The Simpsons: Hit & Run was one of the best licensed video games of its generation, but it had a significant flaw that any potential remaster or remake needs to address. While the game did plenty of things right, there were some issues with the mission structure that did real damage to its replay value. If an update to the game is released, then it needs to take a look at the missions above all else.

The Simpsons: Hit & Run is a game that is essentially Grand Theft Auto starring characters from The Simpsons animated series. While there are no weapons, there are plenty of cars to unlock and drive, as well as an incredibly underrated and excellent soundtrack. The game's main appeal is to Simpsons fans, as it is full of references to various episodes of the series. With talk of potential Simpsons: Hit & Run 2 news updates and remakes or remasters of the original game, it's worth digging deeper into Hit & Run's mission structure. It should be noted that even outside of references, it's still a pretty fun game that the developers clearly put a lot of effort into.

Related: The Simpsons Hit & Run Doesn't Need A Remake

Despite The Simpsons: Hit & Run being good and fondly remembered, the structure of the missions themselves is its main weakness. Almost every mission involves either collecting something, driving somewhere, following or evading someone, or destroying an enemy vehicle. Each mission has a slightly different presentation, but there is barely any variation on mission types overall. Level 2 with Bart feels quite similar to Level 5 with Apu, Hit & Run's only playable non-Simpson character, for instance. The fact that the game repeats maps every three levels only adds to this feeling of repetition.

Simpsons Hit & Run's Missions Need More Variety

Hit & Run's missions start to feel the same without enough variety in goals.

By far the biggest throughline across all of The Simpsons: Hit & Run's missions, however, is the time trial element. In many missions, almost every action the player takes is timed, even if it's simply driving to a nearby location. While there does need to be some tension in the game, there could have been some other way to do so rather than applying a timer to everything that the player does. It doesn't help that sometimes the timer is so strict that a single small mistake could render a mission basically unbeatable. The most infamous example comes in "Set to Kill", a mission so frustrating that it can be considered Hit & Run's equivalent of GTA San Andreas' infamous Supply Lines mission.

There are some missions in The Simpsons: Hit & Run that break away from the standards of the rest of the game, and they are usually quite memorable. One example is "Blind Big Brother", a mission in Level 1 where Homer travels into the interior of the power plant to break generators, one of the few completely on-foot missions in the game. Another example would be "Kwik Cash" in Level 5, where Apu has to ride with Snake in his fragile car as he attempts to destroy an armored truck. There is no time limit, but the challenge comes in repairing the car when necessary, making it more of an endurance challenge. By breaking the mold in this style more often, an updated Hit & Run sequel could be even better than the original. A Simpsons: Hit & Run remaster is in high demand according to frequent polls, so there may be a chance to correct that issue if EA resolves the rights issues involved in revisiting it.

The Simpsons: Hit & Run remains one of the most beloved Simpsons games ever released. However, an updated version of the game could fix its flaws and make it even better. With better mission design, The Simpsons: Hit & Run could go beyond being a good licensed game and become a true classic.

Next: Missing Simpsons Hit & Run 2 Would Be EA's Worst Mistake