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SimCity DS

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6.8 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 27 critic reviews
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Based on 13 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: Electronic Arts

Genre(s): Simulation, City Building

Players: Multi

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: June 19, 2007

Summary

True to the SimCity series, players can create and control their city in the palm of their hands...and more. Maximizing the stylus and built-in microphone controls of the Nintendo DS, SimCity DS brings to the franchise like never before the feeling of personal involvement with your city - from blowing into the microphone to put out fires in the city to signing off on mayoral proclamations with your stylus. By enabling the players to communicate with each other, the "wireless data exchange" feature brings additional interactivity into the game. As an added bonus to SimCity fans around the world, the game also offers a wide array of recognizable international landmarks to spice up your city. [Electronic Arts]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central GameFAQs

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Games Master UK

A great game strongly converted to its ideal system - but it's not as flexible as it could be. [Aug 2007, p.68]

Official Nintendo Magazine UK

Once the training is out of the way, you'll lose yourself for hours on end. [Aug 2007, p.80]

Game Informer

Though SimCity DS isn’t perfect, it liberally taps that latent SimCity addiction found in everyone’s brain.

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Worth Playing

You'll have to play through at least 10 cities before you see everything the game has to offer, and no other simulation title provides the amount of details and complexity that SimCity DS does.

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GameBrink

It's good to have Sim City available when you’re on the move and if you ever want to go back to the game in the distant future, you don’t have to install the game again and deal with compatibility issues! [JPN Import]

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NGamer UK

Just what the DS should be doing. As long as it's done right. Which it is. Ropey disaster minigames and the odd niggle aside, this is right up our street. [May 2007, p.62]

VideoGamer

With a cursory wireless mode that lets you share the famous landmarks you have unlocked with other players, and a number of new buildings and concerns, this is definitely worth the money for anyone with an interest in simulations.

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Nintendo Power

If you've never played a SimCity game, ask yourself if you like the process of building things or if you like things that are already built. If your answer is the former, SimCity DS is for you. [Aug 2007, p.88]

Cheat Code Central

The gameplay is addictive, and the controls are about as good as the PC and Mac versions. The graphics are painfully lacking, but don't make it difficult to play, they just make it less rewarding.

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DarkStation

Taking a trip down memory lane with this classic sim on the handheld was a quite decent experience, aside from the DS' small screen and dated visuals.

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GameSpot

The DS version of the popular city builder uses the original's foundation and builds a sturdy but cramped game on top of it.

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IGN

With some tweaking to the gameplay this could have been a really solid SimTown sequel, something that kids could get into. For now this title is really only for people who have been jonesing for their real estate management fix.

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Play.tm

If only it had received the sort of touch generation's look and feel recently applied to titles such as Picross DS or Puzzle League, then this could have eclipsed even the PC title.

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Gamer 2.0

It's just that this game really isn't meant for on-the-go gaming. In fact, no Sim game is. Sim games are for the couch potato-type gamers, and playing SimCity DS while on the road will lead to problems, not pleasure.

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Gaming Horizon

Simply put, SimCity doesn’t seem to work well on the DS and makes you realize that a good idea can be implemented unsuccessfully.

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Armchair Empire

All things considered, SimCity may have just been too big to fit on a handheld. That said, if you can cope with the limitation of one save slot and some small text and graphics, SimCity DS might be worth it check out.

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PALGN

SimCity DS is classic SimCity, but with a cluttered interface and a bunch of other minor annoyances.

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1UP

Dedicated SimCity fans will definitely appreciate the effort, but otherwise, consider this a reminder that just because you can do something doesn't necessarily mean that you should.

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Electronic Gaming Monthly

Take this as a reminder that just because you can put SimCity on the DS doesn't mean you should. [July 2007, p.93]

Pocket Gamer UK

So-so graphics, a poor saving capability and too few modes make SimCity DS a distinctly average version of what should have been a much more enjoyable experience.

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Eurogamer

While it's obvious that, in theory, SimCity can be done on the DS, in practice it could have been done a lot better with a lot less wackiness and a little more depth.

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G4 TV

Where SimCity DS starts to crumble is in its pedestrian presentation, with buildings as vibrant as a wet newspaper and animation bordering on non-existent.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

Those who are able to get to grips with SimCity DS’ convoluted and tedious controls may find that they’re able to see through the clutter and enjoy what remains of 3000 on their handhelds – the game does remain somewhere underneath the torture of its implementation.

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GameSpy

The multiplayer features in SimCity DS are so disappointing that one might start wondering about the exact meaning of the word "multiplayer" itself as seen on the back of the box.

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Gamestyle

Ultimately, SimCity DS feels like a compromise, with none of its features really sitting comfortably on Nintendo’s handheld.

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Game Almighty

All of the negatives to be found in SimCity DS are terribly unfortunate as all of the elements that made SimCity a classic are here, unfortunately hampered by ill-conceived design choices and a total lack of style.

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games(TM)

It’s far too easy to tap on a square that’s actually adjacent to where you thought you were planting a tree/erecting a power station. [May 2007, p.125]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 6.8 (out of 10) based on 13 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Blue Falcon gave it a4:
Out of all vesions of sim city i have tried, this is my least favorite by far. It's got all the great sim city content from the past (and more), but it's ruined by a bad view of the action, poor controls, and an annoying 'advisor'.

Jordan B. gave it an8:
Good game although there isn't a big enough plot to make a city.

Carl R. gave it a10:
The negative reviews just prove that journalists are out of touch with video game players these days. The only things they rate really high are the hard core shooters and action games. This game really captures the great SimCity gameplay of lore. If you liked SimCity, or think you would, this is the game for you. It's really fun!

sega goops gave it a9:
Love this game . I have been playing it everyday since purchase . Took a minute to get comfortable using the ds after playing it on pc for so long but now and essential part to my collection . top notch. destroys travel time.

Tim C. gave it a7:
Not perfect. Delivers the fun of old school SimCity, but in an ugly and annoying package. The bad: The advisors and townspeople are completely obnoxious. You'll have to sit through a dozen screens of bad jokes about highschoolers and nerds just to find out what your townspeople want from you. The news ticker moves so incredibly slow that its rendered completely useless, and just wastes valuable screen real estate. The music is pretty terrible, but thankfully you can shut it off and keep the sound effects on. The graphics are some of the worst I've seen on the DS. Houses and buildings don't look like much of anything, regardless if you're zoomed in or not. And I really don't know what they were thinking with those big-head character designs. The good: It's SimCity. One of the most fun and addictive games I've ever played. And it's portable. The DS controls fit the game perfectly. Drawing roads, parks, and zones is much simpler with a stylus than it ever was on the PC. This has become my game of choice for my 10 minute bus ride to and from work. Despite all its shortcomings, the gameplay is still as fun as it always was, and that makes this a recommendable purchase in my book. But it could have been so much better.

Tom W. gave it a9:
Still a great game for those who love the genre...Don't listen to the bad reviews if you liked the other simcity games!

RC R. gave it a6:
It's understandable that the game is pared down to fit on a handheld, but too much is lost in the translation for me to keep this one in the library. Part of the joy of Sim City 4 is the plethora of information at your fingertips to troubleshoot and optimize your city's growth. The DS version offers little more than vague maps and graphs to determine the effects of your city planning. Another big negative is the neighbor deals feature. Having to renew your trash export contract every 5 years is tedious and unnecessary. Lastly, the lack of model variety does reduce the excitement of watching the city mature. All in all, decent if you're not in love with Sim City 4 on the PC.

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SimCity DS

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What The Critics Said

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