The Simpsons: Hit & Run

"The best Simpsons game yet"

For over fifteen years, The Simpsons has remained one of America's most popular shows. The combination of comedy and almost realistic family issues intrigued and entertained viewers to no end. Of course, it's almost certain that if a television program receives good ratings, then the show will surely have a game or two based on it. The Simpsons was no exception. Throughout its history, numerous games have been created for this popular cartoon series, including low budget platformers, a boxing game, and a rather good Simpsons arcade game. Unfortunately, with the exception of the Simpsons arcade game, most of these Simpsons games have been nothing more than poorly made, low budget spin-off games that barely sold a copy. However, in 2001, the folks down at Fox Interactive had an insight; they realized that not only did gamers want a game that resembled the television show, but they also wanted good gameplay with it! Thus Fox Interactive created a clever spin-off of Crazy Taxi, slapped some Simpsons humor into it, and called it “The Simpsons: Road Rage”. Two years later, Radical Entertainment had this same realization and released another game spin-off, this time of Grand Theft Auto. They called it The Simpsons: Hit and Run. Hit & Run was the perfect blend of Simpsons humor and entertaining gameplay, and is something of a classic in the series.

The Simpsons: Hit & Run (which will be called H&R from now on for simplicity reasons) has a surprisingly deep and humorous story. You begin as Homer, up and about doing petty tasks for friends and family. However, Homer's life is interrupted by the arrival of strange black vans, which monitor him, as well as the appearance of a strange new soda, Buzz Cola. Things are not what they seem, and now it is up to Homer, along with Bart, Lisa, Marge, and Apu to save the day and unveil this strange conspiracy. The plot continues to build and twist as you progress through the game, making for some very interesting surprises.

Put quite basically, The Simpsons: Hit and Run is a driving game. Driving around Springfield, you must complete over 50 missions as you try to uncover the secrets of Springfield. As seems to be the popular fashion of Simpsons video games, Hit & Run is generally a clone of a major franchise, the Grand Theft Auto series. H&R includes many of the gameplay physics that were in the Grand Theft Auto series. You can, of course, steal cars, as well as the addition of buying tons of other cars. They are more stable and offer more advantages, such as better durability and speed, but it is also very easy to steal cars if you need a quick ride somewhere. H&R features a very free environment, as well, just like in GTA. Missions and sidequests are initiated by speaking to a certain person or performing a specific action, so unless you actually begin the mission, you are free to roam and explore Springfield, collecting items and generally having a good time. You can drive around like a maniac if you wish, destroying things and running over people, but if you cause enough havoc, the words “Hit and Run!” will appear on the screen and the police will begin chasing you. If you get caught, the cops will fine you, but running from the law is exhilarating and endlessly fun and most likely you will find yourself destroying things just so you can evade the police.

The real and most blatant improvement of H&R over The Simpsons: Road Rage is the ability to now get out of your car and explore the town of Springfield. There you can visit landmarks such as The Simpson's house, Springfield Elementary School, or the DMV. On foot, you can also collect coins (used to purchase all kinds of different cars), fight enemies, and gather collectibles. Another neat feature is the ability to outfit your character with special costumes, which you must purchase with coins. Some outfits are just plain silly and only for fun, while others are needed to complete certain missions.

H&R boasts over 50 missions, but unfortunately there is little variety to them. Most missions include either chasing or running away from a car, destroying a vehicle, racing someone to a set location, collecting items, or delivering someone or something to a location. This is not enough variety; often times you will feel as if you have already played the same level numerous times. Each level is also very short, so the 50 missions will go by very quickly, making you able to beat H&R in a long weekend.

Perhaps the best feature of H&R, however, is the way it mirrors the show while still maintaining decent gameplay. All your favorite Simpsons characters are here, and if you approach, talk to, or even attack them they will deliver their classic quotes, all in excellent voice acting. While you are driving around Springfield, your current character will often blurt out a quote from the television show. The classic “D'oh” is still here, but also with the addition of new phrases that will make you laugh out loud while playing. The missions, plot, and characters are all absurd and ridiculous, but in such a way that it draws you in, wanting more.

Considering that The Simpsons cartoon is 2D and sparsely drawn, H&R's graphics are a great improvement over the show. Everything is in 3D and looks exactly as it has in the cartoon. Everything retains that Simpson-like feel while adding something new. The lip-synching could have been done better, though – sometimes a character's mouth might “flap” even when there is a pause in speaking. H&R features numerous fully animated cinematics, which are an improvement over the in game graphics and are well done. Motion is fluid and characters seem very natural, yet slightly bland.

H&R also features some excellent sound. Yes, the classic Simpsons theme song is here, but now there are also some other new tracks as well. During each stage there is different music. While it's not something that you'll be singing in the shower, they are well done and fit the mood of the area quite well. All the different kinds of sound effects are here; revving of engines, squealing of the brakes, smashing of obstacles, and the thudding noise you get when you hit a pedestrian with your car. H&R also features some amazing voice acting. Since the people who voice the characters in the show do it all, all the voice acting is clear and authentic.

Unfortunately, The Simpsons: Hit & Run is a very easy game. Since most of the missions are the same, you will probably get the hang of the game before you're halfway through with it, and then you will be able to complete most missions with ease. H&R doesn't try to throw anything new at you. Also, if you continuously fail a mission, the game gives you the option of skipping the mission, which can be pretty boring because you can generally skip your way through this simple game.

After you complete H&R, there really isn't much of a reason to come back to it, either. Sure, you can try to collect all the Simpsons trivia cards that are hidden throughout the levels, but that doesn't take very long. You could also try to obtain all the cars and costumes, but that won't take very long either, and there isn't much of a reason to get all the costumes other than to make your character look nice. H&R also features an unlockable multiplayer racing game, but that is clumsy and boring, and most likely you will stay away from that.

In conclusion, The Simpsons: Hit and Run is a very good game and an excellent game for any Simpsons fan. Although the game is easy and repetitive towards the middle and end of the game, H&R will please fans of the show and anyone else looking for a laugh.

Overall: 7

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/18/04