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Proto:The Simpsons: Hit & Run

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This page details one or more prototype versions of The Simpsons: Hit & Run.

This cactus is UNDER CONSTRUCTION
This article is a work in progress.
...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes.
Hmmm...
To do:
Everything...
  • Check if any more of the pre-rendered cutscenes are different.

A late PS2 prototype of the Simpsons Hit and Run was leaked on Jan 23, 2019. Almost all of the game's content is finalized, with most of the differences being relatively minor. The build was compiled on July 10, 2003, over two months before the game's release.

This version contains an odd bug if emulated where the characters appear upside down when driving vehicles.

Linker Map

Hmmm...
To do:
Document some interesting findings from the linker map.

In the root of the game disc is SRR2.MAP, a linker map that contains debug symbols useful for narrowing down what caused a game crash. According to this file, the prototype was a nightly build.

Level 1

Hmmm...
To do:
Mission item pick ups are placed differently.

Level 1 Cutscene

  • The level 1 cutscene still uses the earlier models. The animation is also more slapstick and comical than the final's. The audio sounds more clean than the final, lacking the TV type filter. There is also no harp musical cue when Homer picks up the Buzz Cola Coin.
Prototype Final

S-M-R-T

  • Lisa's science project is placed in front of the Family Sedan, meaning you can simply drive into it to pick it up.
Prototype Final
SHAR smrt proto.png SHAR smrt final.png

Petty Theft Homer

  • Barney's cooler pickup is placed further away from him in the prototype.
Prototype Final
SHAR pettytheft proto.png SHAR pettytheft final.png

Flowers by Irene

  • The cutscene's audio mastering is unfinished and very inconsistent. This is especially noticeable with Homer's line "Marge, that black van is spying on us" being 9 dB louder than the rest and clearly clipping.

The Fat And The Furious

  • Due to a programming mistake, Homer's initial line when talking to Mr Burns is overridden by him saying "There he is!" (a line that goes unused in the final game) This line is likely supposed to play in the stage beforehand, when you first see Mr Burns, however one of the programmers made a mistake and put it in the wrong stage. In the final game this was never fixed, but due to some other changes to game's code, it is instead overridden by the correct line.

Stonecutters' Tunnel

  • A music track (stone_cutter_spoof) unused in the final game plays around the area of the Stonecutters' Hall. It is unknown why this was changed.

Level 2

Better than Beef

  • The location of the satellite is moved further away from the player.
Prototype Final
SHAR betterthanbeef proto.png SHAR betterthanbeef final.png

Level 3

General

  • The texture used on the platform near the red ramp that leads to the C-Spanker shortcut is different.
Prototype Final
SimpsonsHitRun proto L3texture.png SimpsonsHitRun final L3texture.png

Level 6

Going To The Lu'

The circle HUD icon was changed from a kid to a bus in the final game. Interestingly, the image was the only part of the file that was replaced, and as such the bus is still named "kids.p3d", is still located in the Objects folder (instead of the Vehicles folder) and uses a blue-purple background colour, unlike the yellow colour of any other vehicle icons.

Prototype Final
SHAR PS2 6-1 proto.png SHAR PC 6-1 final.png

Set To Kill

A timer was added in the final version of the mission. This was likely done to increase the difficulty of a late-game mission, as without it the mission is very easy. Maybe they overdid it a bit...

Level 7

Rigor Motors

The final objective to enter the Simpsons' house is still present. This was commented out in the final.

Text Differences

Some of the text is a tad different.

Prototype Final
Memory card (8MB) (for PlayStation 2) is unformatted Memory card (PS2) is unformatted

Any mention of the PS2 memory card was made less verbose.

Prototype Final
Talk to the teen at Aztec theater Talk to the Squeaky Voiced Teen at Aztec theater

Text was made more specific.

The text that appears upon collecting all the collector cards in the game is different.

Audio Differences

banjo_main

The audio mastering on this track is slightly different.

Prototype Final

Oddities

minigamecam

A misplaced version of minigamecam.p3d is loose inside the main art folder. This model seems to use an earlier format that provides export data. With it, the following details can be found:

  • Models were made in Maya.
  • The game's project folder was referenced as 'Simpsons 2', the first game is likely The Simpsons: Road Rage which was Radical's previous entry.

Vehicle Scripts

TT.con is missing from the prototype, despite the model assets being present.

Misc.

Hmmm...
To do:
Compare scripts.
  • Handling is still called "stability" in the Phone Booth UI as seen in some earlier screenshots.
SHAR protophonebooth.png
  • The sun flare effect is incomplete and can still be seen through walls.
  • You do not perform a victory dance animation upon finishing a bonus race.
  • Wasp AI is more aggressive to dodging attacks than in the final game.
  • If your memory card is unformatted, the prototype has the option to format it for you, while the final game just displays an error.
  • There are a number of differences in the startup screen videos:
    • The Fox Interactive music is different.
    • The Gracie Films video appears to be taken directly from the TV series, while in the final game it has a higher quality.
    • The Radical Entertainment video uses the same sound effects as The Simpsons: Road Rage, with the added recording of Snake's voice which is present in the final game.
  • The bonus cutscene, 500 Yard Gash, has some extended sequences and certain parts were reanimated.
Prototype Final
  • Level 7 actually contains some road nodes for the area past the blocked bridge, although they are extremely limited.
  • The Phone Booth Menu accessible with the Unlock All Vehicles cheat code contains entries for a set of vehicles listed as "N/A XX" (the X's being replaced with numbers), as well another vehicle listed as "Charred Husk". Selecting the former will have no effect, and selecting the latter will spawn the wreck vehicle that can be driven after certain vehicles are destroyed. Driving this vehicle over a Wrench pickup does not do anything.
  • If a player exits their vehicle during a stage where a 10 second time limit to re-enter the vehicle is given, and then triggers the next objective on foot, said timer disappears and the player can be out of the vehicle from then on. In the final game, the timer continues regardless of the fact the player triggers the next objective or not.