Anyone who ever lost an afternoon tearing through Springfield as Homer—ducking Chief Wiggum, hunting down Buzz Cola cards, and casually demolishing mailboxes—already understands why The Simpsons: Hit & Run refuses to fade from memory. Released in 2003, the game wasn’t a lazy attempt to cash in on a hit TV show. It was thoughtful, funny, and surprisingly deep for what many expected to be a throwaway tie-in. That’s precisely why, more than two decades later, fans are still clamoring for anything that would let them slip back into the driver’s seat of the Family Sedan.
What truly set Hit & Run apart was how boldly it let players step inside Springfield. This wasn’t some generic, yellow-painted city vaguely inspired by the show—it was a loving recreation packed with sight gags, callbacks, and hidden jokes that rewarded fans at every turn. Radical Entertainment clearly understood the source material. Iconic locations like Moe’s Tavern and the Kwik-E-Mart were recreated with care, and the return of the original voice cast helped the game feel less like a spin-off and more like an interactive episode. While the game rode the wave of early-2000s Grand Theft Auto popularity, it never lost its comedic identity, blending open-world chaos with The Simpsons’ irreverent humor. With over three million copies sold, its success wasn’t just commercial—it was cultural.
That success makes the absence of a sequel all the more baffling. For years, fans have asked the same question: Why was there never a Hit & Run 2? Former lead level designer Joe McGinn eventually shed light on the situation, and the explanation only made things more frustrating. According to McGinn, Gracie Films offered Radical Entertainment the chance to make three sequels—complete with full licensing and voice acting—at no cost. Somehow, that deal was rejected by publisher Vivendi Universal Games, with no explanation ever given. Even the developers were stunned. In hindsight, turning down free access to The Simpsons at the height of its popularity feels like one of the most bewildering decisions in gaming history.
Despite that missed opportunity, the love for Hit & Run has only grown stronger. Fans have kept the game alive through mods, replays, and even ambitious overhauls—including complete conversions inspired by other franchises, purely for fun. When the game’s soundtrack finally hit Spotify and Apple Music in early 2023, it reignited hopes that something official might still be on the horizon.
Those hopes gained more traction when The Simpsons co-showrunner Matt Selman openly expressed interest in seeing the game properly remastered. Of course, enthusiasm alone doesn’t solve the logistical hurdles. With Disney now owning the franchise and Radical Entertainment no longer operating in the same capacity, any revival would require rebuilding the experience from scratch. Capturing the exact mix of humor, nostalgia, and controlled chaos that defined the original would be no small task.
Still, that hasn’t stopped fans from trying. Independent developers have showcased impressive Unreal Engine 5 demos that imagine what a modern Hit & Run could look like—though without official approval, those projects often vanish as quickly as they appear.
Even so, the desire to return to Springfield hasn’t cooled. If anything, it’s grown. With decades of new characters, jokes, and locations to pull from, a modern sequel could go far beyond the original. Imagine exploring not just Springfield, but Shelbyville, Capital City, or even Itchy & Scratchy Land, all realized with today’s open-world technology. Until that dream becomes reality, The Simpsons: Hit & Run stands as a rare example of a licensed game done right—and a lingering reminder of how close it came to becoming something even bigger, if only the right people had said “yes.”