simpson family is aware they're trapped inside a video game, and so they use their newfound special powers to live out their fantasies and help save their town of Springfield in the process. Homer can unleash a serious belch or change into a giant ball of fat to roll over enemies, while bad boy Bart, armed with a slingshot, can peg off baddies with ease or glide through the air with his Bartman cape. Most missions let you play as one of two characters and in some cases you'll need to use one in particular to take advantage of their abilities; when playing alone the game's artificial intelligence controls the other family member, but at any time a second player can pick up a controller to start playing.

Not only have the television show cast members provided voice talent to all the characters, but this video game enjoys smooth "cel-shaded" animation that resembles the TV cartoon, even with the move to 3-D. In total, the game offers 16 distinct "episodes" and more than 8,000 lines of dialogue. A few of the hilarious missions you'll find yourself in include Marge and Lisa trying to get the violent video game Grand Theft Scratchy banned, stopping the Lard Lad mascot from wreaking havoc on Springfield and Homer and Bart munching their way through a bizarre eating contest. The game is also loaded with collectible items such as Duff Beer bottle caps, "video game clichés" and unlockable costumes. Can you say "Best Simpsons game ever"?