SimCity DS

Infobox VG
title= SimCity DS


developer= EA Japan/EA Partners, syn Sophia, Inc.
publisher= EA Games
distributor= EA Distribution
ratings= ESRB: E
PEGI: 3+
OFLC: G
released= vgrelease|JP=February 22 2007vgrelease|United States|US|June 19 2007
vgrelease|PAL Region|PAL|June 22 2007
vgrelease|South Korea|KOR|September 14 2007
genre= City-building game
modes= Single player, Multi player
platforms= Nintendo DS

"SimCity DS" ("SCDS") is a city building and management computer game and the first Nintendo DS installment in the "SimCity" series of games. It was published by Electronic Arts (EA) and developed by EA Japan.

Gameplay

"SimCity DS" is a heavily modified version of Simcity 3000. The game inherits "SC3K"'s graphics, but makes use of the handheld's dual screen to display additional interfaces at once. System specific features are also prominent, such as the use of the systems' integrated microphone, which is used to blow out fires and the touch screen which is used to control the interface. Before beginning a city the player must first choose a location in the region, one of five different advisors and then sign the town charter using the touchscreen and stylus. The upper screen of the DS displays the city and the news ticker while the map, advisor, information and the buttons are shown on the touch screen.

Advisors and petitioners

"SimCity DS" features five advisors who help players make proper decisions in the game by providing recommendations and advice. As opposed to previous versions of "SimCity", the player must choose only one advisor to help them when they sign the town charter. The different advisors include Mr. Maxis (A Will Wright cameo), Julie McSim, Ayako Tachibana, Kaishu Tachibana, Servo 3000 and a secret advisor named Alien.

There are also petitioners, many of which are citizens of the players' cities, that approach the player with problems and request solutions or to modify city policies, such as lowering tax rates, or enacting an ordinance. They may also give the player rewards or request certain structures to be erected in the city.

News ticker

In addition to the advisor, a news ticker scrolls along the bottom of the upper screen, displaying pertinent information about the city in the form of news stories, such as indicating that the city needs improvements in certain areas, or how well a particular city department is functioning. Generally, when things were going very well in a city, the news ticker displays headlines which are comical, or even nonsensical and often seemingly useless to the player.

Landmarks

Independent real-world landmarks (and one fictional landmark) are also prominent in "SCDS", but must be unlocked throughout play or by using passwords. Examples of landmarks featured in "SCDS" include the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, Big Ben, the Statue of Liberty, the White House and even Bowser's Castle.

Disasters

The game features a number of disasters which the game can inflict upon a city, including earthquakes, fires, giant ape attacks, and UFO attacks.

The game also features a "Save the City" mode in which the player must help one of several cities recover from a disaster and reach a specific target to succeed.

Research

There are a number of buildings that can only be obtained by spending money on research (found toward the bottom of your exp. budget sheet). Each building grants certain benefits to the city. They require both water and power to function. Research takes both time and funding. An example would be, even if you devote 200% funding to research you will still not obtain a nuclear power plant if the year is 1909. The best way to do research is to keep funding between 100 and 150% and be patient.

Zones

As with other SimCity games you will have the option of setting zone types, either residential, commercial, or industrial. Each of these zone types can be built in light, medium, and dense varieties.

External links

* [http://simcityds.ea.com/ Official "SimCity DS" website]