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{{short description|2003 action-adventure game}} | |||
{{Infobox VG | |||
{{Use British English|date=January 2015}} | |||
|title=The Simpsons Hit & Run | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}} | |||
|image=] | |||
{{Infobox video game | |||
|caption=Cropped PS2 PAL region cover art | |||
| title = The Simpsons: Hit & Run | |||
|collapsible = yes | |||
| |
| image = The Simpsons Hit and Run cover.png | ||
|developer=] | | developer = ] | ||
|publisher=] | | publisher = ]{{efn|Released in ]s under the ] brand name}} | ||
| platforms = {{Unbulleted list|]|]|]|]}} | |||
|designer=Debi Laezman<br>Darren Evenson<br>Chris Mitchell<br>Joshua Mitchell<br>Jeff Plumbly<br>Sheik Sahib | |||
| released = '''GameCube''', '''PlayStation 2''', '''Xbox'''{{vgrelease|NA|September 16, 2003|EU|October 31, 2003}}'''Windows'''{{vgrelease|NA|November 11, 2003|EU|November 21, 2003}} | |||
|writer =]<br>]<br>] | |||
| genre = ], ] | |||
|artist=Vincent Chin<br>Jaroslav Chorny<br>Anshin Chu<br>Dustin Condie<br>Brad Dixion<br>Kevin Fink<br>Aryan Hanbeck<br>Eric Madill<br>Mike Marraffa<br>Sanela Mickovic<br>Robert Peet<br>John Zhongyi Wang<br>Ross Young | |||
| modes = ], ] | |||
|composer=] | |||
| director = | |||
|license=] | |||
| producer = {{ubl|John Melchior|Vlad Ceraldi}} | |||
|engine= | |||
| designer = Joe McGinn | |||
|version= | |||
| programmer = {{Unbulleted list|Cary Brisebois|Nigel Brooke|Darren Esau}} | |||
|released={{vgrelease|NA=September 16, 2003|PAL=October 31, 2003}}'''Windows'''<br />{{vgrelease|NA=November 13, 2003|PAL=November 21, 2003}} | |||
| artist = Yayoi Maruno-Chorney | |||
|genre=] | |||
| writer = {{Unbulleted list|]|]|]}} | |||
|modes=], ] | |||
| composer = {{Unbulleted list|Marc Baril|]|Allan Levy}} | |||
|ratings={{vgratings|ESRB=T|PEGI=7+|OFLCA=G|CERO=12}} | |||
|platforms=], ], ], ] | |||
|media=], ], ]THE BEST GAME IN THE WORLD | |||
|input=] | |||
}} | }} | ||
'''''The Simpsons: Hit & Run''''' is a 2003 ] developed by ] and published by ]. It is based on the American animated sitcom '']'', and is the twenty-second installment in the ] series of video games. | |||
The game follows the ] and their friend ] as they witness many strange incidents that occur in ]; security cameras, mysterious vans, ]s, and a "new and improved" flavor of the popular soft drink ] that causes ]. Taking matters into their own hands, they discover numerous shocking secrets, and soon realize these incidents are part of a larger alien conspiracy, caused by ]. The gameplay largely focuses on exploration and missions; players often race enemies and interact with supporting characters on timed quests. The game also features many elements found in ], such as explorable worlds and side tasks. | |||
'''''The Simpsons Hit & Run''''' is an ] ] based on the ] ] '']''. It was released for the ], ], ], and ] in the United States on September 16, 2003 and in Europe on October 31, 2003. The game was developed by ] and published by ]. The story and dialogue were crafted by ], with all character voices supplied by the ]. | |||
Development of ''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' began in late 2001 as a ] to Radical Entertainment's previous game '']''. Production was extensive, as the team sought to differentiate the game from ''Road Rage'', deeming that their new entry in the franchise required a different direction. The game was heavily inspired by the '']'' series, and the development team re-purposed the open-world design and nuanced character development for the game. This encouraged collaboration with the show's ] and ], who helped to craft the story and dialogue. It was released in September 2003 for the ], ], and ]. It was then ported to ] two months later. | |||
The game follows the ] and the citizens of ], who witness many strange incidents that occur in Springfield. When several of the citizens take matters into their own hands, they discover that two aliens ] are filming a ] series about the populace. To make the show more interesting, the aliens release a new version of the popular soft drink Buzz Cola that makes people go insane, into Springfield's water supply. With help from ], however, ] is able to destroy the aliens' spaceship, and Springfield and its inhabitants are returned to normal, for Springfield standards. | |||
Upon release, it received positive reviews from video game critics, with praise particularly focused on the interpretation of ''The Simpsons'' television series as a video game, its parodical take on '']'', and graphics, while criticism mostly surrounded some aspects of gameplay, such as bugs and glitches. It is often considered to be the best ''Simpsons'' tie-in game. The game was also a commercial success, with recorded sales of over 3 million worldwide by July 2007. It received the award for Fave Video Game at the 2004 ]. On the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox, it earned ], ], and ] respectively. | |||
==Gameplay== | == Gameplay == | ||
] | ]'' (bottom). ''Hit & Run'', inspired by the '']'' series, shares some similarities with the games, including the radar, and a strong focus on their driving aspect.]] | ||
''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' features seven levels over three separate maps, each with missions and a sub-plot.<ref name="gamespotpreview"/> The player can control one specific character in each level. The game's playable characters are ] (played twice), ] (played twice), ], ], and ].<ref name="ignpreview"/> When travelling on foot, the ] can walk, jump, run, and perform three types of ] attacks: a normal kick, a jumping kick, and a smashing move.<ref name="ignpreview"/> To drive, the player can either ] and control the driver in one of the many civilian vehicles that drive endlessly around town, or use a phone booth to select a car.<ref name="gamespotpreview">{{cite web |author=Torres |first=Ricardo |date=September 5, 2003 |title=The Simpsons: Hit and Run Preview |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-simpsons-hit-and-run-preview/1100-6074665/ |access-date=August 20, 2016 |website=]}}</ref> Several ] are present in each level and can also be used by the player if found. The game's driving missions are also similar to those of ''Grand Theft Auto III''.<ref name="oxm" /><ref>{{cite web |author=Reparaz |first=Mikel |date=March 28, 2007 |title=Battle of the ''GTA'' clones (Page 4) |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/battle-of-the-gta-clones/4/ |access-date=August 20, 2016 |website=]}}</ref> In both games, the player races against other characters, collects items before a timer runs out, and wrecks other cars.<ref name=gamespotpreview /><ref name=gamezone-review>{{cite web |first=Steven |last=Hopper |url=http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/the_simpsons_hit_run_pc_review |title=''The Simpsons Hit & Run'' - PC - Review |website=GameZone |date=December 22, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090103095602/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r22043.htm <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archive-date=January 3, 2009 |url-status=live |access-date=August 20, 2016}}</ref> | |||
The game has a ] format that emphasizes driving, and the player controls their character from a ] view. The character can perform certain acts of violence, punching, such as attacking pedestrians, blowing up vehicles, and destroying the environment.<ref name="ignpreview"/> ''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' has a warning meter that indicates when the police will retaliate for bad behavior. Located in the bottom-right corner of the screen, the circular "]" meter fills up when the character runs people over or destroys objects, and decreases when they cease doing so. When full, several police cars chase the character for the duration of the hit and run.<ref name="gamespotpreview"/> | |||
''Hit & Run'' has seven levels, each with missions and a unique plot.<ref name="gamespotpreview"/> The player can only control one specific character in each level. The game's playable characters are ], ], ], ], and ].<ref name="ignpreview"/> When traveling by foot, the ] can walk, run, and perform several attacks: a normal kick, a jumping kick, and a smashing move.<ref name="ignpreview"/> To drive, the player can either commandeer one of the vehicles that litter the road,<ref name=gamespotpreview /> a feature taken from '']'',<ref name=gamezone-review>{{cite web |accessdate=2009-01-05 |url=http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r22043.htm |title=The Simpsons Hit & Run Review |publisher=GameZone |date=2003-12-23 |author=Hopper, Steven }}</ref> or use a phone booth to select a car.<ref name="gamespotpreview">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/driving/simpsonshitandrun/news.html?sid=6074665|title=The Simpsons: Hit and Run Preview |last=Torres|first=Ricardo|date=2003-09-05|publisher=GameSpot|accessdate=2008-12-17}}</ref> The game's driving missions are also similar to those of ''Grand Theft Auto III''. In both games, the player races against other characters, collects items before a timer runs out, and wrecks other cars.<ref name=gamezone-review /> | |||
