You might have heard that an official Simpsons game was headed to Android this week, but that game has long been unavailable for download. We’re not sure what happened with initial availability, but all of those issues seem to have been cleared up and EA is now offering it in the Google Play Store. Named The Simpsons: Tapped Out, it’s a city-building game that is set in Springfield and features all your favorite characters and buildings from the show.
Earlier in the week we saw the Dutch branch of EA launch The Simpsons: Tapped Out to a limited audience, and tonight it seems to be available for everyone else. Loosely based on the show that’s been on TV forever, The game is part Sim City mixed in, a dash of Farmville, and a tiny bit of Mafia Wars. Mix this all together and you have the makings of a decent game.
The app is free (of course, in-app purchases are there if you like) and various versions exist for multiple devices in Google Play. From the comments it looks very well supported on a myriad of different devices, and it installed and runs well on all the phones and tablets I’ve tried it on. Hit the Google Play link above and give it a shot. The game trailer is after the break.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPjsMFXOOC4
The Simpsons: Tapped Out starts with Homer predictably destroying Springfield via a manipulative freemium game, so the player has to re-assemble the town with familiar landmarks. 42 Evergeen Terrace, the Kwik-E-Mart, Moe’s, the power plant, they’re all here, as are the original television voice actors playing their parts. Once you find these characters, you can send them on quests with hilarious results. The game is interspersed with bite-sized pieces of Simpsons animation, and if EA follows the iOS version, there should be seasonal content updates as well.
Progress your way through the missions to rebuild Springfield after a small “accident” down at the power plant, collecting XP, cash and donuts along the way. It won’t cost you a dime to be thrust into the Simpsons universe on your phone or tablet so be sure to download it right away.
The gameplay is great on the Nexus 10, with smooth animations and no stuttering. I’ve been playing it a couple hours and have had a good time doing it. Nostalgia alone was enough to get me excited, but it turns out the game is pretty damn fun. Give it a shot in the Google Play Store, and try not to be too mean to Ned while you go about your business.
Of course, the writers weren’t joking when they touched on the danger of free-to-play games. While most of Tapped Out’s content can be accessed with in-game currency, the oh-so-rare donuts are required to get the bigger and better items. You can grind away and find them in-game, or shell out some real cash to quickly advance. D’oh!