Urbz: Sims in the City (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

The Urbs grabbed a significant amount of attention late last year as it was the first title to be released on both the DS and GBA with both the media and gamers anxious to discover what the differences would be. The obvious question is, given that most Nintendo fans will have both handheld devices, 'which one is best?'. We reviewed the GBA version some time ago so, although the bulk of the game is likely to remain the same, it's important to remember that the DS has much greater power and capability at the developers disposal and this is what we're interested in here. In The Urbs, the (former) Sims move into the city where reputation means everything and partying is 24/7 (or so it says in the press release) meaning that rather than doing the mundane, everyday things that were at the core of Bustin' Out, this time around it's all about living it up. Well maybe not all but there's certainly more fun to be had in the city than suburbia.

Gameplay

If you are familiar with last year's The Sims (and how could you not be?) then you'll find that the gameplay here is pretty much the same so after selecting your character and fitting them out it's onto the game and into the world? At this point you are rather abruptly dropped into living your life except instead of having a reputation, life experience or anything even resembling a personality you have to both earn and 'design' them. This is all down to what you do, how you do it and whom you talk to and the sense of absolute freedom can be a little daunting initially. This doesn't last for too long though as a series of focused missions present themselves giving the games, and your endless wandering around, a sense of purpose. This is all pretty labor intensive and the start of the game is almost constant baby-sitting, with your 'urb' initially requiring everything from feeding and watering to rest and entertaining. Get it wrong and your character will simply collapse on the spot. Once you've learnt how to deal with this the game does flow at a fair old pace but it can make the whole experience feel choppy and disjointed to begin with.

Obviously you have to earn a living to stay in this capitalist society so you'll not only have to seek employment, you'll also have to keep it. Job opportunities are presented as a series of mini-games (which are later unlocked to play solo or multiplayer), which can result in either promotion or demotion. There's nothing really unique here with most resembling your average java or shockwave games but they are enjoyable never the less. It's not the only way of accumulating wealth though and when you can't attend work there are a huge number of ways to earn some extra cash. You need this not only to survive but also to invest in your 'pad', which can be upgraded to impress your friends and populated with the very latest in gadgets. This objective of 'making a name for yourself' seems to be apparent in everything you do but it's questionable as to whether it makes the game a more enjoyable experience. It does make it longer but the increased entertainment value is really a matter of personal preference.

Controls

As with The Sims, controlling your created Urb is very intuitive and there's a lot of help available. You can't imagine just how important this is because, as The Urbs is sourced from a PC game, getting a complicated interface and control system to work correctly on a Nintendo Handheld is something of a challenge. The end result is very pleasing though because had it been even remotely complicated it could have scared off many potential gamers from even trying the game.

Graphics

Although the visuals have been updated to reflect the new 'street' setting they remain almost identical to those previously on display in The Sims. This is mostly due to the fact that the same developers have produced this sequel but also because everything worked so well in the original that there was very little point in changing it. Everything's been retained from the customizable characters to the intuitive user interface. This is undoubtedly one of the game's strong points allowing you to immerse yourself in this new world almost instantly and to pull up the huge volumes of inventory at the touch of a button.

Sound

Audio-wise The Urbs has to be one of the best sounding games I've ever heard on a handheld device. From the off you are treated to some truly amazing music and you almost wish you could attach your GBA to a stereo to enjoy the full effect. The sound effects are of a similar quality so you do wonder why all Nintendo handheld titles can't sound this good?

Dual screen

You've probably gathered that there's a lot going on in The Urbs and one thing the Dual Screen does allow for is the fact that information can now be spread out over two screens rather than squeezing it onto one or forcing the user to switch menus all the time. You'll also be encouraged to do a great deal of your organization using the bottom screen which means you can keep on playing even when your character is otherwise engaged in such things as sleeping, eating or washing. This ability to multitask is something that the GBA version simply couldn't offer and waiting around while various 'business' was taken care of was always a little frustrating. Finally though and, some would argue, most importantly some of the mini-games can be played using the touch screen which makes some of them much more playable.

Final comments

For all those gamers who delighted in Bustin' Out, The Urbs is simply more of the same in a different setting. There are some gameplay elements that differ from the 2003 release mostly concerning your character's 'street cred' but the bulk of the game's framework remains the same. What you are getting as a result though is a much more immersive, not to mention lengthier, gaming experience with added multiplayer to boot. We clocked the whole game at well over 20 hours which is quite impressive for a handheld title but do be aware that much of this is a result of your 'urb's' constant need for guidance and pampering. It remains to be seen whether this slightly newer (and cooler) direction will find a new audience but judging by the sales figures of last year's game I'm sure EA will be happy to hang on to their existing users. As far as a DS title goes there are some notable enhancements such as extra missions and the use of the touch screen in both the menu systems and mini-games. It feel a bit like an afterthought though and like the recent dual release, Robots, the whole thing has clearly been designed around the GBA with the 'extras' simply bolted on to justify a DS release. With that in mind there really is no superior handheld version to recommend making this a definite 'try before you buy'.

Pro: Fantastic Soundtrack
Con: Minimal Use Of DS Hardware.
Final score: 7.5

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