SimCity (Video Game Review)

Video Game Review
SimCity
Super Nintendo
1991
Developed by: Nintendo
Published by: Nintendo

Simulation games and console systems have never been a perfect match. The controller pads of a console system don’t lend themselves too well to the intricacies of a strategy game. Either there are not enough buttons or the navigation is poor. Nintendo took Maxis’s runaway hit SimCity and published it on the Super Nintendo. It was a decent effort to bring a game that was more appropriate for a mouse and keyboard setup to a home console but it ends up falling a bit short.

The idea is that the player is the mayor of a new city and it’s their job to build the city from scratch into a bustling metropolis. As mayor, the player has plenty of tools at their disposal from creating power plants to schools to emergency services to convince people to make the city their home and build their businesses and industries in the new urban landscape. As the city grows, the player gains access to various awards like a bank to borrow money from for more ambitious projects. The player also needs to make sure that the budget balances or the city will soon grow broke. This means that the player has control over granting services to the populous but doing so will come with a financial cost. The player also has control over taxes so lowering taxes may encourage growth with the risk of running a deficit while raising taxes may cause people to move away in the name of fiscal responsibility. A good mayor will have to create a balance between development and maintenance costs to ensure that their city keeps on growing.

The d-pad acts as a substitute for the mouse. The face buttons act as a way of confirming or cancelling actions as well as zooming in and out of the map on screen. The start and select buttons act as way to call up the menus. Controlling the game is better than expected.

The game looks just as good as the PC version. Buildings are distinguishable from each other. Even though the interface is a little blocky, it’s far from a pixelated mess. The animations of the various disasters do a good job at showing the chaos befalling the city. All in all, the visual presentation is well done.

Same goes for the game’s soundtrack. There are plenty of sound effects but they don’t feel obtrusive. The music that plays throughout the game is fine. It’s not exactly catchy but it’s not grating on the ears either. It is what it is.

While the major complaint that some might be expecting with the package would be the controls, they’re not all that bad. Of course, it could have been better with a mouse and keyboard interface. It would have been nice to have been able to use the SNES mouse but it was released after this game came out. However, it’s not too bad. The d-pad works fine although it doesn’t feel as responsive as one would like. Nintendo did a good job at mapping the controls to the face buttons. Everything is easily accessible and it quickly becomes second nature to control. It could have been better but it could have been a lot worse.

No, the major problem with the game is that it doesn’t feel like there is a ton of substance to it. Granted, it a near-perfect representation of the same game that is available on the PC version; however, the simulation is limited in itself. It would be unfair to compare SimCity against later releases but even twenty years ago, the game itself only feels worthwhile for a couple of hours. Building a city is fun the first time, but due to the limited options of the build, it doesn’t encourage repeat plays. The scenarios are fine, I guess, but I never could get into them. I just find that while they offer gameplay for those interested, it kind of feels out of place.

The only thing that prolongs gameplay that is really interesting is the option to create disasters. If you want to destroy your city with several earthquakes and repair the damage, you can do it. It just seems more interesting to try and rebuild the city that you have made because there is somewhat of a vested emotional interest in what you’ve made. Scenarios with pre-made cities seem too artificial.

SimCity is an adequate game although Nintendo deserves applause for porting the game over to the Super Nintendo with few hiccups. It plays well but it’s not a lasting experience. It’s hard to justify a purchase considering that there are better versions of the game out there. On its own merits though, the game does just fine.

☆☆☆