History VideoGame / SimCity

* ''[=SimCity=] Creator'' (2008) is a standard [=SimCity=] game that offers a wide selection of architecture themes such as Egyptian, Roman, Japanese, European, Las Vegas, near-future, and even fantasy themes that result in crystal-style or confectionery-style cities. The game was exclusively released on the Nintendo Wii and DS. It's notable for being the first game in the series to allow curved roads, as well as for having advisors who could actually take over a section of the city and see to its needs, though they had to be leveled up in order to do a good job. It also has the widest variety of available disasters.

** In ''2000'', you can get rid of rioters by lowering the terrain that they're standing on until it becomes water. That's right, you can [[KillItWithWater drown]] [[BadBoss your own]] [[KickTheSonOfABitch malcontent citizens]].

* HilarityEnsues: Although not as many funny moments as ''VideoGame/TheSims'', it's still funny to watch cars driving ''directly into an oncoming tornado''.

** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yogziBGCv0A&t=4m17s Random disaster]] feature in ''[=SimCity=] Creator'' for the Wii could summon some of the series' staples such as HumongousMecha and [[AlienInvasion UFOs]], but it can also summon some pretty bizarre ones too, such as giant [[DropTheHammer hammers]] and GiantHandsOfDoom that pound your city, controllable giant SpikeBallsOfDoom and [[ThisIsADrill drills]], and even a stampede of giant llamas.

A SimulationGame released in 1989, and the first ''Sim'' game "created" by Creator/WillWright (actually a team of developers, most notably Don Hopkins, who go largely uncredited). It's been around for a while: the original was widely released, it could be played on first-generation Platform/{{Apple Macintosh}}es (i.e. the ones with black-and-white screens) and popular 8-bit microcomputers (the Platform/ZXSpectrum, the Platform/AmstradCPC, the Platform/{{Commodore64}}), as well as a console version released as a launch title for the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendo, which was developed by Creator/{{Nintendo}} themselves.

A SimulationGame released in 1989, and the first ''Sim'' game "created" by Creator/WillWright (actually a team of developers, most notably Don Hopkins, who go largely uncredited). It's been around for a while: the original was widely released, it could be played on first-generation UsefulNotes/{{Apple Macintosh}}es (i.e. the ones with black-and-white screens) and popular [[UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum 8-bit]] [[UsefulNotes/AmstradCPC micro]][[UsefulNotes/{{Commodore64}} computers]], as well as a console version released as a launch title for the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendo, which was developed by Creator/{{Nintendo}} themselves.

* LevelEditor: An interesting example in regards to ''[=SimCopter=]'' and ''Streets of [=SimCity=]'', which load ''[=SimCity=] 2000'' levels, thus making ''[=SC2000=]'' a level editor for them.

* ''[=SimCity=] 4'' (2003) was the second major extension; the buildings are rendered in 3D with high resolution, trimetric bitmaps, but the terrain was now a full 3D mesh, and the assortment of civic buildings was expanded (the schools, for example, were split into elementary schools, high schools and private schools), a maintenance cost was added for all the utility buildings, and the game was designed to allow for third-party mods. However, the greatest new feature was the regional gameplay: instead of playing with isolated cities, you could now play with an entire region divided in cities, you could get all your services from another city at a fair price, your Sims could live in your city but work somewhere else, and the demand in your neighboring cities would affect your own demand. A later expansion, called ''Rush Hour'', added more transportation options, such as ground highways, monorail, elevated rail, one-way streets, toll booths, and there are also many third-party mods, such as the Network Addon Mod, which adds more rail systems, elevated roads, and more traffic crossings. Aside from the in-depth city management options, the player also had the option to design the region from scratch. This extended to the possibility of using real-life satellite imaging to add real world regions in game. So far, due to its many, many hidden depths and vast modding community, this game is considered the best of the series.

* ''Streets of [=SimCity=]'': Actually a major break from the resource simulation genre, instead being a driving sim - with some combat elements thrown in, no less. Perhaps most notable for two things: you can upload ''[=SimCity=] 2000'' maps into it, and it was a rather remarkable forebearer of much later open-ended games like ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' (except that the player is stuck in his car, and it was naturally much more primitive; that said, it even shares many similar themes, if you can believe that) Sadly, it had a number of ObviousBeta bugs that kept it from gaining a wide audience.

* CreatorCameo: Using the Query Tool on a sailboat will result in a caption naming the boat "First Light", and listing the captain as J. Scirica, who was the then-Vice President of Product Development at
Maxis.

