SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition
- Create, build and run the most realistic city you can imagine
- Connect your metropolis with other cities you've created to form a massive region of SimCities
- Sculpt mountains, gouge valleys, and seed forests
- Deploy police cruisers and fire trucks to the scene
- For 1 player
Rating: 5 of 5
Just need more Simcities, not weird off-shoots
I really like the game, though there needs 2 be a real sequel. Also need 2 ditch the squares. They can be used as guidelines, but being able 2 draw property lines would make it more interesting. Just an idea. I will continue 2 like this game, but Maxis should get the title back & make a better scalable involvement one 4 those of us who wouldn't mind micromanaging, but keeping the bigger picture 4 those who just like watching cities grow.
Rating: 5 of 5
Sim City 4, the best modern-day city building game on the block
Yes, Sim City 4 is "the best modern-day city building game on the block."
I purchased Sim City about 3 years ago, & I still LOVE it.
Though not 3D, like Sim City Societies (please don't consider getting that game, it is very unrealistic), it is full of detail. Just zooming in at a local elementary school, & you will see school buses, cars, & kids running 2 school before the first bell rings. The game is that detailed!
Or, take a look at the slums in your city (if you have any), & you'll see graffiti, & things like such. You can even see crime occurring in your city, such as car theft, or kids toilet paper rolling (although most people wouldn't want crime in their city).
The graphics are definitely worth 5 STARS.
Next, the game play is very exciting. Gaining population isn't too hard, & many of the missions (though not all) are very fun. Just driving around your (hopefully) metropolis is a highpoint of the game. Also, it is not too hard 2 get the rich into your city (unlike Sim City 3000). You will feel very proud when that first deluxe villa pops up. The best is when the high-rises come flying in. That first 10+ story skyscraper will be a sight 2 see. It is not too hard 2 get small skyscrapers, although you do need at least 30,000 people, unlike Sim City 3000. You can trade with neighboring cities, by selling water, power or garbage, or buying these things.
There are SO MANY FEATURES! The best part of all this is.....the game is continuous! THERE IS NO END TO THE GAME!
This makes the game play simply astounding.
However, Sim City DOES have some MINOR weak points. Don't worry, every game out there has weak points. YES, EVERY GAME!
First off, I wish the diplomacy was a little more involved. For example, if there was a "governmental" option, the game would be much more cool. Like being able 2 chose the style of government would be very cool. Or even declaring war would be awesome, but that would distract players from the main focus of the game.
Also, it is fairly difficult 2 get HUGE skyscrapers. Sure, you can get skyscrapers, but 4 me it is hard. I do think there is a patch you can download 4 the game that makes it easier 2 build high-rises, but I cannot say 4 sure. It might just be me. So basically what I am saying is that, as you gain population (like 400,000+), the game gets fairly complicated (but not unmanageable). In some cities, I reach what some people call the "peanut butter points", where nothing builds anymore. There is no demand.
All right, I better stop, I have pretty much told you EVERYTHING, almost too much.
Just go buy Sim City 4! You will not regret it. The graphics & game play are state-of-the-art. Despite some weaknesses, Sim City 4 is still "the best modern-day city building game on the block!"
I bought it, & it is worth every penny I spent!
I purchased Sim City about 3 years ago, & I still LOVE it.
Though not 3D, like Sim City Societies (please don't consider getting that game, it is very unrealistic), it is full of detail. Just zooming in at a local elementary school, & you will see school buses, cars, & kids running 2 school before the first bell rings. The game is that detailed!
Or, take a look at the slums in your city (if you have any), & you'll see graffiti, & things like such. You can even see crime occurring in your city, such as car theft, or kids toilet paper rolling (although most people wouldn't want crime in their city).
The graphics are definitely worth 5 STARS.
Next, the game play is very exciting. Gaining population isn't too hard, & many of the missions (though not all) are very fun. Just driving around your (hopefully) metropolis is a highpoint of the game. Also, it is not too hard 2 get the rich into your city (unlike Sim City 3000). You will feel very proud when that first deluxe villa pops up. The best is when the high-rises come flying in. That first 10+ story skyscraper will be a sight 2 see. It is not too hard 2 get small skyscrapers, although you do need at least 30,000 people, unlike Sim City 3000. You can trade with neighboring cities, by selling water, power or garbage, or buying these things.
