This time around, the Simpsons are in a “copycat” game of Grand Theft Auto III, and this time, it works quite well. Don’t get me wrong, Hit and Run is nowhere near the quality or immersion of GTA, but its just as much (if not more) fun solely due to its taking place in Springfield. The city is vast, there are references to the show everywhere, and the authentic voices all combine to make H&R the closest thing there is to being in Springfield.

Gameplay is mission-based, and there are numerous playable characters each with their own city to explore (different parts of Springfield). These missions are tackled either on-foot or behind the wheel, or combinations of the two. The primary missions all link together to portray an original, though dull, story penned by the show writers. In addition, there are bonus missions scattered around town. Players collect coins and collector cards to unlock now outfits and vehicles.

To be honest, H&R is simply mediocre as a videogame. Missions lack variety, and are essentially races, demolition derbies or item-hunts. Control is a bit floaty, especially for vehicular steering. While the graphics are colorful and crisp, there is some ugly “scan-skipping” and aliasing issues prevalent as well, though the framerate keeps steady. The difficulty is also annoying- it can be really cheap and buggy at times. There is nothing more frustrating than losing a mission due to a freak incident like getting caught on a rogue polygon somewhere…

As a fan of the Simpsons, I had a blast with H&R. The very fact that I get to run around Springfield is the only thing I wanted from this game, and it delivered. However, if you are looking for a high-quality game in the GTA tradition…keep looking. Your enjoyment here is directly related to your enjoyment of the show.

7.75