The Simpsons: Hit & Run - Best Simpsons Game EVER!

Back in 1992 when I got my first video game system ever for Christmas, the Super Nintendo with Super Mario World, my mom also got me a game based on my favorite cartoon, The Simpsons. 1992 ranks as the Second-Best Christmas I ever had since in 1996 I got the Nintendo 64. If my mom had filmed it, it would have been similar to a lot of the videos you have seen of kids getting a Nintendo 64. It was awesome.

But in 1992, I got Bart's Nightmare by Acclaim. I didn't like the game much then, and I still don't like it now.

The game was about how Bart worked on a report, fell asleep, and now needs to collect 8 pages in his dreams to finish the report. Even if you don't get all the pages, if you get a lot, you still get a B+ or better and pass. If you get all 8... well, you get to see the credits. I never beat it, but I looked it up on YouTube. I am so glad I never wasted the time of actually beating it; I would have been pissed. But that aside, it was an OK game, and having 8 different mini-games that were fun and entertaining made it worth it at times.

When I was nearly 13, I finally saved up the cash to get a used NES. Yes, a used one in 1998, boy was I ahead of the curb on this retro-stuff! Well, I bought all The Simpsons games I could, and I learned just how much Bart vs. The Space Mutants and Bart vs. the World SUCK ASS. I played "Bart vs. The Space Mutants" the most and all I remember is that I spent an ungodly amount of time trying to get pass level one, it was insanely hard. I wound up just giving up on it.

That said, The Simpsons: Hit & Run is nothing short of AMAZING!

I got this game last year for the Nintendo Gamecube and I think the main draw I had to it was that... well, I had a good feeling about it. I can't remember reading a review or anything about it, but there were some good commercials for it. When I first started playing it, I remember I wasn't very good at it. The plot is as follows: Aliens have invaded Springfield (sound familiar?) and have put Wasp Cameras around town. The Simpsons main goal? Find out who's behind it and stop it!

The aliens are pretty limited overall; the main focus of the game is really a Grant Theft Auto 3 Parody, but I'm not complaining; as a Nintendo Die-Hard, I've never played a GTA game in my life. You get to drive as Homer, Bart, Lisa, and Marge depending on what level your on. They all have their own special cars and depending on how far into the game you are, you can get extra cars. For example, you can get the Mr. Plow truck and a Donut Lad truck.

There are a million and one references to the series, the actual voice actors are here with dialogue, one-liners, and sound effects. If your a die-hard fan like me, even though there are some artistic licenses (The Donut Lad Donuts Statue isn't shaped right, for example), the overall experience is like a Simpsons episode and there are a ton of laughs. I still haven't beaten it, I'm only up to level 4, but it's safe to say that it's basically has kept me distracted from anything and everything since Sunday when I started playing it again from scratch.

Everyone seems to make a cameo: Cletus, The Sea Captain, Comic Book Guy (or Jeff Albertson for the die-hard), Bumblebee Man, Lenny, Carl... the list really just goes on. Some people just kinda stand around while you can actually talk to a few others. The environments are simply expansive; you can explore every knook and cranny here, although I'm sure Patty & Selma wouldn't mind you doing that to them. You can also pick up special collector cards scattered throughout the levels with little facts and trivia about the game.

So, downsides? The camera is the most common one I've read about, and really, it can be annoying, but it's really kinda small. It's noticeable at times, but every 3-D game I've ever played had a problem with the camera, Super Mario 64 included. It's only a little more problematic here because of the fact your driving most of the time. Also, in some levels, the arrows lie and can't be trusted. Then again, that's less about the game being annoying and having a problem and more about it being something that adds to the difficulty.

Here's a few videos to check out:





All in all, this game is incredible and if your reading this either on Christmas or the day after, and you own a Nintendo Wii with a Gamecube controller and Memory Card, take the cash you may have gotten and buy this game! It's more fun than I've had with a lot of games lately (best Wii game I've played? Zelda: the Twilight Princess followed by Super Mario Galaxy and Super Paper Mario).

I give it 4.5 Krusty Dolls Out of 5.