Summary
The classic video game title known asThe Simpsons: Hit & Runnever got a sequel, despite becoming a beloved adaptation of the iconic show, and its developers gathered on a video call with journalist Ben Hanson to discuss the reasons why. Released in 2003,The Simpsons: Hit & Runwas the spiritual successor to Radical Entertainment’s previous game,The Simpsons: Road Rage. WhereasRoad Rageborrowed gameplay elements fromThe Crazy Taxigames,Hit & Runleaned more towardsGrand Theft Autoas its main source of inspiration. It’s widely considered to be thebestSimpsonsgame from the PS2 era, and having sold over three million copies by 2007, it’s considered a commercial success.
ThoughThe Simpsons: Hit & Runreceived a remakeat the hands of an extremely dedicated fan, Radical Entertainment never finished development on a sequel. What madeHit & Runpopular with players was the fact that it was written by the writers fromThe Simpsons, and voiced by the actors from the show. It oozed the same kind of charm that madeThe Simpsonsso influential in the pop culture of its day, and the open-world sandbox style that it borrowed fromGrand Theft Automade it approachable to players at the time of its release.
Executive producer John Melchior, producer Steve Bocska, writer Chris Mitchell, programmers Cary Brisebois and Greg Mayer, and designer Darren Evenson shed some light on what happened during the development of Hit & Run’s sequel, as well as why it never became a franchise despite its initial success. A three-minute clip of the interview with Ben Hanson was posted on the MinnMaxx YouTube channel, where the developers revealed that even though they had a license to develop up to five games usingThe SimpsonsIP, the sequel’s production was halted in its early stages of development.
John Melchior was asked to clarify the statement. “I don’t know. It was a five-game deal for less money than I think Vivendi paid for the first game,” he continued, explaining how his at-the-time boss was also perplexed. “He was just like, ‘I don’t understand. I gave it to you on a silver platter. Why aren’t you just saying yes and doing these games?’ It was just a really bizarre decision. I’ll never understand it. Most people on the production level never understood it.”
One of the features that was developed for the sequel prior to its cancelation included a mechanic for players to lug objects around with their vehicle. The towing mechanic was only developed as a prototype by Greg Mayer, and in addition to a few assets, as well as a PowerPoint presentation, represented the sole work completed for Hit & Run’s sequel before the-powers-that-be pulled the plug. While video game rights forThe Simpsonswere eventually purchased by Electronic Arts, the developers are united with fans in wanting to see anofficial remake ofThe Simpsons: Hit & Run.
“I don’t understand. I gave it to you on a silver platter. Why aren’t you just saying yes and doing these games?”
“This was going to be a franchise, no doubt in anybody’s mind,” Melchior stated, before Evenson chimed in: “It was a no-brainer; it was like, well of course we’re going to be doing this. The stars are aligned, we’re treading down this path. And then it was just like, ‘Huh, I guess we’re not.'”
Thegolden age ofThe Simpsonsmay have passed, but many fans fondly reminisce about their playthrough ofHit & Run. Though it launched with a laundry list of bugs and glitches, in a gaming era of widely-accepted remakes, it is arguablyThe Simpsonsgame most worthy of a remaster.
The Simpsons: Hit & Run
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The SImpsons: Hit and Run is an action-adventure game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Vivendi Universal Games. Taking inspiration from the Grand Theft Auto franchise, it allows players to explore Springfield and complete missions while driving around in their vehicle.