Each level contains items the player can collect, such as coins, which can be gathered by either smashing Buzz Cola vending machines, Buzz Cola boxes or wasp cameras, the latter of which become more elusive as the game progresses. The coins can be used to buy new cars and player outfits, some of which are required to progress through the game.<ref name="ignpreview"/> The player can also collect trading cards, with seven cards hidden in each level. When the player collects all seven cards in a level, they will unlock one of seven tracks for the "Bonus Game" racing mini-game. When all 49 cards in the game are collected, the player unlocks a special '']'' video.<ref name="gamespotpreview"/> Several events cause the player to lose coins; because the character cannot die, injuries cause the player to lose coins.<ref name="ignpreview"/> If the player is apprehended during a hit and run, they will be ] 50 coins.<ref name="ignpreview">{{cite web |first=Douglass C. |last=Perry |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/08/28/the-simpsons-hit-and-run-3 |title=''The Simpsons: Hit and Run'' (Preview) |website=] |date=August 28, 2003 |access-date=August 20, 2016}}</ref> | |||
The game has a ] format that emphasizes driving, and the player controls their character from a ] view. The character can perform certain acts of violence, such as attacking pedestrians, blowing up vehicles, and destroying the environment.<ref name="ignpreview"/> ''The Simpsons Hit & Run'' has a warning meter that indicates when the police will retaliate for bad behavior. Located in the bottom-right corner of the screen, the circular "]" meter fills up when the character runs people over or destroys objects, and it will decrease when they cease doing so. When completely full, several police cars chase the character for the duration of the hit and run.<ref name="gamespotpreview"/> | |||
== Plot == | |||
Each level contains items the player can collect, such as coins, which can be used to buy new cars and outfits that are required to progress through the game.<ref name="ignpreview"/> Coins can also be used to purchase costumes, some of which are required for missions. The player can also collect wasps strapped with cameras and ] cards. By collecting all 49 of the latter, seven in each level, the player unlocks a special ''The Itchy & Scratchy Show'' video.<ref name="gamespotpreview"/> Several events can cause the player to lose coins; because the character cannot die, injuries cause the player to lose coins.<ref name="ignpreview"/> If the player is close enough to police cars for a certain period of time when being chased, they will be fined fifty coins.<ref name="ignpreview">{{cite web|url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/435/435913p1.html|title=The Simpsons: Hit & Run Preview|last=Perry|first=Douglass|date=August 28, 2003|publisher=IGN|accessdate=2008-12-17}}</ref> | |||
In the week leading up to ], mysterious happenings are occurring in ]; a horde of robot ]s descend upon the city, a "new and improved" brand of ] is launched by television personality ] and introduced to store shelves, and black vans begin appearing around town. Homer suspects that a black van outside his house is spying on his family, and he takes it upon himself to investigate who it belongs to, with the van eventually stopping in front of ]' mansion. After helping ] destroy numerous copies of '']'', Homer accuses Burns of spying on Springfield, to which Burns reveals to Homer that the black vans were simply pizza vans and fires Homer for the accusation. | |||
The next day, Bart tries to get a copy of ''Bonestorm 2'', only to find that the game is sold out. After doing odd chores in the hopes of finding a copy, Bart eventually learns that ] is using many copies of video games to help power the ], and Bart agrees to help him build it, as well as set up a safe environment for it to operate in. After escaping Truckasaurus' wrath, a ] abducts Bart outside the stadium. Lisa attempts to find her brother by exploring the town for clues. She learns that black ], which have been appearing around town, are connected to Bart's disappearance. Lisa eventually finds Bart on a ship in Springfield harbor, albeit with ] and mumbling unintelligibly while occasionally mentioning the sedans and cola. | |||
==Plot== | |||
Mysterious happenings are occurring in ]; a horde of robot wasps descend upon the city at the beginning of the game. After a ] kidnaps Bart outside a stadium, Lisa attempts to find her brother by exploring the town for clues. She learns that the black ] that have been appearing around town are connected to Bart's disappearance. Lisa eventually finds Bart on a ship in Springfield harbor. He appears to have ] and is mumbling unintelligibly while occasionally mentioning the sedans and ], the "new and improved" cola drink recently launched by television personality ]. Marge sets out to learn what has affected Bart. As she investigates a ] that recently appeared in ]'s crop field, ] tells Marge that the crop circle is an exact replica of the Buzz Cola logo. Marge gives a can of the cola to Bart, which snaps him out of his stupor. Bart reveals that the new Buzz Cola is a mind-control cola produced by aliens. Marge decides to purge Springfield of the cola, but in spite of her valiant efforts, the drink still maintains its popularity.<ref name="Guide">{{cite web |url=http://guides.ign.com/guides/552252/index.html|title=The Simpsons: Hit & Run Guide|last=McCutcheon |first=David |publisher=IGN|accessdate=2008-12-17}}</ref> | |||
Hoping to cure Bart, Marge sets out to learn what has affected him. Her investigation leads to a ] that recently appeared in ]'s crop field. While ] describes the look of a crop circle, Marge realizes that his description is reminiscent of the Buzz Cola logo. Marge shows a can of the cola to Bart, which snaps him out of his stupor. Bart reveals that Buzz Cola is a mind-control cola produced by aliens to make the townspeople insane. Marge decides to purge Springfield of the cola; despite her valiant efforts, the drink maintains its presence and popularity amongst the public.<ref name="Guide">{{cite web |last=McCutcheon |first=David |title=''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' Guide |url=http://guides.ign.com/guides/552252/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704202502/http://guides.ign.com/guides/552252/index.html |archive-date=2008-07-04 |access-date=2008-12-17 |website=]}}</ref> | |||
Inspired by Marge's efforts and remorseful for selling the cola in the first place, Apu tries to discover the source of the cola. ] tells him that the cola trucks are registered to the Springfield Museum of Natural History. Apu and Bart decide to go inside the museum, where they find a meteor as the source of the cola. They eavesdrop on a conversation between aliens ], who are masterminding a scheme. Apu and Bart learn that the wasp cameras are filming the antics of Springfield for an intergalactic reality show, ''Foolish Earthlings''. The aliens are using the cola to make people insane, by which time Kang and Kodos will distribute laser guns among the populace to drive the town to a violent massacre sure to draw many viewers.<ref name="Guide"/> | |||
Wracked with guilt upon realizing that he was selling a tainted product, Apu sets out to redeem himself and discover who owns the cola trucks supplying Buzz Cola around town. After helping ] with his community service, Apu learns that the cola trucks are registered to the Springfield Museum of Natural History. After acquiring the key from the museum curator, Apu and Bart visit the museum, where they find a meteor as the source of the cola, which inadvertently reanimates a ] skeleton. After destroying the meteor and the skeleton, they eavesdrop on a conversation between aliens ], who are masterminding a scheme. Apu and Bart learn that the wasp cameras are filming the antics of Springfield for Kang and Kodos' struggling intergalactic reality show, ''Foolish Earthlings''. The aliens intend to attract many viewers to their show by spreading the cola into the town's water supply and distributing laser guns among the populace to drive the town to a violent massacre.<ref name="Guide"/> | |||
Apu is frightened of the aliens and cowardly refuses to help any further, so Bart takes it upon himself to foil Kang and Kodos' plan. He asks Krusty for help, but Krusty informs Bart that he has already helped the ] set up free laser gun stands around Springfield. Bart then goes to his father, Homer, for help, and the duo quickly pursue Kang and Kodos to the brewery. However, the aliens escape, and before departing, they reveal that they have already released Buzz Cola throughout Springfield's water supply. As the cola seeps into the ground, it releases the ] from the Springfield Cemetery, who invade Springfield. When Homer collects supplies to protect his family and home from the marauding zombies, he decides to pursue a black sports car—which he believes belong to the aliens—to the ]. The car, however, belongs to ], who has discovered the aliens' weakness: ]. He plans to use the space ship's tractor beam to suck up cars that are loaded with drums of nuclear waste. After successfully loading Frink's car, along with three more, into the aliens' tractor beam, the ship explodes. The following day, Springfield is returned back to normal.<ref name="Guide"/> | |||
