The Simpsons: Hit & Run

The Simpsons: Hit & Run
Developer(s)	Radical Entertainment
Publisher(s)	VU Games (NA) Sierra Entertainment (EU)
Release Date(s)
Nintendo GameCube	NA: September 16, 2003 NA: 2004 (Player's Choice) EU: October 31, 2003 EU: October 22, 2004 (Player's Choice)
Nintendo GameCube	NA: September 16, 2003 NA: 2004 (Player's Choice) EU: October 31, 2003 EU: October 22, 2004 (Player's Choice)
Platform(s)
Classification(s)	This game was labelled as Player's Choice
Genre(s)	Action adventure
Rating(s)
ESRB	04
PEGI	02

The Simpsons: Hit & Run is a Nintendo GameCube video game that has a similar style to the popular Grand Theft Auto video games. As its name implies, it takes place in the world of the popular animated sitcom The Simpsons, and stars many of the characters featured in the show, including the Simpsons family as playable characters (except for Maggie; Apu is instead the fifth playable character). It spans over many different level and has tons of different cars, each one with its own stats.

Plot

The game's story takes place over the course of a week, with each level taking place on a single day of the week (as evidenced by the spinning newspapers that appear when each level or mission is loaded), ending on Halloween night.

Level 1 (October 25th)

Robotic wasps with built-in cameras have descended upon Springfield. One of them flies into the home of the Simpsons and is promptly swatted down by Homer. As he looks at the coins emerging from the wreckage, he is suddenly distracted by Krusty the Clown's commercial for "new and improved" Buzz Cola. After Homer runs a few errands (including picking up the cola and some ice cream at the Kwik-E-Mart, bringing Lisa her science project, and returning Ned Flanders' missing things), Marge reminds him that he's late for work, and that it's employee inspection day. Rather than simply drive to the Nuclear Power Plant, Homer purchases the Plow King from Barney and uses it to trash Smithers' car. After arriving at the Plant, Homer wants to take a nap, but can't do so with the cameras watching him, so he smashes all the power couplings in Sector 7G, but then hears it's closing time when he finishes doing so.

Coming home to watch TV, Homer sees a news report about not only the Wasp Cameras, but also mysterious black vans that have been appearing around Springfield. Homer notices one of them outside the house and follows it around town, finding it stopping in front of Mr. Burns' mansion. After helping Marge stop a delivery van from bringing copies of the ultra-violent video game Bonestorm II to the stores, Homer attempts to warn Carl about Mr. Burns' apparent evil plan, but then sees Smithers driving to Burns Manor ("I can't believe I'm racing the same guy twice in one day!"). Homer makes it to the mansion first and accuses his boss of spying on everyone, but while Burns admits to shooting down Amelia Earhart's plane, he has no connection with the Wasp Cameras or the black vans, the latter of which are just delivering pizzas, and fires Homer for this.

Level 2 (October 26th)

Bart skips school so he can head to Try-'n-Save and get his hands on Bonestorm II, only to find that Jimbo already swiped the last copy. After acquiring some illegal fireworks and then helping Comic Book Guy get to the Java Server so he can post his review of the latest McBain movie, Bart learns that Professor Frink may have several copies of Bonestorm II. When Bart asks him about it, Frink explains that he's using the games to program his new invention - Truckasaurus. This piques Bart's interest, and he offers to acquire the rest of what Frink needs, including a World War II radio (which he has to get from Snake, who stole it from Herman's Military Antiques), a satellite dish (which Cletus gives in exchange for helping him gather some "flatmeat" to deliver to Krusty Burger), and a blender (which Dr. Nick provides in exchange for help in recapturing his lab monkeys; Bart has to use Homer's Mr. Plow vehicle for this). Once Frink finishes up Truckasaurus, Bart next has to demolish three cellphone signal-emitting cars to avoid causing any cellphone interference. Just as Bart has witnessed Truckasaurus in action, though, he's suddenly abducted by aliens...

