The main menu of SimCity Classic.
SimCity was originally released for home computers, including the Amiga, Atari ST and DOS-based IBM PC. After its success it was converted for several other computer platforms and video game consoles, including the Commodore 64, Mac OS-based Macintosh, Acorn Archimedes, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, EPOC32, mobile phone, Internet, Windows, Virtual Console, FM-Towns, OLPC XO-1 and NeWS HyperLook on Sun Unix. The game is also available as a multiplayer version for X11 TCL/Tk on various Unix, Linux, DESQview and OS/2 operating systems. Certain versions have since been re-released with various add-ons, including extra scenarios.
In 2007 the developer Don Hopkins announced that One Laptop Per Child XO-1 will receive a free and open source version of the original SimCity. It is to be called Micropolis for trademark reasons.
Super Nintendo variation
The box art of the SNES port of SimCity.
SimCity for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System features the same gameplay and scenario features. There are several differences associated with the Nintendo port. The Nintendo port was developed and published by Nintendo, and Nintendo threw in their own ideas. Instead of the Godzilla monster disaster, Browser of the Super Mario series becomes the attacking monster, and once your city reaches a landmark 500,000 populous, the player receives a Mario statue that is placeable in the city. The Nintendo port also features special buildings the player may receive as rewards, similar to the rewards buildings in SimCity 2000. There are also city classifications, such as becoming a metropolis at 100,000 people. Also unique to the SNES version is is a character named "Dr. Wright" (whose physical appearance is based on Will Wright) who acts as an adviser to the player. This edition is featured as Nintendo's Player's Choice as a million seller.
Detailed information about ports of SimCity Classic
Platform Version – Release date Comments Image
Amiga V.1.0 – NA 1989 Alongside SimCity for the Macintosh, this was the first and original version of SimCity. It ran on any Amiga with at least 512 kilobytes of memory, and was distributed on a single floppy disk.
V.2.0 This version has been enhanced with the ability to switch title sets. A title set consists of all the images the game use to draw the city, and by changing the title set one can give the city a different look and feel.
Because of this new functionality, SimCity 2 requires at least 1MB of memory, twice that of the original version.
Amiga CDTV EU 1991 To make the game more pleasant to play when viewed on a distant television, this version of the game shows a closer view of the city. Other changes includes a user interface more suited for use from the CDTV's remote control, use Red Book audio for music, and the addition of three scenarios.
Amstrad CPC V.1.0 – EU 1990
Atari ST V.1.0 – NA 1989 This version features scenarios but has no music and the game's graphics are less colorful than the graphics of the Amiga version.
BBC Micro
Acorn Electron V.1.0 – UK 1990
Commodore 64 V.1.0 – NA 1989 This version lacks police/fire stations, stadiums, railways and disasters. It also forgoes the stat screen useful for evaluating the city's development. The player can select between eight scenarios or on randomly generated terrain.[10]
Macintosh V.1.0 – NA 1989 Features high resolution monochrome graphics.
PC MS-DOS – NA 1989 Features high resolution EGA graphics and PC speaker audio.
CD-ROM – NA 1994 Released by Interplay for DOS, it featured 256-color graphics and added live-action video.
Windows – NA 1992
Super NES JP April 26, 1991
NA August, 1991
EU September 24, 1992 Published by Nintendo under license by Maxis, the SNES version of SimCity had additional features not found in the original SimCity, including graphics changing to match the seasons (trees are green in summer, turn rusty brown in the fall, white in the winter, and bloom as cherry blossoms in the spring), civic reward buildings, and a very energetic green-haired city adviser named Dr. Wright (after Will Wright), who would often pop up and inform the player of problems with their city. In addition, the SNES version of SimCity had two additional bonus scenarios, accessible when the original scenarios were completed: Las Vegas and Freeland (see section on scenarios). The style of the buildings also resemble those in Japan rather than those of North America in Western releases.
A Nintendo Entertainment System port was also planned, but was canceled.
Nintendo also put their stamp on the game, with the most dangerous disaster being Browser attack on a city (in place of a generic movie-type monster), and a Mario statue awarded once a Megalopolis level of 500,000 inhabitants is reached.
The SNES version of SimCity has been released for the Wii's Virtual Console service.
ZX Spectrum V.1.0 – 1989 Has all the features (such as scenarios, crime, and disasters) of later versions of the game, only with much more limited sound and graphics.
Footnotes:
SimCity Classic is available for Palm OS and on the SimCity.com website as Classic Live. It was also released by Atelier Software for the Psion 5 handheld computer, and mobile phones in 2006.