Apu is too frightened of the aliens to help further, so Bart asks Krusty for help to foil Kang and Kodos' plan, but Krusty does not believe Bart. Once Bart gets proof of a functional laser gun, Krusty informs Bart that he has already helped the ] set up free laser gun stands around Springfield, which Bart promptly destroys. Bart then informs Homer of the aliens' plot, and the duo quickly pursue Kang and Kodos to the brewery in Homer's old sports car. However, the aliens escape after revealing that they have already released the cola throughout Springfield's water supply. As the cola seeps into the ground, it releases the ] from the Springfield Cemetery, who invade Springfield on the night of ]. | |||
==Development== | |||
The game's developer, ], received the rights to create games for ''The Simpsons'' franchise when they demonstrated a playable prototype. Radical released its first ''The Simpsons'' game in 2001 called '']'', a parody of the ].<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-12-15 |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/print/CTVNews/20030731/hulk_videogame_030731/20030731/?hub=SciTech&subhub=PrintStory |title=Hulk video game a made-in-Canada affair|publisher=CTV|date=2003-07-31}}</ref> After ''Road Rage'' was released, the development team for ''Hit & Run'' decided not to create a direct sequel to ''Road Rage''. Instead, Radical wanted to steer the franchise's video game series in a different direction by giving the ] a complete overhaul. The developers felt that everything else needed a new approach, while only the driving portion of ''Road Rage'' was worth keeping;<ref name="gamershell-interview" /> in ''Hit & Run'', enhanced traffic ] is introduced, which makes computer-controlled vehicles react better to the player's driving.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-12-17|url=http://www.ugo.com/channels/games/features/simpsons_hitandrun|title=The Simpsons: Hit and Run preview|publisher=UGO|last=Scalzo|first=John}}</ref> The developers also decided to add an exploration element to the game to make players get out of the car and navigate the area on foot, so that the game offered a better experience of ].<ref name="gamershell-interview">{{cite web|accessdate=2008-12-17|url=http://www.gamershell.com/articles/687.html|title=The Simpsons Hit & Run Interview|publisher=Gamers Hell|last=Kinnear|first=James}}</ref> | |||
After Homer collects supplies to protect his family and home from the marauding zombies, he decides to pursue an alien probe vehicle to the ]. Upon reaching the power plant, he encounters Frink, who has discovered the aliens' weakness: ]. He plans to use the spaceship's tractor beam to suck up cars that are loaded with drums of nuclear waste, which has situated itself over the ] playground. After successfully loading Frink's car into the spaceship, Homer gets permission from Burns to take nuclear waste drums from the power plant to use against the aliens. After loading three more vehicles with nuclear payloads into the spaceship, including sacrificing Snake and Grampa, the ship crashes down, killing Kang and Kodos. | |||
When developing the game's graphics, the team decided to include landmarks from Springfield. The player is able to enter some of them, including the ], ], ], and ]. During ''Hit & Run''{{'}}s development, ], ], and ], the creator of ''The Simpsons'', played important roles in bringing the ''Simpsons'' universe into a 3D environment. All character voices were supplied by the ], and the series' writers wrote the entire story for the game, including dialogue.<ref name="gamershell-interview" /> Tim Ramage, the associate producer of the game's publisher, ], considered it a blessing to have the opportunity of working with the ], along with the writers, who Ramage called "the best there is {{sic}}".<ref name="gamershell-interview" /> | |||
{{clear}} | |||
The following day, Springfield is returned to normal, while the ''Foolish Earthlings'' finale reaches peak popularity even on Earth. Homer is hailed as a hero and has gained a large following of alien fans. Kang and Kodos are annoyed that they went to Earth Heaven, and Kang screams in horror and frustration upon learning that they have to watch the game's credits.<ref name="Guide"/> | |||
== Development == | |||
The developer, ], received the rights to create games for ''The Simpsons'' franchise when they demonstrated a playable prototype. Radical released its first ''The Simpsons'' game in 2001, called '']''. After ''Road Rage'' was released, the 60-person development team<ref name="MinnMax">{{cite video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9WyAUWwoB4|title=The Oral History Of The Simpsons: Hit & Run - MinnMax Interview|date=November 20, 2023|access-date=March 12, 2024|publisher=MinnMax|website=]}}</ref> for ''Hit & Run'' decided not to create a direct sequel to ''Road Rage''; instead, Radical wanted to steer the franchise's video game series in a different direction by giving the ] a complete overhaul. The developers felt that everything else needed a new approach, while only the driving portion of ''Road Rage'' was worth keeping;<ref name="gamershell-interview" /> in ''Hit & Run'', enhanced traffic ] is introduced, which makes computer-controlled vehicles react better to the player's driving. The internal development name for ''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' was simply "Simpsons", as referenced by the executable file of the game.<ref>{{cite web |first=John |last=Scalzo |url=http://www.ugo.com/channels/games/features/simpsons_hitandrun |title=''The Simpsons: Hit and Run'' (Preview) |website=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080123230438/http://www.ugo.com/channels/games/features/simpsons_hitandrun/ |archive-date=January 23, 2008 |access-date=December 17, 2008}}</ref> They also decided to add an exploration element to the game to make players get out of the car and navigate the area on foot, so that the game offered a better experience of ].<ref name="gamershell-interview">{{cite web |first=James |last=Kinnear |url=http://www.gamershell.com/articles/687.html |title=''The Simpsons Hit & Run'' Interview |website=Gamers Hell |access-date=December 17, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615180010/http://www.gamershell.com/articles/687.html |archive-date=June 15, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Lead programmer Cary Brisebois considered the GameCube version the hardest to develop, with its 24MB of RAM necessitating tricks such as loading animations into audio memory.<ref name="MinnMax"/> A port for the ] entered development, but never released due to ], as by then the voice actors had renegotiated their contracts to increase their fees.<ref name="MinnMax"/> | |||
When developing the graphics, the team decided to include landmarks from Springfield. The player is able to enter some of them, including the ], ], ], and ]. During ''Hit & Run''{{'}}s development, ], ] and ], the creator of ''The Simpsons'', played important roles in bringing ''The Simpsons'' universe into a 3D environment. All character voices were supplied by the ], and the series' writers wrote the entire story for the game, including dialogue, with a total of 12,231 recorded lines.<ref name="gamershell-interview" /><ref name="MinnMax"/> Voice samples original to the game, as well as one-liners from the show, can be heard in ''Hit & Run''. Some of the dialogue from ''Road Rage'' was reused. Tim Ramage, the associate producer of the game's publisher, ], considered it a blessing to have the opportunity of working with ''The Simpsons'' cast, along with the writers, with Ramage saying "...you have no concerns about quality; you know you’re getting the best there is."<ref name="gamershell-interview" /> | |||
The game's soundtrack was primarily composed by Marc Baril, with additional compositions by ] and Allan Levy.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Simpsons: Hit & Run Instruction Booklet |author=] Staff |publisher=] |year=2003 |pages=19–21}}</ref> The soundtrack includes various arrangements of the original ] by ], and features specific melodies for each playable character; for example, Bart's gameplay is accompanied by ], while Lisa has laid-back motifs that Steven Hopper of ''GameZone'' compared to ]s.<ref name=gamezone-review/> | |||
After release, Radical immediately began work on a sequel, but had to cancel it when Vivendi chose not to reobtain the ''Simpsons'' license.<ref name="MinnMax"/> | |||
==Reception== | == Reception == | ||
{{Video game reviews | |||
{{VG Reviews | |||
| NGC = true | |||
| title = | |||
| |
| PC = true | ||
| PS2 = true | |||
| GameRev = Xbox: B<ref name="gamerev"/> | |||
| XBOX = true | |||
| GI = GC: 85%<ref name="gameinformer"/> | |||
| na = true | |||
| GSpot = PC: 8.0 out of 10<ref name="gamespot"/> | |||
| EGM_NGC = 7.17/10<ref name="egm">{{cite magazine |first1=Greg |last1=Sewart |first2=Greg |last2=Ford |first3=Paul |last3=Byrnes |title=''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' (GC, PS2, Xbox) |magazine=] |issue=171 |date=October 2003 |page=140}}</ref> | |||
| GSpy = PS2: {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="gamespy"/> | |||
| Allgame_XBOX = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="allgamereview">{{cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=43189 |title=''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' - Review |last=Marriott |first=Scott Alan |website=] |access-date=March 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141211133153/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=43189 |archive-date=December 11, 2014}}</ref> | |||