There are SO MANY FEATURES! The best part of all this is.....the game is continuous! THERE IS NO END TO THE GAME!
This makes the game play simply astounding.
However, Sim City DOES have some MINOR weak points. Don't worry, every game out there has weak points. YES, EVERY GAME!
First off, I wish the diplomacy was a little more involved. For example, if there was a "governmental" option, the game would be much more cool. Like being able 2 chose the style of government would be very cool. Or even declaring war would be awesome, but that would distract players from the main focus of the game.
Also, it is fairly difficult 2 get HUGE skyscrapers. Sure, you can get skyscrapers, but 4 me it is hard. I do think there is a patch you can download 4 the game that makes it easier 2 build high-rises, but I cannot say 4 sure. It might just be me. So basically what I am saying is that, as you gain population (like 400,000+), the game gets fairly complicated (but not unmanageable). In some cities, I reach what some people call the "peanut butter points", where nothing builds anymore. There is no demand.
All right, I better stop, I have pretty much told you EVERYTHING, almost too much.
Just go buy Sim City 4! You will not regret it. The graphics & game play are state-of-the-art. Despite some weaknesses, Sim City 4 is still "the best modern-day city building game on the block!"
I bought it, & it is worth every penny I spent!
Rating: 5 of 5
Better than the others
Sim City 4 is by far superior than the previous ones in terms of fun. Many new buildings & attractions combined with easy navigation make 4 a great game.
Rating: 5 of 5
Greatest SimCity 2 date
SimCity 4 is, by far, the greatest city-building game yet released. It wraps up all that is good from the previous SimCity games, puts a nice 3d look on everything, & adds complexity & features in just the right places.
For the builders, SC4 does not disappoint. It really gives a good sense of a thriving city. Buildings are constructed in a very wide range of size & style, pedestrians walk the streets, car get into accidents, smog settles over the heavily industrialized areas, trees sway in the breeze, & waves roll up & down the beaches. There is a slew of unlockable buildings & real-world landmarks 2 spruce up & personalize your town. And even more stuff is available online when you've exhausted everything the game has 2 offer. Even the disasters are beautiful! Time was, you needed a pretty sweet PC 2 handle the game. Nowadays the required hardware is pretty standard stuff & it still looks great.
Other features help the player out too: things like elimination of power lines, automatic street placement, lots of charts / graphs / map overlays 2 ease analysis, improved pipelaying, etc. all help streamline the game & fix some of the worst annoyances in previous incarnations.
The primary challenge of SimCity 4 is balancing. There is so much complexity in the game, & much of your time is split between building up the city, balancing out the budget, & finding some way 2 manage all the problems that plague every major metropolis. Some players are turned off by this as it can be frustrating 2 contend with all the issues. I personally get a great deal of satisfaction when, 4 example, I sink a bunch of cash into an urban renewal project & actually manage 2 revitalize main street without everyone running 4 the hills. The modeling of real-world city growth is astonishing, & your cities will go through all the stages on the path from tiny manufacturing town 2 major commercial metropolis. A tell-tale sign of the enormity of scale is that the official strategy guide 2 the game is the size of a textbook!
SimCity 4: Deluxe Edition comes with the Rush Hour expansion pack, which adds a bunch of features I didn't care about & one absolutely indispensable button: the "transportation query" tool. It shows you utilization of your roads, & how your citizens get from point A 2 point B. Without it, managing road maintenance & upgrades is nearly impossible. You now have the ability 2 (for example) click a factory, see where most workers are coming from, & set up bus stations from start 2 finish that will actually see utilization. Public transit made manageable at last! The U-Drive-It missions & Add A Sim features are pretty useless, though they can give a nice tour of the town. Thankfully you can turn them off & get back 2 the business of city planning.
