RETRO CORNER
Covering Your Old School Favourites From The Sims Franchise.
In a community where many Simmers are familiar with the latest installment of The Sims franchise, we often forget or simply have no knowledge about the previous games which made the current ones possible. In the ‘Retro Corner’, Melissa takes a nostalgic trip down memory lane, rediscovering, playing, and writing about her favourite predecessors of The Sims franchise on console and PC In a community where many Simmers are familiar with the latest installment of The Sims franchise, we often forget or simply have no knowledge about the previous games which made the current ones possible. In the ‘Retro Corner’, Melissa takes a nostalgic trip down memory lane, rediscovering, playing, and writing about her favourite predecessors of The Sims franchise on console and PC. When Paramore’s Pressure came on Spotify Shuffle a few weeks ago, I found myself suddenly transported on a nostalgic trip to the Christmas morning of 2005. To this day I cannot unhear the Simlish lyrics that appeared in the console iteration of The Sims 2, fifteen years ago and thus sparked an overwhelming urge to review the game for January’s Issue of SimmedUp! Much like my previous articles, The Sims 2 also deserves a two-part article. Ashamedly, I have less personal experience of playing this game in comparison to the other console games which is odd, as at the time The Sims 2 was an “incredible sequel to the bestselling PC game of all-time”, and I remember Simmers across the globe itching with excitement at the release on console. A stubborn child, I was determined to get my hands on a copy of the console iteration of the game after a visit to Toys R Us. A dramatic song and dance, definitely made sure my parents knew how much I wanted it for Christmas
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Released in Autumn of 2005, The Sims 2 is the fourth instalment to the console series. Following suit to its previous games, The Sims 2’s primary gaming modes include a Story Mode and a Sandbox Mode, offering players the traditional game play similar to the current PC iterations. Story Mode includes three new districts, each with their own lots, new characters, new careers, unlockable objects, clothing, interactions, and much more. However, the significant addition copied over from the PC iteration is Aspirations. Simmers select one aspiration from Create-A-Sim and a series of separate aspirational objectives follow suit. Therefore, the game focuses on both the careerorientated goals and aspirational goals. The latter does not impact the game progression, necessarily. The inclusion of Aspirations adds another element of gameplay not shown in previous console iterations. Unlike previous games, Simmers can now directly control their Sims by using the analog stick on console controllers. This gives the Simmer a more immersive gameplay experience, exclusive to console. The traditional ‘point and click’ option still remains, should Simmers prefer to use it. Upon launching the game, you are greeted with yet another cinematic masterpiece which in true Maxis/EA fashion, includes references to gameplay and exaggerated features that aren’t possible in the game. It’s still a beautiful work of art, better than
