Grand Theft... Simpsons

[Cheese Biscuits]

It's called <a href="http://ps2.ign.com/articles/435/435913p1.html" target="_blank">Simpsons: Hit and Run</a>. Imagine combining Grand Theft Auto with the Simpsons universe. Sounds cool, eh? Well, someone did it.

I bet it sucks ass too, because the closest thing I've come to a good Simpsons game is Virtual Bart for Super Nintendo (and Genesis). I don't really count the Simpsons Arcade game, as it's really not a Simpsons game. It's fun as hell, but it's a basic beat-em-up with the Simpsons character painted over the old ones of whatever game it was based on. Literally, the story isn't a Simpson's-like story... Moe's Tavern somehow is underground in a dungeon, and all the bosses aren't characters from the show...

Okay, enough about that. This does look promising, and damn cool if it works out. But I thought Simpsons Wrestling was promising. Ugh... I don't mind if something copies GTA... not at all... it's a good game to copy... just, don't fuck it up, Fox.

[Alex Riviello]

There's a decent preview of it over at <a href="http://ps2.ign.com/articles/435/435913p1.html" target="_blank">IGN</a>. Yeah, it's IGN, but who knows.

Sounds like a rental for me- i'd give it a shot.

Edited to say: i'm a moron- didn't follow your link. Oops. Still, sounds interesting.

[Dan Whitehead]

The GTA engine is so open-ended, I'm hoping it becomes the template for more licensed games. The fact that you can walk, run, drive, fly, jump and sail around such a huge and diverse playing area (almost) seamlessly should open up completely new ways of adapting characters to videogames.

I'm still waiting for someone to realise that it's the perfect structure for a superhero game. Imagine a Batman game using the GTA structure, where you could drive the Batmobile, Batcycle and Batboat, fly the Batcopter, head for secre hideouts, change back to Bruce Wayne - all in a living, breathing Gotham City, complete with story missions, side quests and hidden challenges.

Spider-Man 2 looks to be a step along those lines (you now have complete freedom and control over your webslinging, and can use your spider-sense to home in on a variety of as-they-happen crimes, rather than being pushed down a story path.

But hopefully the days of the tired licensed character platform game (or, these days, Tomb Raider rip-off) are dead and gone.

[VladtheImpaler]

Dan, thats a great idea. I don't understand why more games company's don't take advantage of it.

However, one thing I am getting tired of is every game like this being named as " meets Vice City, the next Vice City (which I have been guilty of) and every comparison under the sun to the last two GTA games". This game uses a similar engine, but is nothing like the GTA games. The story line is worlds apart, the animation aspect of it, you cant go around shooting people....similar engine, different ideas.

[Michael Rabattino]

This thing is getting decent reviews. I know it's not saying much, but most reviewers have been saying "Best Simpsons Game Ever". I'm certainly looking forward to it.

[Dave Davis]

Dan should write for videogame magazines.

[Michael Rabattino]

Dave Davis:
Dan should write for videogame magazines.Fuck that, he should be an editor or something.

[Slater]

I'll probably end up buying this one. The girlfriend's favorite video game (besides the old Mario Kart and Crash Team Racing games) remains "Simpsons: Road Rage." She liked watching people play Grand Theft Auto, but couldn't get the complex control scheme down right. So this seems like a pretty damn good present. Thanks for the link, guys.

[Gruber]

I really hope you are able to play as Snake. How the hell can you have a Simpsons themed carjacking game without Snake?

[Charlie Brigden]

Reviewed this a couple of weeks ago. Not bad at all.

[Alex Riviello]

Got some decent scores from EGM, as well- 8.0, 6.5, 7.0.

Definitely gonna rent this one.

[Dan Whitehead]

Fett:
Reviewed this a couple of weeks ago. Not bad at all.Did you? Didn't even know we had it in the office. I must seek it out.

[Gemini]

I'm still waiting for someone to realise that it's the perfect structure for a superhero game. Imagine a Batman game using the GTA structure, where you could drive the Batmobile, Batcycle and Batboat, fly the Batcopter, head for secre hideouts, change back to Bruce Wayne - all in a living, breathing Gotham City, complete with story missions, side quests and hidden challenges. You forgot the part about Adam West and Burt Ward providing voicework.

[Dan Whitehead]

Dan Whitehead:
Fett:
Reviewed this a couple of weeks ago. Not bad at all.Did you? Didn't even know we had it in the office. I must seek it out.Seeked it out I have, and it's a damn good laugh. Not a brilliant game, and nowhere near GTA in terms of scope or playability, but it's certainly the first Simpsons game to be actual fun, and - more importantly - it's the first Simpsons game to capture the humour of the show.

Probably a try-before-you-buy, but I definitely want to play more.

[prala is just for jk]

*NO* Simpsons game will beat Simpsons bowling.

Best.Game.Ever.

[Michael Rabattino]

Comes out today. I can't wait because the fact that it's getting decent reviews excites me. I used to be a true Simpsons dork (not so much anymore) so this is probably gonna rekindle that flame.