| IGN = Xbox: 8.0 out of 10<ref name="ign"/> | |||
| |
| EGM_PS2 = 7.17/10<ref name="egm"/> | ||
| |
| EGM_XBOX = 7.17/10<ref name="egm"/> | ||
| EuroG_PS2 = 5/10<ref>{{cite web |first=Kristan |last=Reed |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_simpsonshitandrun_ps2 |title=''The Simpsons Hit & Run'' (PS2) |website=] |date=October 30, 2003 |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| TX = Xbox: 80%<ref name="teamxbox"/> | |||
| Fam_XBOX = 31/40<ref name="fam">{{cite magazine |title=''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' (Xbox) |magazine=] |volume=785 |date=January 1, 2004}}</ref> | |||
| MC = GC: 79%<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-12-15|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/cube/simpsonshitandrun |title=Simpsons: Hit & Run, The (GameCube)|publisher=Metacritic}}</ref><br />PC: 82%<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-12-15 |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/simpsonshitandrun|title=Simpsons: Hit & Run, The (PC)|publisher=Metacritic}}</ref><br />PS2: 78%<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-12-15|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps2/simpsonshitandrun |title=Simpsons: Hit & Run, The (PS2)|publisher=Metacritic}}</ref><br />Xbox: 81%<ref name="metacritic"/> | |||
| GI_NGC = 8.5/10<ref name="gameinformer">{{cite magazine |first=Justin |last=Leeper |url=http://gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200311/R03.1121.1014.00129.htm? |title=''Simpsons: Hit and Run'' (GC) |magazine=] |issue=127 |date=November 2003 |page=157 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123082830/http://gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200311/R03.1121.1014.00129.htm |archive-date=January 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=August 21, 2016 }}</ref> | |||
| GI_XBOX = 8.5/10<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Justin |last=Leeper |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200310/R03.1014.2052.25237.htm? |title=''Simpsons: Hit and Run'' (Xbox) |magazine=Game Informer |issue=126 |date=October 2003 |page=134 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327134242/http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200310/R03.1014.2052.25237.htm |archive-date=March 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| GamePro_PS2 = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |author=DJ Dinobot |url=http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/31080.shtml |title=''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' Review for PS2 on GamePro.com |magazine=] |date=September 16, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050212134159/http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/31080.shtml |archive-date=February 12, 2005 |url-status=dead |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| GameRev_NGC = B<ref name="gamerev">{{cite web |author=Mr. Tickle |url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/the-simpsons-hit-and-run |title=''The Simpsons: Hit and Run'' Review (GC, PS2, Xbox) |publisher=] |date=October 2003 |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| GameRev_PS2 = B<ref name="gamerev"/> | |||
| GameRev_XBOX = B<ref name="gamerev"/> | |||
| GSpot_NGC = 8.3/10<ref name="gspotrev">{{cite web |first=Alex |last=Navarro |url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-simpsons-hit-and-run-review/1900-6075020/ |title=''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' Review (GC, PS2, Xbox) |website=GameSpot |date=September 15, 2003 |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| GSpot_PC = 8/10<ref name="gamespot">{{cite web |first=Alex |last=Navarro |url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-simpsons-hit-and-run-review/1900-6083513/ |title=''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' Review (PC) |website=GameSpot |date=November 13, 2003 |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| GSpot_PS2 = 8.3/10<ref name="gspotrev"/> | |||
| GSpot_XBOX = 8.3/10<ref name="gspotrev"/> | |||
| GSpy_NGC = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web |first=Zach |last=Meston |url=http://cube.gamespy.com/gamecube/the-simpsons-hit-run/6206p1.html |title=GameSpy: ''The Simpsons Hit & Run'' (GCN) |website=] |date=September 24, 2003 |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| GSpy_PC = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web |first=Sal |last=Accardo |url=http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/the-simpsons-hit-run/6354p1.html |title=GameSpy: ''The Simpsons Hit & Run'' (PC) |website=GameSpy |date=November 10, 2003 |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| GSpy_PS2 = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="gamespy">{{cite web |first=Zach |last=Meston |url=http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/the-simpsons-hit-run/6207p1.html |title=GameSpy: ''The Simpsons Hit & Run'' (PS2) |website=GameSpy |date=September 24, 2003 |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| GSpy_XBOX = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web |first=Zach |last=Meston |url=http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/the-simpsons-hit-run/6208p1.html |title=GameSpy: ''The Simpsons Hit & Run'' (Xbox) |publisher=GameSpy |date=September 24, 2003 |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| GameZone_NGC = 8.7/10<ref>{{cite web |first=Justin |last=Raymond |url=http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/the_simpsons_hit_run_gc_review |title=''The Simpsons Hit & Run'' - GC - Review |website=GameZone |date=September 30, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220200332/http://gamecube.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r22043.htm |archive-date=December 20, 2008 |url-status=live |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| GameZone_PC = 8.6/10<ref name=gamezone-review/> | |||
| GameZone_PS2 = 8.6/10<ref>{{cite web |first=Carlos |last=McElfish |url=http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/the_simpsons_hit_run_ps2_review |title=''The Simpsons Hit & Run'' - PS2 - Review |website=GameZone |date=October 1, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501041902/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r22043.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2009 |url-status=live |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| GameZone_XBOX = 9/10<ref>{{cite web |author=Code Cowboy |url=http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/the_simpsons_hit_run_xb_review |title=''The Simpsons Hit & Run'' - XB - Review |website=GameZone |date=October 5, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625091115/http://xbox.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r22043.htm |archive-date=June 25, 2008 |url-status=live |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| IGN_NGC = 8/10<ref name="ign">{{cite web |first=Douglass C. |last=Perry |url=http://cube.ign.com/articles/450/450127p1.html |title=''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' (GCN, PS2, Xbox) |website=IGN |date=September 16, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070226113311/http://cube.ign.com/articles/450/450127p1.html |archive-date=February 26, 2007 |url-status=dead |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| IGN_PC = 8.1/10<ref>{{cite web |first=Steve |last=Butts |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/11/13/the-simpsons-hit-and-run |title=''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' (PC) |website=IGN |date=November 12, 2003 |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| IGN_PS2 = 8/10<ref name="ign"/> | |||
| IGN_XBOX = 8/10<ref name="ign"/> | |||
| NP_NGC = 3.8/5<ref>{{cite magazine |title=''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' |magazine=] |volume=172 |date=October 2003 |page=138}}</ref> | |||
| OPM_PS2 = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' |magazine=] |date=September 2003 |page=96}}</ref> | |||
| OXM_XBOX = 8.8/10<ref name="oxm">{{cite magazine |title=''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' |magazine=] |date=October 2003 |page=82}}</ref> | |||
| PCGUS_PC = 78%<ref>{{cite journal |first=Chuck |last=Osborn |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/06/the_simpsons_hi.html |title=''The Simpsons Hit & Run'' |journal=] |date=January 2004 |page=105 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060315142544/http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/06/the_simpsons_hi.html |archive-date=March 15, 2006 |url-status=dead |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| rev1 = '']'' | |||
| rev1_NGC = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="cincinnati">{{cite news |first=Marc |last=Saltzman |url=http://www.cincinnati.com/freetime/games/reviews/092303_simpsons.html |title=''The Simpsons'' meet ''Grand Theft Auto'' (GC, PS2, Xbox) |newspaper=] |date=September 23, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612214057/http://www.cincinnati.com/freetime/games/reviews/092303_simpsons.html |archive-date=June 12, 2008 |url-status=dead |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| rev1_PS2 = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="cincinnati"/> | |||
