It is often considered to be the best Simpsons tie-in game and has gained a cult following. 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 was then ported to Microsoft Windows two months later. It was released in September 2003 for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. This encouraged collaboration with the show's writers and cast, who helped craft the story and dialogue. 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. The team sought to differentiate the game from The Simpsons: Road Rage, deeming their new entry into the franchise required a different direction.

The game also features many elements found in role-playing games, such as explorable worlds and side tasks.īeginning in late 2001, the development of The Simpsons: Hit & Run was extensive. The gameplay largely focuses on exploration and missions players often race enemies and interact with supporting characters on timed quests. 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 game follows the Simpson family and their friend Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, who 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. It is based on the American animated sitcom The Simpsons, and is the twenty-second installment in the Simpsons series of video games. The Simpsons: Hit & Run is a 2003 action-adventure game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Vivendi Universal Games.

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