Sims 3 by EA

When I first saw the 'Sims 3: Coming Soon' sign in the iTunes store, I admit I was skeptical. Sims 3? I thought. On my iPod Touch? Are you kidding? That could never work! But the second it was available, like most Sims fans, I downloaded the $9.99 app without a thought. All things considered (and compared to what I was expecting), the game is pretty solid. Massive (63 MB), and prone to crashing regularly, yes… but solid, and a bit more than you would expect for an iPhone game.

In case you don't want to read through my word vomit, here's a basic rundown: A stripped down version of the full game that tends to drag after a few hours' worth of play (nothing HAPPENS unless you have money, and it takes so long to get money, and I'm impatient!); all characters look disturbingly alike; it crashes often, but saves your progress automagicmatically; no Sims are ever dead permanently; the graphics are delightful, as are the minigames (fishing, cooking, repairing broken things, gardening); the relationships are fun and entertaining— and after playing the game for the past four days, I honestly don't think that it's worth ten dollars. Get the full version for your computer, it's so much better. 3/5

That said, however…

If you're new to the whole Sims thing (where have you been? Living under a rock?), your goal is simple: Create your own person, customizing appearance (limited to eye, skin, and hair color in this version), clothes, persona and 5 personality traits— then drop them into the 'real world'. Turn autonomy on or off (unfortunately, autonomy isn't as independent as I've experienced in previous games, and Sims will only act on their own when the need is dire). Get them hired, get them fired, make friends, make enemies, learn to fish! The possibilities are endless and promise at least a few hours of fun (it gets pretty boring after a while; there isn't any way to really speed time up and get 'to the good bits'; house renovations, shiny new furniture, job promotions, etc.). Help them to achieve their goals and fulfill their destinies— or not.

Let's start from the top: You can only play up to three games at a time. It's easy enough to delete Sims that you don't like to free up new space, though. When you tap the 'new game' button, you are taken to the customization screen (where, in my opinion, the real fun begins). Choose between a male or female Sim, and customize everywhere from skin tone and eye color to hair and clothing styles. If customization isn't your cup of tea (it does take up a lot of time if you're a shallow perfectionist like me), there is a 'random' button, which like you might have gathered from the name, gives you a fully complete customization, chosen at random. There aren't many options to choose from, and in the game itself, essentially every Sim looks alike.

When you're satisfied with the look of your Sim, you move on to their persona. What kind of person do you want your Sim to be? A Jack of All Trades (Well-rounded and good at everything, but master of nothing)? The Nice Guy/Girl (friendships created and maintained with everyone in the neighborhood)? The Jerk (creating and maintaining a steady feeling of dislike and even hostility with everyone in the neighborhood)? The Sleaze (lots and lots of 'WooHoo', with at least half the town)? The Power Seeker (getting a job and climbing the career ladder, accumulating as much money as possible)? Or perhaps you're like me, and want the Maniac (you crazy person, you)? From there, you can choose 5 personality traits. Do you want your Sim to be vain, but easily impressed, vain, a slob, and a genius? The last step is naming your Sim; give him or her a real name or something ridiculous.

Then the game begins. With each new game, the tutorial window pops up which leads you first through the game in general (keep your Sim happy by fulfilling his or her needs) to iPhone/iTouch control specifics.

You start the game off with the bare essentials; a good mood with most needs fulfilled, 700 simoleans (their form of currency), a four room house with a bed, couch and television, dining table and chairs, fridge and counter, and toilet, sink, and shower.

From there, you can go to town (either by making your Sim walk to the flashing 'Town' icon on the sidewalk or much more quickly (which comes in handy when you need to get to work in the morning) by tapping the same icon in the diamond menu in the lower right-hand corner)— town is where you meet your neighbors, get a job (start a career in retail at the grocery store, or a career in science as a test subject at the local lab, or a career in the culinary arts in the scullery at the bistro, or a career in politics as a campaign manager; all jobs provide the same entry-level position and 100 simolean wage), buy things, buy eat-in meals, or socialize and learn to fish at the lake.

Develop relationships with the other Sims and watch them blossom (into a friendship, a budding romance (that could lead to marriage and even moving in together), or into mutual enemies). Purchase house renovations and unlock different types of furniture to improve the overall look of your home (and increase your Sim's comfort levels). Develop skills (fishing, cooking, gardening, and mechanical) to climb the career ladder. Have Sims die of starvation, boredom, or egos that grow beyond their physical bodies— but don't fret! The game never ends, and your Sims are born again for further exploring and experimenting.

Is this game worth the hefty price tag? I'm not sure— let's do a grading system.
Graphics: A+ (As expected from EA)
Controls: B+ (You can zoom in and out by dragging your fingers around on the screen (something you'll learn about in the tutorial), but it's difficult to rotate around your Sim and view them from different angles)
Instructions/Tutorial: A+ (Very informative, and hard to skim through)
Sound: A- (The soundtrack can get annoying after prolonged play, but can be turned on and off. Sound effects can also get annoying— their language/conversations are atrocious!)
Loading Time: C (There is a loading page for almost every big action— from starting the game to going to town or back home. It doesn't take very long, but it is annoying)
Stability: C+ (Though the game does crash from time to time during prolonged play, it autosaves your progress — however, when you restart the game, it brings you back to your living room)
Overall Fun Levels: B (Fun for the first hour or so, but downhill from there. Would see an improved grade if there was an option to speed up time and get Sims to higher promotions faster— you can't do anything without money, and you can't get money without your job; being stuck at minimum wage for hours ('days' in Sims-time) gets pretty boring after a while)
Final Grade: B+
Frequency of Play-to-Space Taken Up On Your Device: (in my experience) 2:5

Unless you cannot afford to buy the full version of the game (or can't meet all the system requirements) for your computer, I would give this one a pass. It's fun, sure— but unless you've got a lot of space, the game isn't very practical. Unless you've got your device plugged in, it drains the battery very quickly (not as fast as you would expect from a game of this size, but still. Two hours and you're getting 20% warnings?). To top it all off, the game is only really entertaining for the first hour of play. The game progresses really slowly, and I'm impatient. After ten or so 'days' of play, I want to see at least something change! An ambitious and well done effort, but a disappointment for me. 3/5

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