The July 2005 issue of Nintendo Power stated that a development cartridge of SimCity for the NES was found at Nintendo headquarters. Never released, it is reportedly the only one in existence.
Additionally a terrain editor and architecture disks were available with tileset graphics for settings of Ancient Asia, Medieval, Wild West, Future Europe, Future USA and a Moon Colony.
Versions of SimCity for the BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, and Acorn Archimedes computers were published by Superior Software/Acornsoft. Programmer Peter Scott had to squeeze the 512k Amiga version of the game into 20k in order to run on the ageing 32k BBC Micro and Acorn Electron. Despite this, it kept almost all of the functionality of the Amiga game and very similar graphics (although only using four colours).
DUX Software published a Unix version of SimCity for the NeWS window system using the HyperLook user interface environment, and a multi-player version of SimCity for the X11 window system using the TCL/Tk user interface toolkit, both developed and ported to various platforms by Don Hopkins.
Critical acclaim
SimCity was critically acclaimed and received significant recognition within a year after its initial release. As of December 1990 (from a Maxis document by Sally Vandershaf, Maxis P.R. Coordinator) the game was reported to have won the following awards:
Best Entertainment Program 1989.
Best Educational Program, 1989.
Best Simulation Program, 1989.
Critics' Choice: Best Consumer Program, 1989, Software Publisher's Association.
Most Innovative Publisher, 1989, Computer Game Developer's Conference.
Best PC Game, 1989.
Member of the 1989 Game Hall of Fame, Macworld.
Game of the Year, 1989., Computer Gaming World.
Second Best Simulation of all Time for C-64.
Fourth Best Simulation of All Time for Amiga, .info.
Editors' Choice Award: Best Simulation, 1989, Compute.
Editors' Choice Award: Best Recreation Program, 1989, MacUser.
Best Computer Strategy Game, 1989, Video Games & Computer Entertainment.
Best Game Designer of the Year: Will Wright, for SimCity, 1989, Computer Entertainer.
Best 20th Century Computer Game, 1989, Charles S. Roberts Award.
Software Award of Excellence, 1990-1991, Technology and Learning.
Best Educational Program, 1990, European Computer Leisure Award.
Tild D'Or (Golden Award): Most Original Game, 1989, Tilt (France).
Game of the Year, 1989, Amiga Annual (Australia).
World Class Award, 1990, Macworld (Australia).
In addition, SimCity won the Origins Award for "Best Military or Strategy Computer Game" of 1989 in 1990, and the multiplayer X11 version of the game was also nominated in 1992 as the Best Product of the Year in Unix World.
Legacy
The subsequent success of SimCity speaks for itself: "Sim" games of all types were developed — with Will Wright and Maxis developing myriad titles including SimEarth, SimFarm, SimTown, Streets of SimCity, SimCopter, SimAnt, SimLife, SimIsle, SimTower, SimPark, SimSafari, and The Sims, as well as SimsVille and SimMars, which were both never released. They also obtained licenses for some titles developed in Japan, such as SimTower and Let's Take The A-Train (just called A-Train outside of Japan). The most recent development is The Sims, and its sequel, The Sims 2. An upcoming release, Spore, was originally going to be titled "SimEverything"—a name that Will Wright thought might accurately describe what he was trying to achieve. The game yielded five sequels:
SimCity 2000 (1993)
SimCity 3000 (1999)
SimCity 4 (2003)
SimCity DS (2007)
SimCity Societies (2007)
A fifth SimCity was revealed by Electronic Arts chief financial officer Warren Jenson in 2007. The title of the game is SimCity Societies and it was released worldwide on 13 November 2007. Societies has a larger focus on the city's inhabitants rather than on its architecture. Since Will Wright was busy with "Spore" and SimCity 4 was deemed too complex by some, Tilted Mill was given the task by EA to create SimCity Societies.
SimCity inspired a new genre of video games. "Software toys" that were open-ended with no set objective were developed trying to duplicate SimCity's success. The most successful was most definitely Wright's own The Sims, which went on to be the best selling computer game of all time. The ideas pioneered in SimCity have been incorporated into real-world applications as well. For example, VisitorVille simulates a city based on website statistics.
The series also spawned a SimCity collectible card game, produced by Mayfair Games.
gameplay | Discounted game is proud to tell you that there are now 27 used & new available from $6.99 for Simcity Deluxe Edition, 66 used & new available from $7.95 for Simcity Societies, and 34 used & new available from $10.00 for Simcity DS
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