The Simpsons cartoon is the best thing ever on TV. Crazy Taxi is a classic arcade game from Sega. Combine the two and, due to the unfathomable laws of video game mathematics, you'll get something far less than the sum of these parts.

In The Simpsons Road Rage, you choose one of 17 collectable characters and drive around Springfield taking other characters to their destination as quickly as possible. The faster you do it, the more money and time you get, while bonus cash is available for additional tasks like driving carefully or smashing stuff up.

It's practically an exact copy of Crazy Taxi's winning formula, but while it's a perfectly playable game, the subtle gameplay tricks of Sega's worthy arcade title have melted away.

It's too simple to drive - the cars accelerate almost instantly, hardly ever lose traction and you can drive drive straight through most traffic flows without smashes. There's no real skill in navigating around Springfield either, since arrows show you exactly which roads to take. And there isn't anything more to it than that - you just drive from one destination to the next until you run out of time.

The best thing about the game, and the main reason that anyone would want to play it, is the Simpsons connection. And while the stupidly basic graphics capture the essence of the cartoon (but in 3D), it's the sounds that work best. All characters have a bunch of (mostly) amusing quips that they freely reel off, and while this is initially enough to make you hunt down favourites, they quickly lose their charm with extended play.

With long loading times to top everything off, The Simpsons Road Rage feels a little too outdated, knocked-out and lazy. Fans of the show will get an full evening's enjoyment from it, but it's certainly not worth buying at full price.

1. Two-player mode is funny
2. The voices are amusing for a while

1. Bland gameplay
2. Mission mode is rubbish
3. Long loading times

Power
Runs smoothly because it looks incredibly simple. Not really what you want from an Xbox game.

Style
Looks like a ropey 3D version of the cartoon, although the authentic voices do lift it a bit.

Immersion
While quick to get into, the lack of variety makes Springfield a dull place to be within hours.

Lifespan
The one-player stuff won't last very long at all. Occasional two-player matches are fun though.

Summary
A pretty scabby game made bearable by its retarded simplicity, funny voices and fun two-player mode.