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> Results: Sims: Bustin' Out
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The Sims appeals to people who want a people simulator, a virtual doll house, and there are a lot of people who want that kind of game. Well now The Sims have come to the Game Boy Advance, an idea so obvious itﾒs a wonder they didnﾒt do it before. The make the transition from PCs and console systems to pocket gaming, Maxis has shrunk the scope of the game significantly. Itﾒs less a doll house now, but itﾒs still about relationships, careers, paths, and personal growth. Itﾒs still about going to the bathroom on time as well. The GBA version puts you in control of a single Sim, male or female, and totally customizable in terms of appearance and basic statistics. Your Sim is visiting her/his uncle out in the sticks. A small rural valley that consists of a farm and a small town in a pleasant little place called SimValley. This narrower focus makes the game play a bit more like Animal Crossing than The Sims, but it works. The gameplay is still addictive and people who enjoy their virtual people will find themselves compulsively playing this GBA version.  You begin by kissing up to your uncle and eventually he lets you grab a bunch of furniture from the backyard, and set up shop inside the barn. You have to place, Tetris style, a Fridge, bed, couch, TV, and a statue of a wooden chicken. Your character has miraculously deep pockets, he can store multiple chickens or a refrigerator in them, and most of your tasks revolve around mini-arcade games or step and fetch missions. The arcade games include a low mowing game, cliff diving, and flinging drinks at customers in the bar. Some of the minigames are so much fun youﾒll repeat them endlessly for the extra cash, others are really annoying. There are several career paths and building relationships is important and interesting. Eventually youﾒll amass the cash to move away from the farm and live in town; you can find a roommate and even a pet at that point. Of course youﾒll always have to attend to your Sims needs. That means timely bathroom breaks, frequent feedings, ample rest, some entertainment, relationships, and more, or your Sim will be reduced to a quivering pile that canﾒt get anything done. You have to manage your money as well. And of course, youﾒve got the clock to contend with as well. Many tasks are timed and the clock never stops, you donﾒt have control of it like you do in other versions of the game. Bustinﾒ Out for GBA has almost nothing in common with the new console version of the same name. But you can transfer data between the GBA version and the GameCube version if you like. The Sims: Bustinﾒ Out has a nice little graphics engine. All characters are well animated and the writing is decent. The sound is tinny and, fortunately, they donﾒt go overboard with the Simglish nonsense words, there are just a few cues now and then to help indicate whether someone is amused or annoyed with your behavior. Itﾒs not the kind of game that will win over people not interested in Sims or games where the goals are as open-ended as they are here, but Sims fans and young teens will eat this one up. The Sims have moved to handheld gaming! And a new franchise is born.  Kid Factor Kids, even boys, like doll houses. The idea that they have control over a virtual life appeals to them on some level. Since the GBA Bustinﾒ Out offers so much more control over the virtual life (you also canﾒt let your Sim died horribly ﾖ as some Sim-players are wont to do) the result is a more focused game. Thereﾒs some mild flirting involved with the game but very little that will offend. There is a lot of reading, so keep that in mind. Reviewerﾒs Recommended Ages: 10+ ESRB: E-Everyone Developer: Maxis Producer: Electronic Arts Reviewer: Andrew S. Bub Score: 4.5 of 5 Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Sims: Bustin' Out |
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