For the first time ever, enjoy a complete life simulation experience in 3D on handheld with The Sims 3 for the Nintendo 3DS.
Release Date: Mar 22, 2011
Possibly the last version of The Sims 3 to hit the market, number nine is a Nintendo 3DS launch title from Electronic Arts. As one of the world’s largest videogame publishers, EA does appear to be unusually slow to support Nintendo’s new console, with only The Sims 3 included in the launch line-up, but given the quality of this conversion of the game, you could forgive the publisher for putting all their eggs in just one basket.
The Sims 3 on Nintendo 3DS begins in much the same fashion as any version of the game, with the creation of your own sim. Using the immediacy to the console’s touchscreen to select from the pleasing variety of options is a far easier approach than the completed control schemes offers by home consoles, and the addition of the option to use the Nintendo 3DS console’s front-facing camera to set the size, shape and spacing of your sim is simply wonderful.
Once a sim has been created the player must then choose a home to purchase. A tutorial then ensues, teaching the player the very basics of sim life, and the control and menu systems. The division between the two screens in The Sims 3 is simply remarkable, with a top down, map-like view available on the touch screen amongst the menus and a close-up view on the top screen. Essentially, the display set-up means that players can continue to design, build and plot activities for their sims without ever losing sight of them. While some versions of The Sims 3 challenge the player to go elsewhere, leaving their sim behind to get on with the tasks set while they plan the next move, The Sims 3 here on the Nintendo 3DS is presented in such a way that the player can monitor all essential activities at once.
The Nintendo 3DS version of The Sims 3 follows all the same basic rules of any The Sims game, with each sim having their own traits and skills, wants and needs, moods and relationships, and also the Karma system designed for the console versions of The Sims 3. Players must ensure that they fulfil the needs of their sims to keep them happy, and managing to grant their wishes will earn the player Karma, which can then be used as any of the available bonus Karma Power actions. A sims’ wishes could be anything from making a new friend to starting a new career, and each sim will have their own lifetime wish: an ultimate goal for which the player must strive for throughout their playtime.
An interesting feature for the Nintendo 3DS version of The Sims 3 is that of the use of the console’s StreetPass functionality. Players meeting others using the system while in StreetPass mode will exchange any selected sims, and will then be able to see detailed statistics on each other’s sims and ultimately given the option to have them join their town.
The visual quality of The Sims 3 on Nintendo 3DS is clearly beyond that of the original Nintendo DS version of the game, but still lacking compared to the home console or PC versions. New camera angles specifically designed to take advantage of the stereoscopic 3D capabilities of the system are certainly welcome, though most players will manually adjust the camera so frequently as to not notice that the default settings are often the best view for the task at hand.
With the Nintendo 3DS launch line-up being surprisingly sparse, Electronic Arts most certainly have one of the system’s leading lights on their hands. The publisher may have chosen just to stick with that which is most familiar this time around, but it’s a game that deserves to be taken seriously as a contender for best third-party release available on the console at present. The Sims 3 remains a traditional The Simsexperience, but as far as the console versions stand, it’s most certainly one of the best.
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