"The Sims," "The Sims 2," and "The Sims 3" Games
From Scott Marriott, former About.com Guide
- "The Sims 3"
- "The Sims 2"
- "The Sims 2 University" Expansion
- "The Sims 2 Nightlife" Expansion
- "The Sims 2 Open for Business" Expansion
- "The Sims 2 Pets" Expansion
- "The Sims 2 Seasons" Expansion
- "The Sims 2 Bon Voyage" Expansion
- "The Sims 2 Free Time" Expansion
- "The Sims 2 Apartment Life" Expansion
- "The Sims Life Stories"
- "The Sims Pet Stories"
- "The Sims"
"The Sims 3"
Released in 2009: "The Sims 3" shakes up the series by changing the neighborhood from a static environment to a seamless always changing world. Families next door will age and have experiences when you play a family. Sims now have personality traits and a wide range of body types.
"The Sims 2"
The sequel gives us a 3D world. You still control the lives (jobs, friends, love) of the families. Now Sims will age, die, and have babies by becoming pregnant.
"The Sims 2 University" Expansion
"The Sims 2 University" sends Sims off to college as Young Adults who must study hard to earn in a degree in one of 11 majors. It's all about the Young Adults with new interactions and gameplay that true to the age group.
"The Sims 2 Nightlife" Expansion
It's all about love and going out to clubs to meet a new love. Spend the night dancing and dining downtown. The biggest additions include drivable cars, restaurants, and new romantic interactions.
"The Sims 2 Open for Business" Expansion
The theme is ways to make money by owning their own business - salons, toy stores, fast food joints, clothing stores, and restaurants just to name a few. Builders will enjoy the split-levels, awnings, and new roofs.
"The Sims 2 Pets" Expansion
"The Sims 2 Pets" adds dogs, cats, birds, and womrats to the Sims' world. The Create-a-Pet screen will allow modification of dogs and cats. The new items will take care of the pets needs.
"The Sims 2 Seasons" Expansion
Sims will have the joy of dealing with the seasons and the weather that comes along with it! The expansion adds snow, falling leaves, and sunburns, all of which creates new memories that will last a lifetime.
"The Sims 2 Bon Voyage" Expansion
Get away from the daily routine and send your family vacation! The expansion comes with 3 locations to explore. Your families go on vacation in luxury or venture into the wilderness by camping.
"The Sims 2 Free Time" Expansion
"The Sims 2 Free Time" comes with new things to do to keep life a bit more interesting. Sports, dancing, movies, fitness, are just a few hobbies to start.
"The Sims 2 Apartment Life" Expansion
Sims will longer have the joy of moving out and right into their own home as their only option. Oh no! Now your Sims can take the first step of living on their own by moving into an apartment and learning to live with roommates and neighbors.
"The Sims Life Stories"
It's a completely new series of Sims! "The Sims Life Stories" was developed with gamer's who own laptops in mind. "The Sims Life Stories" will play in a windowed screen and allow other programs (like an instant messenger) to run in the background. "The Sims Life Stories" is a standalone version. Expansion packs for "The Sims" and "The Sims 2" will not work.
"The Sims Pet Stories"
"The Sims Pet Stories" is the second in the line of "Stories" games (The first was "The Sims Life Stories). It's a standalone game that doesn't require nor use "The Sims 2" or the expansion packs. The guided play (or stories) and it's laptop friendly features are the highlights of "The Sims Pet Stories."
"The Sims"
"The Sims" is the game that started it all, released way back in 2000. The graphics aren't all that good. The gameplay is limited compared to "The Sims 2." Still every "The Sims" player should play it to know and understand the roots of "The Sims."