The Simpsons Hit and Run was a beloved title from the moment it launched way back in 2003, allowing fans of the age-old television franchise to explore Springfield like never before. It was arguably one of the most popular games on the PlayStation 2, and for almost twenty years, fans have been calling for a remake of some kind.
Well, one creator on YouTube has taken matters into his own hands, using the last year to rebuild The Simpsons Hit and Run from the ground up. He’s done it all, making the game open world, recreating the missions – he’s even added VR to the game.
As the title says, the Simpsons Hit and Run is being remade, and it’s beautiful.
We’ve Been Waiting For Twenty Years
It’s not an official remake in any capacity, but ‘reubs’ on YouTube is using every ounce of his technical know-how to make it better than an official remake. He’s a creator focused on quite literally rebuilding random games, and in the past, he’s created clones of Grand Theft Auto 5 and reconstructed Call of Duty Zombies modes.
This journey started well over a year ago, in August 2021, when reubs claimed he’d ‘remade The Simpsons Hit and Run in a week’. Since then, he’s gone on to post an update on the project every few weeks as he fleshes it out. In the last few videos, reubs has:
- Created the fully open world of Springfield
- Built vehicles and their respective mechanics and built an AI traffic system
- Coded missions into the game and fleshed out characters
- Added VR to the remake
Now, in the latest update, which dropped this week, reubs states that the remake ‘is almost done’. It has been a dramatic journey for those invested in the process, but sadly, the remake will never see the light of day, owing to the legal implications of distributing a game that’s already covered by copyright law.
Even if reubs has recreated the entire game using his own abilities, it’s still a product protected by a decades-old copyright. It’s a shame because even the original development team have come out of the woodwork to praise reubs’ work:
I’m the lead designer on the original game. Amazing what you accomplished! Really gives a taste of what a full modern remaster could be. Impressive work!
Joe McGinn, Senior Game Designer, Simpsons Hit and Run
There’s plenty of footage available for those wanting to check out reubs’ journey on YouTube, where every inch of his redevelopment work is covered in lengthy yet entertaining videos. It’s expected that he’ll wrap up the project in the coming weeks, and then it’ll ultimately be time to move on to something else.
We can dream.
For more Insider Gaming news, check out our coverage of the potential reveal of Diablo IV’s open beta date.
