SimCity

"One of the greatest simulators ever has blessed the SNES."

SimCity, the greatest sim that has you controlling a city; a large plot of land at your mercy, villages that bloom into booming metropolises, to put it short and sweet: a classic. If you don't like SimCity, I won't judge you for that, the Maxis series of Sim games has that certain taste that must acquire your acknowledgement and approval. To some, this game was a beacon of light to the future of the gaming industry. To others, it was ''Argh!''

Story (7): It's the year 1900, a large mass of land is unoccupied...for now, at least. It's up to you to take that land, and mold it into a beautifully sculpted piece of metropolis. Your town, your way, BUT, you also have to be careful to listen to your citizen's needs, otherwise, your town will come to be disappointed with you. You also ought to listen to the advice of your assistant, Mr. Wright, to help keep your town in order. Aside from the easy pick-up-and-play mode of the game. It also comes with different scenarios that tell the stories of the impending disaster, and the work you have to follow it up on. Good luck!

Music and Sound (6): Although the music certainly isn't the best, we're talking about a game that's in the SNES's early years, back when they used ''K-A'' ratings instead of ''E''. The in-game music is delightfully catchy and could probably have you whistling the tune at times. However, the farther your town gets, the music sort of makes an interesting evolution, when you reach the status of a village, you get that quaint, soft music. Later when your town becomes a Capital, Metropolis, or a Megalopolis, the music goes through with it's ''evolution'' and becomes a loud, booming music that translates into ''this means business''. The sound effects are rather annoying, like when you're building multiple residential zones. It can become more annoying if you have to bulldoze a stretch of land, so remember your poor ears and mute.

Graphics (6): It's an early SNES game, what can you say? They're fairly neat, even for a game from 1991. You actually get to see the graphics at it's best on the title screen, where the words ''SimCity'' appears above a city at night. The second best feature would have to be the actual buildings after they've developed. It's pretty cool to see the little designs of a supermarket with a parking lot, or a low-level industrial zone pumping out polluted air. Obviously unimpressive compared to today's standards, but hey, that's what SimCity 4 is for!

Gameplay (6): Here's where you say ''Oh gee, I get to be mayor of a city! Grand! Where do I sign up?'' Well, don't be discouraged by such a fantastic ''responsibility'', because you might be surprised at how fun and easy you'll find this game to truly be. You plant out residential, commercial, and industrial zones while making sure they have enough power with power plants, make sure they've got a way to get the stress out of daily life (by adding a football stadium, or bonuses you get, like parks, or casinos), and make sure they're safe from the everyday hazards real life gives, like a residential block catching on fire, by adding police and fire stations. Even it all out till it's a town you can be really proud of, and hopefully has that mighty rank of ''Megalopolis''. But it takes work, and you have to enjoy that work. When you're done building a city from scratch, you can take the knowledge gained from playing around, and use it to attempt to complete the scenarios in the game.

Replayability (10): Now, since this is a simulation game, what's the biggest thing simulation games strive for? Replayability! Why? Cause you just can't play the same way twice! That's what SimCity serves you, with not only Scenarios for you to tackle, but it also gives you 1000 (and then 1000 more!) different playable lands to choose from, from islands, to small rivers, to one large river, this game takes land and chops it all up into so many different forms, not only can you challenge yourself by choosing a land with more water in it, but you'll eventually find one you just absolutely LOVE to play in! If you eventually get tired of the whole city-making formula, then take a time-out and put it back, you'll get addicted again someday!

Overall (7): This is one game I can admit I am thoroughly biased to, it's paved the way for simulation games you see today. If there were no SimCity, there would be no Aerobiz, no Roller Coaster Tycoon, no RPG makers or Fighter makers. Sure, someone would've come up with this concept by now, but we're lucky that Will Wright and the good people at Maxis thought it up then, and you should enjoy a piece of the past by playing this game.

Rent? Buy?: Absolutely! Pawn shops, flea markets, EBay, wherever you can find it, I say get it! What do you have to lose, twenty bucks? Trust me, it's worth that.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/05/03, Updated 02/25/04