Urbz: Sims In The City
by Electronic Arts
(Click here)
Product Summary
Brand: Electronic ArtsRelease Date: 2004-12-15
Platform: Nintendo DS
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Product features:
- 24/7 action
- New character engine
- Living the dream
Video Game Reviews of Urbz: Sims In The City
Customer Review: "Miniopolis is bursting with wealth, ideas, and very gullible people"---Berkeley Clodd. (DS vs. GBA Comparison)
Summary: 5 Stars
The Urbz: Sims in the City was my favorite gba game. I completed it four times using characters for each of the Rep groups. I was excited to find this cheap on the DS so I could see if there were any changes to it. Sims2 for the DS is completely different from Sims2 for gba. In the latter, you are an actor in a reality television show; in the former, you run a hotel. This review is a comparison of the gba and the DS games.
Unfortunately, the DS Urbz is the same as the gba Urbz, but there are some additions. The graphics are exactly the same except the opening which has a cool turntable. Other aspects that do not change are the game play, missions, characters, rep groups, and mini games. The additions to the game are mostly centered around a new location: Splicer Island. It is an island that can be reached from a ferry located on the boardwalk to the lounge. On this island, animals are genetically created through DNA splicing (like Dr. Mephisto on South Park). There are seven new characters who will play roles on Splicer Island. One of those characters is actually two characters in one. You also get to converse with animals. You start seeing the new characters as soon as you arrive in Urbania. There are also two new mini games on Splicer Island as well as an "Amber Extraction" game where you create up to three pets. A card game is used for the pet competitions and you carve up sushi in the other game. You can also scratch off lottery tickets. I believe there are new items you can buy in the shops as well as I don't recall seeing some of them before.
I cannot praise the new mini games, though. The Pet Competition card game is confusing. I can't figure it out since I can't seem to use all the cards I've been dealt. The sushi game I find impossible to advance in. Even with the Xizzle that gives you an extra 20% on mini game earnings, I can't make enough. You have to carve the correct sushi type to earn points but you can only carve the sushi that is thrown in the air. If the right sushi doesn't appear, you can't carve or the sushi master gets angry. The DNA splicing is very difficult. I remember splicing in another game but can't recall which one. I find it impossible to stay on the line. The RNA splicing part of the game seems strange to me, but I did manage to make a T-Rex, so I guess I did all right.
Finally, there is an epilogue to the DS that is not on the gba. It introduces yet another new character and he is hilarious (love the name!). You also see the re-emergence of a character from the Bustin' Out game. Even better, the epilogue is started by my all-time favorite Urbz character Berkeley Clodd!!! I wish you could have any character you want as a roommate, as Berkeley would be mine!
To sum up: is it worth getting the DS version of Urbz if you have already played the gba? I guess it depends on how much you enjoyed Urbz the first time. If you are an Urbz nut like me, then yes. If you weren't all that crazy about the game, then probably not. I don't think the additions are that great (certainly not the games). Some of the new characters are cool like Busta Cruz, but you only deal with them for the Splicer Island mission. If you haven't played Urbz before, it is hours of fun with cool, funny characters. My favorite quote is Giuseppi Mezzoalto on music: "In high school I was in a band called "Show Cancelled,"...for some reason nobody ever came to watch us." There are also many things to do and places in which to live and visit, which is why I'm giving this 5 stars. If you've played it on the gba, there are probably not enough changes to make it worth going through all the missions again.
Description of Urbz: Sims In The City
The Sims have moved to the City! Sims who Live in the City are known as Urbz and they have a adventuous new look and attitude. Walk your Urbz through 9 different jobs including a Tatoo Parlor and a Sushi bar. Change your look from punk to rap and experience diverse lifestyles in 9 different districts. It's up to you if your character becomes a big-time player on the street or gets lost in the crowd. It's all about prestige and popularity and The Urbz are living the dream in a City that never sleeps.Strategy Games
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