Bart vs. Ash

The jokes kick off with the loading screen, where a newspaper headline reads “Study: 90% of video games start off with easy tutorial level.” And sure enough, you find yourself standing there as Homer being guided by Bart through the game’s basic controls. Tutorial points are skippable with the press of a button, but you wouldn’t do that since they’re so very entertaining. Bart Simpson gives the best in-game tutorial since Bruce Campbell’s famous ‘sandwich’ voice-over in Spiderman.

Marge doesn't like men in hazmat suits

Usually you won't find Lisa in here

Ladder = ramp

The missions start right away with Marge informing you that Lisa left her science project at home and that you have to beat Principal Skinner to the school to deliver it to her. After a loading screen that explicitly tells you what your mission is, you hop into your “family sedan” (which is more like a four-seater convertible) and rush off to the school. You don’t have a floating arrow at the top of your screen, but there are flashing pointers pasted on the road for you to follow. After getting to the school before Skinner, you walk Homer inside to deliver the goods. Mission complete and Homer gleefully announces “I am so smart, I am so smart. S-M-R-T, I mean, S-M-A-R-T.” Lisa then instructs Homer to return home where Marge will send you on your next mission to find Flanders’ ‘stolen’ stuff (things Homer borrowed without asking).

Giant Krusty baloon in the streets

D'oh!

Lisa on a mission

So what’s the Hit & Run title all about? In Grand Theft Auto, you ‘earn’ stars for your wanted level. The more wanted you are, the more people are after you. In Hit & Run, you have a little meter at the bottom right hand corner of the screen. For every criminal thing you do, such as running over phone booths, hitting pedestrians, and beating civilians, the meter increases. When the meter is full, it’s “Hit & Run” time and Chief Wiggum’s toys boys are out to get you. Then, your only concern and goal is to elude the police for a certain distance and amount of time.