D’OH!

◼ With no current way to access on modern platforms, developer Reuben ‘Reubs’ Ward took it upon himself to recreate the opening level in Unreal Engine titles, complimented by a rudimentary AI driving system for NPCs. All of which resulted in a surprisingly robust recreation of the game’s opening level The Cola Caper, complete with sound effects, music and Easter eggs. The demo was originally made available for subscribers to Reuben’s Patreon page, but was subsequently removed, with Reuben telling Eurogamer that the removal was a preventative measure due to “copyright concerns”, rather than a response to a takedown request. And while co-showrunner Matt Selman voiced support for a remaster, he admitted that, “It’s a complicated corporate octopus to try to make that happen”. It seems fans will have to wait a while longer to revisit Radical’s interpretation of Springfield, but never say never: the game’s 20th anniversary is coming up in November 2023, after all.