simcity-frontWith a name like SimCity Creator, I wasn’t expecting much from the latest instalment in the popular city building series, but it seems my judgement was incorrect. Hidden beneath this dodgy cover title is a game that rivals its predecessors. Well, almost…

As many people know, the SimCity series gives players the task of founding and maintaining a city. Along the way, players encounter natural disasters, electricity problems and the occasional protest, and whilst this may not sound like fun it all adds to the SimCity experience. SimCity Creator continues this successful formula and even adds in some Wii-specific elements.

SimCity Creator is divided up into three different sections. There is free mode, missions and contests. The core of the game is mission mode. In mission mode, players are assigned with various tasks that range from placing residential land to building an entire city. Mission mode in SimCity Creator is sure to satisfy fans of the series and is also welcoming to newcomers due to the inclusion of the MySims characters. The MySims characters also help out in other sections of the game as well if players are in need of assistance.

For those who don’t enjoy the strict guidelines of the mission mode, then the free mode is the place to go. The free mode allows players to build a city and tinker with just about any setting within the game. Players will be able to alter terrain, raise bills and destroy entire cities ‘til their heart’s content. In this mode money is not an object, and the sky is the limit.

I can see my apartment from here!

The third and final section of SimCity Creator is Contests. Contests is the online portion of the game and involves players competing over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in challenges. This is a nice addition to the game, but there are no leader boards to display players’ scores which cuts the longevity of online play.

In these three sections of SimCity Creator there are many cool features worthy of mention. For example, players are given the option to view their city from a 3D mode in either a helicopter or plane. This feature shows the extra effort Hudson Soft has put into SimCity Creator. Then there is the disaster feature, which allows players to wreak havoc on their city with giant fire-breathing lizards, meteor showers, cyclones and much more.

In terms of sound, the tunes that play in the background of SimCity Creator are always pleasing to hear, and all of the sound effects, such as placing landfills and water pipes, are spot on as well, remaining true to the SimCity series.

'I said I wanted my humans MEDIUM RARE, you idiot!'

Now a word of warning – from here on my review of SimCity Creator gets nasty. Graphically speaking, SimCity Creator really doesn’t do justice for the Wii. The title looks as if it was based on the 1999 title, SimCity 3000. The majority of cityscape and terrain in Creator visually resembles SimCity 3000.

The second issue with this game is the controls. The Wii Remote and Nunchuk make dragging terrain, placing buildings and moving between menus a struggle. The control style in SimCity Creator greatly detracts from the fluency of the game play. Gamers who were raised on the PC SimCity will be wishing for their old mouse and keyboard setup again, because the controls in the Wii version of SimCity are immensely frustrating.

In summary, SimCity Creator for the Nintendo Wii remains true to the traditional SimCity formula, but it is hard to overlook the outdated visuals and annoying control system. Although the gameplay is solid, the majority of players won’t have the patience to master the control system. Those who are interested in playing a SimCity game are best off with the PC titles.

By Liam Doolan

Graphics: C-

The graphics rival the 1999 game SimCity 3000.

Sound: B

Laid back music and sound effects that are sure to please any fan of SimCity.

Gameplay: B

Remains true to the SimCity series.

Overall: B-

Solid gameplay, pity about the graphics and control system.