I Can’t Believe This Iconic 22-Year-Old Sandbox Game Never Got a Sequel

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The *Grand Theft Auto* series became incredibly popular, particularly after *GTA 3* came out and changed what open-world games could be. What really set *GTA 3* and the games that followed apart was the freedom they gave players to do almost anything they wanted. While there’s a main story with missions, players could also build a business empire, cause chaos with cars, or simply explore and have fun.

The *Grand Theft Auto* series gained popularity, but its violent content concerned many parents. *The Simpsons: Hit & Run*, released on September 16, 2003, offered a similar open-world gameplay experience that was much more suitable for families. The game was a commercial and critical success, selling over 3 million copies. However, despite the continued popularity of the *GTA* series, a sequel to this well-loved game has never been released.

The Simpsons: Hit & Run Perfectly Captured the Show

Okay, so *The Simpsons: Hit & Run* definitely takes a lot from *Grand Theft Auto*, but what really makes it special is how perfectly it captures the feel of the show. You’re running around Springfield – you know, that town that’s *supposed* to be just a normal American city? Well, weird stuff *always* happens there, and the game is full of that classic Simpsons craziness. It really feels like you’re stepping right into an episode!

Just before Halloween, strange things start happening in town. Homer notices mysterious black vans everywhere and worries someone is watching him. To make things even weirder, wasps are swarming the city, and there are hints that aliens might be arriving, too.

Honestly, while all this crazy stuff is happening, everyone else in Springfield is just doing their own thing. Bart is totally obsessed with getting the new *Bonestorm 2* game, and Krusty’s pushing this super-hyped new Buzz Cola. It’s so classic – all these separate storylines eventually collide, and things just get ridiculously funny, but in that uniquely Simpsons way where someone *always* ends up with a bit of a disaster on their hands!

Hit & Run Is One of the Greatest GTA Clones Ever

Although *The Simpsons: Hit & Run* isn’t as violent as *Grand Theft Auto*, it borrows many of the same gameplay features. Like the *GTA* games, *Hit & Run* has a wanted system: committing crimes, such as damaging property or bothering people, will fill up a meter on the screen. If the meter gets full, the police will come after you, but you can always escape and hide until they give up.

A unique thing about *The Simpsons: Hit & Run* is how safe it is for players of all ages. No matter who you’re playing as – Homer, Marge, or Bart – they can’t actually die in the game. Even if their car crashes and explodes, they’ll simply be thrown clear without getting hurt.

Unlike many games that punish players with death, *Hit & Run* uses a coin system. Players collect coins to buy items like costumes and new vehicles. Getting arrested or causing a crash simply costs coins. Because coins are readily available, the penalty isn’t severe, and it allows players to experiment and have fun – a hallmark of open-world, or sandbox, games.

Hit & Run avoids graphic violence, but it does feature cartoonish mayhem. Players can use melee attacks and even run over pedestrians, though it doesn’t cause any harm. The game cleverly combines the open-world gameplay of Grand Theft Auto with the signature humor of The Simpsons, complete with voice acting by the original cast and jokes that feel like they’re ripped straight from the TV show.

Why Didn’t The Simpsons: Hit & Run Get a Sequel?

Released for consoles like PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox, and later on PC, *The Simpsons: Hit & Run* was both a critical and commercial success. It’s still considered the best *Simpsons* video game ever made, which makes it even stranger that a sequel was never created.

I always thought *Hit & Run* was a unique game, but I recently learned it started as something else entirely! Apparently, the developers originally wanted to make a sequel to *The Simpsons: Road Rage*. *Road Rage* itself took inspiration from *Crazy Taxi*, and while it didn’t get amazing reviews, they really liked how the driving felt. So, instead of giving up on those mechanics, they decided to build *Hit & Run* from the ground up, and even reused some voice lines they’d already recorded for *Road Rage* to save money. It’s cool to learn how games evolve like that!

Following the positive reception of *Hit & Run*, Radical Games started planning a sequel that would have expanded the gameplay with additions like airships and airplanes. However, the project was cancelled before it could be finished.

According to the game’s producer, John Melchior, Vivendi failed to secure the rights to make a *Simpsons* game. They received an offer, but *The Simpsons* team countered with a deal for five games at a very reasonable price, which Vivendi turned down. This allowed EA to step in and obtain the license instead.

Electronic Arts didn’t have much success with traditional console *Simpsons* games and shifted its focus to mobile games. Their last new *Simpsons* game was *Tapped Out* in 2012, and they’ve released many mobile titles since then. While fans have long wished for a remastered version of *Hit & Run*, it doesn’t seem likely to happen.

Man, I can’t even count how many times people have asked me about a remake – seriously, over 100 times in the last five years! But it’s not really up to me. It’s a complicated situation – Activision has the game code, but Disney owns everything else, like the art and characters. So, it’s on them if they want to make it happen.

Okay, so I’ve been wondering about this for a while – does EA *still* even own the rights to make Simpsons games? If they do, there’s a chance they might sell them off, and that could *finally* open the door for a spiritual successor to *The Simpsons: Hit & Run*! Honestly, even if that doesn’t happen, *Hit & Run* still holds up as one of the best *GTAstyle games ever made, in my opinion.

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2025-10-11 03:41