| rev1_XBOX = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="cincinnati"/> | |||
| rev2 = '']'' | |||
| rev2_NGC = B<ref name="ew">{{cite magazine |first=Geoff |last=Keighley |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2003/09/05/simpsons-hit-run |title=''The Simpsons Hit & Run'' (GC, PS2, Xbox) |magazine=] |issue=726 |date=September 5, 2003 |page=L2T 22 |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| rev2_PS2 = B<ref name="ew"/> | |||
| rev2_XBOX = B<ref name="ew"/> | |||
| MC_NGC = 79/100<ref name="mcgc">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-simpsons-hit-and-run/critic-reviews/?platform=gamecube |title=''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' for GameCube Reviews |website=] |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| MC_PC = 82/100<ref name="mcpc">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-simpsons-hit-and-run/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' for PC Reviews |website=Metacritic |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| MC_PS2 = 78/100<ref name="mcps2">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-simpsons-hit-and-run/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2 |title=''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' for PlayStation 2 Reviews |website=Metacritic |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| MC_XBOX = 81/100<ref name="mcxb">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-simpsons-hit-and-run/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox |title=''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' for Xbox Reviews |website=Metacritic |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
}} | }} | ||
''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' received "generally favorable" reviews on all platforms according to the ] website ],<ref name="mcgc"/><ref name="mcpc"/><ref name="mcps2"/><ref name="mcxb"/> and many consider it to be the best ''Simpsons'' game to date.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Llewellyn |first1=Michael |title=Ranking Every Simpsons Game From Worst To Best |url=https://www.thegamer.com/best-simpsons-video-games/ |website=The Gamer |date=30 May 2017 |access-date=5 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Towell |first1=Justin |title=Every Simpsons game ever: from worst to best |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/best-simpsons-video-games/3/ |website=GamesRadar+ |date=25 April 2017 |access-date=5 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Top 10 Simpsons Games |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7Kztq62OX8 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211114/k7Kztq62OX8 |archive-date=2021-11-14 |access-date=5 June 2018 |website=] | date=31 May 2016 |publisher=]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> | |||
Over one million copies of the game were sold as of June 2004,<ref>{{cite news |first=Alex |last=Pham |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jun-22-fi-games22-story.html |title=Vivendi Game Unit Slashes 350 Jobs as Sales Fall |newspaper=] |date=June 22, 2004 |access-date=December 16, 2008}}</ref> and three million as of July 2007.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/06/0625_french_gaming/source/5.htm |title=Video Game Hits and Misses (Hit: ''Simpsons Hit & Run'') |newspaper=] |date=June 25, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529161235/http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/06/0625_french_gaming/source/5.htm |archive-date=May 29, 2010 |url-status=dead |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> It had sold 500,000 copies in the United Kingdom by January 2004.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web|last=Reed|first=Kristan|date=20 January 2004|title=UK Charts: A month in the top spot for Need for Speed|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/uk-charts-a-month-in-the-top-spot-for-need-for-speed|access-date=2021-11-09|website=]}}</ref> The game's PlayStation 2 version received a "Diamond" sales award from the ] (ELSPA),<ref name=diamondelspa>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090519022708/http://www.elspa.com/?i=3946 |url=http://www.elspa.com:80/?i=3946 |title=ELSPA Sales Awards: Diamond |work=] |archive-date=May 19, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> indicating sales of at least 1 million copies in the United Kingdom.<ref name=gamasutrasales>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918063107/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/112220/ELSPA_Wii_Fit_Mario_Kart_Reach_Diamond_Status_In_UK.php |url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/112220/ELSPA_Wii_Fit_Mario_Kart_Reach_Diamond_Status_In_UK.php |title=ELSPA: ''Wii Fit'', ''Mario Kart'' Reach Diamond Status In UK |last=Caoili |first=Eric |date=November 26, 2008 |work=] |archive-date=September 18, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> According to Fox executive producer John Melchior, ''Hit & Run'' sold 8-10 million units in its lifetime.<ref name="MinnMax"/> | |||
The game was released by ] for the ], ], ], and ] in the United States on September 16, 2003 and in Europe on October 24, 2003.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.ps2.ign.com/objects/552/552251.html|title=The Simpsons: Hit & Run overview|accessdate=2007-03-30|publisher=IGN}}</ref> Several reviews considered ''Hit & Run'' to be the best ''Simpsons'' game to date, and it was given generally favorable reviews, receiving an aggregated score of 81% from ] for its ] version.<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web|accessdate=2008-12-15|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbx/simpsonshitandrun|title=Simpsons: Hit & Run, The (Xbox)|publisher=Metacritic}}</ref> Praise focused on the move from the ''Simpsons'' television series to the video game format, while criticism targeted the game's gameplay and graphics. ''Hit & Run'' won the award for Fave Video Game at the 2004 ].<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-12-16|url=http://kzone.com.au/display.cfm?objectid=C759A358-7E5B-4026-96232179FA550F19&navid=EC4DAAD3-8486-4946-996C3CE4B1BE0A44|title=2004 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards!|work=]|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060919094657/http://kzone.com.au/display.cfm?objectid=C759A358-7E5B-4026-96232179FA550F19&navid=EC4DAAD3-8486-4946-996C3CE4B1BE0A44|archivedate=2006-09-19}}</ref> Over one million copies of the game were sold as of June 2004,<ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2008-12-16 |url=http://articles.latimes.com/2004/jun/22/business/fi-games22|title=Vivendi Game Unit Slashes 350 Jobs as Sales Fall |publisher=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> and three million as of June 2007.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-12-16 |url=http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/06/0625_french_gaming/source/5.htm|title=Simpsons Hit & Run|work=BusinessWeek |date=2007-06-25}}</ref> | |||
Praise focused on the move from the ''Simpsons'' television series to the video game format, while criticism targeted some aspects of gameplay. ''Hit & Run'' won the award for Fave Video Game at the 2004 ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kzone.com.au/display.cfm?objectid=C759A358-7E5B-4026-96232179FA550F19&navid=EC4DAAD3-8486-4946-996C3CE4B1BE0A44 |title=2004 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards! |work=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060919094657/http://kzone.com.au/display.cfm?objectid=C759A358-7E5B-4026-96232179FA550F19&navid=EC4DAAD3-8486-4946-996C3CE4B1BE0A44 |archive-date=September 19, 2006 |access-date=December 16, 2008}}</ref> | |||
A number of reviews complimented the transposition of the ''Simpsons'' television series to a video game. '']'' and ] commented on how well the game depicted the fictional city of ] from the television series, and called it the most accurate representation of Springfield ever put into a game.<ref name="gameinformer">{{cite journal|title=Hit & Run|journal=Game Informer|date=October 2003|page=134}}</ref><ref name="gamespot">{{cite web|accessdate=2008-12-15|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/driving/simpsonsthehitrun/review.html|title=The Simpsons: Hit & Run Review|publisher=GameSpot|date=2003-11-13|last=Navarro|first=Alex}}</ref> '']'' said that the game did the show justice,<ref name="oxm">{{cite journal|title=Hit & Run|journal=Official Xbox Magazine|date=October 2003|page=82}}</ref> and '']'' felt that it was "essentially the show in real time", summing up its review by calling the game a "truly great cross-over product".<ref name="play">{{cite journal|title=Hit & Run|journal=Play Magazine |date=September 2003|page=78}}</ref> GameSpot thought that the humor that the game offered included many excellent self-referential jokes,<ref name="gamespot" /> and TeamXbox concluded its review by predicting that the game would be extremely appealing to gamers, especially hardcore ''Simpsons'' fans.<ref name="teamxbox">{{cite web|title=Hit & Run|accessdate=2008-12-16 |publisher=TeamXbox|url=http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox/593/The-Simpsons-Hit-Run/p1|date=2003-10-13|last=Bush|first=Eric}}</ref> Entertainment newspaper '']'' surmised that ''Hit & Run'' was the first ''Simpsons'' game to include humor comparable to what was in the television series.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-12-17|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117932141.html?categoryid=20&cs=1|title=EA signs Simpsons|work=Variety|date=2005-11-02}}</ref> | |||
