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SimAnimals

EMAIL PRINT wii

1.7 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 13 critic reviews
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Based on 31 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: EA Redwood Shores

Genre(s): Simulation

Players: 4

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: January 21, 2009

Summary

Now, for the first time players can engage with the wild world of animals in their natural surroundings in an immersive and tactile way. In this game you are challenged to engage, touch, move and try to control a wide range of animals as you journey deeper and deeper into the forest. You control an on-screen animated hand that allows you to reach out and touch, pick up and move everything in the game from foxes and bears to trees and flowers. Cohabitate with these animals in their natural surroundings, and based on how you treat them, the animals will come to know and love – or dislike you. Have fun developing relationships with wild animals and their families, and experience the humor and drama of surviving in the wilderness. Wild animals abound. You will meet a host of friendly wild animals including deer, squirrels, rabbits, hedgehogs and owls. And also some mischievous characters like foxes, raccoons, badgers, crows and bears who love to stir up trouble. Get in the middle of the action as they all come together in your very own forest setting for a wild time. Solve challenges and achieve goals throughout the game, because the animals need you to help them thrive. Discover secrets, unlock forest areas and uncover one-of-a-kind objects and wild animals, some with special abilities, by successfully completing tasks. It's survival of the fittest, as you find out who the troublemakers are and who the good guys are to make sure everyone gets along – or not! In SimAnimals on the Wii, take up to three of your friends with you on a forest adventure in cooperative play mode! The forest, filled with exciting wildlife, is big enough for you and your pals. [Electronic Arts]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

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...

NGamer UK

A bit disappointing in terms of its presentation but we can recommend it to anyone with a hankering for an unusually sweet god game. [Mar 2009, p.54]

WonderwallWeb

A great solid title that may bore people with it’s repetitive nature. The DS version does it better.

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GamingXP

Kids and maybe some teens will have a good time. Nice side effect: The player learns some facts about the different animals.

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InsideGamer.nl

SimAnimals is EA's entertaining and uncomplicated answer tot Rare's Viva Piñata, made for those who aren't in the hardcore gaming scene and are looking for a pick-up-and-play game. You control every animal in the same way, and bit by bit the game explains you it's mechanics. The rusty and annoying control scheme however takes away a lot of the fun pretty soon in, making this a game nearly above average.

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NZGamer

The problem is that once you move past the initial learning curve, the strategy basically consists of planting plants, waggling around and keeping your animals happy. Ultimately, while collecting new animals is definitely appealing, and the baby animals are particularly cute, the game was too limited for it to be one that I’ll add to my collection and continue to play.

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Cheat Code Central

For the most part, it's simplistic and lighthearted animal-based gameplay is fun and enjoyable. However, the gameplay is just too basic to make this title more than just that, which is a shame when titles like "Viva Pinata" and "Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King" for the Wii offer better managerial-style gameplay.

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3DJuegos

SimAnimals is an original offer for the social games. The playability is not perfect, and the interaction with the animals need improve in some points. The game is focused for casual players but these players will find difficulty with the control. A great first step in this genre, but it needs to improve to get better results.

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Games Master UK

An inoffensive stroll through a dull park. Buy a ticket to the zoo instead. [Apr 2009, p.74]

Official Nintendo Magazine UK

SimAnimals is a good idea but with poor visuals and fiddly controls, this is a wasted opportunity.

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IGN

No effort has been put into the presentation here. The game doesn't run smoothly, the forest is unattractive, and the controls aren't user-friendly. Even if EA is aiming at kids here, they deserve a game that's easier to play and makes use of current graphics technology.

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Gamervision

There’s just not much more to say about it; there was potential here, but it just didn’t go anywhere. The animals aren’t characterized at all, and look and act about as bland as the game feels.

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SpazioGames

Simanimals' general failure is not only about bugs, but it’s related to a generally disappointing gameplay experience. It’s obviously dedicated to a young public, but this doesn’t make allowance for a quality level so low. Our advice, if you want to stick with the franchise, is to get yourself a copy of “My Sims Kingdom”, which will surely satisfy you much more.

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Teletext GameCentral

The very obvious problem with using The Sims template on animals is that they don't do very much all day expect eat, sleep and procreate.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 1.7 (out of 10) based on 31 User Votes

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

Jimmus Maximus gave it a5:
Awful. Like Viva Pinata without the animal variety, unlockables or gameplay. Simple mechanics (waggle controller - is that all developers can make a Wiimote do?) and too few popups or useful informative visual cues. Sure, you could keep the raccoons from eating all your squirrels, if you knew BEFORE it already happened. No thanks, Maxis - Viva Pinata was frustrating and difficult, but at least it was also fun.

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SimAnimals

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