Simpsons Hit And Run
The Simpsons: Hit and Run is the first Simpsons game to take full advantage of the Simpsons license, combining fun and addictive gameplay with the witty (and sometimes juvenile) humor of The Simpsons. Still, it won't be for everyone. The Simpsons: Hit & Run was a classic. Credit: Vivendi Games The producer, Vlad Ceraldi, has also said he thinks the game could be remastered or remade - which is surely an idea we'd all back. The simpsons Hit and Run lets you play as all four simpsons, and Apu. There are seven levels; Bart and Homer have two, everyone else has only one. The game is packed with lots of humor and collectibles that reference the show, and the characters look great, just like they do on the show.
The Simpsons s the funniest thing on TV. Fact.Matt Groening's legendary cartoon series is rich with immense characterisations, from Krusty the Clown and his love of porn to the incomparable comedy genius of Homer Simpson and his mortal fear of sock puppets. But, however amazing the series is on your goggle-box, the recent wholesale ripping-off of game ideas for The Simpsons: Road Rage (Crazy Taxi) and The Simpsons: Skateboarding (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater1) on console has left a taste in the mouth as bitter as one of Apu's famous chutney squishees.
Cel-Shady
So, how is The Simpsons: Hit & Run? Well, to say it borrows from Grand Theft Auto would be an understatement on a par with mentioning that Barney Gumble likes the odd tipple, but Hit & Run is actually a bundle of fun and could actually be The Simpsons' best videogame outing yet. For starters you have a gorgeous, cel-shaded 3D Springfield to explore on foot or by vehicle, complete with famous landmarks such as the Bowl-a-Rama, Mr Burns' nuclear power plant and the Simpsons' family home. You can even enter some of the buildings, so a visit to Moe's Tavern will allow you to have a play on the Love Tester machine, catch Bumblebee Man on his break and see the poster adverts for The 7 Duffs that include Sleazy, Queasy and Remorseful.
Simpsons Hit And Run Windows
Sounds Familiar
Then there's the fantastic voiceacting from Dan Castellaneta and all the regular cast from The Simpsons, with some genuinely laugh-out-loud dialogue created by the series' writers, including Homer's aside about stupid Flanders getting happiness from religion and Principal Skinner's warning to Bart that he'll get him just like I got Charlie in 'Nam'.
Certain phrases start to grind after a while (Bart's don't have a cow, man' springs to mind), but there's enough variety to keep you playing in search of more sick jokes and brutal one-liners.
Hit & Run's gameplay is generally based around simple story-driven missions for the main characters of Bart, Lisa, Homer, Marge and Apu, involving timed tasks, ranging from collecting copies of the violent videogame Bonestorm II by crashing the Simpson family car into the delivery van, to rounding up escaped simians from Dr Nick's Screaming Monkey Medical Research ntre. Navigating around Springfield is simple enough with ap in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, but just to make sure, developer Radical has placed giant green arrows on the road pointing you in the right direction.
In addition to the main sections, there are a heap of bonus missions you can complete, which include street racing, destroying flying waspcams (part of the ridiculous plot), pulling off successful visual gags and finding special Collector Cards (see 'Worst. Episode. Ever' box). However, you also have the Hit & Run random element from the game's title, which involves a hectic car chase around Springfield if you commit a crime within donut-eating distance of Police Chief Wiggum - get caught, and you're busted and slapped with a heavy fine.
Each of the playable characters has access to over 40 vehicles from the show, including Homer's Mr Plow snow vehicle and Cletus the slack-jawed yokel's pick-up truck. But you can also stop and get in any car you like, such as Comic Book Guy's Fat-mobile, although in a distinctly crime-free twist, you sit in the passenger seat next to the character.
Ay Carumba!
Some PC gamers will hate the idea of The Simpsons: Hit & Run - basically, that it unashamedly uses the GTA model and jemmies The Simpsons licence into it. Yet, despite that, Hit & Run actually turns out to have a great deal of charm - even though it'll probably only entertain you for a day or two at most. The car handling is somewhat sluggish compared with other driving titles and the camera often wanders off into uncharted territory when you go on foot -especially in the uninspiring platform sections.
Simpsons Hit And Run
While The Simpsons: Hit & Run may not win any gaming innovation awards, for fans of the series the opportunity to take a virtual tour around a fully-realised Springfield will be harder to resist than a gigantic fresh donut with chocolate sprinkles and icing. Mmmm... plagiaricious.