Review of SimCity for iPod

SimCity, one of my favorite games.  Like Sonic the Hedgehog used to be my favorite game in the old days of the Sega Genesis.  Also, like Sonic, it's quality and fun factor has been steadily going downhill.

First, my assumptions about this game: SimCity 2000 didn't require much in terms of computing power, and was a good game.  I'll use that as a baseline comparison - not SimCity 3000 even though it's the engine that the game is built upon...

Initial impressions you'll be blown away.  The in-game UI works great for laying down zones, dropping down buildings, and generally managing your city.  Like this game was built for a great first impression.

Now, I want to put on an overlay to see what's going on behind the scenes.  There is a noticeable loading time to get to the screen to select an overlay, and getting back to the game.  SimCity 2000 easily wins here with it's speed.  Why are overlays important?  it's the only way to know how the city is doing.  When playing SimCity 4, I normally always play with an overlay that tells me important information, such as pollution levels, desirability, traffic, etc.  Only if I didn't always switch between them.

Next is traffic.  A city isn't alive unless you see the ants walking around.  And it gives a quick way to get traffic data without pulling up an overlay.  If you zoom in close enough, SimCity for iPod will show traffic.  Point goes to SimCity for iPod.  Traffic looks nicer than blue dashes.

Following item is budget.  Anyone who has played SimCity knows that it's not the initial cost that matters but the recurring monthly cost.  The initial cost is usually quite cheap in the long-run.  SimCity iPod refuses to display the recurring cost until you place an item and get billed for it.  Instant win for SimCity 2000 that didn't fear adding in a bit of "complicated" detail.

Graphical presentation.  No way SimCity 2000 could compete with the beauty of the version for iPod.  It looks like a pristine ghost-town.  SimCity with it's limited color palette had it's charm.  With better hardware, SimCity for iPod wins.  Especially with the continuous zoom feature, something that not even SimCity 4 had.  Unfortunately, zooming is a bit difficult as it must be done at a specific angle.

Terraforming.  SimCity for iPod is not supposed to support this, but it does.  You can terraform with bridges.  I was going to leave this out, but insta-win for SimCity 2000.

What's the point I'm trying to make here?  There's more than initial presentation that's important, nor initial ease-of-use.  The developers seem to have forgotten that people want living cities (in the first release on the app store at least) - which is what makes SimCity 4 amazing - it feels alive.  Like humans walking along the side-walk, etc.  The engine doesn't need to be perfect - it's what it presents that's important.  Not to say that the visuals aren't important, but selecting the right ones are.