Introduction: Sim City has proved itself to be a classic formula. Not only is it a successful franchise in its own right, but it has also spawned other titles and, perhaps, a whole simulation genre. There is something fundamental within us that enjoys homemaking, yes even guys. Just look at a DIY store on a weekend and you'll see it packed with people from all walks of life. Sim city cleverly taps into this and lets us create challenging and life like worlds without the need to get our hands dirty or spending hundreds of pounds.

Sim City is a game built around a simple play experience. "If you build it they will come". There is a simple joy of laying down commercial, residential and industrial zones, adding some roads and electricity and watching the roads and building sites fill up with bustling life. It has an almost magical quality to it that we take for granted these days; no-one has told them to move in, the little simolians have decided for themselves that they want to live here.

GamePlay: Sim City DS is a miniature rendering of this popular game. It takes the PC Sim City 3000 and ports it to our handheld friend. They have made the decision to take this more nuanced and involved version of the game (as opposed to the simpler 2000 edition) as the basis for the conversion. This is something to be praised as they have avoided setting their game play sights too low.

The game manages its potentially steep learning curve by letting you learn on the job. As you slowly pick your way through the various screens and icons you have a little helper character that pops-up to help and suggest things for you to do. Whilst they are at times dangerously close to becoming the notorious Microsoft Paperclip that is so lambasted for his inappropriate intrusions and suggestions, they manage to do a pretty good job of assisting you in your various City project. Anyone who has played Sim City previously will feel this is a little heavy handed, but for the first time player it's a really useful addition.

Control: The touch screen is the real jewel in the crown of this game. Without the ability to interact physically like this with the ongoing city the game would feel a lot less visceral. Touching also provides the best approximation of the keyboard and mouse interaction we are used to with older Sim City games. The DS certainly seems well equipped for the game, the combination of the two screens and the touchable bottom screen are just crying out for games of this nature.

Graphics: Visually, the game holds its own although doesn't really excel. There has obviously been some processing on the various graphics as part of the port, and this has badly affected the clarity and intricacy of the different land plates and buildings. It is a shame, as this detracts from the overall thrill and experience of winning the larger installations for your city. This might be in part expectations that come from a high definition PC experience but even so I'm sure they realised this limitation during the development process. Ideally a more stylised approach would have fitted better with the overall DS aesthetic and dealt with the resolution issue, but that is a lot of tiny little houses an people to draw, in anyone's book.

Sound & Music: As with other Sim City games, the music isn't all that big a part of proceedings. The sound affects are much better however, adding that Sim City ambience to particular events and city growth as the game develops.

Dual Screen Use: Something that works very well in the transition from single screened PC to a dual screen hand held is that there is a natural split between the visual simulation and the graphs and charts that describe in detail what is going on. It is great to be able to have access to both of these aspects of the game at the same time and avoids the need for constantly swapping windows. This is enhanced further, as we have said above, by the second screen's touch sensitive function. The whole package is probably the best Sim City interface I have come across to date.

Final Comments: If you haven't already tasted the delights of town planning and city building, then this is a real treat. If you have played Sim City on another platform, then there is not a lot more for you here. That said, there is quite a buzz by being able to carry your city around with you in your pocket. It not only makes for more convenient play, but it also lets you implement those new planning ideas when you have the, which at the end of the day means that you get an awful lot more playing done. All in all this is a sturdy conversion of Sim City to the DS. Like many of these games, it could have been so much more. Perhaps with the upcoming MySims on Wii, we will see a Wii styled Sim City release as a follow up to this title. At least we have plenty of City sandbox play to keep us busy in the meantime.

Pro: A fully fledged City Simulator in your pocket.
Con: The sometimes grainy visuals detract from the joy of building.
Final Score: 7.8

Reviewed by: Douglas Andrews