SimCity Classic

aka: SimCity Original for Windows, SimCity Returns
Moby ID: 202400
Windows 3.x Specs

Description

SimCity Classic is a remake of the original SimCity. Compared to the original release it brings enhanced graphics, sound effects, a music track, a resized interface, and smooth scrolling across the map. Gameplay remains largely the same.

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Screenshots

Credits (Windows 3.x version)

53 People (38 developers, 15 thanks) · View all

Programming
Original Concept
Design
Graphic Artwork
Contributions to Design
Sounds
Music
Windows Programming
  • TouchGo Studios
  • AZEROTH
Documentation
Documentation Design
Package Design
Package Illustration
Special Thanks To
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 84% (based on 3 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.7 out of 5 (based on 47 ratings with 3 reviews)

Okay translation of a fun but limited game.

The Good
The original SimCity is a classic, and this is but a translation of it to the Windows environment. The gameplay is familiar, system specs need not be powerful (unlike for the newer Sim installments), and gameplay is a bit smoother than on the standard DOS version.

Building a city from scratch is fun, and allows a person to experience the joys of being a ruler. Build cities "organically" like London, or build your city according to a larger over-all plan, like Washington DC.

The Bad
While the experience of playing SimCity is fun, the overall game is rather pointless. There is little to do once you find that happy middle ground of taxes and spending- wait for enough funds, tweak your city a bit, wait for some more funds.

Some have said that to "win" you must lay out your city for mass public transit (with no roads) which strikes me as a lopsided statistical modelling job. Granted, Will Wright could mold the game in any fashion that he desired, but SimCity seems a weird place to trumpet one's own ideological utopian vision.

The pre-planned scenarios aren't very fun- once a grasp of the basic concepts of the game are in hand, demolishing buildings to build police stations in hot spots or bulldozing districts to stop the spread of fire just feel like boring puzzle games.

The use of windows in this game, while allowing more flexibility than the DOS version, can get unwieldy.

The Bottom Line
It started and defined a genre that no other series has ever been able to touch- city planning games. In retrospect, the game is a lot like Balance of Power- the ideas are awe-inspiring, and the execution creative, but the game itself leaves a bit to be desired. The fun in this version of SC is akin to the fun one gets with a paint program, not necessarily a game program. Future SC entries improve on this, and are worthy as game and social experiment... but this one is just a very well-done curio.

Windows 3.x · by Robert Morgan (1050) · 2000

Still great!

The Good
OK, just because it doesnt have amazing graphics and many different options, doesnt mean its a bad game. its gameplay that matters, and this game is great! Its simple, fun, and very addictive. It also is interesting, as you are creating your very own city :-). it also has a few nice sound effects

The Bad
That background .mid file! Over and over and over and over again, it could drive you insane. You can only save your cities with the 8 character file limit. Perhaps another windows port for later windows versions would be welcome. And, another .mid file :-)

The Bottom Line
A legend. You cannot afford to miss this game

Windows 3.x · by Big C (56) · 2002

The classic that started it all.

The Good
Sim City was one of the first games I played on PC, and with every sequel and new iteration of the franchise came new ideas, new graphics, new sound, new everything. But all those ideas came from this very point in time, and despite how badly the game may have aged in its presentation, there's no doubting how addictive and entertaining it can still be.

I think what's most impressive of the very first game is how well it stands up gameplay wise. Now of course, it can be a tricky prospect for those who are used to all the big flashy buttons or handholding of a modern title, but a majority of SimCity is still easy enough to get a grasp of, even if it's mainly text. Of course, this particular version is a port, and gets the advantage of a 'windows' upgrade, which helps to keeps things together.

It's the addictive quality that keeps me coming back. Building a bigger city, funding new areas and scrapping old ones to increase profit. There's a constant flow of information across all areas that, for someone like me, finds it hard to pull away from once things get interesting.

The Bad
To be fair to SimCity, it wouldn't be right to rant on and on about bad visuals or bland music. In its time, there wouldn't be a reason to complain about it at all. What's annoying for me, perhaps, is the fact that, with every further iteration of the series, the simpler it became. It's a major sign of the times that a game like this (or, say, Sid Meier's Civilization has almost devolved, not evolved, to a point where the original premise of the series, or the general concept, has become a cleaner, crisper, and far easier title.

It's sad, to a degree, because even a game this old can still entertain long after the last credit has rolled (if you ever 'finish' a game of SimCity, that is.) To be judged by looks alone would be a disservice to such a well designed title, even by today's lofty standards.

The Bottom Line
It's SimCity, a game that defined the notion that you can build anything you want, however you want. Every other title that has come along since, be it a sequel, spin-off or rip-off, stemmed from the success of this very title. Whether SimCity ever returns to the lofty heights of the classic Maxis days is hard to say, what with so many iterations available on mobile and portable platforms, but at least I know I can return to this little ditty any time I want.

So ignore the visuals, ignore the ring tone like music, and go find yourself a copy of a true classic. Or, if you consider yourself a SimCity fan like I, load it up just one more time. I'm sure you'll agree with me that it still holds the magic in its tiny little buildings all these years later.

Windows 3.x · by Kartanym (12418) · 2011

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Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 202400
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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Kayburt.

Windows added by Trixter. Windows 3.x added by PCGamer77.

Additional contributors: Kabushi.

Game added August 8, 2023. Last modified January 19, 2024.