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This launch game for SNES proved that the console had more to offer than expected 

Will Wright’s Sim City was a huge hit on home computers in the late 80s, so it was quite surprising when the game was announced for the brand-new SNES. This was actually the very first home console port of the game. No doubt the game was meant to appeal more to adults, as this is a much more methodical and relaxing game, offering some thinking and strategy that most kids would not be able to perform. Of course, the game is also simple enough that kids could come to understand the main concepts and enjoy it for themselves. Let’s analyze this classic and see if it still holds up. 

The gameplay is solid, although there is a learning curve here. At first you might not understand what to do, but once you understand, it’s a lot of fun. There are a lot of aspects to running a city, as this game shows. There are three main zones to construct—residential, commercial, and industrial. Balancing these three is key. You have to first put down a power plant and then connect power lines to each of the zones. You also have to connect roads or railways in order for travel. Along the way, you’ll have to balance the budget, take care of taxes, listen to the residents, and handle pollution. It sounds like work, but it’s all very fun, especially when you figure out how it all works. Also, the controls work well. The user interface offers everything you need. It would have been nice to be able to use the SNES mouse, but this game pre-dated the accessory. Still, the game is made with the d-pad in mind, and it’s not a problem to use it. 

This is a very colorful game. When you start, you choose a map, and they vary—some have more water, or more trees, or whatever. As you construct your city, the sprites are very small, but when they are put together, they make a very nice looking city. Tall sky scrapers, smoking factories, tiny houses, and little vehicles moving between areas—it’s all quite adorable. 

The game actually offers you guidance as you need it in the form of Mr. Wright, a green-haired man who shows up every now and then to tell you something useful (and he helps lend some personality to the game too). There is a practice mode, which is very useful for first time players, as it tells you exactly what to do. If you jump into making a city without understanding what to do, you’ll find yourself in trouble pretty quick. What’s amazing about Sim City is the fact that it actually teaches you about infrastructure, taxes, pollution, and the like. Of course, managing these in real life would be much more difficult. Natural disasters will also strike your city from time to time, keeping you on your toes. They even have a Godzilla-sized Bowser coming to wreak havoc on the city, which is a great nod to Nintendo’s mascot. 

Sim City is not a flashy game, which is perfectly fine. It’s a relaxing game that you can enjoy at your own pace. It’s great to see your city grow from a fledging village to a mega metropolis, and there is a great sense of accomplishment when you see it all. “I did this! This city is the work of my hands!” It’s a wonderful feeling. 

The music is often very relaxing, allowing you to just enjoy yourself. However, the same song tends to loop over and over for an extended time, which gets a little old after awhile. The sounds are minimal, but once the city starts bustling a bit, you can hear faint noises of vehicles and things happening down within the city. 

This is the kind of game you could sink a lot of time into. You never really beat the game, I suppose, until your city becomes a thriving metropolis that is able to survive on its own. But it could take some time to get to that point. And should you finally do it, it’s always fun to start over and build a different kind of city. Since 1991, there have been a lot of ports and updated versions of Sim City, even on Nintendo consoles. And yet there is something special about Sim City on SNES. It’s still addicting and entertaining today. Nintendo didn’t do a lazy port, they put their heart and soul into this one, and it shows. 

Final Verdict--4 Stars: Recommended 

Sim City is a lot of fun, and it’s a different kind of fun from Super Mario World or F-Zero, but that’s okay. There’s enough room in the world for all of these experiences. True, the game is a bit dated now, but it doesn’t really hurt the game; in fact, it makes it quite endearing. The graphics, sound, and personality of Sim City make it something special. There’s nothing quite like it, and Mr. Wright would agree: it still stands tall among the landscape of the SNES library.