When I got my first computer at a pretty young age, I also got a bunch of discs full of all different kinds of educational software and games. After putting them into the computer one by one, and quickly getting bored, I came across a game called Sim City. As a kid, it was the best thing I had ever come across, I got to be the city planner and mayor and everything else. Unlike other games that you can play for a few days and eventually reach an end, Sim City was ongoing, you could play for as long as you like. And trust me, I did.
Then a good twenty years later I picked up Sim City 4 Deluxe Edition while doing some shopping. I was just curious how much different it could be and whether or not I would be as interested in it as I was when I was young. It reached my every expectation and exceeded them. Not only is the updated version far more visually stunning, but tons of new elements were added. It is far more challenging than the original, in a good way. You are forced to deal with very realistic situations, like dispatching the police and firefighters during emergencies. You have to be mindful of where and how trash is taken care of, with either landfills in your town or shipping it off. Neighboring cities exist and commerce plays a vital role.
There have been many spin-offs over the years that can all be traced back to the original Sim City. The most popular one being The Sims, and tons of variations are available. Everything from The Sims Medieval Pirates and Nobles to The Sims Pets. In these games you get to control an actual person in his/her daily events, and the possibilities are endless.
While the Sims games are very fun, it is still Sim City that holds the rank of my favorite video game. Even though the newest version is so challenging that more often than not my city fails miserably, I can’t seem to quit playing it. Perhaps the challenge is what keeps me coming back, the fact that it is a game that can never be won or completed. In a way, it mirrors life. No matter how far along you get, you can never be satisfied.