You’d think the Dreamland level is as weird as this game gets, but it isn’t.

It’s been 21 years since The Simpsons Arcade Game first debuted, and in that time, it’s never had a console translation — until now. Unlike the deceptively titled 2009 iPhone game, this version is every inch the classic that lit up arcades in 1991, right down to the pixelated visuals and scratchy voice samples. And it holds up astoundingly well.

A bizarre cultural artifact crammed full of first-season Simpsons references and weird characterizations (Smithers is a baby-kidnapping jewel thief?), Simpsons Arcade is a four-player brawler that pits Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa against hordes of interchangeable thugs (whose numbers and toughness scale according to the number of players). It’s extremely button-mashy and simple, but it manages to stay fun as the Simpsons pull goofy expressions, lift cars, and pair up for team attacks. Their enemies? Everything from hired goons, apes, and ninjas to an assortment of oddball bosses, including huge wrestlers and giant anthropomorphic bowling balls.

The boss in Moe’s Tavern looks a little like a monstrous version of the proprietor.

Whether you’re tackling it solo or with friends, Simpsons Arcade likely won’t take more than an hour to run through from start to finish, making the $10 price tag seem a little steep. Even so, there’s a lot to take in, especially in this version. Aside from all the silly background stuff going on throughout the game, finishing it unlocks a handful of cool extras, including trivia, arcade fliers, a guide to identifiable characters, and the Japanese version of the game (which is essentially the same but a bit easier, with more power-ups and weapons). For nostalgia hounds and brawler addicts, this port is a must-own, particularly if you’re a fan of other old-school Konami beat-’em-ups like X-Men and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

PUBLISHER: Konami  •  DEVELOPER: Backbone Entertainment  •  ESRB: Everyone 10+  •  MULTIPLAYER: 4 on same screen or on Xbox Live  •  ACHIEVEMENTS: Easy  •  COST: 800 Microsoft Points ($10)

On Xbox Live Arcade

+ Offers a memorably strange, ultraviolent version of Springfield to smash through.

+ Original Simpsons-cast voice samples are still intact; some fun extras.

– Switching characters isn’t allowed in single-player, which seems crazy; slightly pricey.

? Seriously, why’d this take two decades to come to consoles?

8.0