The Simpsons: Road Rage

The Simpsons: Road Rage

Company type	Video game
Industry	Video games
Founded	2001 (2001)
Products	Racing video game
Parent	Radical Entertainment (developer), Electronic Arts (publisher)

The Simpsons: Road Rage is a 2001 racing video game inspired by the animated TV show The Simpsons, forming part of the franchise's gaming lineup. It was initially released on PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube, with a subsequent Game Boy Advance version arriving in 2003.

Playable characters include Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Mr. Burns. The gameplay involves swiftly ferrying passengers to their destinations, drawing strong parallels to Sega's 1999 title Crazy Taxi. Due to these similarities, Sega filed a lawsuit against developer Radical Entertainment and publishers Fox Interactive and Electronic Arts (EA) for patent infringement; the dispute was eventually resolved through an out-of-court settlement. Reviews were mixed, with critics pointing to its simplistic mimicry of Crazy Taxi and underwhelming visuals. Radical Entertainment later developed a spiritual successor titled The Simpsons: Hit & Run in 2003.

Gameplay and plot

Rooted in the world of The Simpsons, The Simpsons: Road Rage presents a storyline where Mr. Burns has taken control of Springfield’s public transit, introducing hazardous radioactive buses that jeopardize citizens’ health. In reaction, residents start operating their own vehicles to offer safer transportation, aiming to accumulate funds to remove Burns’ buses and restore the city’s transit system.

The main gameplay mode, called "Road Rage," adopts an arcade-style taxi mechanic. Players pick a character from the Simpsons universe and generate income by rapidly delivering passengers. Quicker drop-offs increase player ratings and extend available time; however, these ratings gradually decrease, concluding the session once time expires. Achieving specific monetary goals unlocks additional characters with distinct vehicles or new starting points.

Players must navigate around obstacles including other vehicles, Burns’ radioactive buses, and Burns himself—who occasionally attempts to collide with the player’s car. Characters exchange humorous dialogue reflecting their relationships from the TV series. Completing all character and location unlocks and earning one million dollars terminates Burns’ transit operation, triggering a unique cutscene.

In "Missions" mode, players face ten timed driving challenges distributed across five different areas. Tasks include escorting Krusty the Clown away from fans or discreetly transporting Homer to work. Successfully finishing all missions unlocks "Homer's Own Car" for use in "Road Rage," referencing the 1991 episode "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?."

A multiplayer option enables two participants to compete simultaneously for passenger pickups. Additionally, depending on the console's internal date settings, holiday-themed characters such as "Christmas Apu" or "New Years Krusty" become selectable.

Development and release

Developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts (EA), The Simpsons: Road Rage was created within a one-year development timeframe. The PlayStation 2 version debuted in North America on November 19, 2001, followed by releases for the Xbox and GameCube platforms in December. The original voice cast returned to provide both fresh voice recordings and familiar catchphrases from the show.

A version for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Altron and published by THQ, launched in North America on July 3, 2003. THQ obtained publishing rights through a 2002 agreement with Fox Interactive, which also included a license for a Buffy the Vampire Slayer game. Germaine Gioia, THQ’s vice president of licensing, emphasized these properties’ strong consumer appeal as key factors reinforcing THQ’s position on the Game Boy Advance market.

The "Sunday Drive" mode features background music inspired by the 1977 track "Ffun" by American funk group Con Funk Shun.

Reception

The Simpsons: Road Rage garnered a range of responses, with review aggregator Metacritic classifying its reception as "mixed or average" across various platforms.

Amer Ajami from GameSpot pointed out issues in the PlayStation 2 edition, highlighting inadequate collision detection and overly sensitive controls, though he acknowledged that enthusiasts of the series might still find enjoyment. David Zdyrko of IGN criticized the gameplay for lacking depth and described the visuals as uninspired, but he commended the voice acting samples despite their occasional repetitiveness. Next Generation magazine labeled the Xbox version a letdown, describing it as an unashamed case of design plagiarism.

By mid-2006, the PlayStation 2 release had sold approximately 1.6 million units in the United States, generating $41 million in revenue and ranking as the 25th best-selling title for PS2, Xbox, or GameCube between 2000 and 2006 in that market. Overall sales of Simpsons console titles during the 2000s reached 5.2 million copies in the U.S. The same PS2 version also received a "Platinum" certification from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), indicating sales exceeding 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom. Globally, Road Rage achieved sales of at least 3 million units.

Lawsuit

In 2003, Sega, proprietor of the Crazy Taxi series, initiated legal action against Fox Interactive, Electronic Arts, and Radical Entertainment. The suit claimed that Road Rage violated Sega's patent due to its strikingly similar gameplay mechanics and utilization of the Crazy Taxi game engine. As reported by IGN, "Road Rage presents gameplay so alike that some critics expressed negative views on these similarities." The lawsuit, titled Sega of America, Inc. v. Fox Interactive, et al., was resolved through a confidential settlement for an undisclosed sum.