"Economics made fun!"

Intro:

Now, the majority of you have heard of SimCity. For those of you who don't know, SimCity is a game that was made in the very late 80s. The game was very popular, and the franchise branched out to many other game systems. In 2007, a SimCity game on the DS was made, under the title SimCity DS. One year later, SimCity Creator (called SimCity DS 2 in Japan) was released for the DS, which is what I'm reviewing now. Less learning, more reviewing now.

Story: 10/10

You start off as the leader of a new city at the beginning of civilization, and you must keep the city through the ages.

This story only applies to Challenge mode, which I will describe in the gameplay section. It's not much of a story, but it's original and works very well.

Graphics: 6.9/10

I admit, as much of how easily I'm impressed with graphics (not very), the graphics are not very good for the most part. The graphics look like a high-end GBA game, using 2D graphics for the most part. Although the graphics aren't very good technically, the graphics artistically looked great. They blend in with the scenery that you're in, and work really well. There are also 3D backdrops that appear in a few screens.

The people that you meet in your office are properly animated and look great. They are drawn in a chibi and anime crossover style.

I would say the graphics are pretty decent overall, but they could of done a bit better.

Sound: 6.8/10

The game has it's collection of music, and each tune has a different feel. Some music was transferred directly from SimCity DS. Unfortunately, the music rarely changes during gameplay, which means that you might get stuck with the same song for a while, which can get irritating. Sound effects are played for almost every action you make, and match the theme of the action that you make (for the most part). For example, when you build a police station, a loud siren sound plays. If you don't like the music or sound effects, there is an option screen during gameplay, where you can adjust the volume of the music and sound effects. I enjoyed the music and sound effects for the most part.

Gameplay: 8/10

The game is mainly controlled with the touch screen, using the D-Pad to move the camera around the city. The game utilizes the top screen to see the progress and the bottom to maintain and make the city.

Let's start with the basics. You start out with an empty map and build a city from the ground up.

You have options on the bottom screen that you touch to activate a screen. Each screen is different and there are . There is the main screen, where time passes and you can watch the city grow (or falter) on the upper screen and see the changes in the population and funds on the lower screen. The build option is a huge grid layout where you use the stylus to build buildings and the Budget option is a slide meter that determine how much you can tax or spend on the citizens (ex. Health care, fire department, etc.). You also can see how the citizens of the city feel about the city. There is also a quality map of the city, showing several traits (ex. Land values, pollution, crime rate). There is an option screen where you can adjust the volume of the music and sound effects. Last, but not least, there is a screen where you can save the game or quit and anytime.

Sometimes, destructive events will show up, each with different effects. Examples include tornadoes and fires. All destructive events will destroy buildings that you will need to rebuild. Some can be controlled, some can't.

There are two modes of gameplay: Challenge and Freeplay. Challenge mode is used to unlock new time periods by raising approval or growing population. You start off in the beginning of civilization, and you can unlock new time eras. Examples of them are medieval Europe (and no, there are no fantasy elements, just the regular medieval age) and present day age. Freeplay mode is used to create a city in whatever fashion you well feel like.

The only problem I have about the game is the terrible save time. Everytime you save, it takes over 30 seconds.

The game is very addictive. Honestly, I spent 2 hours playing this game straight. However, the game is very slow paced, and it can take a long time to create the city that you want. On top of that, the touch screen is very sensitive, so you might demolish the wrong item that you can't reverse. Overall, I would say that the game is not very exciting, but instead, is simple and fun.



Pros and Cons:

Pros

+Addicting
+Artistically good graphics
+Ambient music
+Fitting sound effects
+Controls are simple

Cons:

-Graphics don't use the capabilities of the DS well.
-The music can get irritating after a while.
-Terrible save time.

Overall: 7.4/10

If you're not fond of slow paced games, this is not for you. If you like city-building games, you'll really like this. I suggest you buy this. It's not a must-have, but the money you spend on this will be worth it.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/17/09, Updated 08/17/09

Game Release: SimCity Creator (US, 09/22/08)