Licensed video games might hold a special place in one’s childhood due to the natural appeal of interacting with fictional universes from movies and television. However, licensed games have rightfully gained a reputation for being rushed, mediocre messes capitalizing on the popularity of outside properties. That being said, there are exceptions. Some licensed games involve experienced developers who are fans of the series being adapted, or members of the original creative team itself. One of the best examples of a licensed game subverting audience expectations is The Simpsons: Hit & Run.
A parody of Grand Theft Auto games, The Simpsons: Hit & Run was lauded for being a tribute to the entire Simpsons franchise at the time of its development. Every well-known landmark in Springfield, important character, and event that could serve as a reference appears in some capacity. Despite being made as The Simpsons was losing its steam, the writing was similarly praised for its faithfulness to the show, making the game look like an interactive episode. Due to its legacy, The Simpsons: Hit & Run should get an official remake, especially in an era that prioritizes bringing back old works.
Licensed Games like The Simpsons: Hit & Run in Modern Times
The Simpsons: Hit & Run is almost 20 years old. The Simpsons got a few licensed games of dubious quality at the height of its popularity in the 90s, so cashing into the Grand Theft Auto phenomenon amid the show’s oncoming dark age did not seem like a great idea in hindsight. Part of what shocked people about The Simpsons: Hit & Run is The Simpsons creative team’s willingness to involve itself with a genre associated with the then-biggest target of “moral” figures. The Simpsons looked daring again, rather than appearing like a show trying to keep up with the times.
After over a decade’s worth of exploring what sandbox games can do, The Simpsons: Hit & Run looks like a work worth revisiting. Springfield could be bigger, more detailed, and main locales such as the Simpson household, Moe’s Tavern, the Kwik-E-Mart, and Springfield Elementary could be fully explorable. The graphics could look more like traditional Simpsons episodes through techniques like cel shading. A remake could be an even better tribute to The Simpsons and its history, fix technical issues, and add more content that pokes fun at Grand Theft Auto when the series and Rockstar are faced with controversy.
A remake of The Simpsons: Hit & Run would also have an opportunity to study what the other “best licensed games” did with their source material. Both the Batman: Arkham series and the South Park RPG duology both showed how to be faithful to a source material without sacrificing the integrity of gameplay. South Park in particular won people over due to the way the art style seamlessly adapted from the cartoon to a video game.
The Simpsons: Hit & Run even has a direct example to follow with SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom. Originally made for the same generation of consoles as Hit & Run, Battle for Bikini Bottom also successfully turned an iconic cartoon into open areas to explore. Considering the SpongeBob and Simpsons cartoons have similar cultural impacts, this could be an opportunity for Hit & Run to follow Battle for Bikini Bottom.
If The Simpsons: Hit & Run were to be remade, it will need to learn from the successes and past mistakes of both sandbox and licensed games. The open-world genre is in a constant competition with itself, and licensed games are capable of being good while also serving as fanservice for the source material. Nowadays, The Simpsons might be considered a zombie franchise by some, but that hasn't prevented other mediums from having fun with the series.
The Simpsons: Hit & Run is available now on GameCube, PC, PS2, and Xbox.