PocketGamer – SimCity Deluxe for mobile preview

PocketGamer shares with us new details on EA’s SimCity Deluxe coming to mobile phones on May 12. Could an iPhone release be right around the corner? I sure hope so!

Having had a brief look at a near-finished build recently, this enhancement is most apparent in the game’s visuals. The familiar isometric viewpoint is sharper and more vibrant than before, with attractive touches such as shadows cast by clouds.

There’s also a hat-full of new animations to bring your city alive, such as aircraft buzzing around the skies. With the ability to enable disasters in Freeplay mode, we couldn’t resist asking if volcano activity inhibited this air travel at all. It seems it doesn’t, but EA is promising plenty of other neat features instead.

Aside from the aforementioned Freeplay mode, which allows you to build your city unrestrained, there’s a Scenario mode that reins in the freedom a little and gives you clearly defined goals (such as reaching a certain population level). It’s ideal for mobile play, as well as for introducing newcomers to this incredibly deep series.

full preview here