Metareview: The Simpsons Game (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2)

D'oh! It's like reliving the early '90s all over again with a ho-hum Simpsons console game on the market. At least they got the humor right this time ('cause they had the actual Simpsons' writers). The Simpsons Game released this week and reviews have it hovering in the 70 point range. Many were hoping this game would bring video game fun to The Simpsons like only The Simpsons Arcade Game gave us those many, many years ago. EA could have made buckets of cash just copying Konami's simple formula from over a decade ago and we wonder if the reviews might have been slightly better.

• Game Informer (73/100): "For all of its self-referential humor and nods to gaming classics (there are brief segments mimicking the likes of Frogger, Space Invaders, and Wolfenstein 3D), the process of actually playing The Simpsons Game is unfortunately average. The chuckles along the way make it worth the trouble for fans, but if you don't know Arman Tamzarian from Disco Stu, most of the game's redeeming elements will fall on deaf, bored ears."

• Game Daily (70/100): "Obviously, Simpsons nuts will thoroughly enjoy the game, not for its excessive box breaking and switch hitting, but for all of the sweet content and attractive visuals, sans the characters. For $59.99, you basically receive an eight to ten hour interactive bonus episode. At the very least, it makes for a great rental."

• GameSpot (70/100): "In the end, The Simpsons Game is one of those weird cases where a recommendation of it is based less on its merits as a game and more on its merits as an experience. The things that make this game are its sense of humor, sharp writing, and excellent presentation. The gameplay isn't awful by any means, but it's also completely unmemorable. It's something that's more to be put up with while you appreciate the many other things going on than enjoyed on its own merits. That might not sound like a ringing endorsement, but The Simpsons Game is absolutely worth playing. Games this spot-on in the humor category don't come along too often. Considering what a fantastic job it does spoofing the variety of clichés and crutches our favorite pastime relies upon, that's got to count for something."