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Platform: Playstation 2

Developer: Maxis

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Genre: Life Sim

ETA: February 14, 2003  

The Sims

As always, we'll start with the "facts":

- The Sims in 3D - Explore an entirely new 3D world that harnesses the full power of the PlayStation 2. The controller-based interface makes controlling your Sims and creating their world a snap. 

- Level based game play - Start with just one Sim in a shack and move into bigger and better homes as you advance through life's big moments. Meet new neighbors and unlock objects along the way. You can also create your perfect Sims home in an open-ended game play mode. 

- Play The Sims with a friend - For the first time, two players can now control their own Sims in the same Sim environments. Play all new two-player games for popularity points and money. Save your house and Sims on a memory card and play them on a friends' system. 

- PlayStation 2 exclusive content - Meet and interact with new characters and play with new objects not found on any PC version of The Sims. Customize your Sim's appearance to a new level of detail found only on the PlayStation 2 console.

I remember when the Sims was released on the PC. Within a few days of its release, I gobbled it up at my local Electronics Boutique and played it for two months straight. It got so bad, I remember, that during school I would think to myself, "Man, my sleep meter needs re-filling" or "I gotta go pee! I need to lower my bladder meter."  I grew out of my Sims fetish but was suckered in when the first two add-ons came. But then it seemed like there were add-ons popping out more rapidly than baby hamsters.

When I heard the Sims was coming to the PS2, the first concern I had was what original spin could EA put on a game that a great number of gamers have already played? And aside from that, how can the controls be tweaked in such a way to accommodate the PS2 controller? The free reign of a mouse can sometimes be retarded when a PC game ports over to the PS2.

To answer the originality question, there are a few new things that the PS2 gamers will be able to claim as their own.

The PC version of the Sims, which had a completely open-ended game format, will still have it in the PS2 version, but will also have a level-based game mode where you start off living with Mom and build your way up. There are also two-player modes where you can interact with your buddy's Sims and compete in various mini-games.

But the most noticeable change from the PC version will probably be the completely 3D environment. While I am glad to see some eye candy thrown in there, I will be interested to see if the game will run at a smooth frame rate. This was a problem with the Sims with its initial release -- having a system that was good enough to run the game without choppiness or bog downs. 

The PS2 version was developed by first creating the game controls and then attacking the game engine. The two analog sticks will be utilized to move around and the face buttons will be used to select tasks. It looks like a good system on the outside, but it will be interesting to see if the system will be robust or not.

I can honestly say I am excited about this game. I am sure at the game's core, it will be very similar to the PC version, but I want to see the subtle differences and additions to the PS2 version.

The release date is set for February 14.

- Tim Martin

(January 2, 2003)