Whether we’ll get a The Simpsons: Hit & Run remake/remaster is up in the air, but that doesn’t mean you can’t relive the game’s wacky adventures in Media Molecule’s Dreams. The impressive creation suite recently launched on the PS4, giving users the chance to play and create nearly anything imaginable. Thanks to Dreams user ReivaJKH, you can jump back into the world of the beloved Hit and Run in a faithful recreation of the original. Much like many of the excellent Dreams recreations (like this rendition of Ghost of Tsushima), this one is nearly indistinguishable from the source material and features visuals, sounds, and gameplay to match.
The video below shows the recreation in action:
Each of its characters is identical to those in the original, with Homer, Marge, Bart, Maggie, and Lisa in playable form. Hit & Run features an open world similar to that of 2001’s Grand Theft Auto III, but done so in more of a satirical way, in typical Simpsons fashion. Though the recreation still needs some work with its open-world aspects (like more variety in buildings and other features to make the world feel more alive), the foundation of an impressive game is there. It’s unclear if its creator plans to keep fleshing things out, but nonetheless, this looks and is presented just like the game you remember.
With remakes and remasters running rampant in the video game world, the idea of seeing The Simpsons: Hit & Run again isn’t outside the realm of possibility. Towards the end of 2019, the game’s producer Vlad Ceraldi talked about wanting to bring it back in some capacity but noted that there were no solid plans to do so at the time. But if the success of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Spyro: Reignited Trilogy, and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled are any indication, bringing back Hit & Run could be lucrative for those involved. (Editor’s Note: Licensing agreements notwithstanding, particularly now that Disney owns Fox and its properties.) After all, the original game sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 million copies.
While we may never see the return of Hit & Run, at least you can enjoy a version of it in Dreams, complete with Bart skateboarding sections, a saxophone-playing Lisa, and a gun-slinging Maggie—all of which can explore the town of Springfield.
(Editor’s Note: This is not the complete Hit & Run game remade, but rather a technical demonstration of what’s possible in Dreams limited to the area immediately around the Simspons’ residence.)
