The Simpsons: Hit & Run/Game Demos

This is a sub-page of The Simpsons: Hit & Run.

There are two known demos for The Simpsons: Hit & Run, with slight differences from the full game.

To do: A more complete list of all unused files in each demo could be useful. Explore further than typically possible in the PlayStation 2 demo, if a way is found.

Windows Demo

A demo for the Windows release of the game was included with an issue of the The Sun magazine sometime around when the game was made widely available. The demo refers to itself as a "special edition", and can be downloaded here.

General

• Level 1 is the only accessible level, encompassing all general map/exploration content, missions 0-3 ("The Cola Caper", "S-M-R-T", "Petty Theft Homer", and "Office Spaced"), the 3 street races, and the wager race. Completing mission 3 will loop back around to mission 0.
• The main menu is not accessible, as such some linked content is too a result (such as the scrapbook and bonus game). Following the license screen and company logo videos, Level 1 begins loading.
• The pause menu's "SAVE GAME" and "QUIT TO MAIN MENU" options are disabled.
• When all collector cards have been acquired, the congratulatory message omits mention of a new bonus game track being unlocked, as that gameplay mode is not available.
• All cheat codes appear to be present and functional.

Oddities

• Some data used in the full game but unused in this demo remains present, such as the rest of level 1's level/mission scripting and level 4's dedicated level/mission art directory and contents.
• An ambience audio file was deleted (burns_mansion_interior_loop.rsd from inside ambience.rcf). Unlike the many other audio files deleted to save space that are actually unused in the demo, this one is supposed to begin playing when near the top area of Mr. Burns' mansion's back garden. As a result, entering this area will throw an irresolvable "file not found" error, rendering a small area and 2 Buzz Cola crates inaccessible.

PlayStation 2 Demo

A demo for the PlayStation 2 release of the game was included with other game demos and content on a dedicated disc included with issue 41 of the Official PlayStation 2 Magazine. It can be downloaded here.

General

• Level 1 is the only accessible level, encompassing about half of the map (the Community Centre through to the Wiggum household, within which all normal exploration content is present), missions 0-1 ("The Cola Caper" and "S-M-R-T"), and the wager race.
• Additional respawn triggers have been added to lock the player within the limited map/exploration space the demo is contained to. A notice is displayed upon being respawned by these triggers, informing the player that the area(s) are inaccessible in the demo version.
• Phone booths and clothing purchase points cannot be used; upon interaction, a notice will is displayed informing the player that they are inaccessible in the demo version.
• Doorbell gag-related audio files and setup aren't included, thus interacting with any of the two available doorbell gags (at Lard Lad's Donuts and the Springfield Elementary School interior) will not produce any doorbell/character response sound. As a result of there being no high-priority doorbell interact audio to interrupt him, Homer will also speak a "interact with button/switch" line in this event.
• The wager race was altered to accommodate the limited map space: Louie still hosts it at the Springfield Elementary School. However, the vehicle start position is closer to the Grocery Store, the checkpoint route ends at the Wiggum household, and the time to beat is 1:00.
• The main menu/adjacent content is not available. Following the license screen, Level 1 begins loading.
• The pause menu's "SAVE GAME" option is disabled.
• Completing mission 1 or exiting from the pause menu will cut to a black screen with "THE SIMPSONS HIT AND RUN" written in white.
• All cheat codes appear to be present and functional.

Oddities

• Some data used in the final game but unused in this demo remains present.
• The demo's root folder houses an interesting file, "COMMAND.txt". It contains the following text:

skipfe skipmemcheck L1 M0

• Using the debug camera via the "unlock all cameras" cheat code reveals that constant NPCs (ambient characters/extra mission hosts/vehicle sellers) still spawn within inaccessible areas and that some inaccessible map exists beyond the respawn triggers (interestingly, some of the texturing in these small areas is different and makes use of a generic grey texture/effect instead).