GameCube

The Sims: Bustin' Out

The Sims’ trademark humor is well in place, as Bustin’ Out features a host of new career paths that succeed in gently tweaking our present-day society. Options include Movie Star, Gangster, Fashion Victim (one of the jobs in your path is "Body Waxer"), and Mad Scientist. I chose "Counter Culture," starting off as perhaps the world’s first panhandler with a hot tub in the backyard. In essence, this is the same great game as before, only with more to do, more items, more Create-a-Sim options, more places to visit, more, more, more, MORE! You get the idea. Some might gripe that it doesn’t take too long to complete a career path, but for me the joy of the Sims has always been in the exploration of your relationships with other characters and just plain screwing around.

Overall, The Sims Bustin’ Out is a marked improvement over the previous console outing and offers up enough interesting incentives to stay entertained for nearly 20 hours. The GameCube to GBA connectivity feature is a perfect addition for those who own the handheld version of the game, and the new co-op multiplayer option substantially enhances the experience of playing both the free-for-all and Bust Out modes. While some may complain that Bustin’ Out is more of an expansion pack than a true follow-up, it’s hard to deny the addictiveness and consistent satisfaction that the title brings to the table. If you’re a fan of the series then you simply cannot go wrong with Bustin’ Out.

The Sims: Busting Out is like the original game but upped a notch. Sims fans will find the game very inviting, but will also find that other than going to various locations, seeing new items to buy, and experiencing the wild animations, this game is definitely not an overhaul of the series. Yet with the new unlockables, it is hard to resist this delicious title. Those new the Sims universe will have a learning curve to go against, but after that will be amazed at how much The Sims: Busting Out offers versus other games. All in all, this game is worth your purchase if you have 161 blocks of memory, or have no problem investing to buy another memory card.

If you didn’t enjoy The Sims, then odds are you won’t much care for Bustin’ Out either. Bustin Out is really an evolutionary game in The Sims series as opposed to a revolutionary one. However, the improvements it brings add a lot to the game. The graphics are crisper and more colorful, there are far more objects and interactions, and the ability to move from one location to another all make Bustin’ Out a more enjoyable game than The Sims. If you had fun with The Sims, you’re going to love Bustin’ Out.

Also, the GameCube version of the game supports Game Boy Advance connectivity, though this feature doesn't seem like much of a big deal. It lets you transfer your sim to and from the GBA version of Bustin' Out, which essentially boils down to playing that version's mini-games for extra cash to import back into your GameCube game (you can also increase your sims' skills by using skill objects in the GBA game, which is a slightly faster process, but it's not a significant improvement). All three versions feature the goal-based bust out mode, the free-form free play mode, and two-player cooperative multiplayer that lets you play through either of the other modes with a friend--a great improvement over the throwaway multiplayer modes in the previous game. All things considered, The Sims Bustin' Out makes good, solid improvements over its predecessor and stands on its own as a great version of The Sims for consoles.

Nog steeds hangt er een gedigitaliseerd balkje voor de edele delen van de Sims maar van welke game kan je zeggen dat je er in je blote reet kan pingpongen? Nou? Helemaal top is het gegeven dat je coöperatief kunt spelen in zowel de doorsnee Life mode of de missiegebonden Get a Life mode. Twee spelers kunnen ingame elkaar helpen en items swappen.

If you liked the Sims, Bustin’ Out is a great addition. Much of the series’ originality has lost its shine, but the mechanics and playability remain extremely good even though there’s not much in the way of plot.

If you're a Sims fanatic, you'll probably pick this up -- regardless -- because there's more unlocking for you do. If you were on the fence, Bustin' Out gives you more reasons to get into the game (on consoles at least). However, if you're indifferent, than you'll find no compelling reason to get involved. Hopefully, Mr. Wright's next project will be more than an update, but a full fledged sequel.

Fãs de "The Sims" provavelmente não vão resistir à tentação de obter novas aventuras nessa nova simulação (muita gente comprou SETE expansões!), mas as novidades não são suficientes para comprar o mesmo game pela segunda vez. Mas se você não tem um PC e não pegou a edição original, esse pode ser uma boa opção para conhecer a série.

If you're a Sims fan, Bustin' Out will hold your attention for a while, but it's certainly not the second coming that Sims 2 promises to be. Yeah, the Sims finally get to move out, but it's really about time they moved on.

All the new toys, locations and extras in the world can't hide the fact that The Sims is a pretty old game. While PC owners have had to put up with innumerable add-ons, console owners at least have seen much of this content condensed into two games. One could argue that Bustin' Out should be priced at the level of an add-on rather than a full game but that's the console market at the moment – software is overpriced. It's a competent enough game and die-hard Sims fans will lap it up, however those who are intrigued by the concept, or who have never played a Sims game before would be better advised to wait a few months for Sims 2.

Although The Sims Bustin' Out does make some neat advances - a two-player co-operative mode that allows fellow Sims fans to guide their characters around in tandem in either Bust Out or Free Play mode; PS2 Online support allowing you to swap items and visit friends' houses; and GameCube/Game Boy Advance link-up functionality allowing you to earn extra cash by completing tasks on the handheld (the latter hardly significant enough to warrant Will Wright's cameo at last May's E3 press conference) - this still boils down to a fairly unremarkable Sims expansion pack on the same disc as a new cut of the original game. With The Sims 2 just a few months off now, Bustin' Out has more in common with Malcolm Landgrabb than the benevolent player, and though it stands alone quite convincingly it's only worth buying if you still enjoy wiping arses for digital playboys.

The Sims: Bustin' Out is not the best Sims game on the market. This might not be true if Maxis didn't put such a tight leash on the console versions of the game, and tried to experiment a bit more with the formula. While they did add various goals to keep console gamers occupied, they end up turning the game into more of a stressful mess than the passive pace of the original. This doesn't mean that the integrity of the series is completey ruined here; it is simply altered for the worse. This game does not get my highest reccomendation, but if you don't have access to the PC version, and you really want your own copy of The Sims, this game will definitely suffice -- just be prepared for a slightly frustrating ride.

Enjoyable in places but just plain tedious in others, Bustin' Out is nothing to get excited about. Whilst submitting your Sims to various forms of torture is entertaining for a while the main game is both addictive and dull. With few highlights, dull presentation and very few standout moments this is a title that only the most certain of gamer should venture towards.

Mais ce qui dérange le plus dans tout ça, c'est le résultat d'un petit calcul. Le contenu de Permis De Sortir équivaut à celui de l'add-on Surprise-Party, à la différence près qu'il vous coûtera le double de son prix. Dans ces conditions on ne peut que se demander pourquoi ne pas avoir au moins intégré les possibilités offertes par un autre add-on du monde PC, histoire de rendre l'investissement un peu plus rentable. Sans doutes pour garder la liberté de ressortir un autre épisode dans 6 mois. Les Sims ça peut aussi s'écrire $ims.