Sim City 2000

SimCity 2000 is the city building game subsequent to SimCity, developed and published by Maxis Software and released in 1993. It made its way onto many platforms following its initial release. It expanded upon many of the concepts that were present in the original and features new gameplay elements.

In this new version you now have the ability to build land with different elevations before you even start with structures. Once you have your terrain to your liking, you can start with your city. Available structures include the old tried and true from the original, but add many additional options like prisons, museums, hospitals, seaports, and much more. You also have access to building underground pipes and subways as well as building roads that lead to other cities with which you can trade. You also have your choice of ways to produce power for your city, but they have a finite existence and must be rebuilt periodically. You can now set individual taxes for the different city zones (residential, industrial, commercial) and enact ordinances. One of the most helpful additions is the query tool, which allows you to see information about anything in your city. The list of new features is too long to go into fully, you will just have to see for yourself. Apart from just free building, you can also play through challenges dealing with different scenarios.

The success of the original Sim City put a lot of pressure on Sim City 2000 to perform, luckily it did not disappoint. It did very well commercially and appeals to all gamers, not just a certain demographic. It won multiple awards including Best Simulation and #12 Hardest Computer Game. It was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in 2012 as a permanent piece of their video game collection.

This is one of my favorites and I can guarantee that it’s a great way to burn through a couple of hours or days.