Gamespot gave it an 8.3, for starters...

[Slater]

VERY fun game, although it's derivative as hell. It also seems a bit too easy--after one night of playing, I've already beaten the Homer, Bart, and Lisa levels, and I'm almost finished with Marge. Definitely not going to see the same level of replayability as the GTA series has, but that's okay. This is a great rental, and probably the funniest video game I've ever played.

[Dave Davis]

Picked up the Xbox version yesterday, and it's pretty fun. I love seeing all the little details and in-jokes as I drive around, and hearing all the comments from characters.

The only thing that irks me is that when you kick or run over a pedestrian, they do this goofy "float" and then "swim" on the ground. A few other glitches, some clipping, etc. I'd say the game got rushed through QA.

[otisthecat]

Still waiting for this to hit the rental shelves. Hastings and Hollywood take there sweet ass time.

[Whitey Powers, Jive Homicide Det.]

I was just as surprised as everyone else that this game is actually worth playing (unlike practically every Simpsons game since the arcade). What's great is the little touches. You drive around the residential area and you see the house made of solid gold (from the episode where Bart and Lisa help the guy who created Scratchy), the secret Stonecutters tunnel, Frostilicus in the Kwiki-mart, the Tomacco farm, and the house across the street which former president George Bush and Gerald Ford once occupied. Clearly the people that made the game did there homework, as you probably have to have seen practically all the episodes of the Simpsons to get all these little quirks. I especially like when driving as Marge when you jump off a ramp or something she'll say "A lot of people have pools", from the episode where Homer and Marge get stuck outside naked and they are in the hot air balloon.
Then in the business district (which seems to be designed with Chicago in mind) you see the Escalator to nowhere, the defunct monorail station, etc. And in the other area you see the Boardwalk Shopping Center, the Comic Book shop, Barney's Bowlarama, and Camp Krusty.
The scope of the area you have to drive in certainly seems a lot larger than Springfield would seem to be in the show... but I guess the creators kind of had creative options seeing as how theres not really an official map to where everything is in Springfield (and the show is never consistent with locations)
If the game had been polished up a bit more it would have been truly great. And yes, the missions to get a bit repetitive after a while, but you can still have a great deal of fun. In the couple days I've had it, I've already just about finished the 6th out of 7 levels, but I still have to go back to finish a few things. Need some cars in some locations and some clothes in others, and a bunch of those collector cards (which is apparently the only way you can use the multiplayer game (is it even worth it? I thought it would be like regular game play, but I saw the screenshot on the back of the box and it looked pretty lame.)

[Slater]

I'm two missions away from the end at the moment, and a lot of the glossy finish has worn away. It's still a fun game, but calling it "GTA Lite" is still too generous. It's disappointing that 99% of the missions take place in your car, and that all of those missions are some variation of either Follow Someone, Destroy Someone, Race Somewhere, or Pick Up Something. It's all fun, but when you're told to follow a trail of objects yet again before the timer runs out, it's hard not to groan.

Oh, and the level where Bart had to destroy the laser gun stands in an ridiculously short period of time might have been the most annoying level ever.

On the whole, it was still a very fun little game, and it's far and away the best Simpsons game ever. I'm glad I rented it rather than buying it, but it's definitely worth playing.

[Slater]

I take it back. The final three levels were the most annoying levels ever created for a video game. Way to end a good game on a shit note, guys.

[otisthecat]

I don't know why you would need extra coins but....

In Lisa's stage there is a Krusty Burger across from the comic store. The vending machine out front gives unlimited tokens.

Amusing game, very repetitious though. Grandpa saying "My baby teeth are growing back. That's why I had to punch the nurse." was worth the rental price alone.

[Whitey Powers, Jive Homicide Det.]

Slater:
I take it back. The final three levels were the most annoying levels ever created for a video game. Way to end a good game on a shit note, guys.Fucking a, man. If I had to hear Grandpa say "In my day we called sandwiches Flash Freddy, and they cost 4 playing cards a bite" I was going to break my tv. Finally beat the last mission last night, and then went back and got all the cards. The multiplayer is ass as well. Why couldn't they have just made it like the in game thing, instead of that lame tiny racing board crap? Sure, you can hit a button a make it look like the game, but it still isn't as good as it could have been if they just had ingame head to head missions or something.

[Slater]

Didn't get a chance to unlock the multiplayer before returning the game, so that's the one thing I was curious about. What's the bonus movie? (I'm talking about the one where you give the Comic Book Guy all 49 cards for the movie ticket, and then give the ticket to the theater usher.) Is it a CGI Itchy and Scratchy cartoon, or is it something else?

[Whitey Powers, Jive Homicide Det.]

Haven't tried that yet, but I will when I get home and give you a description.

[mongycore]

I rented the bastard last night and finally popped it in a few hours ago. This has been an addicting romp that I couldn't put down. All the little details make wandering around rather fun...which is something that actually was lacking from the gta games. I think the wife will dig this immensely when she gets home.