SimCity 2000
Gameplay
A screenshot of a city during an intermediate stage of the game.
The unexpected and enduring success of the original
SimCity, combined with the relative lack of success with other "
Sim" titles, finally motivated the
development of a
sequel.
SimCity 2000 was a major extension of the concept. It now has a
near-isometric dimetric view (similar to the earlier Maxis-published
A-Train)
[3] instead of overhead, land could have different
elevations, and underground layers were introduced for
water pipes and
subways.
New types of facilities include
prisons,
schools,
libraries,
museums,
marinas,
hospitals and
arcologies. Players can build
highways,
roads,
bus depots,
railway tracks, subways,
train depots and zone land for
seaports and
airports. There are a total of nine varieties of power plants in
SimCity 2000, including
coal,
oil,
natural gas,
nuclear,
wind turbines,
hydroelectric dams (which can only be placed on
waterfall tiles), solar and the futuristic
fusion power and
satellite microwave
plant. Most types of power plants have a limited life span and must be
rebuilt periodically. Players can build highways to neighboring cities
to increase trade and the population.
The budget and finance controls are also much more elaborate—tax
rates can be set individually for residential, commercial and industrial
zones. Enacting city ordinances and connecting to neighboring cities
became possible. The budget controls are very important in running the
city effectively.
Another new addition in
SimCity 2000 is the query tool.
Using the query tool on tiles reveals information such as structure name
and type, altitude, and land value. Certain tiles also display
additional information; power plants, for example, display the
percentage of power being consumed when queried, and querying roads
displays the amount of traffic on that tile. Querying a library and
selecting "Ruminate" displays an essay written by
Neil Gaiman.
[4]
Graphics were added for buildings under construction in the
residential, commercial, and industrial zones, as well as darkened
buildings depicting abandoned buildings as a result of
urban decay.
News comes in the form of several pre-written
newspaper
articles with variable names that could either be called up immediately
or could be subscribed to on a yearly basis. The newspaper option
provided many humorous stories as well as relevant ones, such as new
technology, warnings about aging power plants, recent
disasters and
opinion polls (highlighting city problems).
SimCity 2000 is the only game in the entire series to have this feature (besides the discontinued children's version,
SimTown), though newer versions have a
news ticker. The newspapers had random titles (
Times,
Post,
Herald, etc.), and prices based on the simulated year. Certain newspapers have a special monthly humor
advice column by "Miss Sim". Some headlines have no purpose whatsoever in the game, such as "Bald Radio Found" or "Frog Convention".
An infobox showing information about a selected element.
Though there is no "true" victory sequence in
SimCity 2000, the "
exodus"
is a close parallel. An "exodus" occurs during the year 2051 or later,
when 300 or more Launch Arcologies are constructed; the following
January each one "takes off" into space so that their inhabitants can
form new civilizations on distant worlds.
[5]
This reduces the city's population to those who are not living in the
Launch Arcologies, but it also opens wide areas for redevelopment and
returns their construction cost to the city treasury. This is related to
the event in
SimEarth where all cities are moved into rocket-propelled
domes that then leave to "found new worlds" (leaving no sentient life behind).
The game also included several playable scenarios, in which the
player must deal with a disaster (in most, but not all scenarios) and
rebuild the city to meet a set of victory conditions. These were based
in versions of real-life cities, and some were based on real events such
as the
Oakland firestorm of 1991, the 1989
Hurricane Hugo in
Charleston, South Carolina, the
Great Flood of 1993 in
Davenport, Iowa, or dealing with the
1970s economic recession in
Flint, Michigan—but also included more fanciful ones such as a "monster" destroying
Hollywood in 2001. More scenarios added with the
SCURK included a nuclear meltdown in
Manhattan in 2007.
Expansion
Editing a building in the SimCity Urban Renewal Kit.
