SimCity 2000 - Maxis/Mindscape RRP œ39.99
      (Simulation for PC only, CD-ROM version to follow)

Considering how many hours of enjoyment I got from the original
SimCity which was released back in 1989, to say that I was pleased
when I heard that a new, greatly improved version was on its way
would be a massive understatement. I couldn't wait to see it and
every preview of the program only served to make me more
impatient.  Finally, a release date for the floppy version was
agreed and I rang Maxis to find out when the CD-ROM version would
be out - since getting the CD-ROM, I prefer to get the CD-ROM
versions of programs, if possible, as the extra enhancements add
that extra 'something'. However, when the guy at Maxis said 'It
won't be out until November' I decided I couldn't wait that long.

Whereas the original SimCity ran on virtually any PC, SimCity 2000
needs a high spec machine (386, 4 meg RAM, SVGA). A 25 mhz machine
is recommended but my 386SX 16 mhz copes okay with it though it
can be a bit sluggish and the mouse slow to respond when a city
gets over a certain size. The game needs 8Mb hard disk space.

Once loaded, the game is instantly recognisable as being SimCity -
but with so many improvements it's hard to know where to start.
For any of you who don't know the original game (where have you
been?), I guess I had better give a quick run-down of it. Old
SimCitiers can skip the next two paragraphs.

In SimCity, essentially, you build and manage a city, starting
from its humblest beginnings up to, hopefully, metropolis stage.
You lay down residential areas for the inhabitants, the Sims, to
build houses, commercial sectors for offices and shops, and
industrial areas for factories. Roads and railway lines are needed
so the Sims can get from A to B (apparently they aren't keen on
walking) and, when circumstances demand, you'll need to add police
stations, fire stations, an airport and a seaport. The whole city
must be linked to a power station by power lines.

All this construction costs money (yes, it's just like real life)
and you, as mayor, must finance your spending by collecting taxes.
Be too benevolent and you'll run out of cash - tax the Sims to the
hilt and you'll be an unpopular mayor and, if things go too badly,
the Sims will start moving out. To me, it's the balancing of the
various options, plus the thrill of seeing your city grow and
thrive, that makes the game so addictive. Disasters of various
types may occur unless disabled and several sample cities are
provided with particular problems to solve such as flooding and
fire.

The game was so popular that Maxis were bombarded with suggestions
for improving the game by prospective mayors. These are the basis
for SimCity 2000's vastly improved gameplay and appearance.

Appearance first. Whereas SimCity used a flat, 2D, top-down view,
SimCity 2000 has 3D isometric graphics complete with hills and
valleys. You could scroll around the original but this time you
can also zoom in and out and centre your view. The graphics, being
in SVGA rather than EGA, are far more realistic with a greater
range of different buildings, visible water movement (including
waterfalls) and better animation.

There is a built-in terrain editor (the original came with an
add-on editor) and you can raise and level the land, add trees,
water and do virtually whatever you want with ease, both before
starting the game proper and during play. In the former case, all
changes are free; later it costs money which must be taken into
account before you make huge changes.

In play, the range of options are much wider. Residential,
commercial and industrial areas come as light or dense.  Light is
cheaper to lay down in the first place but brings in less tax.
There are several power plant options, not just coal and nuclear
as in the original. Roads can be built as freeways with on and off
ramps and there is a range of different bridges available when a
road crosses water. Railroads can be built underground.  You can
construct tunnels through hills and set up bus routes.

All zones, including airports and seaports, are built by dragging
and then clicking the cursor over the area you want to cover, not
block by block as in the original. This makes constructing a city
far more versatile.

Parks now come in several sizes; you can also add a marina and
zoo. Police and fire stations have been joined by hospitals and
prisons. Schooling is also a new factor and you can construct
grade schools and colleges as well as a museum or library.

A big extra complication - and one which took me some time to get
to grips with - is that buildings must also be supplied with
water. Pumps must be built near lakes and an underground network
of pipes linked until they all flow with animated, blue water. You
can also build desalination plants and water towers for times of
drought.

Of course, some advances in technology - such as subways and
nuclear power plants - will only become available with time. As in
the original, SimCity 2000 is played against the clock which ticks
away in the background, taking you from decade to decade.

Managing your city's budget is more complicated with various types
of funding to control, the facility to establish ordinances such
as no smoking areas and free clinics, and the option to adjust the
taxes to favour certain industries. Fortunately you have a panel
of advisors who will make suggestions for improvement in their
respective areas if questioned. If money gets short, you can
borrow from your citizens using bonds but these must, naturally,
be paid back and can get rather expensive.

The importance or sheer fun factor of other features only becomes
apparent after you've been playing for some time.  These include:

Linking your city to its neighbouring cities, allowing trade and
movement of people between them.

Being able to query the status of any construction on the screen.

Buildings being abandoned and reduced to derelict shells after a
time.

Adding labels (large signposts) to be able to identify particular
structures quickly and/or rename them.

The bonus constructions available to you as your city's population
reaches certain limits - a mayor's house, city hall and a statue
of yourself are the first three.

Being able to subscribe to a variety of newspapers which make your
evaluation (popularity, pollution, crime level etc) more
interesting than mere figures.

Watching pleasure boats sail out of the marina.

The only downside for me was trying to get the damn thing to load.
Despite using QEMM, I couldn't get it to accept that I DID have 4
meg of memory and in the end was reduced to making a boot disk. Oh
well, it's a small point and if I hadn't been stubborn about using
a boot disk, I could have solved the problem much quicker.

There are many more features in SimCity 2000 that I could mention
but this review is already rather long! Suffice it to say that if
you enjoyed SimCity, you can't fail to be impressed by SimCity
2000.  The ability to be able to import your old save games from
the original is an extra bonus. My as-true-to-life-as-I-can-get-it
version of Sidcup has never looked so good!  Having reloaded
SimCity for the purpose of this review, I couldn't get over how
primitive it looks. SimCity 2000 is much harder to control as the
variety of factors to balance are so much greater. Just take your
time, don't rush and build too quickly and be prepared for some
very late nights!
                                               Sue










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