For those gamers who don’t have a PC capable of running the newest iteration of The Sims, or are simply looking for a cheaper (and mobile) alternative, The Sims 3 for iPhone is a great option to have. It does not have quite the level of depth as the PC game, but comes pretty darn close, and stands as one of the most immersive games to date on the iPhone.

For those who’ve been sleeping under the proverbial rock for the past few years, The Sims is one of gaming’s biggest franchises, placing you in control of a Sim whom you must look after and guide throughout his/her life. This includes looking after all of their personal needs such as hygiene, work, play, and love.

You begin by creating your Sim with a fully featured character creator. You have access to plenty of different models, hairstyles, colours, clothing, accessories, and more, to make your Sim wildly unique, or as close to your real life image as possible. In addition to their looks you can also set their persona by giving them traits that will dictate how they act and react to the things and people around them. You could easily create completely different characters multiple times, giving the game some great replay value.

As always, The Sims is largely what you make of it. The game is most easily categorized as a sandbox game, meaning you can pretty much do what you want, when you want. There are a set of pre-defined goals you can fulfill, and doing so can lead to some nice rewards like unlocking an additional character trait, but the goals can be completely ignored if you want. For many, earning money and building up your homestead will be the prime motivating factor, while others will be more interested in cultivating relationships with other Sims. The Sims 3 also features plenty of other diversions in the form of minigames like cooking and fishing, all of which make good use of the iPhone’s controls.

The big new feature of The Sims 3 (both PC and iPhone) is the ability to travel around your virtual neighbourhood, interacting with neighbours and exploring to really make the world come alive. The Sims used to feel rather disjointed, as most of the action took place entirely within your house. Now it truly feels like you’re a member of a living, breathing community. That said, the iPhone is somewhat lacking in this department, as the neighbourhoods are somewhat devoid of people in comparison to the PC version. Your Sim is also depicted with a little placeholder figurine, which also lessens the immersion factor.

The game is controlled both with the touch screen and accelerometer. The menus and many different objects can all be interacted with via the touch screen, and the camera is controlled with the touch screen as well, allowing you to zoom in or out, and pan around the unfolding action, whatever it may be.

The graphics are outstanding with large and detailed models, sharp and vibrant textures, and good animation. Menus are bright and clear, large enough to easily hit without being overly obtrusive. The music is also great, soothing and relaxing much of the time, while shifting gears at the appropriate time depending on the situation. The classic Simlish language (basically a form of gibberish) also makes its appearance on the iPhone in all its nonsensical glory.

The game is not without some occasional hiccups though, which aren’t entirely unexpected. There are occasional graphical glitches and problems with the game crashing, but these are nowhere near as prevalent as they were in the iPhone SimCity.

If you’re looking for an immersive, time-consuming game to eat up your iPhone’s battery life, you’ve found it with The Sims 3. I know there’s plenty of angst about these $10 games sprouting up on the iPhone, but this is a fully developed game that can be enjoyed for hours and hours. Don’t let the number of free and $.99 games scare you away from this gem just because they’re cheaper. The Sims 3 is worth every penny and then some.

Pros:

• Incredible amount of depth
• Vast character creation options
• Outstanding graphics and music

Cons:

• Some technical issues

Score: 9.5/10

Price: $9.99

The Sims 3 on iTunes

My Brute is apparently a port of a web-based fighting/RPG that is quite popular. It’s another of these social simulation style games, where connecting with other players helps you grow stronger. Personally I’ve never had an interest in games like these. Maybe it’s just me, but spamming the web address of your created creature around the internet to recruit trainers, pupils, etc. is not my idea of interesting gameplay (and the internet has more than enough spam as it is). Games should be self-contained and not dependant on gimmicky external factors like self-marketing. Is it any wonder these games become ‘viral hits’ when people are spamming the praises of their creatures across the breadth of the internet for all to see, in an attempt to build up their character, providing the developer with free marketing?

While I may not care for the premise, is My Brute actually worth investing any time in? The iPhone version is a standalone version from the PC version, meaning the My Brutes from one version can’t compete or interact with those from the PC version. This limits the scope of the iPhone version, especially as this version runs gamers $5, while the PC version is free. The small number of players at present really limits the appeal of the game (which as stated is largely based on its Master and Pupil social networking system, and the ability to indulge in tournaments against other players).

