Honestly, are there people out there who don’t own any SimCity games? I guess there is since EA decided to release The SimCity Box. GameSpot believes it to be a great solution if you want to try to convert someone to a SimCity fan. At least it makes an easy birthday/christmas present.
Together, these four games make The SimCity Box a worthwhile value, if only because there’s so much gameplay for a good price. SimCity 4, the oldest game of the bunch, still looks good and sounds great, so there’s no reason to shy away if you’re worried about the dated visuals. The pair of Societies titles looks better by today’s standards, though the frame rate can get a little rough in a city packed with structures and decorations. All four of them benefit from a good deal of charm, from the oft-hilarious news tickers to the dramatic-looking disasters that can lay your city to waste. As for the fifth included game, Sims Carnival: SnapCity, it’s best to ignore it completely and hope it goes away. It’s a weird and boring mixture of Tetris and SimCity, and as interesting as that sounds, you shouldn’t play it.
It’s too bad that The SimCity Box isn’t more historically relevant: A package including SimCity 2000, SimCity 3000, and SimCity 4 (and their add-ons) would have made for a fantastic, entertaining look at an important game universe. Thankfully, four of the five titles included provide enough value and entertainment to be worth the price, so if you’re looking for a broad introduction to the SimCity series, this is a good way to start.
