(Game Tap) -- "The Simpsons Game's" most notable trait is that it's funny, so funny that I can't believe how often I actually laughed out loud at the wonderfully produced cutscenes that have been made for the game, despite how weird it is seeing Simpsons animation in HD.

"The Simpsons Game" looks just like the TV show.

Seriously, I lost count of how many times I've watched those darn things even after beating the game. I also can't believe how often I let out one of those "oh my god" nerd cries upon seeing just how many other videogames have been parodied in the Simpson's family adventure through the world of gaming -- Street Fighter, EverQuest, Madden, Grand Theft Auto, and even Shadow of the Colossus are just a few that are referenced in some form or another. Of course, there are also plenty of tongue-in-cheek jokes about Electronic Arts (the publisher of "The Simpsons Game") shoving out as much crap onto store shelves as humanly possible as well as a few digs at videogame cliches that are appropriately called out by Comic Book Guy.

So to the development and Simpsons writing team, I salute you for striking the fine balance between mockery and pure insult, making me laugh at one of my favorite hobbies without invoking a sense of guilt.

I don't think normal Simpsons fans -- -the ones who aren't avid gamers or haven't been playing games the last 10 years or so -- are going to get the same pleasure out of the humor, however. Sure, seeing Millhouse dressed as the King of All Cosmos from the Katamari Damacy games is funny to me, as is seeing Will Wright fly around on a platform as he attempts to kill 8-bit versions of the Simpsons family.

But do most people outside of the gaming community even know who Will Wright is? Thankfully, there's enough of the regular Simpsons humor in the game that most people won't be left wondering where all the funny is, but it's obvious that this is a game meant for people that will grin at the fact that the Santa's Little Helper statues look like Amaterasu from Okami.

At the same time, the audience that will get these references probably won't think much of the gameplay itself, since it's rather simplistic and clunky. Each of the Simpsons family members has fun super powers that reflect their personalities. Bart can turn into Bartman, which lets him glide and use a grappling hook to reach various areas. Homer can turn into a lard ball and dash up ramps or plow through enemies.

He can also use helium canisters to glide across pits. Marge has the power to incite a mob and use it to smash objects or rebuild buildings, and Lisa can use the hand of Buddha to pick up objects and place them in spots to solve puzzles. For most of the game, you can only use designated members for each level in pairs, so in that respect, it makes it pretty easy to determine how to get by certain obstacles since you essentially have two superpowers to choose from and limited space to work with.

There are some puzzles that aren't totally obvious. In fact, much of "The Simpsons Game's" difficulty comes from not being able to immediately identify how to get through certain portions of a level -- unfortunately, it's not because they're ingeniously designed, however.

The combination of a wonky camera (which often makes it difficult to see things properly) and the lack of intuitive level design--where you're left combing the level looking for the correct path -- don't make for a particularly entertaining experience. And while you're doing all of this, you have to deal with a nearly endless barrage of annoying, respawning enemies. And the fighting isn't that entertaining either, since most confrontations with enemies generally just involve mashing either the punch button, or in the case of Bart and Homer, using the shoot button to fire slingshot pellets or large balls of green goop, respectively.

Ultimately, it's all pretty basic stuff. There's nothing particularly fancy about the actual game mechanics and it's somewhat odd that The Simpsons Game makes fun of various videogame cliches (such as not being able to swim, using levers or pads on the ground to open doors) and then turns around and uses them about a dozen or so times.

I understand that the experience is supposed to be a parody of games as a whole, but that doesn't seem like a valid excuse when it actually makes the whole experience feel a bit tedious at times. But it's worth pointing out that playing the game cooperatively (through a split-screen option) makes the game a little more fun to play, since computer-controlled partners are nothing more than a damage sponge, but it also makes it much easier. If anything, you'll at least get to see all of the great cutscenes quicker.

Pros: Very funny; looks amazing -- entire game looks just like the show; fun just to walk around Springfield in between missions.

Cons: Gameplay can be pretty dull at times; fighting with the camera; Marge's nagging just as annoying in the game as it is in the show.

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