A recent interview from MinnMax revealed that Radical Entertainment wanted to include planes in a Simpsons Hit & Run sequel, but Vivendi passed.
The original Simpsons: Hit & Run made by Radical Entertainment came out in 2003, some 20 years ago, and turned out to be a massive hit on PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. It’s essentially a take on Grand Theft Auto (GTA) but set in the town of Springfield with the iconic nuclear family. You spend most of the game driving in cars and trucks.
Evidently, developers wanted to include flight as a mechanic for a potential successor which Fox wanted. Unfortunately, Vivendi, the publisher, rejected a deal to create as many as five additional games in what could have been a long-running franchise.
Six of the original developers and producers who worked on The Simpsons: Hit & Run sat down in a video interview with MinnMax to discuss how the game came to be. John Melchior, the game’s executive producer, said a sequel was a “no-brainer” for all involved.
In addition to planes, the potential Hit & Run 2 would have included airships and blimps.
Programmers Cary Brisebois and Greg Mayer included that work was also being added to include a towing mechanic that would let players drag wagons and trailers behind cars.
Melchior claimed the deal for five additional games would have cost the publisher equal to or less than the cost of the Simpsons license just to make Hit & Run. The deal was apparently so good because everyone at Fox and The Simpsons TV show wanted more after being so impressed with Hit & Run.
What’s more, the Simpsons‘ writers attempted to put dirtier jokes into the game than what the TV show would have allowed for, how a PSP port almost happened, and what was cut by Fox.
Because Vivendi passed on the idea, EA came in and bought the license to produce its own line of Simpsons games.
While any kind of sequel is unlikely, everyone involved in the original title’s creation would love to have a remake. They even expressed their gratitude for the fan project by YouTuber reubs that recreates the game in Unreal Engine 5.