In 1994, Maxis released an
expansion pack to
SimCity 2000 called
Scenarios Vol. I: Great Disasters,
which included new scenarios based on a number of possible disasters.
These disasters generally destroy the city and require the player to
rebuild the city. They include: A
UFO attack, two
nuclear meltdown
scenarios, two major chemical spill scenarios, a large flood, a major
hurricane, two firestorm scenarios, a volcano, an earthquake, a high
power microwave beam misfire, riots, and a typhoon.
Alongside the
Great Disasters Scenarios package came the introduction of a separate toolset called the
SimCity Urban Renewal Kit (
SCURK
for short). It enabled players to modify the images used in-game to
represent various buildings in much the same manner as general image
manipulation software. The player was able to create basic bitmap files
of a standard size with a standard 256 color palette. The use of limited
palette cycling, which permitted animation, was also possible.
A number of pre-altered graphics packages were distributed,
including some which replaced the reward buildings with images of
various well known international buildings, such as the
Eiffel Tower, but most buildings were made by fan-artists and shared on the Internet. Several
SCURK designs influenced the designs of
SimCity 3000's original buildings. The cities made in SCURK can be saved and used for
SimCity 2000. SCURK would also pave way to a hobby of creating custom cities for
SimCopter and
Streets of SimCity.
Ports and special editions
SimCity 2000
has been released on a wide range of platforms and version since its
debut in 1993, ranging from ports of personal computers and video game
consoles, to special editions.
SimCity 2000 Special Edition
A re-packaged version of
SimCity 2000,
SimCity 2000 Special Edition (also known as the
CD Collection), was released in February 7, 1995
[6] for
Microsoft Windows and
DOS PCs. In addition to containing
All expansions, it also featured the
SimCity Urban Renewal Kit,
the Vol. 1 scenario pack, remade music, new cities selected by Maxis
from a 1994 competition, bonus scenarios and cities, and movies.
[7]
The movies were a first for Maxis;
SimCity 2000-SE was the first "Sim" game to feature
produced videos. These videos included the introduction movie and four commentary videos by
Will Wright; the latter were accessed via the "WillTV" application that came with the game.
In December 2014 Electronic Arts offered SimCity 2000 Special
Edition as a free download for an unspecified limited time. Unlike the
original release versions of the game, this downloadable version
requires connectivity to the Electronic Arts servers for saves and
gameplay.
[8][9]
SimCity 2000 Network Edition
SimCity 2000 Network Edition,
sometimes unofficially referred to as the "Gold Edition", was released
in 1996 for Windows only. The game features slightly different gameplay
in network mode, where mayors may start with more money, but must buy
land before building upon it. Players (up to 4
[10]) of the Network Edition have the ability to share in-game resources and to compete or cooperate with other cities.
[11]
This version also features a revamped
user interface. Instead of a static
toolbar, items are accessed via cascading menus from the right of the screen, resulting in more screen real-estate for
SimCity itself, without sacrificing functionality.
SimCity 2000 (RISC OS)
A port for Acorn
RISC OS was released in 1995. The conversion was performed by
Krisalis Software which had ported the original SimCity to the platform. Music differed from the original's.
SimCity 2000 (Sega Saturn)
The first console version of the game, one of the first games announced for the Sega Saturn,
[12] and one of the first titles for the American Sega Saturn, it was released in fall of 1995.
This version had several changes. The game has enhanced graphics
for all buildings. The buildings will change at the year of 1950 and
2000. There are also 3D animations displayed for each building in the
building query windows. The scenarios from the Great Disasters expansion
packs are included.
[13]
The gameplay remains the same for the most part. Instead of the Braun
Llama Dome, there is a Space Terminal which assist the launching of the
Arco. The arco can be seen launching from the city along with a special
animated video. There are several new animated videos. The opening
sequence displays a scene of the Alien/Monster chasing a Launch Arco in
space.
