"The Simpsons: Hit and Run" was one of my classic childhood games. The novelty of being able to drive around Springfield and explore the world was always so fun, and I always loved the game for that alone. That said, as a kid, I never tried to beat the game, so I decided to go back and actually play the story of what is often considered one of the best licensed games of all time. Was it? Well, short answer: no. Granted, it wasn't bad, but I would honestly go as far as to say I don't love it as much as the rest of the Internet does.
"The Simpsons: Hit and Run," like many of the best licensed games out there, captures the feel of the TV show well. Springfield is large and expansive without feeling overwhelming, and the world has been recreated so wonderfully that it's just a joy driving around and exploring. Furthermore, the voice acting and comedy from the show are still top-notch, the writing is sharp, and the storyline is great. Visually, the game also holds up relatively well to this day, the controls are not bad, and the game itself can be extremely fun.
Well...most of the game, at least. The first three worlds utilize different areas of Springfield, but after that, the latter four reuse those same areas without changing too much. Because of that, the novelty of exploring Springfield does start to wear thin. Along with that, once you get to around the fourth or fifth level, you really start noticing how annoyingly repetitive the mission structure is, as all of the missions revolve around destroying another vehicle, racing another vehicle, or driving your vehicle to another location in a certain amount of time. I was also disappointed that, despite the fact that there are some minor platforming sections in the game, "Hit and Run" seems fairly content to throw a bunch of driving missions at you and it underutilizes the platforming elements. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like having more platforming sections could've added some great variety to the game.
All in all, "The Simpsons: Hit and Run" is a decent little game; nothing great, nothing terrible. It's solid if you can find it for a good price, but I wouldn't go as far as to call it one of the best licensed games of all time. Hardcore "Simpsons" fans will definitely want to give it a shot, but don't go in expecting an absolutely perfect game.
Final rating: 6 out of 10 "Decent"