"An RPG without the combat..."

Eh... it's fun. Like the tagline states, it's an RPG without any combat. Not that you need fighting for a good game, but the excitement isn't incredibly high.

The story is pretty simple; you move onto your uncle's farm where you must do small playing chores until you get enough cash to move out. The game is progressive by different goals which you must achieve, anything from finding a certain item to making a new friend. There are 24 NPCs to meet; most of which have extreme personalities (greedy, angry). Pretty basic storyline.

The music and sounds will be familiar to most people who have ever played any of The Sims games, though some don't really seem to fit well. For instance, the uncle who sounds french. Or maybe that is just me. In any case, the soundtrack isn't unbearable and is usually rather pleasant.

Graphics are pretty decent for the GBA. Nothing breathtaking, but nice. It's pretty easy to spot everything and know what an object is. No real beefs with these.

The controls can get a bit icky, but only at certain times. While they are pretty basic, it can be sometimes tricky to get around. However, it is never frustrating enough to cause one to throw the game on the floor and stomp on it.

The game could basically be described as a series of mini-games, rewarding you for how well you do in each one. By completing certain goals, you unlock new areas, allowing for better improvements of your house and so forth. It's a pretty basic premise and is usually fun.

As for replay...there really isn't much to say about it. Creating a new sim can affect different results based on the personality traits you give, but as for the main focus, there really isn't much point. However, since the game is pretty open-ended, you can play for as long as you would like, so replay value isn't so much an issue.

While the goals are generally easy and it takes about 15-20 hours to beat, there are plenty of things to do and people to meet. It's a fun little game, but don't expect too much out of it. This isn't really a game to replace any of the other versions, but it's nice if you can't play them. Even if you don't like the original Sims, this game will could still please you. Unless of course, you can't stand not having combat, then you might want to look somewhere else.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 12/30/03