A number of reviews complimented the transposition of the ''Simpsons'' television series to a video game. Justin Leeper of '']'' and Alex Navarro of '']'' commented on how well the game depicted the fictional city of ] from the television series, and called it the most accurate representation of Springfield ever put into a game.<ref name="gameinformer"/><ref name="gamespot"/> '']'' said that the game did the show justice,<ref name="oxm"/> and '']'' felt that it was "essentially the show in real time", summing up its review by calling the game a "truly great cross-over product".<ref name="play">{{cite journal |title=''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' (GC, PS2, Xbox) |journal=] |date=September 2003 |page=78}}</ref> Navarro thought that the humor that the game offered included many excellent self-referential jokes,<ref name="gamespot"/> and Eric Bush of '']'' concluded its review by predicting that the game would be extremely appealing to gamers, especially hardcore ''Simpsons'' fans.<ref name="teamxbox">{{cite web |first=Eric |last=Bush |url=http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox/593/The-Simpsons-Hit-Run/p1/ |title=''The Simpsons Hit & Run'' Review (Xbox) |website=] |date=October 13, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112051147/http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox/593/The-Simpsons-Hit-Run/p1/ |archive-date=January 12, 2008 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 16, 2008}}</ref> Entertainment magazine '']'' surmised that ''Hit & Run'' was the first ''Simpsons'' game to include humor comparable to what was in the television series.<ref>{{cite magazine |author= |date=November 2, 2005 |title=EA signs 'Simpsons' |url=https://variety.com/2005/digital/features/ea-signs-simpsons-1117932141/ |magazine=] |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
''Hit & Run''{{'}}s parodical take on the '']'' video game was praised by several reviewers. It was considered to "deftly satirize ''Grand Theft Auto'' while being almost as entertaining" in a review by ], which suggested that ''Hit & Run'' improved several gameplay aspects that it borrowed from ''Grand Theft Auto'', including instant mission restarts, a superior guidance system, and an easily accessible collection of vehicles.<ref name="gamespy">{{cite web |accessdate=2008-12-15|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/september03/simpsonshrps2|title=The Simpsons Hit & Run |publisher=IGN|date=2003-09-24|last=Meston|first=Zach}}</ref> ''Official Xbox Magazine'' agreed that ''Hit & Run'' was an excellent game in its own right, and found the game to be a "brilliant" clone of ''Grand Theft Auto''.<ref name="oxm" /> The combination of the ''Simpsons'' universe with the gameplay of the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series was also praised by IGN as "pure brilliance".<ref name="ign">{{cite web|accessdate=2008-12-15|url=http://xbox.ign.com/articles/450/450120p1.html|title=The Simpsons Hit & Run|publisher=IGN|date=2003-09-16|last=Perry|first=Douglass C.}}</ref> | |||
''Hit & Run''{{'}}s parodical take on the '']'' video game was praised by several reviewers. Zach Meston of '']'' considered it to "deftly satirize ''Grand Theft Auto'' while being almost as entertaining", and suggested that ''Hit & Run'' improved several gameplay aspects that it borrowed from ''Grand Theft Auto'', including instant mission restarts, a superior guidance system, and an easily accessible collection of vehicles.<ref name="gamespy"/> ''Official Xbox Magazine'' agreed that ''Hit & Run'' was an excellent game in its own right, and found the game to be a "brilliant" ].<ref name="oxm"/> The combination of the ''Simpsons'' universe with the gameplay of the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series was also praised by Douglass C. Perry of '']'' as "pure brilliance".<ref name="ign"/> | |||
Positive reviews of ''Hit & Run'' focused on its graphics and gameplay. ''Play Magazine'' appreciated the virtual world that the game offered, describing it as "grandiose in its expanse and artistic rendering".<ref name="play" /> GameSpot found the gameplay to be very engaging.<ref name="gamespot" /> The game was found to be "very fun and very funny" by Zach Meston of ],<ref name="gamespy" /> and ''Game Informer'' called it "nothing short of astonishing".<ref name="gameinformer" /> Despite positive reactions, the game also had serious issues that were brought up in several reviews, which focused on the game's bugs and glitches. Both TeamXbox and ] pointed out that ''Hit & Run'' had a few gameplay issues and graphical shortcomings that included strange artificial intelligence behavior and a broken ], which they felt hindered the overall experience of the game.<ref name="gamerev">{{cite web|accessdate=2008-12-16 |url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/oldsite/games/xbox/action/simpsons_hit_and_run.htm|title=Hit & Run|publisher=Game Revolution |date=October 2003|author=Mr. Tickle}}</ref><ref name="teamxbox" /> | |||
Positive reviews of ''Hit & Run'' focused on its graphics and gameplay. ''Play'' appreciated the virtual world that the game offered, describing it as "grandiose in its expanse and artistic rendering".<ref name="play"/> Navarro found the gameplay to be very engaging.<ref name="gamespot"/> Meston found the game to be "very fun and very funny",<ref name="gamespy"/> and Leeper called it "nothing short of astonishing".<ref name="gameinformer"/> Despite positive reactions, the game also had serious issues that were brought up in several reviews, which focused on the game's bugs and glitches. Both Bush and Mr. Tickle of '']'' pointed out that ''Hit & Run'' had a few gameplay issues and graphical shortcomings that included strange artificial intelligence behavior and a broken ], which they felt hindered the overall experience of the game.<ref name="teamxbox" /><ref name="gamerev"/> | |||
==References== | |||
{{reflist|2}} | |||
Non-video game publications gave positive reception on the game as well. Nick Catucci of '']'' gave the Xbox version a score of nine out of ten and stated, "This delightful, deep, and detailed (but unfortunately not cartoon-style cel-shaded) rip on the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series critiques itself better than any untenured academic could."<ref>{{cite news |first=Nick |last=Catucci |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/news/funner-than-gta-clones-funnier-than-recent-simpsons-6397326 |title=Funner Than ''GTA'' Clones, Funnier Than Recent ''Simpsons'' |newspaper=] |date=September 23, 2003 |access-date=August 21, 2016 |archive-date=9 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009122852/http://www.villagevoice.com/news/funner-than-gta-clones-funnier-than-recent-simpsons-6397326 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Marc Saltzman of '']'' gave the game four stars out of five and said that "What it lacks in originality it more than makes up for with its fun and easy-to-pick-up game play that will appeal to fans of the long-running comedy."<ref name="cincinnati"/> ] of '']'' gave it a B and said, "If some of the missions seem repetitive, others stand out, like the one that has you confiscating copies of a particularly violent videogame (wink, wink) corrupting Springfield's youth."<ref name="ew"/> In Japan, '']'' gave the Xbox version a score of two eights, one seven, and one eight, for a total of 31 out of 40.<ref name="fam"/> | |||
==External links== | |||
* {{imdb-title|0386789}} | |||
During the ], the ] nominated ''The Simpsons: Hit & Run'' for "]".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.interactive.org/games/video_game_details.asp?idAward=2004&idGame=262 |title=D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details The Simpson: Hit & Run |publisher=] |website=interactive.org |access-date=26 July 2023}}</ref> | |||
{{clear}} | |||
== Notes == | |||
{{Notelist}} | |||
== References == | |||
{{Reflist|30em}} | |||
== External links== | |||
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* {{moby game|id=/simpsons-hit-run}} | * {{moby game|id=/simpsons-hit-run}} | ||
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Latest revision as of 04:42, 13 November 2024
2003 action-adventure game2003 video game
The Simpsons: Hit & Run | |
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Developer(s) | Radical Entertainment |
Publisher(s) | Vivendi Universal Games |
Producer(s) |
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Designer(s) | Joe McGinn |
Programmer(s) |
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Artist(s) | Yayoi Maruno-Chorney |
Writer(s) | |
Composer(s) |
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Platform(s) | |
Release | GameCube, PlayStation 2, XboxWindows |
Genre(s) | Action-adventure, driving |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
The Simpsons: Hit & Run is a 2003 action-adventure game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Vivendi Universal Games. It is based on the American animated sitcom The Simpsons, and is the twenty-second installment in the Simpsons series of video games.
