The Simpsons Fans Want A Hit & Run Remaster

Gamers want nothing more than to relive the highs of cruising around the animated world’s most famous town of all time, it seems.

In a poll posted last month by UK retailer GAME, respondents were presented with a selection of four titles and asked which they’d like to see remastered. Somewhat surprisingly – given the presence of major AAA franchises such as Grand Theft Auto – The Simpsons: Hit & Run quickly emerged as the clear winner, raking in 44.8% of the total vote. The fourth entry in Rockstar’s aforementioned sandbox series, San Andreas, came in second with 24.6%, followed by the studio’s Bully and Konami’s Metal Gear Solid at 11.6% and 19% respectively.

Released back in 2003 for consoles and PC, Radical Entertainment’s action-adventure adaptation of Matt Groening’s long-running show adopted many of the gameplay features popularized by GTA, including the ability to freely roam Springfield on foot or in various different vehicles as any of the Simpson family (bar Maggie, of course) to complete missions and activities.

IT'S TIME TO DECIDE 😱 Here are the top games you want to be remastered based on our polls this week… Which one is the MOST wanted #VideoGameRemaster?

— GAME.co.uk (@GAMEdigital) May 14, 2021

To date, Hit & Run is considered to be the most authentic portrayal of Homer and Marge’s nuclear family, not least because Radical was able to recruit the TV series’ writers and voice actors to ensure fans were getting a genuine experience.

Sadly, despite its critical and commercial success, no sequel has ever been released and while publisher Vivendi Games no longer exists in name, the company merged with Activision back in 2008 to create Activision Blizzard. It’s certainly possible, then, that The Simpsons‘ fondly remembered video game could make a return and we’ll just have to wait and see if this renewed attention translates to anything tangible in the future. As always, watch this space.