* {{Arcology}}: ''[=SimCity=] 2000'' has four types of arcologies, described on the trope page.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: The portrait of the Green Gaians spokesman looks like actor Howard Hesseman- known for playing Dr, Johnny Fever on ''[=WKRP=]'' though the portrait looks almost identical to his appearance on ''Dragnet'' as a hippie.
* One of the neighboring mayors looks like weatherman Al Roker, while another bears a strong resemblance to Fred Rogers- one of your advisors looks a fair bit like his puppet Lady Elaine Fairchild, as well.

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: Criminals caught by the police will go to prison even if you have no Courthouse in town, or even in the region, to give them a trial, which is a big no-no in most justice systems around the world. Possible subversion: That said, in real life it's not uncommon for the courthouse to be combined with something else, like the City Hall[[note]]Prominent example: Up until the completion of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_Juanita_Kidd_Stout_Center_for_Criminal_Justice Criminal Justice Center]] in 1994, most criminal trials in UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}}--one of the 5 largest cities in the United States at the time--were held in the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_City_Hall Philadelphia City Hall]]. Please note that even after criminal functions were moved to the CJC, City Hall is still primarily a courthouse--it's just that the relevant trials are civil rather than criminal. (City government functions are mostly located in two nearby municipal office buildings or in rented space.)[[/note]] (pretty easy to get in this game) or even the police station. Perhaps the assumption is that this is what's going on.

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: Criminals caught by the police will go to prison even if you have no Courthouse in town, or even in the region, to give them a trial, which is a big no-no in most justice systems around the world. Possible subversion: That said, it's not uncommon for the courthouse to be combined with something else, like the City Hall[[note]]Prominent example: Up until the completion of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_Juanita_Kidd_Stout_Center_for_Criminal_Justice Criminal Justice Center]] in 1994, most criminal trials in UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}}--one of the 5 largest cities in the United States at the time--were held in the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_City_Hall Philadelphia City Hall]]. Please note that even after criminal functions were moved to the CJC, City Hall is still primarily a courthouse--it's just that the relevant trials are civil rather than criminal. (City government functions are mostly located in two nearby municipal office buildings or in rented space.)[[/note]] (pretty easy to get in this game) or even the police station.

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: Criminals caught by the police will go to prison even if you have no Courthouse in town, or even in the region, to give them a trial, which is a big no-no in most justice systems around the world.

* SurpriseCreepy: "Primordial Dream", an ''extremely creepy song''... and it's only purpose? Playing over the ''empty barren wasteland after you obliterate the city!'' [[SchmuckBait Here]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDJzf5jqccw have a listen!]]

* WeAllLiveInAmerica: Quite a few things work the way they do in the United States and not in other countries. For instance, it is the responsibility of the city government to fund and operate the police force, whereas in many if not most countries, that's the function of a higher level of government (e.g., in France, it's the central government, while in Germany, it's the state government). Of course, the developers had to use ''some'' country as a model.
** On the other hand, averted in a few cases (mostly for gameplay reasons). The city (which is the only level of government in the game) owns and operates all utilities (water, power, and sanitation) and all health facilities. Most of these services--with the exception of water supply--are usually handled by private companies, or sometimes private non-profits, in the US; there are a few places where the local government might own or have a controlling stake in a hospital, power plant, or garbage-collection service, but these aren't exactly the norm. Governmental ownership of most education facilities, however, ''is'' realistic (as it is in most countries).
** People won't tolerate high tax rates. For example, in Sim City 4 demand goes negative if taxes are set at about eleven or more.
*** That's probably because an 11% municipal tax rate is unheard of anywhere in the United States. (As an example, NYC's residential rate is at 10.8%)
*** Of course, while Americans can get pretty passionate about the tax rate and there are places in the world with ''higher'' tax rates, there are fairly few places in the world where high tax rates are exactly popular. Also, even in high-tax countries, a high ''municipal'' tax rate (rather than a high ''national'' or other tax rate) amounting to more than 10-15% of income would usually be regarded as extortionary (recall, of course, that in most places--''including'' the United States--municipalities most commonly levy their taxes on ''property value'' rather than income).
** The game also resembles the United States in that the easiest solution to population growth is usually to expand into a previously undeveloped wilderness area. Most European cities don't have this option.
** The lack of mixed zoning policies has been [[http://www.humantransit.org/2009/06/did-sim-city-make-us-stupid.html remarked]] as basically being US urban planning, circa 1960. The tendency to prefer highways to commuter rail, etc. in anything but the largest cities (driven by weak commuter algorithms) is also quite American. The former may have been a product of simplified programming; the concrete-slapping that the latter can induce, however...
*** ''4'''s Network Addon Mod actually addresses it with a patch that "makes your sims European" by increasing their preference for mass transit.

