We are very much in the era of remakes and remasters right now, and that bizarrely got me thinking about The Simpsons games that defined the childhoods of so many. Though Road Rage was great fun in its own right, Hit & Run remains the one true King, even above the criminally underrated The Simpsons Game.
As such, seeing The Simpsons: Hit & Run return via a full remake would be a genuinely exciting moment for those who grew up playing the games, and there’s plenty of potential for it to be one of the releases of the year. Perhaps, it could even be big enough to dethrone the biggest release in living memory, if everyone were to just give it a chance.
Though it’s just a bit of fun, here are five reasons why The Simpsons: Hit & Run’s Remake return could be one of the best games of the last few years.
Open-World Springfield
Sure, Vice City is a very cool place to live, but let’s not pretend that it’s anywhere near as iconic or recognizable as Springfield. From the Kwik-E-Mart to the power plant to Moe’s Tavern, exploring those places in a fully realized open-world would be a genuine thrill, and a remake could have it all looking better than ever. Add some further interactivity and you’ll quickly forget that Vice City ever existed at all (probably).
The Cast
Jason and Lucia seem like cool people (with plenty of exciting and fashionable outfits), but The Simpsons has hundreds of instantly recognizable and beloved characters. Even if the remake only included the original roster it would already come out ahead, but a remake could bring in more unlockable characters than ever. Personally, I just want to drive round in an open-top vehicle as Duff Man, and I really don’t think that’s too much to ask for.
Evil Homer
There’s no doubt that Homer has been seen in some iconic guises over the years, but his turn as Evil Homer in the legendary Whacking Day episode is second to none. The outfit was unlockable in the original version of the game, and it caused the character to say some unique lines, so seeing it return here would surely be better than anything GTA has to offer. Add stupid, sexy Flanders to the mix and it’s a done deal.
Fan Service & Collectibles
The real advantage that The Simpsons has over basically any other media franchise in history is its longevity, where basically no other show in history comes close. If you’ve been watching for much of that time, there are thousands of reference points, and that manifested in the form of collectibles in Hit & Run. Tracking them all down is addictive, and there are a litany of additional options that could be added in any remake moving forward.
The Cars
I don’t know about you, but I like my video games to have a certain dose of silliness, and that’s where the vehicles on offer in Hit & Run come into their own. Forget boring, realistic cars and give me more aluminium tubes with massive rockets strapped to the back. The possibilities really are endless if the game returns for a new generation of consoles, and it would be a pleasure to see what a developer could cook up with enough time.
Now, obviously, if Hit & Run were to suddenly appear on the market, it wouldn’t pose any real threat to the near-guaranteed success of GTA VI. That said, The Simpsons deserves another run out regardless, and a remake would almost certainly hold massive appeal for those who grew up playing the original.
- Video Game(s)
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The Simpsons Game, The Simpsons: Hit & Run, The Simpsons: Road Rage, The Simpsons: Tapped Out, The Simpsons Arcade Game, The Simpsons Skateboarding
- Created by
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Matt Groening