Publisher: Electronic Arts, www.ea.com
Ages: eight and up.
Parental Advisory: None
Editors'
Choice
Here at www.daytrum.com, we actively search
for games that are intelligent, non-violent and fun. And the game that has
best fit this family ideal for over a decade is SimCity.
Electronic Arts latest version, SimCity 4, offers a new and improved simulation with detailed graphics, regional game play and an ability to track the lives of individual Sims as they go about daily routines. The game is similar to its predecessors, but incrementally better, and a slam-dunk for our editor's choice award.
In SimCity 4, you are the mayor of a city and have to manage money and resources so it becomes a thriving metropolis. You develop residential, industrial, and commercial zones; lay down roads; build power plants; set hospitals and police stations; build stadiums; deal with natural disasters; raise and lower taxes and lots more. Each decision affects the health of your city. In the end, you strive to create a city that attracts people, which, in turn, gives you additional tax revenue to fund developments.
New creation features let you lay the groundwork for cities by molding mountains, carving valleys, seeding forests and laying rivers. Unlike earlier games in the series, SimCity 4 cities do not live in isolation but are part of an entire region. Thus, each city that you create becomes one of several municipalities that are connected by transportation networks, and share and compete for resources. The cities can even exchange surplus water and energy. There are also bigger and badder disasters, as well as police and fire departments that you may dispatch in response.
For the first time, you can follow a Sim (individual citizen) as they go about their life in the big city. You can personalize a Sim and move him or her into any area and watch. Your Sim may enjoy a happy existence in an urban utopia or simply survive in the city, and may provide clues to improving the city.
The game's interface is intuitive and easy to use, and provides lots of options. Those who want to delve into the game will find lots of depth, options and reports, while those who simply want to play without bogging down in fine details can have a fun experience as well.
The new graphics are impressive and detailed, and look great. The cities now have night as well as day views, and include many humorous touches. The audio is first rate and adds to the experience. The only downside, the game becomes unresponsive when cities become huge. Perhaps it's too much of a good thing at times that overwhelms many PCs.
While SimCity 4 could be more, it maintains everything that was compelling about its predecessors and enhances the overall SimCity experience. It remains one of the finest family games by offering intelligent play that's strategic, non-violent and fun.
1/22/03
Wayne N. Kawamoto
Managing
Editor, www.daytrum.com
