The Simpsons can easily be considered one of the most popular cartoons of this generation. After fourteen years, the show is still on the air and receiving some great reviews. We've seen a few video games based on The Simpsons franchise before, and we're about to see one more. It's called The Simpsons: Hit & Run and it seems to be refreshingly different. No more goofy skateboarding or racing simulations. This one is all about adventure and mission-based driving, making it somewhat reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto - minus all the violence and drug trafficking, of course.

In order to keep the game authentic, the storyline and dialogue will be written by the creators of the cartoon and the characters will be voiced by actors from the TV show. In Hit & Run, the Simpsons crew will be investigating some mysterious occurrences in their city. People have gone missing, crop circles have appeared, and several hidden cameras have been found all over Springfield. In the midst of all these strange events, everyone's favorite, Homer Simpson, notices a black van with a satellite dish parked outside of his home. The game will begin with Homer and company heading out to expose Kang and Kodos (those crazy drooling aliens) as the cause of the mysterious happenings.

The title will include two main play modes: mission-based driving and an Adventure Mode. Several characters will be playable in the adventure portion of the title, including Homer, Bart, Marge, Lisa, and Apu, but twelve additional characters (such as Cletus, the Comic Book Guy, and Principal Skinner) will be available for the mission-based driving gameplay. Be ready to face over fifty-six missions, involving both driving and traveling on foot, in seven massive levels set in the city of Springfield. For the first time ever in a console title, we'll be able to check out the insides of familiar buildings such as the Kwik-E-Mart, the nuclear power plant, Moe's Tavern, and the Simpsons home.

Hit & Run will also feature a multiplayer mode. Up to four players will be able to challenge each other in several unlockable driving challenges. Expect to see loads of other bonuses, such as forty vehicles that can be unlocked throughout the course of the game. Patient players can also find hidden pick-ups containing episode-specific bonus material.

The game sounds promising so far and we can only hope that it will be more successful than previous Simpsons titles. Be ready for some fun GTA-style action this September when Hit & Run is released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube.

· · · Ren