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: Criminals caught by the police will go to jail even if you have no Courthouse in town, or even in the region, to give them a trial, which is a big no-no in most justice systems around the world.
* ArtisticLicenseNuclearPhysics: in ''[=SimCity=] 4'', nuke plants explode with a [[UsefulNotes/NuclearWeapons mushroom cloud]] and leave behind a glowing crater, contrasting earlier editions that merely rendered the surrounding area uninhabitable. This may be [[InvokedTrope deliberate]], given that the effect [[TheCoconutEffect is expected.]]

** The Bureau of Bureaucracy requires you to boost your healthcare and education funding to 100% to unlock... and just gives a decent landmark effect while generating lots of garbage.

* BoringButPractical: The Farmers Market, it's [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin literally just a Farmers Market]], but it's small (3x3 tiles), it gives some residential demand cap relief and provides a passive, city-wide health benefit.

* DifficultButAwesome: In ''4'', it's often common strategy to just [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome play on the biggest map possible and develop a large self-sufficient city on it]]. However, actually sitting down to split up your region into various functioning roles can result in having varied means of keeping pollution and crime very low and restricted to only specific cities.

* ''[=SimGolf=]'': Create your own golf course and then play on it. Various elements of design are the starting locations, hole locations, placement of water, rocks, sandtraps, trees, and other hazards, and even changing the gravity if so desired. Not to be confused with ''Creator/SidMeier's [[NamesTheSame SimGolf]]'', which was published by Firaxis.

** This also applies if you choose to keep disasters enabled. It may as enabling disasters and running at cheetah speed in ''2000'', causing a simple fire to wipe out the city before you can react.

** This also applies if you choose to keep disasters enabled. It may become a {{Classic Video Game Screw You|s}} in some cases, such as enabling disasters and running at cheetah speed in ''2000'', causing a simple fire to wipe out the city before you can react.

* DifficultButAwesome: In ''4'', it's often common strategy to just [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome to play on the biggest map possible and develop a large self-sufficient city on it]]. However, actually sitting down to split up your region into various functioning roles can result in having varied means of keeping pollution and crime very low and restricted to only specific cities.

* ''[=SimPark=]'': ''[=SimCity=]'' meets a nature reserve in North-West America. Doubles as an enviromental educational tool and a way to hear people constantly whining about there not being enough cars. Its disasters include Kudzu (a rapidly spreading weed) and a garbage dump. Like ''SimTown'' it's mostly geared towards children.

** The "Reticulating Splines" status is so pervasive, ''[=SimCity=] 4'' even parodies it, with the status "Gesticulating Mimes". Reticulating Splines ''is'' a legitimate process (it means "forming a grid from lines defined by formulae") which likely would have been necessary for SimCity 2000 at the time it was made, since it used a grid-based landscape with height appearing isometrically.

* {{Jumpscare}}: The Plane Crash disaster, which is a loud "WHOOSH!" (the jet engine) followed by a "BOOM!" (the crash itself). It can be quite startling if you're minding your own business and it occurs without manually triggering it from the Disaster Menu. And once you do build an Airport the planes will crash randomly, sooner or later, especially since there's no way to control the airplane or helicopter's movements to make them stop occasionally running into each other.

* ArtisticLicenseEconomics: To make way for RuleOfFun.

* CheatCode: Older versions of ''[=SimCity=] 2000'' have codes that unlock all perks (including [[Main/{{Arcology}} Arcologies]]) and give you a pile of money. There's also the classic "double fund" code where you buy two municipal bonds via "fund", then one through the city management menu, triggering a GoodBadBug where you end up with a loan with a ludicrous ''negative'' interest, meaning you get piles of money you'll probably never run out of every year.

* GamebreakingBug: The Opera house has a hidden capacity value that's quite low (1200 Sims, though this is balanced by only having the oldest Sims actually attend the opera) and its funding can't be adjusted. When it reaches capacity it will start dragging down the IQ of the entire city, which can be crippling for a late game city, and if you haven't heard about this bug it's hard to figure out the Opera house is responsible. Thankfully patches exist.

* GoodBadBug: Cutting all funding to the Waste-to-Energy plant will make it stop producing power and only give minimal air pollution, but it will still consume garbage as normal.