You begin by naming and creating your brute. You can choose from a number of different styles and colors, though not nearly enough to create anything that would be unique from the creations of other players. Your creation will gain experience by completing tasks and defeating other fighters, which helps them develop their skills and increase their stats. The RPG elements help disguise what is otherwise a fairly shallow game.

Instead of actually getting to fight your opponents in challenges, which would’ve made the game immensely more interesting, the fights play out entirely with computer A.I, and are decided based on skills, stats, and weapons (which are also randomly gained by beating challenges, you have no say in what skills or equipment you acquire). You can also acquire pets, and unlock other things like different arenas, but it’s all rather unexciting given the nature of the game. To top it all off, you can only fight 5 opponents per day which amounts to only a few minutes worth of play time.

If the fighting was real-time, or at least involved some level of strategy, such as allowing you to choose between different fighting styles, it may have been half decent. Even allowing you to simply choose what weapons or skills you get when you complete tasks would’ve helped somewhat. Instead the game is nothing more than a completely non-interactive and random waste of time.

The graphics are fairly nice, with decent designs and animation, and the backdrops fit the style well. The music wasn’t quite as compelling and grows tiresome quickly, despite the short bursts of play time.

Considering the shallow and completely non-interactive gameplay, there’s no way I can recommend My Brute for purchase on the iPhone, especially considering it’s free on the PC and has a much larger fanbase there. It may be fun to kill a few minutes a day with on PC, but that’s not worth $5 on the iPhone. Pass on this effort and play the PC version instead if you must.

Pros:

• Nice graphics
• Plenty of things to unlock and use

Cons:

• Small number of players
• Gimmicky Master and Pupil system
• Items and skills are acquired randomly
• Completely non-interactive, choose to fight or train, that’s about it

Score: 4/10

Price: $4.99

My Brute on iTunes

When you think of the working world, there’s one element that’s always missing; kids. Yeah, the poor little kiddies still haven’t managed to crack their way into corporate America, or even McDonald’s. So what’s a kid yearning for some extra Hot Wheels spending money to do? Well he could get a paper route (see game: Paperboy), or he could mix up a batch of juice and set up office outside his/her house, selling small cups of often poorly prepared juice for exorbitant amounts of money. Kids have the benefit of being kids after all, which often pulls at the heartstrings of adults, even when they know the juice will be overpriced and lacking in lemonade goodness.

It’s back to these halcyon days of child economics 101 we head with Lemonade Tycoon, a free iPhone game which starts off no more complicated than running a simple stand from your front lawn would be, but soon evolves past the reach of the average child into lemonade empire territory.

The gameplay is broken down into days, and as each day passes you’ll be greeted with the menu screen where you can adjust all facets of your business, right down to the recipe you use to create your lemonade and the underlying profit margin (or deficit, avoid the deficits) it will create when contrasted against the price you’re selling for. Like life, finding that perfect balance is essential, in this case the balance between squashing lemons and mixing them with water and sugar, and the amount of greenbacks you’re going to charge for them.

You can buy upgrades for your lemonade stand, spend money on marketing campaigns to get the word out, hire new staff, and much more. A nice little touch was the daily newsflashes, which always managed to make me smile with their silly lemon infused headlines. You can also see the overall popularity of your stand and check on the weather for the following days, which plays an important role in how many customers will show up.

Like all great simulation and Tycoon games of the past, you never quite reach that point where you feel completely comfortable. Different weather requires adjustments to strategy, such as the recipe you’ll use and where you’ll set up shop. As you get more successful you’ll need to hire more workers to keep up with the demand or risk losing all those previously satisfied customers. Unlike the lemonade itself, where the perfect recipe may in fact exist, there’s never quite that perfect point where the game just runs itself (and which would be quite boring after all). You’re constantly making small tweaks and adjustments on the road to unattainable perfection.

