The Simpsons: Hit & Run

"This is the Milhouse of Simpsons games. Unwanted and annoying."

You really can't ever hold a Simpsons game to a high standard. The amazing television series never seems to hold up in the market of console gaming. This tradition continues with another unfortunate game.

Only one thing can be said about the graphics. WOW, and by that I mean "wow this game looks awful". I spent about a month thinking of one dilemma. Is the game supposed to look cell shaded, cartoony, or is it designed to look terrible? This game not only doesn't look good enough for games, but the animated cartoon looks better. If something good can be said the graphics are colorful. Too colorful in fact, as it's often difficult to discern one surface from another. Just a lousy presentation.

The sound is just as bad. The only redeeming quality does fall in this category. Some of the in game dialogue is genuinely funny. So, essentially, this game is fun if you enjoy standing in one spot waiting for people to say something. The voices are not the actors from the show. They're cheap rip offs that sound kinda close, but not really. Other sounds in the game are totally pointless and often random. Like when you hit a fence and it makes a squishing sound. Whats up with that?

Story? I really have no clue how to explain this. There doesn't seem to be a full story here. If there is please give me some feedback. I couldn't find it, and after a while, I honestly didn't care. I just did some totally random (and boring) quests that I actually thought were side quests, and then the credits began to roll. So, get back to me on that.

This is the worst part. I could live with the graphics that look like someone vomited on a murder scene. I could live with totally uninspiring sound. I could even live with the utter lack of an intellectual story. I really gave up hope when I realized...the game doesn't even work. Driving cars is a nightmare, especially larger ones. It's like controlling a tank, upside down, in a crater, while making bacon. Mmm Bacon. Yes that was a shameless Simpson joke. Walking is even worse as you control characters in much the same way described above. It's just unforgivable.

Stay away from this game. If you need a Simpsons themed video game, buy "The Simpsons Game". If you want a free form game buy a Zelda game. Jeez, you can buy pretty much anything and be more impressed than with this utter failure.

I give it 3 "DOH"'s...out of 10.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 01/28/08

Game Release: The Simpsons: Hit & Run (US, 09/16/03)