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Quite possibly the greatest Simpsons game ever?
November 16, 2003 | 10:00 PM PSTby: Nathan Morse
Being a giant Simpson's fan, I was overjoyed when I got the chance to review Simpson's Hit & Run. However, I was a bit worried at first. Being a Simpson's fan just isn't enough to enjoy the recent Simpson's games. Road Rage was fun, but just wasn't what I was looking for in a Simpson's game. I won't even mention any of the other Simpson's titles due to the fact that Road Rage was about as good as it got…. up until now. Simpson's Hit & Run is an extremely fun game to play, and I enjoy every minute of it. While it is definitely not the best game ever made, it does do what all the other Simpson's games failed at. It creates a living, breathing Springfield and allows you to roam freely around it at your own will.
Graphics:
Ok, it IS a Simpson's game; we don't expect the graphics to be fancy, but they work. They aren't what most people look for in good graphics, but they are nice. Of course they aren't the beautiful graphics shown in games like Soul Calibur II and Starfox Adventures, but they work perfectly for the Simpson's world. They are cartoon-like. Characters look exactly like they do in the cartoon, mouths move when people talk, and the game looks good. Of course they could look a lot more realistic, but after all…it IS the Simpson's. More time, however, could have been taken in polishing the game up. Glitches don't happen often, but when they do, they are annoying. Cars, including yourself and CPU controlled ones, can get stuck in situations where you are unable to move or make any progress. Along with that, the camera can get fairly annoying at times. It isn't much of a problem when just driving or walking around, but when you get in buildings or close quarters it is. Bad camera angles happen especially when you are driving too close to a building, sometimes causing you to fail a mission. Luckily, you are able to retry or cancel a mission at any time. Springfield has finally been brought to life, looking exactly like it does in the TV series.
Sound:
Simpson's Hit & Run boasts the entire voice cast of the Simpson's TV series. The same person who does the characters in the TV show, which is pleasing to fans of the show, has done all voices in the game. As you walk or drive around town, characters will make one-liners that can either be funny or annoying. While you may find a certain line funny the first time, after you've heard it enough you begin to just stop listening all together. The music in the game is….well…let's just say it matches what you would expect from the Simpson's. The tunes play mostly in an exciting moment of the game and only during certain times will you hear them. However, they are nothing memorable and won't get stuck in your head easily (or even at all).
Gameplay:
Simpson's Hit & Run plays like a Grand Theft Auto with a Teen rating. Guns and weaponry are replaced with simple kicks and punches with no blood involved. The game revolves around completing certain tasks and missions. You start off playing as Homer and then move onto different characters as you beat the different missions. The playable characters include Homer, Bart, Lisa, Marge, and Apu. Depending on what the mission objective is, you will either have to travel on foot or by car. Seeing as how Springfield is a fairly large city, I suggest you travel by car. This is where your map comes into play. Getting lost is easy to do, so they decided to include a handy map, which points out directly where you have to go. Along with that, someone will occasionally tell you what you have to do next.
A mission's difficulty can depend on what you have to do. Some of the missions are fairly easy and only include collecting an item for someone. However, collecting those items isn't always an easy task. You will have to deal with other drivers who often get in your way. The cars in the game don't have the greatest control and can very easily be spun around. Making matters even worse, most of the time when you have to retrieve something, you have to retrieve it in a time limit. Those aren't the only types of missions though. You will also have to compete in races against others, sometimes having to destroy their vehicle before they reach their destination. Other types of missions include outrunning people and destroying certain things in a time limit.
Once a mission is over, you don't gain money. Yeah, you heard me right; money is not gained from completing missions. Missions are only there to progress the storyline. Money is made in many different ways. You can run over mailboxes and streetlights, destroy vending machines, and complete crazy stunts. However, if you cause too much damage to the town the cops will be on you, costing you 50 coins if you get caught. You can then take that money to buy new vehicles from certain people, such as the Duff Truck. Along with unlockable vehicles, there are also new costumes to be found. All vehicles and costumes are from actual Simpson's episodes, which is great for all the fans out there. One of Homer's alternate costumes even includes the muumuu he wore when he went on disability from overweight (you Simpson's fans out there know which episode I'm talking about).
Every game needs to have good controls, or else you just don't want to play the game. Luckily, Hit & Run succeeds yet again. Just like Grand Theft Auto, the controls are very simple. For walking, just move the analog stick, holding X if you want to run. In order to jump, press A. Press A again in mid air for some extra boost. If you feel like kicking someone, then you should press B. I told you these controls were simple. Once in a car, the controls don't become much harder. A or R can be used to go, B is used for braking, and X or L is used to put the car in reverse. If you feel like honking your horn, then go ahead and press Z. While the controls may take some time to get used to, they work really well once you get the hang of it.
