The Sims (PS2)

By JON MINIFIE

(Herald rating: * * * * )

It may come as a surprise to some that The Sims is the best-selling PC franchise of all time and now PS2 owners have a chance to find out why this famous people-simulator is such a tour de force on the PC.

Maxis (with the limitless resources of EA behind them) have completely rebuilt their quirky top seller so it has the look and feel of a console game.

The Sims on the PS2 offers two ways to play: Get a Life which is like a tutorial where your Sim must first get a job and scrape together enough money to get out of mum and dad's place.

And then there is the
traditional unrestricted Neighbourhood mode, familiar to PC gamers, where you are free to roam around, toying with the lives of the oddball Sims and watching as they react to the things you introduce into their environment.

Buy your Sims a TV and they will sit and watch, buy them a bookcase and they will start reading, gaining knowledge that opens up new possibilities.

There is generally a question mark over console games that originated on the PC: the light-year gap between a mouse and a controller is an obstacle that few developers can tackle. EA and Maxis have managed to not only do without the mouse, but they have made the game feel very natural with a PS2 controller.

The game is different every time, and despite the new look for this console version The Sims has not lost any of its charm or wicked sense of humour.

$129.95

jon@tenthplanet.co.nz