Released in 2003 for PC and consoles, The Simpsons: Hit and Run struck a chord with the gaming community at the time, which is still resonating to this day. In fact, Hit and Run is the game fans most want to see a remaster of. While there has been no word from official sources yet about whether a remaster, or even a full remake, will ever see the light of day, it's entirely possible for fans to have a go at it, as the game's source code has apparently been leaked online recently.
According to a report, the entire code for The Simpsons: Hit and Run has been made available to anyone. It doesn't appear that this has been officially uploaded by the developer or publisher, but the information, along with a screenshot, suggests that a folder contains details about the game's development cycle, along with the source code. Users have already been making the most of it, with some commenters saying that they've managed to compile the code and get the game running on a Windows XP virtual machine.
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With the source code now available for anyone to take and modify, this could lead to fans remastering the game, or just modding it to their heart's content. Something like this has already happened recently. Just a few days ago, a modder managed to remaster Hit and Run in the Unreal Engine in just one week, so imagine what the community can do with access to the game's actual code.
Source code leaks are not that unusual in the gaming world. At the start of this year, hackers stole the code for The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, with the intention of selling it on the dark web. It's also possible for the development team itself to release its own code, which is what Frictional Games did for Amnesia last year. The Simpsons: Hit and Run leak does not appear to have been released by the studio, neither has is seemingly been done with nefarious intentions, and is perhaps just going to be used by fans who are curious about modding the game.
Given that even the showrunners have expressed an interest in seeing a remaster of The Simpsons: Hit and Run, it speaks volumes to just how much the community wants it to happen. It's unknown whether it will eventually happen, but the game's been out for around 18 years at this point, so it's definitely long overdue. In the meantime, skillful fans can utilize the leaked source code and perhaps do their own versions.
The Simpsons: Hit and Run is out on PS2, original Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, and PC.
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Source: GBA Temp