Urbz, The: Sims in the City
© 2004 Electronic Arts, Inc.
This clever urban life simulation program lets you steer a small person around five different environments in the city of Miniopolis, while trying to balance personal needs with professional necessities. For example, in "High Above the World" one of the five goals is to help a janitor wash windows to learn about the city and earn a bit of money. Once the basics are mastered, it's on to Urbania, where you interact with characters and help Grandma Hattie get things fixed around the house. Keep a good reputation is important in order to succeed in this game. A character generator lets you pick clothes and features of each Sim, and games are saved on the cartridge. There are nine neighborhoods. New features include to ability to import your own face onto a Sim (on the PS2 version only, with an EyeToy), or on a billboard. The GBA version is similar in design to the Sims Bustin' Out, with the ability of the Sims to exchange dialog, the ability to move around in the city and eight minigames. The Nintendo DS version is exactly the same game as the GBA version -- with the addition of better controls and a slick introduction. and a new location called Splicer Island, with create-a-pet features and touchscreen features.
$49.99, PS2, Xbox, GameCube, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS
Teaches: logic, creativity