SimCity 2000 (PlayStation)
The
PlayStation
version of the game is based on the Saturn version, however with some
features removed and others added. This version was released on the
PlayStation Network in Europe for both
PSP and
PS3 on November 20, 2008 and in North America on Aug 28, 2009.
This version features the same graphics as the Saturn version,
however the city does not evolve. The only additions are new scenarios
from Great Disasters scenario pack, including one that involves a new
volcano forming in
Portland
(destroying most of the city, and requiring the mayor to rebuild it).
The Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. scenarios are on the disk but
are not used.
The port also allows the player to tour their city from a car's perspective and has a
full motion video intro. The graphics are identical to
SimCopter.
SimCity 2000 (Nintendo 64)
A Japan-only release of
SimCity 2000 for the
Nintendo 64 in 1997, produced and published by Imagineer Co., Ltd.
It featured some additional features, mainly mini-games, a dating
game, TV to replace the newspaper, horse races and monster breeding,
among others, all of them in 3D. A few new "natural" disasters were also
included, most of them being giant monster attacks (players were able
to use their monster to fight against them).
SimCity 64
Another Japan-only release,
SimCity 64 was based on the SimCity 2000 game but was heavily customized for the
Nintendo 64DD
game system. The ability to view the city at night was added,
pedestrian level free-roaming of a city, and individual road vehicles
and pedestrians controlled by their own AI wandered the player's city.
Cities in the game are also presented in much more advanced 3D graphics,
making SimCity 64 the first
true 3D SimCity game.
SimCity 2000 (Super Nintendo Entertainment System/Super Famicom)
This port was released in North America in late 1996, near the end of the Super Nintendo's life span.
[14] There were a lot of losses and differences from the original version.
The scrolling screen takes much longer to scroll and the in-game controls were modified. As in the previous
SimCity
title, there is no SNES Mouse support. Riots and volcanoes were
removed. Also, the SNES port omits the cheat codes, limits the city maps
to six, has no difficulty setting and includes only five generic
scenarios. There is only one save slot. There is only one newspaper for
the whole city, no matter what size that the city is. The game has fewer
songs than the original PC version.
In addition, the stock photographs were replaced with more
Japanese anime/manga-like pictures. This is the only port of the game to
feature such pictures. All team names, city names, and mayor names were
limited to 8 characters, whereas the PC version allows for up to 32
characters. There are additional gifts: a bigger city hall at 1,000,000
population, a TV station at 2,000,000 population, and a rocket launching
pad at 3,000,000 population. The player can see an actual launch of a
single launch arco by achieving 5,000,000 population in the last
scenario.
SimCity 2000 (Game Boy Advance)
Released by Zoo Digital in 2003,
SimCity 2000
for the Game Boy Advance featured most of the same content as previous
versions, but several features are omitted, such as launch arcos. There
is no water system, but it is unknown whether this was to make it a
better portable experience or because of technical limitations.
Reception
In the United States,
SimCity 2000 was the ninth best-selling computer game between 1993 and 1999, selling 1.4 million units.
[16] During 1996 alone, it achieved sales of 500,000 copies.
[17] According to
PC Data,
SimCity 2000 SE was the United States' 20th-best-selling computer game during the January–November 1998 period.
[18]
Computer Gaming World's reviewer, an author of a book on the first
SimCity, wrote in 1994 that
SimCity 2000
for Macintosh offered "plenty of new challenges", fixed "virtually
every criticism I leveled at the game" in the book, and "is without
question a superior program". He concluded that it was "more fun than
the original
SimCity ... It's Sim-ply irresistible".
[19] The magazine said that the CD version's "multimedia enhancements make for a more accessible and enjoyable product".
[20]
SimCity 2000 was named Best Simulation at the 1994
Codie awards, the fifth win in a row for Maxis.
[21] It was a runner-up for
Computer Gaming World's Strategy Game of the Year award in June 1994, losing to
Master of Orion.
