Release Info:
- Developer: Maxis
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
- Release Date: 1994
Key Features:
- Import saved cities designed with the original SimCity
- Raise, lower, or level terrain with a click of a button
- Create zones of different sizes
- Zoom in or out of the city view, rotate clockwise and counterclockwise
- Build a water system complete with pumps, water towers, pipes, and more
- Manage new city services, including hospitals and prisons
- Keep apprised of important events from in-game newspapers
- Build schools, colleges, libraries, and museums to raise your Sims “EQ” level
- New transport options include subways and trains
- Manage disasters such as fires, tornadoes, riots, earthquakes, and more
- Recreational building options include zoos, parks, marinas, and stadiums
- Earn rewards (such as a city hall or statue) for reaching certain population sizes
- Implement community programs and city ordinances
Credits:
- Game Design: Fred Haslam and Will Wright
- IBM Programming: Jon Ross, Daniel Browning, James Turner
- Windows Programming: James Turner, Jon Ross
- Producer: Don Walters
- Art Director: Jenny Martin
- Computer Graphics: Suzie Greene, Bonnie Borucki, Kelli Pearson, Eben Sorkin
- Music: Sue Kasper, Brian Conrad, Justin McCormick
- Sound Driver: Halestorm, Inc.
- Sound Effects: Maxis Sample Heds, Halestorm, Inc.
- Technical Director: Brian Conrad
- Newspaper Articles: Debra Larson, Chris Weiss
- Technical Assistance: Bruce Joffe (GIS Consultant), Craig Christenson (National Renewable Energy Laboratory), Ray Gatchalian (Oakland Fire Department), Diane L. Zahm (Florida Department of Law Enforcement)
Description:
The follow-up to Maxis’ award-winning city simulator, SimCity, SimCity 2000 has you once again serving as the mayor to the city of your own design. Whether your city flourishes or stagnates is influenced by your decisions and overall strategy. As mayor, you will be able to create zones for business, commercial or residential development, develop infrastructure, create recreational areas, set the budget, levy taxes, establish governmental services, and much more.
The game is played from an isometric viewpoint, with buildings, roads, and land comprised of tiles (where one tile is equivalent to the size of one acre). As you decide how to build your city, newspapers will keep you apprised of public opinion as well as the latest technologies or inventions available for the years being simulated. Your decisions will have consequences, so if you decide to build densely populated residential zones on top of one another, crime will rise and riots may occur. If you decide to increase taxes to have more funds available, citizens or businesses may leave to take up residence in adjacent cities.
One of the big changes to SimCity 2000 from the original SimCity is the flexibility in terrain. Instead of one flat piece of land, the terrain in SimCity 2000 offers 32 levels of altitude, allowing you to raise or lower the land to suit your design plans. The terrain editor is also built into the game itself, so you can customize the landscape to include lakes, mountains, valleys, waterfalls, and similar options. This also means that you can build below your city, allowing you to create subways and an underground utility system.
In addition to creating a city from scratch, SimCity 2000 includes a number of scenarios that will challenge you to meet certain objectives under predefined conditions. You’ll be able to choose from 18 scenarios, each taking place in a different city and year.
You’ll attempt to bring the city of Flint, Michigan out of recession, stop the fires that ravaged Oakland Hills in 1991, address the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo, and deal with an earthquake in San Francisco. More humorous scenarios have you tackling a UFO invasion or trying to make the fictitious city of "Dullsville" more enticing to its residents by creating more entertainment outlets.
