The Simpsons: Hit & Run is the dream remake for many 2000s kids. The cult classic kid-friendly GTA clone holds a special place in our hearts and is one of the few decent licenced games we got back in the day. With that in mind, it's no surprise that so many fans are frustrated that it still hasn't seen a modern re-release, prompting one player to take matters into their own hands.
After a year of work, YouTuber Reubs has done it. The first ten missions of the game are fully playable, remade in Unreal Engine 5. But don't get your hopes us, because we won't be able to play it. As heartbreaking as this is, it's for the best, as copyright holders have previously targeted anyone trying to release a remake of their own, even if there are no plans for an official version. Still, the completed project is on YouTube, giving us a taste of what a modern Hit & Run could look like.
"This is not a mod of Simpsons: Hit & Run," says Reubs. "What I have done is I have remade the entire game from scratch, figuring out how the original game was coded, and remaking every little detail and feature in Unreal Engine 5."
Reubs continues with the tutorial, showing how these iconic locations have been faithfully recreated. The remake even includes a fancy and seamless transition into the game when you boot up the first mission, making the most of modern hardware.
When Homer's level is complete, we see the game transition into Bart's first level, so more of the remake might be shown off in the future. Unfortunately, we shouldn't hold our breath for a public release, since it's not a mod and therefore wouldn't require the original game to run. This would make it a deal breaker for the rights holder - even if they're not making any money from it anymore. Seriously, you couldn't even pick up the game officially if you wanted to, as it never got a digital re-release. The closest we got was the soundtrack coming to streaming services, which isn't really enough considering how beloved the game is.
But for now, Reubs is moving onto the next remake. This one got a ton of support from viewers, even if they aren't able to play the game themselves. Hopefully, someone with the power to make it happen with realise how many of us are dying for a remake and get one moving along. Or better yet, just allow creators like Reubs to release these projects if there are no plans for an official launch.