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SimCity 4: Rush Hour (2003)
SimCity 4 only gets better
To date, this is the only expansion for SimCity 4. Personally, I find it to be a very good expansion to what is already a good game. I am not going to tell you everything that is in it but just give a few small spoilers about what I find to be major assets.
Visually and aurally, the game has the same high quality in computer graphics and sound. In fact, I would say on the closest zoom, the graphics are even better than in the original SimCity 4.
From the title, you would not be wrong in thinking that it had something to do with transport. It adds new means of transport. Instead of building massive bridges that drain your city budget, you can add ferries for your Sims to cross that river. If you would rather your Sims used public transport instead of driving their own cars, why not place a few toll booths on your congested roads? Either way, through road tolls or public transport fares, if they are well placed, your funds will go up.
The biggest addition is now being able to drive almost all means of transport. The U-Drive-It missions are optional but these can help you get some rewards ahead of schedule. From fighting crime on and even above the ground to even piloting a speedboat, this lets you get up close and personal with your Sims.
The "My Sim" option from the original SimCity 4 has also been improved. If you do not like where you live, you can move house. Also, if you are being told about how bad the commute is to work, you can find your Sim a job closer to home. You can also ask any Sim on the street what they think of where they are and they will tell you. You do not need a qualification in Simlish. The icons above their head will tell you what they are happy or unhappy with.
For those who found SimCity 4 difficult, there are now three levels of difficulty with different starting funds. Easy or Medium does make it a lot easier to get established. There are also new structures, such as larger schools, which I find very useful for when a one regular-sized school is not enough to cover a zone of high-rise tenements.
Both the Rush Hour expansion pack and SimCity 4 can be found together in SimCity 4 De Luxe.
SimCity 4 (2003)
The best city simulation yet
I would not really say this is a spoiler as such. Apart from accidentally erasing one of your own cities, how can you spoil something you ultimately create yourself? This is more a tool for people to create their own urban masterpieces than something to sit and watch.
As a piece of visual art, SimCity 4 (SC4) is an excellent piece of work and a piece of interactive entertainment (this is more than a game), it is easy to learn but can be difficult to master. There is so much to keep your eye on and it is not easy pleasing all of your Sims all of the time without bankrupting your city treasury.
From the furthest zoom where you can see your city overall down to even looking down on a city street and seeing Sims going about their business, the graphics are excellent. They are also relative to what you have in that area too. Chaingangs near jails, soldiers near army bases, business people in your commercial regions, children near schools. Also, when day gradually turns to night, you see the streetlights go on and the road vehicles turn their headlights on also.
Soundwise, the different areas of your city have the appropriate noises. In an industrial area, you will hear the sound of factories hard at work. In a farming region, you may hear the sound of animals and if you have an army base, you will hear your troops training.
As I said before, there is so much to consider but it is worth working on and sticking with. Also, with a large online community fan base, there is always something new for you to add to your game to either make it easier to play or even more realistic.
The De Luxe Version even has more to it and I recommend that even more. Now I have said how much I like it, please excuse me while I get back to the work of being a Sim mayor and deal with the gridlock in my inner city.