Final Comments:
Overall, Simpson's Hit & Run is a very very fun game. With a storyline written by the actual writers from the series, you can expect a zany story to unfold as you move along through the game. The gameplay is addicting, but can become repetitive over time. Nothing gets more annoying than continuously having to get items for people. The graphics are nicely done, but the game can become glitchy during certain moments. The voice acting is nicely done and the music is interesting to say the least. Character comments can get repetitive, but every Simpson's game has that problem. Controls work very well with the game, and I have found no problem with them at all. In the end, Simpson's Hit & Run is the perfect game for all the people out there who like the idea of Grand Theft Auto but just can't deal with the amount of violence involved. Not to mention that it is, and will most likely be, one of the greatest Simpson's games ever made.
Graphics:
Ok, it IS a Simpson's game; we don't expect the graphics to be fancy, but they work. They aren't what most people look for in good graphics, but they are nice. Of course they aren't the beautiful graphics shown in games like Soul Calibur II and Starfox Adventures, but they work perfectly for the Simpson's world. They are cartoon-like. Characters look exactly like they do in the cartoon, mouths move when people talk, and the game looks good. Of course they could look a lot more realistic, but after all…it IS the Simpson's. More time, however, could have been taken in polishing the game up. Glitches don't happen often, but when they do, they are annoying. Cars, including yourself and CPU controlled ones, can get stuck in situations where you are unable to move or make any progress. Along with that, the camera can get fairly annoying at times. It isn't much of a problem when just driving or walking around, but when you get in buildings or close quarters it is. Bad camera angles happen especially when you are driving too close to a building, sometimes causing you to fail a mission. Luckily, you are able to retry or cancel a mission at any time. Springfield has finally been brought to life, looking exactly like it does in the TV series.
Sound:
Simpson's Hit & Run boasts the entire voice cast of the Simpson's TV series. The same person who does the characters in the TV show, which is pleasing to fans of the show, has done all voices in the game. As you walk or drive around town, characters will make one-liners that can either be funny or annoying. While you may find a certain line funny the first time, after you've heard it enough you begin to just stop listening all together. The music in the game is….well…let's just say it matches what you would expect from the Simpson's. The tunes play mostly in an exciting moment of the game and only during certain times will you hear them. However, they are nothing memorable and won't get stuck in your head easily (or even at all).
Gameplay:
Simpson's Hit & Run plays like a Grand Theft Auto with a Teen rating. Guns and weaponry are replaced with simple kicks and punches with no blood involved. The game revolves around completing certain tasks and missions. You start off playing as Homer and then move onto different characters as you beat the different missions. The playable characters include Homer, Bart, Lisa, Marge, and Apu. Depending on what the mission objective is, you will either have to travel on foot or by car. Seeing as how Springfield is a fairly large city, I suggest you travel by car. This is where your map comes into play. Getting lost is easy to do, so they decided to include a handy map, which points out directly where you have to go. Along with that, someone will occasionally tell you what you have to do next.
A mission's difficulty can depend on what you have to do. Some of the missions are fairly easy and only include collecting an item for someone. However, collecting those items isn't always an easy task. You will have to deal with other drivers who often get in your way. The cars in the game don't have the greatest control and can very easily be spun around. Making matters even worse, most of the time when you have to retrieve something, you have to retrieve it in a time limit. Those aren't the only types of missions though. You will also have to compete in races against others, sometimes having to destroy their vehicle before they reach their destination. Other types of missions include outrunning people and destroying certain things in a time limit.
Once a mission is over, you don't gain money. Yeah, you heard me right; money is not gained from completing missions. Missions are only there to progress the storyline. Money is made in many different ways. You can run over mailboxes and streetlights, destroy vending machines, and complete crazy stunts. However, if you cause too much damage to the town the cops will be on you, costing you 50 coins if you get caught. You can then take that money to buy new vehicles from certain people, such as the Duff Truck. Along with unlockable vehicles, there are also new costumes to be found. All vehicles and costumes are from actual Simpson's episodes, which is great for all the fans out there. One of Homer's alternate costumes even includes the muumuu he wore when he went on disability from overweight (you Simpson's fans out there know which episode I'm talking about).
Every game needs to have good controls, or else you just don't want to play the game. Luckily, Hit & Run succeeds yet again. Just like Grand Theft Auto, the controls are very simple. For walking, just move the analog stick, holding X if you want to run. In order to jump, press A. Press A again in mid air for some extra boost. If you feel like kicking someone, then you should press B. I told you these controls were simple. Once in a car, the controls don't become much harder. A or R can be used to go, B is used for braking, and X or L is used to put the car in reverse. If you feel like honking your horn, then go ahead and press Z. While the controls may take some time to get used to, they work really well once you get the hang of it.
Final Comments:
Overall, Simpson's Hit & Run is a very very fun game. With a storyline written by the actual writers from the series, you can expect a zany story to unfold as you move along through the game. The gameplay is addicting, but can become repetitive over time. Nothing gets more annoying than continuously having to get items for people. The graphics are nicely done, but the game can become glitchy during certain moments. The voice acting is nicely done and the music is interesting to say the least. Character comments can get repetitive, but every Simpson's game has that problem. Controls work very well with the game, and I have found no problem with them at all. In the end, Simpson's Hit & Run is the perfect game for all the people out there who like the idea of Grand Theft Auto but just can't deal with the amount of violence involved. Not to mention that it is, and will most likely be, one of the greatest Simpson's games ever made.
November 20, 2009
