My Sims (DS)
Ages:

While the game is just fine on the Wii – there is something inherently perfect for the Sims to be on the DS. Their tiny toy-like size fits the screen, and there is the fun of carrying around a whole town in your pocket. Here, unlike on the Wii, customization starts out by selecting gender. I guess they didn’t want to confuse the kids. The game has been pared down and you will do more interior decorating and furniture buying than building. Everything is more compressed and happens faster.

After arriving by boat and being welcomed by the mayor, you wander around and meet the townspeople. An unhappy lot, and you try to encourage them try to spruce up the town by doing things like planting flowers. The game quickly becomes involved with social interaction. You have Ewan the policeman, Tyler the tailor, Olivia of the general store, Joseph the fisherman, Sophie the furniture designer, Ashley the flower girl and a lurking forest ranger. As you visit sims, their images appear on their houses on the map, making visiting easier.

Time is shown by a marker on a colored circle, since there are time related activities. I kept my Sim busy all night but the town goes asleep so there’s not much to do. There is an amusing “Pssst” sound when you move across something that you can interact with. The “B” button is the run button and is necessary because the walking is too slow to cover the growing town. Like the game on the Wii, more areas and services open up as you keep playing.

It’s a great introduction to the Sims for the kids. Stripped down yes, but when they get older they can attend to the bodily functions.

Fun Factor: Lots of
Female Factor: The Mayor is a woman.
Player Friendly: Designers have made the game rewarding and non-frustrating.

Reviewed by: Editor - 12/07