"SIMPSONS HIT & RUN RRRUUUULLLLEEEESSSS!" - Aaron Heyland
"All the way back to arcade machines, Simpsons games have sucked.
Probably the worst thing about THIS game, aside from the fact that it ends, is
that it will be really hard to think of enough additional minor details to
produce a followup. I'm an old guy, I've had a stroke - action games are very
very hard for me to beat, but this game kept me so interested I didn't mind
redoing timed missions 2 dozen times to beat them and go on. I haven't become
this involved in a game since the the likes of the original Pool of Radiance,
Grim Fandango or Baldur's Gate.
The brilliance here is in the details. Every voice, every face and every loction
is just right. I can't count the number of places I raced by a dozen times and
then, when I had reason to stop and look closer, suddenly became obviously
familiar Springfield locations.
A detail that is woefully lacking in some pretty high end (quite recent) racing
games is engine sound effects. There's few things more disappointing to me than
having the ability to drive/race a host of legendary cars and then every one
sounds the same, or worse, they all sound like go carts. LAme sounds were one
thing in an Atari 2600 or a Commodore 64, but now? In The Simpsons Hit & Run,
even similar vehicles each have a unique and accurate sound. Cletus's 1947
Studebaker pickup truck misses and shudders like it's about to throw all 6 rods
out the side any moment. Willy's tractor sounds like a tractor (though it goes
awfully fast!) , Grandpa's WWII jeep wheezes and whistles like a real one. The
handling is also amazingly variable. Old, decrepit, & tall vehilcles bounce and
sway and lean way over in the corners just as they do in real life.
The impression that you really ARE in Springfield is overwhelming. I haven't
done many all-nighters playing a game in the last few years, but I did several
getting through this one the first time. The perspectives of places are just
astonishing. This was clearly done this way by Groenig and his people to be a
true addition to the Simpsons franchise. The effort in actually fleshing out the
Springfield map and making everything you remember (and more) live and breathe
there seems to be a way of apology for all the truly poor efforts they allowed
to wear The Simpsons name in the past.
It IS difficult and the puzzles can get obscure, as well as some of the jumps to
get to certain places. I won't say I didn't need any cheats and advice to
complete the game, but it was unusual that I would spend hours and a dozen tries
at something before I would reference the walk-throughs... I think most of us,
once we start using a walk-through, tend to rely on it more and more. Not here.
This game I didn't WANT to end, but I did want to find out what was up - the
perfect balance in my opinion.
It is very tough to imagine a sequel, though I certainly would LOVE to see one.
Whichever platform it shows up best on, they'll sell a pile of! Keep in mind,
the XBox version is MUCH better to play, due to the control situation.
This is one of the 5 best games I have EVER played, and I started with an Atari
2600 in 1978. Don't miss the Haloween and Christmas "easter eggs", they are a
real hoot!" - Neutrodyne
