Publisher: VU Interactive
Ages: Teens
Parental
Advisory:
Reckless driving
America's first family of comedy gets yet another game, and for once, the game's designers got it completely right. Vivendi Universal's The Simpsons Hit & Run offers a fun, mission-based game that captures the characters, spirit and humor of the popular television series.
The Simpsons Hit & Run is a mission-based game that serves an interactive Springfield U.S.A., the setting of the television show. The game presents various missions that ask players to collect items, deliver items, race other vehicles, knock cars out and defeat others. Players either drive vehicles, or run, jump and attack on foot. The game itself and its missions are reminiscent of Rockstar's edgy Grand Theft Auto, but with a far lighter touch.
In a plot that was hatched by the show's writers, a strange force is influencing the residents of Springfield and bizarre robotic bees are buzzing around. It's up to gamers to solve the mystery by taking on some 50 driving and on-foot missions as Homer, Bart, Marge, Lisa, and Apu. Each character has its own vehicle, and players get to unlock fun, new vehicles with different capabilities and driving characteristics as they progress through the game. The game feature lots of reckless driving, and while on the road, players will inevitably run over pedestrians.
The game's designers have done a superb job of capturing the spirit of the television show. Fans will immediately recognize the many funny references to various episodes strewn throughout the virtual town. The game features the show's supporting characters that include Krusty the Clown, neighbor Ned Flanders and more. And there are the notable locations that include the Kwik-E-Mart, the nuclear power plant, Moe's Tavern and more.
The graphics are good and do a decent job of recreating the characters and settings from the television show, and the voiceovers are those from the show's cast. The only downside is that the camera sometimes lags and doesn't provide the optimum angle to view the action.
We consider The Simpsons Hit & Run to be something of a semi-family-friendly version of Grand Theft Auto. If you're okay with the edgy and sometimes disrespectful humor and the cartoon violence found in The Simpson's television show, you will probably have little objection to having the kids play The Simpsons Hit & Run. And the kids, as well as the grown-ups can have lots of fun playing it.
12/5/03 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
