Simpsons: Night of the Living Treehouse of Horror

Reviewed by Carol Welch
Published by THQ

Platform: Game Boy Color
ESRB Rating: E - Everyone

In the tradition of The Simpsons' notorious Halloween episodes, this game has the animated family battling zombies, cannibalistic teachers, a millionaire turned vampire and more. Obviously, this title is not meant for the squeamish; so if you or your children object to horror themes, then pass on this game. But for fans of the Simpsons' Halloween escapades, this one is a must have.

The game begins with a tale of Halloween night: The Simpsons fell asleep after telling ghost stories in Bart's treehouse. While sleeping, their souls escaped their bodies and became trapped in the Treehouse of Horrors. To escape, they must overcome twisted challenges in each level of the treehouse in order to rejoin their bodies.

There are 6 levels of sidescroll play: Bad Dream House, Flying Tonight, Plan 9 From Outer Springfield, Vlad All Over, Nightmare Cafeteria, If I Only Had A Body, and King Homer. A password system is used to save your progress in the game.

My 10-year-old son is a fan of both The Simpsons and horror classics. He says the game is "pretty good." His only complaint is the usual frustration of dying and having to start over before completing a level. His brother (age 6) who usually avoids anything even remotely scary, has played the game as well. He was not bothered by the themes, but did find it a bit more difficult to play. I found the game to be challenging, but not overly difficult. The Simpsons theme music and macabre sense of humor adds to the fun.