The game follows the Simpson family and their friend Apu Nahasapeemapetilon as they witness many strange incidents that occur in Springfield; security cameras, mysterious vans, crop circles, and a "new and improved" flavor of the popular soft drink Buzz Cola that causes insanity. Taking matters into their own hands, they discover numerous shocking secrets, and soon realize these incidents are part of a larger alien conspiracy, caused by Kang and Kodos. The gameplay largely focuses on exploration and missions; players often race enemies and interact with supporting characters on timed quests. The game also features many elements found in role-playing games, such as explorable worlds and side tasks.
Development of The Simpsons: Hit & Run began in late 2001 as a spiritual successor to Radical Entertainment's previous game The Simpsons: Road Rage. Production was extensive, as the team sought to differentiate the game from Road Rage, deeming that their new entry in the franchise required a different direction. The game was heavily inspired by the Grand Theft Auto series, and the development team re-purposed the open-world design and nuanced character development for the game. This encouraged collaboration with the show's writers and cast, who helped to craft the story and dialogue. It was released in September 2003 for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. It was then ported to Windows two months later.
Upon release, it received positive reviews from video game critics, with praise particularly focused on the interpretation of The Simpsons television series as a video game, its parodical take on Grand Theft Auto III, and graphics, while criticism mostly surrounded some aspects of gameplay, such as bugs and glitches. It is often considered to be the best Simpsons tie-in game. The game was also a commercial success, with recorded sales of over 3 million worldwide by July 2007. It received the award for Fave Video Game at the 2004 Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards. On the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox, it earned Greatest Hits, Player's Choice, and Platinum Hits respectively.
Gameplay
The Simpsons: Hit & Run features seven levels over three separate maps, each with missions and a sub-plot. The player can control one specific character in each level. The game's playable characters are Homer (played twice), Bart (played twice), Lisa, Marge, and Apu. When travelling on foot, the player character can walk, jump, run, and perform three types of melee attacks: a normal kick, a jumping kick, and a smashing move. To drive, the player can either hitchhike and control the driver in one of the many civilian vehicles that drive endlessly around town, or use a phone booth to select a car. Several hidden vehicles are present in each level and can also be used by the player if found. The game's driving missions are also similar to those of Grand Theft Auto III. In both games, the player races against other characters, collects items before a timer runs out, and wrecks other cars.
The game has a sandbox-style format that emphasizes driving, and the player controls their character from a third-person view. The character can perform certain acts of violence, punching, such as attacking pedestrians, blowing up vehicles, and destroying the environment. The Simpsons: Hit & Run has a warning meter that indicates when the police will retaliate for bad behavior. Located in the bottom-right corner of the screen, the circular "hit and run" meter fills up when the character runs people over or destroys objects, and decreases when they cease doing so. When full, several police cars chase the character for the duration of the hit and run.
Each level contains items the player can collect, such as coins, which can be gathered by either smashing Buzz Cola vending machines, Buzz Cola boxes or wasp cameras, the latter of which become more elusive as the game progresses. The coins can be used to buy new cars and player outfits, some of which are required to progress through the game. The player can also collect trading cards, with seven cards hidden in each level. When the player collects all seven cards in a level, they will unlock one of seven tracks for the "Bonus Game" racing mini-game. When all 49 cards in the game are collected, the player unlocks a special The Itchy & Scratchy Show video. Several events cause the player to lose coins; because the character cannot die, injuries cause the player to lose coins. If the player is apprehended during a hit and run, they will be fined 50 coins.
Plot
In the week leading up to Halloween, mysterious happenings are occurring in Springfield; a horde of robot wasps descend upon the city, a "new and improved" brand of Buzz Cola is launched by television personality Krusty the Clown and introduced to store shelves, and black vans begin appearing around town. Homer suspects that a black van outside his house is spying on his family, and he takes it upon himself to investigate who it belongs to, with the van eventually stopping in front of Mr. Burns' mansion. After helping Marge destroy numerous copies of Bonestorm 2, Homer accuses Burns of spying on Springfield, to which Burns reveals to Homer that the black vans were simply pizza vans and fires Homer for the accusation.
The next day, Bart tries to get a copy of Bonestorm 2, only to find that the game is sold out. After doing odd chores in the hopes of finding a copy, Bart eventually learns that Professor Frink is using many copies of video games to help power the Truckasaurus, and Bart agrees to help him build it, as well as set up a safe environment for it to operate in. After escaping Truckasaurus' wrath, a tractor beam abducts Bart outside the stadium. Lisa attempts to find her brother by exploring the town for clues. She learns that black sedans, which have been appearing around town, are connected to Bart's disappearance. Lisa eventually finds Bart on a ship in Springfield harbor, albeit with memory loss and mumbling unintelligibly while occasionally mentioning the sedans and cola.
Hoping to cure Bart, Marge sets out to learn what has affected him. Her investigation leads to a crop circle that recently appeared in Cletus Spuckler's crop field. While Grampa describes the look of a crop circle, Marge realizes that his description is reminiscent of the Buzz Cola logo. Marge shows a can of the cola to Bart, which snaps him out of his stupor. Bart reveals that Buzz Cola is a mind-control cola produced by aliens to make the townspeople insane. Marge decides to purge Springfield of the cola; despite her valiant efforts, the drink maintains its presence and popularity amongst the public.
Wracked with guilt upon realizing that he was selling a tainted product, Apu sets out to redeem himself and discover who owns the cola trucks supplying Buzz Cola around town. After helping Snake Jailbird with his community service, Apu learns that the cola trucks are registered to the Springfield Museum of Natural History. After acquiring the key from the museum curator, Apu and Bart visit the museum, where they find a meteor as the source of the cola, which inadvertently reanimates a T-Rex skeleton. After destroying the meteor and the skeleton, they eavesdrop on a conversation between aliens Kang and Kodos, who are masterminding a scheme. Apu and Bart learn that the wasp cameras are filming the antics of Springfield for Kang and Kodos' struggling intergalactic reality show, Foolish Earthlings. The aliens intend to attract many viewers to their show by spreading the cola into the town's water supply and distributing laser guns among the populace to drive the town to a violent massacre.
Apu is too frightened of the aliens to help further, so Bart asks Krusty for help to foil Kang and Kodos' plan, but Krusty does not believe Bart. Once Bart gets proof of a functional laser gun, Krusty informs Bart that he has already helped the Duff Brewery set up free laser gun stands around Springfield, which Bart promptly destroys. Bart then informs Homer of the aliens' plot, and the duo quickly pursue Kang and Kodos to the brewery in Homer's old sports car. However, the aliens escape after revealing that they have already released the cola throughout Springfield's water supply. As the cola seeps into the ground, it releases the undead from the Springfield Cemetery, who invade Springfield on the night of Halloween.
After Homer collects supplies to protect his family and home from the marauding zombies, he decides to pursue an alien probe vehicle to the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Upon reaching the power plant, he encounters Frink, who has discovered the aliens' weakness: nuclear waste. He plans to use the spaceship's tractor beam to suck up cars that are loaded with drums of nuclear waste, which has situated itself over the Springfield Elementary School playground. After successfully loading Frink's car into the spaceship, Homer gets permission from Burns to take nuclear waste drums from the power plant to use against the aliens. After loading three more vehicles with nuclear payloads into the spaceship, including sacrificing Snake and Grampa, the ship crashes down, killing Kang and Kodos.
The following day, Springfield is returned to normal, while the Foolish Earthlings finale reaches peak popularity even on Earth. Homer is hailed as a hero and has gained a large following of alien fans. Kang and Kodos are annoyed that they went to Earth Heaven, and Kang screams in horror and frustration upon learning that they have to watch the game's credits.
Development
The developer, Radical Entertainment, received the rights to create games for The Simpsons franchise when they demonstrated a playable prototype. Radical released its first The Simpsons game in 2001, called The Simpsons: Road Rage. After Road Rage was released, the 60-person development team for Hit & Run decided not to create a direct sequel to Road Rage; instead, Radical wanted to steer the franchise's video game series in a different direction by giving the game engine a complete overhaul. The developers felt that everything else needed a new approach, while only the driving portion of Road Rage was worth keeping; in Hit & Run, enhanced traffic artificial intelligence is introduced, which makes computer-controlled vehicles react better to the player's driving. The internal development name for The Simpsons: Hit & Run was simply "Simpsons", as referenced by the executable file of the game. They also decided to add an exploration element to the game to make players get out of the car and navigate the area on foot, so that the game offered a better experience of Springfield. Lead programmer Cary Brisebois considered the GameCube version the hardest to develop, with its 24MB of RAM necessitating tricks such as loading animations into audio memory. A port for the PlayStation Portable entered development, but never released due to return on investment, as by then the voice actors had renegotiated their contracts to increase their fees.