Level 3 (October 27th)

Lisa goes off in search of her missing brother, but not before helping Comic Book Guy pick up the latest Itchy & Scratchy comic. Then, after Milhouse proves to be of no help in locating Bart, Lisa decides to instead ask Apu, who needs help stopping Cletus from supplying more roadkill to Krusty Burger. Apu then tells Lisa that Professor Frink probably knows what happened to Bart. When Frink explains to Lisa that Bart had been helping him with Truckasaurus and then vanished in a mysterious light, Lisa goes to ask her grandfather Abe about it. Abe says that he saw Bart's lucky red hat fall out of a Black Sedan. Using Otto's school bus, Lisa smashes up all the Sedans, but finds them empty. She then assists Chief Wiggum in gathering three pieces of evidence of Snake's crimes, and in return, he says that he's seen some suspicious business at the Squidport. Lisa goes to ask Captain McCallister about it, but he asks her to deliver a shipment of live mackerel to the Frying Dutchman. Lisa agrees, but only does so to secretly free the fish. Afterward, McCallister claims to have seen Bart in a strange black limo. Lisa chases the limo but ultimately destroys it, leading her to think she accidentally killed her brother. However, McCallister then remembers that he actually saw Bart got out of the limo earlier and had boarded a nearby boat. Lisa finally finds Bart onboard the ship, but his mind has been scrambled.

Level 4 (October 28th)

Marge decides that her son's current condition must have some connection with the Wasp Cameras, the Black Sedans, and now strange crop circles showing up. After she helps gather some donuts for Chief Wiggum, he directs her to asking Cletus about it. Cletus at first thinks Marge is working for the tabloids and flees, but she eventually catches up and then helps him harvest a supply of ketchup packets (which requires Marge to wear her old jailhouse outfit). Cletus remembers his grandfather's experience with crop circles, so Marge then finds Hans Moleman lurking around the cemetery. He recommends she ask Abe about it, but she has to hurry to the Springfield Retirement Castle before the police enforces the curfew. When Marge tries to ask Abe about the crop circles, he says that Nelson stole his medication. Marge gets Abe's pills back from one of the Sedans (Nelson had traded the pills to them) and gives them to him, but it puts him to sleep, forcing Marge to buy some wake-up pills from the Kwik-E-Mart. Abe then describes the crop circles he saw as resembling a planet with an antenna - the Buzz Cola logo. Marge heads home and shows Bart a can of Buzz Cola, which restores his mind, and he reveals that the cola is inducing mind control and other craziness in people. Dressing in her old police uniform, Marge goes about gathering all the Buzz Cola cans she can find and destroys some of their delivery trucks, much to Chief Wiggum's dismay.

Level 5 (October 29th)

Apu, having been informed by Marge that the Buzz Cola he's been selling is messing up people's minds, sets out on a redemption quest and trails one of their trucks, which brings him to the Legitimate Businessman's Social Club. One of the mobsters, Louie, "warns" Apu that him getting involved in their activity won't be good for his family. This reminds Apu that he needs to check up on his octuplets at the hospital. After avoiding pursuit by the mob, Apu picks up new diapers for the octuplets (using Homer's Power Motors custom car) and then asks Krusty if he knows anything about the cola craziness. Krusty suggests he turn to someone on the wrong side of the law for help. By trailing after the police, Apu finds the criminal he's looking for - Snake, who will only answer Apu's questions if Apu helps him with his community service. After picking up litter and taking down an armored truck, Snake tells Apu that the cola trucks have been coming from the museum. Apu finds Bart and tells him about the conspiracy originating from the museum. Since Apu's car is running low on gas, they take the Ferrini to the museum, having to destroy the curator's car in order to nab his key. Once inside the museum, Bart and Apu find that the masterminds behind the cola are the aliens Kang and Kodos, who have been secretly filming everything for their own show, Foolish Earthlings, and are now planning to taint Springfield's water supply with their evil cola and then distribute ray guns throughout the Squidport so that the ensuing destruction will get their show huge ratings.

