The Simpsons: Hit & Run

"As a Simpsons fan, I'm impressed, as a gamer, I'm dissapointed..."

First of all, I would like to say that I have seen every episode of the Simpsons, and have gotten near the point to where I have memorized all the lines; so I had mixed expectations. On one hand, I knew that pretty much all Simpsons games (with the exception of the arcade game) sucked. But I also thought maybe this could breath new air into a dying game license. ON TO THE REVIEW!

Graphics: 6/10
It is hard to bring cartoon characters into a 3D environment without using cell shading, or cartoon shading (basically the same thing but slightly different). This game comes pretty close, but it just doesn't look right to see cartoons as polys. Sadly these days, games that need cell-shading don't get it, but games that don't need it (like a certain racing game for PS2) receive it. But even if I were to put the cartoon to 3D transition aside, the graphics do little more than what is necessary. Some rag doll physics would have raised this score 1-2 higher, because it is weird when you kick someone and they just flail while falling to the ground like a tree being cut down.

Sound: 3/10
All the voices are done by the real deal voice actors, so the quality for voices is really good. The lip synching is horrible, but I don't really count any points against that... although I probably should since The Simpsons is a cartoon, and they know people that have done over 300 episodes of lip synching... oh well. Anywho, although the voices are nice, they start out as: Haha, that was a clever/humorous remark that bestowed a smile upon me. After hearing the same thing it starts to turn into anger instead of laughter. After hearing the same quote more than 50 times, it is like scraping your eardums on a feral cat. An almost total lack of music also hurts the score, so most people will want to mute their TV and listen to a radio, or cd player or something.

Control: 8/10
This game doesn't have any problem with controls, so unless you have had trauma to the head, you really shouldn't have any problems, the only reason this didn't get a 10 is a iffy camera.

Lastabillity: 2/10
The only reason that a lot of time might pass before you beat it is that you will definitely get bored before you finish it, although if you were really determined, you could probably beat the game in a full day, if you could manage to play it for long enough. One might say, ''But there are those wasp cameras, and the gags, and the cards, which unlock the tracks, which has multiplayer ability, which makes it have a long lifetime.'' But the sad truth is that there is not really much reason to go back and collect all that crap. The multiplayer tracks might be fun if the cars steered a little better, but it really isn't fun, it is just a little trinket of a game. I am glad that a multiplayer mode was included, as I would rather have a poor multiplayer added on at the last minute then none at all. As for the gags and the wasps, who cares...

Final Score: (not an average) 3/10
I was really hoping that a new Simpsons game that is taking elements from one of the best selling games of all time would do better. Most of the gags and cards bring back nostalgia from so many episodes, but it isn't enough to cover the repetitive If you want information on *problem* you get *fill in blank* for me you go to person who should have it you want *random object* you will have to do a favor you do it and get the item, and when you get back to the first guy, he tells you to do something else. Repeat for whole game.

Buy/Rent/Throw at old people: Rent/Throw
If you are a hardcore Simpsons fan, you might find some enjoyment, so rent it. If you aren't a hardcore Simpsons fan, then stay away from this blatant ripoff in the Simpson brand game that has been trying to cash in on other popular games. Some examples of which would be Simpsons Wrestling, when Wrestlemania 2000 was really popular at the time. And we can't forget the horror of the Simpson's Skating game, that was cashing in on the Tony Hawk wagon. And now we see it ripping off GTA. I can almost guarantee that we will see another game type become popular before the end of the year, and there will be a Simpsons game based on it in an instant.

Instead get: JAK II
If you can't get GTA, and you have a PS2, and you want a game that incorporates GTA elements, JAK II is a vastly superior title. For more info, check out a review of it if I decide to make one.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 11/07/03