Game Review - by Jeremiah Pratt
For years Maxis has been know as the king of Sims games. You ask why the reason being the popular SimCity Series. Now EA has taken over the duties' of SimCity and did a good job at it.

As Mayor, your job is twofold. You are charged with creating a city that brings your dreams to life, but you also have to provide a good life for your Sims. "What is a Sim?" you ask. All of the little folks that live in all of the little SimCities in that huge SimNation, they're all Sims and you're their new Mayor. But you're so much more that just their Mayor. You control their destinies. Sure, they can do some things on their own, but it's up to you to give them a nice place to live, to work, to raise their families, to pursue happiness, and all of those other things they should be allowed to do. Just remember-If you don't give them what they're looking for, there's always some other Mayor out there who will and Sims can be quick to leave for greener pastures.

Features:
You'll be pleased with more than easy interface and features. Like previous versions of the game you are able to build residential, commercial, and industrial areas. You are also given rewards when population hits certain s. A new and interesting feature is the addition of lands, you can have anything from the Eiffel Tower to the Empire State building, and the great part about it all is it is FREE. Maxis has also put in the addition of pre-made terrains that resemble actual areas around the world for you to build upon. The newspaper idea has been trashed and a constant news ticker is given. This ticker becomes more eventful in the future as it relays important info constantly. The buttons and in game menu are designed for anybody. Large buttons represent separate functions necessary to play.

Graphics:
The Graphics have taken a boost since SimCity2000; each structure is finely detailed. The game is so detailed that you are even able to see people and traffic flowing through your city. You can even turn off those annoying grid lines if you want to see the city as a plane flying overhead would, this is a great effect and excellent for looking at as well. The reason for the excellent graphics is the support for resolutions and video cards. Being able to use your 2d card in Direct3D is plus. Mainly because first if your not a voodoo2 user, and secondly you can run resolutions as high as 1280X1024+. Resulting in the Direct3D looking better than Voodoo2, the buildings and such are in finer detail. Although the voodoo2 sports a fuzzy navel look, it gives you the lighter colors and glossy look.

Sound FX:
The SoundFX, are rocking so many things to hear in so little time. With Support for Creative's EAX audio your be treated with a bonus ethereal sounds. Plus with so many ambient sounds in SimCity3000, there's never a dull day. As for the Musical Track, man it is good mix. Ranging from, hip upbeat pop to Smooth Jazz, and Good Ole Country.

Gameplay:
The Gameplay hasn't changed from the other SimCity Series. It is still easy to build and even easier to destroy. The Manual and in-game tutorials are more than enough to get you on your way. If you get bored you still have the power to unleash Diasters upon your city. But don't leave your Sims hanging; at least set off the warning alarm. So you ask yourself what makes this game so hot, it's just like the others, well any one with a brain and knowledge of SimCity knows that this game has replay value, and much more. You can never build the same city twice. Plus, Maxis has set up a web site where you can download, maps, landscapes and more.

Overall:
The game is successful addition to the SimCity Series. Added are some in game tweaks not noticeable until play. Plus the video card support gets a big thumb ups. The SoundFX rock the house with a music track worth its salt. Don't even explain gameplay it explains its self. If you're one for addicting Sim games that suck the hours away this is the one. Even if you're not that person it's worth a look trust me.