by Bart G. Farkas
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Publisher: Maxis 
Release Date: Late June
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It’s hard to believe that it’s been oh-so-many years since the original Sim City came out. What a lot of people don’t realize is that Sim City, and even Sim City 2000, were both originally Mac games before they migrated to the PC. Sadly, this trend has ended when Sim City 3000 was released on the PC months ahead of the Mac version. Still, this is one of those games that is great at any time, whether it’s this year or next.
The Sim City franchise is one of those ‘evergreen’ series of titles that just continue to sell year in and year out. They appeal to such a broad range of gamers (and non-gamers) that they hold their interest far beyond the expected shelf life of almost any other genre of game. So, with this in mind, the fact that the Mac version of SC3K is a few months behind the curve isn’t really that big of a deal.
The ‘Skin’
Perhaps the biggest change to SC3K is in its appearance. The graphics have been drastically improved and you can now zoom in even closer than ever to see what’s happening first hand. There are literally hundreds more buildings and structures that can pop up on the SC3K landscape, and as an added bonus each of the buildings is truly three dimensional, meaning that when you rotate the viewpoint you’ll see distinct four distinct sides. This is actually different than what occurred in Sim City 2000, where this was actually ‘faked’.
The quality of the sims and the vehicles in SC3K is also much improved over previous versions, and the sims and vehicles often actually go places rather than simply appear and disappear in the same location. The fact that you can zoom in very close is also an added bonus, although ultimately most hardcore sim fans probably won’t use that feature a heck of a lot. After all, viewing from afar gives you the best overall view of what’s happening to your city.
The ‘Connective Tissue’
The interface for SC3K has completely done away with menus, but not to worry, it hasn’t taken on a ‘Windows’ feel either. Instead, its become something of a proprietary interface which features multi-layered buttons that pop up on the right-hand side of the screen.
Despite these changes, the functions that you’ve come to expect in the Sim City franchise are still accessible without reading the manual; partially because of the intuitive nature of the interface, and partially because the buttons have pop up descriptions when you move the mouse pointer over their positions. The various maps and stats on crime, pollution, population density etc. are all easily accessible through the aforementioned button interface.
The ‘Guts’
The underlying engine for Sim City 3000 seems surprisingly similar to its predecessor, but that’s not to say that it’s a carbon copy. However, with many of the new features and functions being the same as in SC2K, some may wonder where the differences really lie. But the differences are there, although they are more subtle differences than you might expect in a major upgrade. For instance, the addition of real dynamic trade between the four neighboring cities has changed what the sim city develops in a dramatic way. You can trade (buy or sell) garbage removal services, power, and even water services with your fellow sim cities. The only caveat to that is that you must construct connecting roads and railway links to the nearby towns in order to gain access to these trade deals. Most trade deals involve penalties if either party defaults, and from time to time the neighbor you’re doing business with may want to change the terms of your agreements. Suffice to say, handling other city’s garbage or selling them water can add dramatically to your bottom line and help your city in a big way.
Surprisingly, many of the complex features that made Sim City 2000 such a hit have been removed from SC3K. For example, the taxation structure (and the Tax dialogue box) are dramatically simpler in this version; you can no longer break your industrial and commercial taxes into sub-categories. This, however, turns out to be a boon rather than a detractor, and allows you to enjoy the sights of your city rather than having to concentrate on budget micro-management. It’s also nice that some of the building functions have been simplified, removing the need for mindless pointing and clicking. A good example of this is the power grid structure; you no longer have to absolutely sure that power lines traverse a given zone because power travels through zones. This removes all of the endless manipulation of your power lines, and frees up some cash for other cool infrastructure.
Most of the other features that were in SC2K have remained for this version, including city Ordinances that cover everything from an Aerospace Tax Incentive to Tire Recycling. All of these are important in the running of your city, and are far from window dressing in the management of your town. Happiness is now monitored through an Aura ranking rather than happiness rating, but ultimately it’s the same thing.
Other Stuff
There are plenty of cool additions to the overall gameplay, including landmarks from all over the world including the World Trade Center and the Taj Mahal. There are also special opportunities that’ll present themselves to you as you prosper, such as a Mayor’s house, and business advances such as a Defense Contractor or a Science Center.
Looking Good
Sim City 3000 will be a hit on the Mac, just as it has been on the PC. For hardcore Sim City aficionados this might not be the number one title to buy this year, but for most everyone else on the planet, Sim City 3000 is going to provide many, many hours of great gaming fun. Look for it sometime in June or early July.