Level 6 (October 30th)

Apu wants no further involvement in this caper, so Bart recruits Otto's help in getting him to Krustylu Studios. Upon arriving there, Bart learns that Krusty is going to the Squidport for a Buzz Cola endorsement deal. Getting to the Squidport himself, Bart tries to tell his idol about the aliens' plot, but Krusty doesn't believe him. Bart then finds Professor Frink and learns that he's intercepted an alien message saying the lasers have been hidden in Duff trucks. Bart intercepts one of their shipments and finds a working ray gun as evidence, which is briefly confiscated by Principal Skinner when Bart tries to recruit his help. Bart then shows the ray gun to Krusty, finally convincing the clown of the truth, but the ray gun stands have already been set up. Bart smashes them all, using the Globex Super Villain Car that he purchased from Kearney, and then tells Homer about the aliens' plot. Not happy about the aliens disgracing Duff, Homer races after them to Duff brewery, only to find that Kang and Kodos have already spread their evil cola... and it's raising the dead!

Level 7 (October 31st)

With Springfield being overrun by zombies (and the baseball game being interrupted), Homer (who luckily doesn't have a brain for the zombies to eat) goes out to gather protective supplies and then learns from Comic Book Guy that the black Sedans must be the aliens' probes. Homer pursues one of them to the Nuclear Power Plant and encounters Professor Frink, who has figured out that feeding a few payloads of nuclear waste into the tractor beam on Kang and Kodos' spaceship (which is now hovering above Springfield Elementary School) should be enough to take them down. After Homer and Frink manage to load one load of nuclear waste onto the ship (the latter sacrificing himself in the process), Homer gets Mr. Burns' permission to access his private nuclear waste supply. Homer then has to deliver three more drums of waste to the spaceship, avoiding being chased by the Sedans and ultimately sacrificing his vehicle and later Snake and Abe in the process. With the final barrel of waste sucked up, Kang and Kodos' spaceship crashes to the ground.

In the final scene, Homer is hailed as a town hero and receives a visit from tons of alien fans. Up in the sky, it is revealed that Kang and Kodos, having died from the spaceship explosion, have gone to Heaven and are at least satisfied that the Foolish Earthlings finale garnered high ratings.

Gameplay

The Simpsons: Hit & Run features seven levels over three separate maps, each with missions and a sub-plot. The player can control one specific character in each level. The game's playable characters are Homer (played twice), Bart (played twice), Lisa, Marge, and Apu. When traveling on foot, the player character can walk, jump, run, and perform three types of melee attacks: a normal kick, a jumping kick, and a smashing move. To drive, the player can either hitchhike and control the driver in one of the many civilian vehicles that drive endlessly around town, or use a phone booth to select a car. Several hidden vehicles are present in each level and can also be used by the player if found. The game's driving missions are also similar to those of Grand Theft Auto III. In both games, the player races against other characters, collects items before a timer runs out, and wrecks other cars.

Each level has seven story missions to complete, although the player is allowed to skip a story mission (except for the final three) if they fail it more than five times. The levels also include one bonus mission and three racing challenges, all optional; completing the bonus mission and winning the three races will reward the player with another vehicle that they can use.

Some of the story missions require the player to purchase a unique vehicle from another character, or dress in a different outfit. These are purchased with the Buzz Cola Coins, which are obtained through one of the following methods:

• Damaging the Buzz Cola crates and vending machines (these are permanently gone if the player destroys them; however, if the player selects the "Restart Mission" option on the pause screen before destroying a crate or vending machine, its properties are reset, which makes collecting large amounts of Coins from these things easier)
• Destroying the camera wasps flying around Springfield (there are 20 in each level)
• Interacting with objects that trigger a gag
• Beating the time in a time-trial wager race (these are fortunately not required to achieve 100% completion)
• Breaking any signs or lamp posts

Breaking signs or lamp posts or injuring people causes the wanted meter in the bottom right-hand corner to fill up (oddly, this doesn't apply if the player destroys a glass pane advertising Buzz Cola). If the meter is filled up all the way, this triggers a "Hit and Run" in which the police will chase after the player, breaking all sorts of traffic laws themselves trying to do so. If the player is caught by the police, they are fined 50 Coins.

The player's car can take a considerable amount of damage, depending on its toughness ranking. If the car takes too much damage, it will burst into flames, forcing the player to find another car (or fail the mission if it required the specific car that was being used). The cars can be healed (and even fully repaired) by finding and collecting the giant floating wrenches throughout the levels.

