Simpsons Hit & Run sequels were scrapped for a 'really bizarre decision'

The massively popular Simpsons Hit & Run never got a sequel due to a ‘bizarre decision’, according to those who worked on the game.

The Simpsons Hit & Run was an open-world game centred on a series of mysterious events happening across Springfield, including crop circles, unusual surveillance footage and mind-controlling Buzz Cola.

The Simpsons family, alongside Kwik-E-Mart owner, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, decide to take matters into their own hands to get to the bottom of the strange incidents, and uncover an alien conspiracy.

The game, developed by Radical Entertainment and released by Vivendi Universal Games, featured a different character on each of its levels, as well as driving missions that were slightly reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto - but a bit more family-friendly.

Released a whopping two decades ago (sorry if that made you feel as old as it made me), the game became an instant classic - not to mention a huge commercial success, selling more than three million copies in four years.

Vivendi Universal Games

Given its success, it seemed as though a sequel was almost a dead cert and yet, 20 years on fans are still waiting.

Well, it turns out that there was a follow-up game in the works - more than one, in fact. But these never came to fruition.

Executive producer John Melchior recently opened up about the whole thing in an interview for the MinnMax YouTube channel, admitting that he believed there was ‘no doubt in anybody’s mind’ that it was ‘going to be a franchise’.

When asked what exactly halted production on the sequel, Melchior said, "I don't know."

Opening up about how his boss at the time was equally as confused, he went on: "It was a five game deal for less money than I think Vivendi paid for the first game.

Vivendi Universal Games

"He was just like, 'I don't understand. I gave it to you on a silver platter, why aren't you just saying yes and doing these games?' It was just a really bizarre decision. I'll never understand it. Most people on the production level never understood it."

Little work had been done on the sequel before it was shelved, so it’s unclear what the storyline would have been, but there had been plans to expand on players’ driving capabilities by giving them the option to tow objects from vehicles.

Designer and co-writer Chris Mitchell said: "In those early days, kind of everybody just imagines what they want, so I'm sure there were 12 competing storylines at that point.

"Who knows what the final story would have been?"