SimCity 4: Rush Hour

"Move 'em in, move 'em around, move 'em better!"

SimCity 4: Rush Hour Expansion.

This latest update to the SimCity franchise is a must have for those who have already purchased SimCity 4. Since buying and installing the expansion gives you what comes in the SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition, I am essentially reviewing both products.

The expansion gives you several new features. The main feature is to allow you as mayor to get behind the wheel of a limo, bus, car, or boat and drive about town. The controls are simple enough (up makes you go forward, down makes you go in reverse, and left and right for their respective direction) but can be a little frustrating to learn at first. You can either drive about in free mode or wait until given a mission of sorts. For example, you could get behind the wheel of a school bus to drive little Binghamton from his home to school. Or help one of your sims run some errands and then return them safely back home. Completing a mission can unlock new reward buildings, raise and even lower your mayor rating, or put money in your bank. Don't like the offered mission? Check out the alternative missions link to see what else there is to do.

Another notable improvement is that messages that require your attention, even the good ones, will now show up in popup messages. No having to glance at your ticker every few seconds to see if your hospital is running low on funds and starting to strike.

Since transportation is a main feature in SimCity, there are new options for roads. Maxis came to their senses and added double-laned roads called avenues. Before you had to lay down two roads side by side and hope your sims, finding one road clogged, would use the one next to it. I've not determined if a new algorithm was written to make the sims a bit smarter in their choices of how to get around (in the original version, the sims were a bit clueless about this.) The sims will also have automobile accidents if the streets are cluttered and airplanes could fly right into your skyscraper if the airport is too close to them.

Not only are there new roads but a new mass transit feature: the above ground monorail. It's cheaper then subways and a bit more likable. Previously, sims disliked the subway. They seemed to have warmed up to both options now. Still present are the bus stations and rail option for both freight and passenger services.

Did you miss building bridges? No problem. You have a choice of what style of bridges to build now and they are easier to build. Like lots of water in your regions? Why not plop down a ferry system? Your sims will use boats just like they use the bus.

Another feature that I quite enjoy is you can now set your tax rates for commercial and industrial zones depending on what type of buildings you want as well as what type of zone. Want your commercial zones to only have medium wealth office buildings? Maybe you only want high-tech industrial buildings. Just raise the tax level on those other types and hit cheetah speed. You still must have the education levels and other requirements to get these types of things but this feature makes it much easier. Even better is that farms, which before did nothing but pollute your water, can be taxed! Drop chemicals in my drinking water, Mr. Farmer. Now you'll pay for it!

The expansion also allows you to place signs and labels. Want a certain part of the map to only be farms? Place a label there to remind you so you don't accidentally put residential there. You can even name the large lake or sea with a label. With signs, you can put something above ground rather then on it.

And finally, there are new tutorials that offer help to even the most advanced SimCity player to learn the new features of the game. For the novice (or the frustrated,) there are tutorials to help mayors both get started successfully and how to manage a large city. Both are very helpful.

Overall, the expansion is a welcomed edition to the game and provides many good improvements. For a limited time, you can get a $10 rebate meaning you'll only spend $14.95! Now that's a bargain Mayor that even your financial advisor would recommend.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/13/03