Each level also has seven collectors' cards hidden within. The cards depict memorable props from classic episodes of the show. Collecting all the cards in a level will unlock a track in the bonus multiplayer racing minigame, and if the player collects all 49 cards, they can get a ticket from Comic Book Guy in Level 3, and then use it to watch a specially-made Itchy & Scratchy cartoon at the Aztec Theatre.

Levels

Level #	Player character	Missions
1	Homer	Practice Mission: The Cola Caper
		1: S-M-R-T
		2: Petty Theft Homer
		3: Office Spaced
		4: Blind Big Brother
		5: Flowers by Irene
		6: Bonestorm Storm
		7: The Fat and the Furious
		Bonus Mission: This Old Shanty
2	Bart	1: Detention Deficit Disorder
		2: Weapons of Mass Delinquency
		3: Vox Nerdull
		4: Bart 'n' Frink
		5: Better than Beef
		6: Monkey See Monkey D'oh
		7: Cell-Outs
		Bonus Mission: Dial B for Blood
3	Lisa	1: Nerd Race Queen
		2: Clueless
		3: Bonfire of the Manatees
		4: Operation Hellfish
		5: Slithery Sleuthing
		6: Fishy Deals
		7: The Old Pirate and the Sea
		Bonus Mission: Princi-Pal
4	Marge	1: For a Few Donuts More
		2: Redneck Roundup
		3: Ketchup Logic
		4: Return of the Nearly Dead
		5: Wolves Stole My Pills
		6: The Cola Wars
		7: Mission 7 from Outer Space
		Bonus Mission: Beached Love
5	Apu	1: Incriminating Caffeine
		2: ...and Baby Makes 8
		3: Right is Too Much
		4: This Little Piggy
		5: Never Trust a Shake
		6: Kwik Cash
		7: Curious Curator
		Bonus Mission: Kinky Frinky
6	Bart	1: Going to the 'Lu
		2: Getting Down with the Clown
		3: Lab Coat Caper
		4: Duff for Me, Duff for You
		5: Full Metal Jackass
		6: Set to Kill
		7: Kang and Kodos Strike Back
		Bonus Mission: Milking the Pigs
7	Homer	1: Rigor Motors
		2: Long Black Probes
		3: Pocket Protector
		4: There's Something About Monty
		5: Alien "Auto"topsy
		6: Alien "Auto"topsy II
		7: Alien "Auto"topsy III
		Bonus Mission: Flaming Tires

