The Simpsons: Hit & Run Reimagined as Futurama

Yesterday, demo of the long-awaited fan project Futurama: Hit & Run was finally released. Why should you care? For starters, this massive mod is built on top of The Simpsons: Hit & Run (2003) — GTA-clone, and easily the best and most beloved Simpsons video game to date. Fans (us included) still play it happily more than 20 years later, constantly asking for an official remaster on modern platforms.

Secondly, this project perfectly embodies what modding culture is all about. Just think about it! The creators are reworking absolutely everything to turn the game into Futurama (another hit animated series from the same creator behind the yellow family). They’re moving the setting from Springfield to New New York in the early 31st century, replacing all the characters with Fry, Leela, Bender, and the rest of the crew, and even adding flying vehicles — one of the hardest challenges to pull off.

The demo includes:

• 4 story missions,
• 1 bonus mission,
• 4 races,
• 4 costumes,
• 6 vehicles,
• custom music,
• quarter of the city.

The Slurm Team behind the project has big ambitions. They’re planning three main levels: New New York (daytime), outer space, and New New York (night). For now, the dialogue voice acting is handled by AI, but they hope to replace it later — possibly even with the original cast. Their progress has already earned praise from Joe McGinn, one of the senior game designers on The Simpsons: Hit & Run, who personally commented under the trailer.

Despite the release of this playable demo (you’ll need a copy of The Simpsons: Hit & Run to play it), don’t expect the full version anytime soon. In an interview, lead developer Will said they were aiming to release the demo in late August or early September. It was back in 2022… The project itself began at least a year earlier, in 2021, when the team first showcased early results (there are several such videos on their channel now). Will has been modding for over a decade, so while the final release is still far off, you can grab the demo today and relive your childhood right now.

Download Futurama: Hit & Run Demo