MySims

"MySims... should this even be considered a Sims game?"

When I first picked up MySims for the Nintendo Wii, I was expecting a game much like The Sims for PC, but for the Nintendo Wii. I was looking forward to customizing my own Sim to look just like myself and create other Sims to look like my friends and family and make them interact in a variety of ways and in various locations. I was hoping for the classic status bars that are key in every Sims game ever made. Boy was I ever wrong.

If you were hoping for a classic Sims game with a Wii touch... avoid this game.

Instead, MySims is game with a game with a storyline. You are a new Sim in a nearly abandoned town which once prospered. You have been chosen to help rebuild the town in hopes that new people will move in. The game centers around a mission-based premise. Someone new comes to town and wants something built for their shop / home. You go to your workshop and build it, design it, decorate it, etc... and then deliver to them. Repeat.

Seems like a boring game right? Well not entirely. The construction mode is definitely something not to overlook. While in construction mode, your Sim can create nearly anything that comes to mind by fitting polygons within each other, kind of like a 3D version of Tetris. Once your item is made, you can color each polygon (with essences you find in the game ) however you like giving your item a completely new flavor. The game centers around this construction mode and when your not spending time looking for essences, you will be in the construction mode.

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PRESENTATION (6/10)

The game cover already suggests that this will be a cute and colorful game full of fun and excitement. However, just the fact that it has the name "Sims" in it and is made by EA, it implies that it will have many of the same options available in the other Sims games. Don't be fooled.

From the start of the game, it is easy to tell that this will be nothing like other Sims games. You realize you don't get to create any other characters than yourself, much less have direct control over the other Sims. No status bars, no money, and not a whole lot of options when it comes to designing your house with nifty items.

However, the game does deliver the disgustingly cute, warm and fuzzy feeling you get while playing.

GRAPHICS (6/10)

The game looks like it could have been on Gamecube, which doesn't really say much considered the wii has only twice the power of a Gamecube. The Sims themselves look like updated versions of Miis which is interesting. Polygons rule this town. It is impossible for a house to have a really unique shape to it. It is either square or round. The game itself looks like it is a cartoon for children.

In the construction mode, graphics can really help or hurt your enjoyment of the game. You must create whatever item is shaded out for you and you have to select which polygon will fit in the shadow. On some larger items which take a while to fill, the graphics will probably frustrate you, trying to fit a piece in the shadow at different depths and lengths. You think it is in there and after you rotate your creation you realize that you were no where near your mark.

GAMEPLAY (4/10)

MySims has very little options on what to do in the game. You either walk around and collect essences, or your in the workshop creating something for someone. Unlike other Sims games, there is not much to do with other people. Your options include talking, being nice, being mean, or give suff. That's it. Although each time you do something nice or mean, usually your Sim will do something different like hug, give flowers, scare, or fight.

Also unlike other Sims games, there are absolutely NO STATUS BARS! You can go the entire game without bathing, eating, or sleeping! There are also no jobs in the game. You can't decide what you want to be; you will always be the carpenter of the village, building junk and and houses for people. No matter how you construct someone's house, it will always look the same on the inside, even if you make it two floors, it will only be one when you come in. You can't create inner walls or build the inside from scratch. Only after the other SIm moves in and creates their indoors can you enter and rearrange everything.

The items you create are also not as useful or even relevant as they are in other Sims games. Due to the lack of status bars, none of the items do anything to boost your meters. The only thing they do possess is the ability to be filled with the 6 essences. You can make something more tasty, spooky, fun, cute, studious, or geeky depending on which essence you choose. Certain Sims like 1 essence over others, so building things with these essences will make them happier, which doesn't really affect the game at all.

The only notably good element of gameplay is the construction mode. When first starting to create an item, it seems more like Tetris than anything else. You stack polygons on each other until they form a shape of something you want like chair or bed. After it is created, you can use different essences to paint it different colors. You can color each individual polygon to create an item exactly how you want it. On top of that, you can add polygons to plain items and give it a characterization all your own! Very nice.

SOUND (8/10)

The sound in the game is very catchy and often uplifting. Every building in the game has its own music that reflects what kind of person lives there. The Italian chef has accordion music playing, the creepy and dark museum curator has ominous spooky music, and so on. It really adds to the game.

After playing a while, the music can get on your nerves though. Every time you pass by a house, you will hear the first part of the music, then it will blend back into the over world music again which gets annoying. There also isn't that wide of a variety of music either.

LASTING APPEAL( 7/10)

Almost everything in the game is up to you to create (except other Sims). After playing through once, you can go through the game again and create new items with different essences and other polygons. You can build all of the houses differently with another tint of paint and other accessories, none of which will severely impact the game again. There is no variety of difficulty, there is no multiplayer, and there is no special bonuses for completing the game.

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So in closing, if you want an EA Sims game for the Wii, wait until a Sims 2 re release for Wii comes out later this year. However, there are many unique elements to this game that the classic Sims game should take note of, especially the ability to build and design your household objects however you wish.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 10/05/07

Game Release: MySims (US, 09/18/07)