The Simpsons Hit and Run ‘Speed Rocket’

You’d be hard-pressed to find a gamer that doesn’t idolize the 2003 action-adventure game, Simpsons Hit and Run.

This charming fusion of Grand Theft Auto gameplay distilled into the universe of The Simpsons still has millions of fans, and people long for an updated remake but to no avail yet. It is a true icon in the golden era of 2000s gaming.  

The gameplay was simple. It largely involved walking, running, and kicking your way through various parts of Springfield playing as the iconic characters of the series. Although, for the most part, you are actually behind the wheel of a car. Iconic vehicles shown throughout the TV series are all present, but one stood out amongst all the rest: Chester Lampwick’s ‘Speed Rocket’ featured in episode 18, season 7 - ‘The Day the Violence died'.

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The car goes down in history as one of the best in the game for various reasons. To start, as the name suggests, it was as fast as a rocket, making it the fastest car in the entire game. The catch would be it was incredibly fragile, so just a few crashes would see the car blow up to never return unless you reset the game. Adding to the fact that this car was incredibly hard to handle making you fly into walls, off jumps, and smashing into civilian cars, it made driving it a challenge in itself. 

Though what really made the car so iconic was the fact that it was available in the very first level of the game. Instead, like many other games where the best type of gear would be available near the end, this one would be available within the first 5 minutes if you were able to find it. Hidden outside the golden mansion, you could pick this car up and dart through the city right from the get-go. 

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The car is so nostalgic and legendary that people even attempt to complete the entire game with it as a challenge run. If you have ever played the game, you will know just how hard this would be.

Like many others, we long for a remake of this 2003 classic and one day hope to see it come to light so we can hop back inside this beast.