The editors wrote, "This advanced city simulator adds many of the
features and considerations that were previously lacking in the original
SimCity."
[22] It was also a finalist for
Electronic Entertainment's 1993 "Best Game" award, which ultimately went to
X-Wing.
[23]
In 1994
PC Gamer US named
SimCity 2000 the 7th best computer game ever,
[24] and
PC Gamer UK named it the best computer game of all time, writing, "Near perfect in conception and execution,
SimCity 2000 does what most games never even dream of."
[25] In 1996,
Next Generation
listed the personal computer versions as number 33 on their "Top 100
Games of All Time", calling it "easily one of the most enthralling games
playable."
[26] In August 2016,
SimCity 2000 placed 13th on
Time's The 50 Best Video Games of All Time list.
[27]
Console ports
Famitsu magazine's Reader Cross Review gave the Super Famicom version of the game a 6 out of 10.
[30] Andromeda of
GamePro
commented that it suffers from an awkward control interface and
repetitive music, but offers more than the Super NES version of the
original and is an overall worthwhile purchase for simulation fans.
[35]
Ed Lomas of
Sega Saturn Magazine
criticized the slow scrolling in the Saturn port but applauded the game
itself for its depth, realism, and addictiveness, calling it "one of
the few games that appeals to just about everyone. It ... has the
strange ability to convert full-time
arcade shooter fans into around the clock
urban planners with a sense of
civic duty."
[34] A reviewer for
Maximum
commented that the Saturn port contains all the considerable content of
the PC version and is good fun to play, but has worse graphics and more
slowdown than the PC version does, even when running on computers which
are much less powerful than the Saturn.
[31]
A reviewer for
Next Generation said that the Saturn
version "is a carbon copy of the latest installment of this
city-planning simulation game, and, as such, it carries with it the
monstrously addictive quality and absorbing challenge of all
SimCity games." He said that the one major problem is the Saturn version's lack of mouse support.
[32] GamePro's brief review said that the expanded menu "bogs Sim City [
sic] 2000 down a little" but that the game would still be enjoyable for fans of the series.
[36]
The four reviewers of
Electronic Gaming Monthly applauded the PlayStation version for including mouse support, declaring the game the
killer app for the
PlayStation Mouse.
They criticized the port's interface and low resolution graphics, which
Dan Hsu felt were enough to ruin the game, but were unanimously pleased
with the addictive simulation gameplay.
[29] A reviewer for
Next Generation said the game is "a true, if uninspired, descendant" of the original
SimCity.
He praised the addition of the 3D "ride-through" feature in the
PlayStation version, but complained of the clunky interface when using
the PlayStation joypad.
[33] Scary Larry of
GamePro
contended that the slow and confusing interface of the PlayStation
conversion ruin any enjoyment that might be found in the game.
[37] IGN
staff erroneously criticized the PlayStation version for lacking mouse
support, and said the game doesn't compare well to other simulation
titles, but nonetheless assessed it as "worth it" for fans of the genre.
[28]
Legacy
In December 2012, the
Museum of Modern Art acquired
SimCity 2000 to its
permanent collection of video games. As one of the more complex and longer games in the exhibition, the game is presented as a specially designed demo.
[38][39]
Several games were released as spinoffs to
SimCity 2000.
- SimHealth – Released in 1994, the game simulated President Bill Clinton's healthcare reform proposals for the US; designed for a niche audience at best, the simulation never achieved great popularity. It featured a user interface that resembled a city in SimCity 2000.[citation needed]
- SimCopter – An arcade helicopter flight simulator based on the cities of SimCity 2000, SimCopter was published in 1996. It had the capability of importing SimCity 2000
cities and allowing the user to pilot a helicopter around them and
accomplish missions such as rescuing people or putting out a fire.
- Streets of SimCity – Published in 1997, Streets of SimCity was a racing game based on the SimCopter engine. In addition to racing, it also featured courier missions and vehicular combat.
