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	The Simpsons: Hit & Run
	Developer: Radical Entertainment Publisher: Vivendi Universal Games Genre: Action / Adventure Players: 1 Similar To: Grand Theft Auto 3 Rating: Teen Published: 10 :29 : 03 Reviewed By: Matt Hart Overall: 8 = Excellent

Screenshots

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Intro
Fans of The Simpsons have long been patient, waiting for that one true, great title that would bring the world of Springfield to consoles in a way that is enjoyable and creative. Konami got off to a wonderful start in the arcades with a beat 'em up much in the way of Streets of Rage. But then something bad happened. As the franchise moved to console systems, the titles weren't just bad, they were crimes against humanity. Bart vs. The Space Mutants was the first in a long line of such titles to bitterly, bitterly disappoint. As the years went on, so did bad Simpsons games, from the NES right up through to our modern 3D powerhouses. But, finally, after 13 seasons of patient waiting, console gamers have been rewarded with what is, thus far, the Holy Grail of Simpsons gaming.


Gameplay: 8/10
It would be simply impossible to review The Simpsons: Hit & Run without referring to Grand Theft Auto 3. In its purest form, Hit & Run is GTA with a glossy Simpsons wrapper. From the mission design to the city interactions, everything in Hit & Run is done almost exactly like it's bloody, hooker-beating big brother.

In a plot written by regular show writers, the town of Springfield is suddenly plagued with mysterious black vans and odd camera-wielding camera bees (yes, you read that correctly), and it's up to The Simpson family to investigate. Completing missions will, of course, continue the story along all of it's turbulent twists and turns that include aliens kidnapping Bart and something about a new and improved version of Buzz Cola. In truth, the plot's a bit convoluted, something that watchers of the last few seasons will be familiar with.

The story, as well as the game, unwind through character-based mission progression. Rather than use the crime boss/island method as in GTA3, Hit & Run advances by giving the player control of a single Simpsons family member as they investigate by helping out the town's citizens doing a variety of tasks. The game starts as players control Homer to help get acquainted to the game's controls. Each mission starts by talking to one of Springfield's denizens, and then performing a task for them in order to receive more information about the greater plot. Tasks are usually some GTA3 style objective, but with a unique Simpsons twist. For instance, an early collection mission has Apu needing help knocking roadkill off of Cletus' truck in order to keep competition with the Kwik-E-Mart's own hot dogs down. Chase, evade, destroy, collect missions -- the gang's all here on loan from GTA3, but the missions are done well enough, with enough Simpsons dialogue and gags to keep it fresh and interesting. However missions grow rather difficult rather quickly, and mastery of each level is required in order to complete objectives on time. Most missions rely on knowing every shortcut in a given level and being able to hit them flawlessly; often times, one mistake blows the entire mission. Luckily, Hit & Run includes one awesome feature that even GTA3 neglected to include--a mission restart feature, making mission replays quick and easy.

Each character has their own starting default car ripped straight from the series: Homer has the family's pink sedan, Marge drives the Canyonero, and Bart rolls along in the motorized version of the soapbox derby Honor Roller. Over 40 additional vehicles, such as Cletus' pickup or even the legendary Mr. Plow, can also be unlocked by either performing bonus missions, collecting hidden items, or by talking to the perpetually down on his luck salesman, Gil. But rather than car-jacking innocent (or not-so-innocent) drivers, Hit & Run take the non-violent approach -- a phone-booth. Whenever a car is needed, place a call, and the car will be instantaneously delivered to your feet -- taking all the hassle of car-jacking out of the equation. Once a car has been unlocked, it is always available from the phone-booth, making finding the right car for the job easy and painless.

The town of Springfield has been recreated with painstaking detail. All the great locations are there: Springfield school, the church, Burns' casino, the nuclear power plant, the wharf, the tomacco farm, and even the Kwik-E-Mart complete with frozen guy. So many inside jokes from the show appear in Hit & Run that it's simply impossible to catch them all. Fans of the series will find themselves giddy at the prospect of harassing the Comic Book Guy, or riding along with Principal Skinner while his mother does her best at back-seat driving. The developers really did their best at making Springfield come alive, and it shows. All over Springfield are coins and unlockables just waiting to be discovered and collected. Money in Hit & Run not only purchases new cars, but also unlocks unique costumes that include Lisa's Florida costume, Homer's muumuu, and Marge's convict outfit. Multiplayer modes can also be unlocked by finding the seven hidden collector cards in each level -- a nice extra.

Graphics: 7/10
I just can't get over how The Simpsons' characters look in 3D. You know that Treehouse of Horrors episode where Homer gets turned 3D? Think that. It's just unsettling to me for some reason that I can't explain. That's not to say that the characters look bad, just the opposite. Every detail on every character, even every building, is all recreated in perfect show-emulating detail.

But that's not to say that the graphics don't have their bugs either. Clipping problems are here in spades -- you can park on characters, wedge a car in a wall, or even drop through a level. And they aren't isolated problems either, I was able to recreate these problems time and time again. Granted, they don't routinely happen without trying, but every now and again, I would get a car caught in a building and lose a mission because of it. Frustrating? Yes. Game breaking? No. Overall, the graphics are great, and seeing Springfield in its full, unsettling, 3D glory is worth all the little idiosyncrasies.

Sound: 9/10
I love franchise games where the whole original cast is integrated into the soundtrack, and Hit & Run is one of those games. Harry Shearer, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, the gang's all here, and it's very appreciated. After all, it just wouldn't be a Simpsons game with bad imposters. All the voices for every character is voiced as it is on the series. That, combined with real Simpsons writers, makes for some downright hilarious lines and interactions between characters, just like those on the show. Car effects sound appropriate for the models -- Cletus' pick-up chugs, while the Canyonero sounds appropriately beefy. My one quibble: each character has a finite number of one-liners they spew while driving. Get used to those one-liners, because you'll hear them a lot.

Control: 8/10
Like a lot of things in Hit & Run, the control scheme comes almost directly from GTA3, right down to the triangle button controlling getting in and out of cars. Unlike GTA3 however, gamers can choose to control acceleration and braking with the right analog stick (up is gas, down is brake) or with the face buttons. It's a matter of personal preference and both ways work fine. On foot, it's pretty much the same story: fans of GTA3 will be right at home. There's a sprint button, an attack button, a jump button, etc. Car handling is my one little qualm here, they feel rather floaty and it seems that the e-brake is needed all-too-often to keep the car from skidding into a house or nearby pedestrians. In a game where precision driving is required, especially in the later levels, it's a bit annoying -- but not impossible.

Overall: 8/10
There's little doubt that The Simpsons: Hit & Run is the game for which Simpsons fans have been waiting -- for much, much too long. It brings Springfield alive in a way never before seen in games, and the opportunity to explore it in 3D is a god-send for rapid fans everywhere. The fact that it imitates GTA3 does little to hamper the experience, after all, we all know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Between Hit & Run's great missions, creative characters, interactive environment, and a full metric bucketload of unlockables and hidden secrets, there's many reasons to enjoy this title. Fans of the series should consider this a must get, and even gamers a little to young to enjoy Grand Theft Auto 3 can easily enjoy all the fun of running into cars and driving across lawns, but without the gangland violence. In short gamer's terms, Simpsons fans can finally play a game that doesn't suck. Aye Caramba!

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