Vehicles

Vehicle name	Stats				Obtained by
	Speed	Acceleration	Toughness	Handling
Family Sedan	★	★½	★★½	★★★★	Default vehicle in Level 1.
Surveillance Van	★½	★½	★★★½	★★★	Purchased from Gil for 100 coins.
Duff Truck	½	½	★★★★	★	Purchased from Gil for 125 coins.
Plow King	★½	½	★★★★★	★½	Purchased from Barney for 150 coins.
Pickup Truck	★	★	★★★½	★	Completing the bonus mission in Level 1.
Electaurus	★★	★½	★½	★★★★	Completing all three races in Level 1.
Honor Roller	★½	★★	★½	★★★★★	Default vehicle in Level 2.
Limo	★½	★½	★★★½	★★½	Purchased from Gil for 150 coins.
Fire Truck	★★★	½	★★★★★	★	Purchased from Gil for 250 coins.
Mr. Plow	★★	★½	★★★½	★★★	Purchased from Homer for 150 coins.
WWII Vehicle	★½	★½	★★★½	★★★	Completing the bonus mission in Level 2.
Moe's Sedan	★★	★½	★★½	★★★½	Completing all three races in Level 2.
Malibu Stacey Car	★★½	★★★	★½	★★★★½	Default vehicle in Level 3.
Donut Truck	½	★½	★★★	★★★	Purchased from Gil for 250 coins.
Nerd Car	★½	★★½	★★½	★★★★	Purchased from Gil for 250 coins.
School Bus	★★	★	★★★★★	★★	Purchased from Otto for 300 coins.
Principal Skinner's Sedan	★★	★★	★★½	★★★	Completing the bonus mission in Level 3.
Book Burning Van	★★	★½	★★★½	★★½	Completing all three races in Level 3.
Canyonero	★★½	★½	★★★★	★★★	Default vehicle in Level 4.
Curator	★★½	★★★	★★½	★★★★½	Purchased from Gil for 300 coins.
Krusty's Limo	★★½	★★	★★★★	★★½	Purchased from Gil for 350 coins.
Tractor	★★★	★★½	★★★½	★★★½	Purchased from Groundskeeper Willie for 400 coins.
Kremlin	★★½	★★	★★★	★★★★	Completing the bonus mission in Level 4.
Clown Car	★★★	★★★	★½	★★★★★	Completing all three races in Level 4.
Longhorn	★★★½	★★★½	★★½	★★★½	Default vehicle in Level 5.
Cola Truck	★★★	★	★★★★★	★	Purchased from Gil for 350 coins.
Police Car	★★★★	★★★½	★★★★	★★½	Purchased from Gil for 425 coins.
Car Built for Homer	★★★★½	★★★½	★★★½	★★★	Purchased from Homer for 500 coins.
Hover Car	★★★★	★★★★	★	★★★	Completing the bonus mission in Level 5.
El Carro Loco	★★★★	★★	★★½	★★★½	Completing all three races in Level 5.
Ferrini-Red	★★★★	★★★★	★½	★★★★★	Default vehicle in Level 6.
Armored Truck	★½	★½	★★★★★	★½	Purchased from Gil for 400 coins.
Chase Sedan	★★★★	★★★★½	★★★	★★★★½	Purchased from Gil for 500 coins.
Globex Super Villain Car	★★★★½	★★★★½	★½	★★★★	Purchased from Kearney for 600 coins.
Bandit	★★★★½	★★★★	★★½	★★★★½	Completing the bonus mission in Level 6.
36 Stutz Bearcat	★★★★	★★½	★★★½	★★★★	Completing all three races in Level 6.
70s Sports Car	★★★★½	★★★★½	★★	★★★★	Default vehicle in Level 7.
Hearse	★★★★½	★★★★½	★★★½	★★★★	Purchased from Gil for 750 coins.
Hover Bike	★★★★★	★★★★½	★	★★★½	Purchased from Gil for 1000 coins.
Zombie Car	★★★★½	★★★★★	★½	★★★★½	Purchased from a zombie for 500 coins.
Mr. Burns' Limo	★★★★½	★★★	★★★★½	★★★½	Completing the bonus mission in Level 7.
Open Wheel Race Car	★★★★★	★★★★★	½	★★★★★	Completing all three races in Level 7.

Costumes

Level #		Character Costume	Price	Original episode	Notes
1	Homer	Casual	100	"Homer the Heretic"
		Muumuu	125	"King-Size Homer"
		Chosen One	150	"Homer the Great"
2	Bart	Tall	150	"Radioactive Man"
		Football	200	"Bart Star"
		Ninja	250	"Lisa the Tree Hugger"
3	Lisa	Cool	250	"Summer of 4 Ft. 2"	Required for Level 2, Mission 5.
		Floreda	250	"$pringfield (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)"
		Hockey	300	"Lisa on Ice"
4	Marge	Inmate	300	"Marge in Chains"	Required for Level 4, Mission 3.
		Classy	350	"Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield"
		Police	400	"The Springfield Connection"	Required for Level 4, Mission 6.
5	Apu	Army	375	"Homer the Vigilante"
		American	425	"Much Apu About Nothing"	Required for Level 5, Mission 4.
		B-Sharps	475	"Homer's Barbershop Quartet"
6	Bart	Hugo	400	"Treehouse of Horror VII"
		Cadet	500	"The Secret War of Lisa Simpson"
		Bartman	600	"Three Men and a Comic Book"
7	Homer	Dirty	400	"Treehouse of Horror IX"
		Evil	450	"Lisa vs. Whacking Day"
		Donut	500	"Treehouse of Horror IV"

Trivia

• The title of Lisa's third story mission, "Bonfire of the Manatees" (itself a reference to the book and film The Bonfire of the Vanities), would also be the title of the first episode in the show's seventeenth season.

See also

• The Simpsons: Road Rage
• The Simpsons Game

External links

• The Simpsons: Hit & Run at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• The Simpsons: Hit & Run at GameFAQs
• The Simpsons: Hit and Run at the Simpsons Wiki