There are downsides 2 the game. Micromanaging funding 4 all your various buildings gets tedious fast. Who wants 2 manually set bus funding 4 a dozen elementary schools across the city? Unfortunately there's not much of a clue that the budget needs adjustment until your teachers go on strike or you start having blackouts. And the regions system, while interesting, just ends up getting abused 2 funnel all the garbage 2 one tiny landfill town. Another problem is that it is possible 2 lose the game - not so difficult early on, but when your city is sucking down millions of dollars each month in expenses, a single disaster can wreck your cash flow & cause you 2 lose instantly. Disappointing 2 say the least! (Some third-party addons help stop some of the worst offenses: check Google 4 the Network Add-on Mod & see if that suits your needs)
If you're a fan of city builders at all, you owe it 2 yourself 2 give SimCity 4 Deluxe a chance. It is the current king of city-builders, can easily consume hours of your life, & still has a wide fanbase despite being released about five years ago. Highly recommended.
For the builders, SC4 does not disappoint. It really gives a good sense of a thriving city. Buildings are constructed in a very wide range of size & style, pedestrians walk the streets, car get into accidents, smog settles over the heavily industrialized areas, trees sway in the breeze, & waves roll up & down the beaches. There is a slew of unlockable buildings & real-world landmarks 2 spruce up & personalize your town. And even more stuff is available online when you've exhausted everything the game has 2 offer. Even the disasters are beautiful! Time was, you needed a pretty sweet PC 2 handle the game. Nowadays the required hardware is pretty standard stuff & it still looks great.
Other features help the player out too: things like elimination of power lines, automatic street placement, lots of charts / graphs / map overlays 2 ease analysis, improved pipelaying, etc. all help streamline the game & fix some of the worst annoyances in previous incarnations.
The primary challenge of SimCity 4 is balancing. There is so much complexity in the game, & much of your time is split between building up the city, balancing out the budget, & finding some way 2 manage all the problems that plague every major metropolis. Some players are turned off by this as it can be frustrating 2 contend with all the issues. I personally get a great deal of satisfaction when, 4 example, I sink a bunch of cash into an urban renewal project & actually manage 2 revitalize main street without everyone running 4 the hills. The modeling of real-world city growth is astonishing, & your cities will go through all the stages on the path from tiny manufacturing town 2 major commercial metropolis. A tell-tale sign of the enormity of scale is that the official strategy guide 2 the game is the size of a textbook!
SimCity 4: Deluxe Edition comes with the Rush Hour expansion pack, which adds a bunch of features I didn't care about & one absolutely indispensable button: the "transportation query" tool. It shows you utilization of your roads, & how your citizens get from point A 2 point B. Without it, managing road maintenance & upgrades is nearly impossible. You now have the ability 2 (for example) click a factory, see where most workers are coming from, & set up bus stations from start 2 finish that will actually see utilization. Public transit made manageable at last! The U-Drive-It missions & Add A Sim features are pretty useless, though they can give a nice tour of the town. Thankfully you can turn them off & get back 2 the business of city planning.
There are downsides 2 the game. Micromanaging funding 4 all your various buildings gets tedious fast. Who wants 2 manually set bus funding 4 a dozen elementary schools across the city? Unfortunately there's not much of a clue that the budget needs adjustment until your teachers go on strike or you start having blackouts. And the regions system, while interesting, just ends up getting abused 2 funnel all the garbage 2 one tiny landfill town. Another problem is that it is possible 2 lose the game - not so difficult early on, but when your city is sucking down millions of dollars each month in expenses, a single disaster can wreck your cash flow & cause you 2 lose instantly. Disappointing 2 say the least! (Some third-party addons help stop some of the worst offenses: check Google 4 the Network Add-on Mod & see if that suits your needs)
If you're a fan of city builders at all, you owe it 2 yourself 2 give SimCity 4 Deluxe a chance. It is the current king of city-builders, can easily consume hours of your life, & still has a wide fanbase despite being released about five years ago. Highly recommended.
Rating: 5 of 5
Sim City has come a LOOOONG way!
My first SimCity came free with a computer I had purchased in the 90's. It was fun... but WOW! The graphics on this & the options are amazing. My 10 year old loves this game. Some days he builds cities, others he builds islands with volcano's & releases God's fury on them... lightning, eruptions, meteors, robots, dinosaurs... lots of fun!
SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition turns you into a citizen, a criminal, an architect, a mayor, even a god -- bringing you deeper into SimLife than ever! As you create railways, ferries, plan out streets, you also get 2 use that transportation in a series of great new driving missions
($6.00)
Buy SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition Now!
