Publisher: Electronic Arts
Ages: ten and up.
Parental
Advisory:
mild violence and
adult situations
Families with PCs have long known the joys of creating, managing and controlling the virtual lives of tiny computerized people in miniature worlds. And now, families with GameCube consoles can discover these joys as well. The GameCube version of Electronic Arts' The Sims not only lets players create and control Sims as they can on a PC, but participate in level-based game play and two-player modes.
The Sims is a first class strategy game that lets gamers create a household of miniature people, or "sims," and then conduct their virtual lives. This includes feeding them, sending them to work, and having them meet and interact with other computer-controlled sims in their neighborhoods. The game's clever premise and excellent execution make for a compelling game experience.
The GameCube version offers a level-based mode called "Get a Life" that lets players start with one Sim and move him or her through life's big moments that include moving out of Mom's house, getting a job, and having a family. As players progress through challenges, a Sim unlocks various objects.
Players can compete against or with others in two-player, split-screen modes. There are entertaining possibilities here, particularly in the cooperative games. Gamers can also play the open-ended game that is similar to that in the PC version. Here, they build a house and fill it with a variety of objects, and the Sims get jobs, gain friends and enemies, and more. The game also offers generous features for customizing Sims. Players can create and tailor Sims with accessories such as hats, glasses, hairstyles, and an enormous variety of clothing.
The game makes efficient use of the GameCube controller, which makes it intuitive to play. The graphics are very good, but evoke those found in the PC version, which are admittedly dated.
The game has some edgy elements, which makes the title more appropriate for teens and older. The beauty of The Sims is that it appeals to teens with none of the violence and other questionable elements found in most popular video games. Players familiar with the PC version of The Sims may enjoy the enhancements found in the GameCube version, but find the experience familiar. And GameCube owners who have never discovered the joys of The Sims, on the other hand, are in for a wonderful new world.
4/14/03 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
