Battle of the GTA clones

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They all tried to beat the best, but which one really did? We make 'em fight to find out

The Simpsons: Hit and Run
VU Games | PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PC

The setup: As various members of the Simpsons clan, you'll explore a full 3D model of Springfield with a mix of platform-hopping and high-speed driving. It's all in the name of collecting the gold coins littered around Springfield, most of which are hidden inside other people's breakable property, or in these weird robotic bees that have mysteriously infested the town.

The rides: Aside from a bunch of Simpsons -themed cars (including the infamous "Homer" bubbletop) that you can whistle up from any phone booth, the citizens of Springfield are more than happy to give you a ride whenever you want. It's really just a friendly way for the Simpsons to carjack people, but it works.

The violence: Pretty tame for a GTA clone. You're limited to close-up attacks, which you can use to smash open random objects in your unending quest for big shiny coins. You can also use your wicked moves to temporarily smack down random people, which is fun in a "Suck it, Flanders!" kind of way.

Mikel Reparaz
Mikel Reparaz
After graduating from college in 2000 with a BA in journalism, I worked for five years as a copy editor, page designer and videogame-review columnist at a couple of mid-sized newspapers you've never heard of. My column eventually got me a freelancing gig with GMR magazine, which folded a few months later. I was hired on full-time by GamesRadar in late 2005, and have since been paid actual money to write silly articles about lovable blobs.