When developing the graphics, the team decided to include landmarks from Springfield. The player is able to enter some of them, including the Kwik-E-Mart, Moe's Tavern, Springfield Elementary School, and The Android's Dungeon and Baseball Card Shop. During Hit & Run's development, 20th Century Fox, Gracie Films and Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons, played important roles in bringing The Simpsons universe into a 3D environment. All character voices were supplied by the actual cast, and the series' writers wrote the entire story for the game, including dialogue, with a total of 12,231 recorded lines. Voice samples original to the game, as well as one-liners from the show, can be heard in Hit & Run. Some of the dialogue from Road Rage was reused. Tim Ramage, the associate producer of the game's publisher, Vivendi Universal Games, considered it a blessing to have the opportunity of working with The Simpsons cast, along with the writers, with Ramage saying "...you have no concerns about quality; you know you’re getting the best there is."
The game's soundtrack was primarily composed by Marc Baril, with additional compositions by Jeff Tymoschuk and Allan Levy. The soundtrack includes various arrangements of the original Simpsons theme by Danny Elfman, and features specific melodies for each playable character; for example, Bart's gameplay is accompanied by hard rock, while Lisa has laid-back motifs that Steven Hopper of GameZone compared to beach party films.
After release, Radical immediately began work on a sequel, but had to cancel it when Vivendi chose not to reobtain the Simpsons license.
Reception
ReceptionAggregator | Score | |||
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GC | PC | PS2 | Xbox | |
Metacritic | 79/100 | 82/100 | 78/100 | 81/100 |
Publication | Score | |||
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GC | PC | PS2 | Xbox | |
AllGame | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Electronic Gaming Monthly | 7.17/10 | N/A | 7.17/10 | 7.17/10 |
Eurogamer | N/A | N/A | 5/10 | N/A |
Famitsu | N/A | N/A | N/A | 31/40 |
Game Informer | 8.5/10 | N/A | N/A | 8.5/10 |
GamePro | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
GameRevolution | B | N/A | B | B |
GameSpot | 8.3/10 | 8/10 | 8.3/10 | 8.3/10 |
GameSpy | ||||
GameZone | 8.7/10 | 8.6/10 | 8.6/10 | 9/10 |
IGN | 8/10 | 8.1/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 |
Nintendo Power | 3.8/5 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Official Xbox Magazine (US) | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8.8/10 |
PC Gamer (US) | N/A | 78% | N/A | N/A |
The Cincinnati Enquirer | N/A | |||
Entertainment Weekly | B | N/A | B | B |
The Simpsons: Hit & Run received "generally favorable" reviews on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic, and many consider it to be the best Simpsons game to date.
Over one million copies of the game were sold as of June 2004, and three million as of July 2007. It had sold 500,000 copies in the United Kingdom by January 2004. The game's PlayStation 2 version received a "Diamond" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), indicating sales of at least 1 million copies in the United Kingdom. According to Fox executive producer John Melchior, Hit & Run sold 8-10 million units in its lifetime.
Praise focused on the move from the Simpsons television series to the video game format, while criticism targeted some aspects of gameplay. Hit & Run won the award for Fave Video Game at the 2004 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.
A number of reviews complimented the transposition of the Simpsons television series to a video game. Justin Leeper of Game Informer and Alex Navarro of GameSpot commented on how well the game depicted the fictional city of Springfield from the television series, and called it the most accurate representation of Springfield ever put into a game. Official Xbox Magazine said that the game did the show justice, and Play felt that it was "essentially the show in real time", summing up its review by calling the game a "truly great cross-over product". Navarro thought that the humor that the game offered included many excellent self-referential jokes, and Eric Bush of TeamXbox concluded its review by predicting that the game would be extremely appealing to gamers, especially hardcore Simpsons fans. Entertainment magazine Variety surmised that Hit & Run was the first Simpsons game to include humor comparable to what was in the television series.
Hit & Run's parodical take on the Grand Theft Auto III video game was praised by several reviewers. Zach Meston of GameSpy considered it to "deftly satirize Grand Theft Auto while being almost as entertaining", and suggested that Hit & Run improved several gameplay aspects that it borrowed from Grand Theft Auto, including instant mission restarts, a superior guidance system, and an easily accessible collection of vehicles. Official Xbox Magazine agreed that Hit & Run was an excellent game in its own right, and found the game to be a "brilliant" clone of Grand Theft Auto. The combination of the Simpsons universe with the gameplay of the Grand Theft Auto series was also praised by Douglass C. Perry of IGN as "pure brilliance".
Positive reviews of Hit & Run focused on its graphics and gameplay. Play appreciated the virtual world that the game offered, describing it as "grandiose in its expanse and artistic rendering". Navarro found the gameplay to be very engaging. Meston found the game to be "very fun and very funny", and Leeper called it "nothing short of astonishing". Despite positive reactions, the game also had serious issues that were brought up in several reviews, which focused on the game's bugs and glitches. Both Bush and Mr. Tickle of Game Revolution pointed out that Hit & Run had a few gameplay issues and graphical shortcomings that included strange artificial intelligence behavior and a broken camera system, which they felt hindered the overall experience of the game.
Non-video game publications gave positive reception on the game as well. Nick Catucci of The Village Voice gave the Xbox version a score of nine out of ten and stated, "This delightful, deep, and detailed (but unfortunately not cartoon-style cel-shaded) rip on the Grand Theft Auto series critiques itself better than any untenured academic could." Marc Saltzman of The Cincinnati Enquirer gave the game four stars out of five and said that "What it lacks in originality it more than makes up for with its fun and easy-to-pick-up game play that will appeal to fans of the long-running comedy." Geoff Keighley of Entertainment Weekly gave it a B and said, "If some of the missions seem repetitive, others stand out, like the one that has you confiscating copies of a particularly violent videogame (wink, wink) corrupting Springfield's youth." In Japan, Famitsu gave the Xbox version a score of two eights, one seven, and one eight, for a total of 31 out of 40.
During the 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated The Simpsons: Hit & Run for "Console Action/Adventure Game of the Year".
Notes
- Released in PAL regions under the Sierra Entertainment brand name
References
- ^ Torres, Ricardo (5 September 2003). "The Simpsons: Hit and Run Preview". GameSpot. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ Perry, Douglass C. (28 August 2003). "The Simpsons: Hit and Run (Preview)". IGN. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ "The Simpsons: Hit & Run". Official Xbox Magazine. October 2003. p. 82.
- Reparaz, Mikel (28 March 2007). "Battle of the GTA clones (Page 4)". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ Hopper, Steven (22 December 2003). "The Simpsons Hit & Run - PC - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 3 January 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ McCutcheon, David. "The Simpsons: Hit & Run Guide". IGN. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
- ^ The Oral History Of The Simpsons: Hit & Run - MinnMax Interview. YouTube. MinnMax. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ^ Kinnear, James. "The Simpsons Hit & Run Interview". Gamers Hell. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
- Scalzo, John. "The Simpsons: Hit and Run (Preview)". UGO Networks. Archived from the original on 23 January 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
- Vivendi Universal Staff (2003). The Simpsons: Hit & Run Instruction Booklet. Vivendi Universal Games. pp. 19–21.
- ^ Sewart, Greg; Ford, Greg; Byrnes, Paul (October 2003). "The Simpsons: Hit & Run (GC, PS2, Xbox)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 171. p. 140.
- Marriott, Scott Alan. "The Simpsons: Hit & Run - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on 11 December 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
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- ^ "The Simpsons: Hit & Run (Xbox)". Famitsu. Vol. 785. 1 January 2004.
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- ^ Mr. Tickle (October 2003). "The Simpsons: Hit and Run Review [sic] (GC, PS2, Xbox)". Game Revolution. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
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External links
The Simpsons video games and pinball machines | |||||
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