If there’s one weakness in the package, it’s the graphics, which are blocky and utterly devoid of detail. I’m assuming the game is a direct port of one of the previous PC versions, which have been around in one form or another for years, but I have no clue which one. As it is, the graphics will transport you back into the distant past just as the gameplay will. Maybe it’s fitting after all.

While Lemonade Tycoon isn’t quite as demanding as other simulation games, and isn’t much of a looker, there’s a simplicity and charm to the title that makes it undeniably appealing. Oh, and did I mention it’s free? Yes, unlike lemonade, some things in life really are free.

Pros:

• The price is right
• Addictive simulation game that lets us return to our youth

Cons:

• Graphics are quite unimpressive
  

Score: 9/10

Price: Free

Lemonade Tycoon on iTunes

Virtual Villagers is like a bizarre fusion of Tamagotchi (you remember Tamagotchi right? Those silly virtual pets that constantly nagged you at all hours of the day, and even had the gall to DIE on you?), The Sims, and Civilization. Virtual Villagers was first released on the PC a few years ago, and this version does a nice job of bringing that experience to the iPhone.

The Tamagotchi elements come in the form of your villagers often dying if not looked after, and the real-time aspect of the gameplay. You get your Sims action from the ability to rename your Sims…er, I mean Virtual Villagers, and even dress them up however you like. Then you have your Civilization elements in the form of developing new skills which helps your village advance (though this aspect isn’t nearly on a par with Civilization’s detailed system).

One strange little quirk is that though the game is in effect a real time game that runs even when you’re not playing it, you can actually pause it if you like, so that nothing will happen until you next pick it up. Neither option feels entirely satisfying, making me think they should’ve just utilized one and left it like that. Pausing the game almost feels like cheating, as it basically defeats the main premise of the game, which is the constantly evolving society. Leaving the game on while you’re away on the other hand very much feels like cheating in its own right, as your villagers will continually develop and evolve even without your expert guidance. As such, the game can effectively be beaten with you doing very little grunt work, save for getting them started down the right path. You’ll also find that because of the interconnection between these two systems, you’ll occasionally be stuck waiting around for your villagers to develop if playing while utilizing pause, or trying to get caught up to all the different things they’ve done while you were gone if leaving unpaused. It’s difficult to find a good middle ground.

As mentioned, the beginning phases of the game are extremely important. During this time you’ll need to help your VV’s scavenge for food, build shelters, and help them develop their skills, after which they can perform many of these tasks on their own. Another important element is breeding, bringing the circle of life into the virtual world, as your elderly citizens succumb to the fouls of the wild, only to be ably replaced en masse by your ‘breeders’, who go around impregnating everything in sight, assuming their skills are up to snuff.

The end goal is to unlock the mysteries of the island, which requires villagers with varying skill sets. A nice touch is that once the game has been beaten, it can still be played, allowing you to play and unlock any missed challenges, like the various mini-games which can be played.

The graphics have been downgraded slightly from the PC version, but are more than serviceable. The view is a little closer, and has an even cartoonier feel to it, which works well. The controls are extremely simple. Just touch and drag a villager anywhere on the island, and release to drop them. If you release them near a point of interest, they’ll automatically go about the task required.

A fun and interesting game, more than worthy of the small price tag, Virtual Villagers only stumbling point is in the awkward fusion of real-time mechanics and conventional game play. I’d recommend playing it slow with pausing at the beginning to get the most out of it, then let them loose to do their own thing near the end. However you play it, you should have a great time.

Pros:

• Cute graphics
• Creative gameplay
• Simple and effective control
• Handy tutorial mode

Cons:

• VV can be beaten quite easily with little input or skill
• Checking in on your VV’s may consume your thoughts if you leave it unpaused

Price: $1.99

Score: 9/10

Virtual Villagers on iTunes

The SimCity franchise has been overshadowed recently by its more famous sibling The Sims. Both games all but created their respective style of simulation play, which some have tried to imitate since and failed. While I enjoy The Sims a great deal, the incredible depth of SimCity, and the constant juggling required to build and sustain a massive city is far more exciting and challenging. Compared to the earth shattering concerns of whether or not your Sim might need a bathroom break, there’s just no comparison in my book.

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I first cut my teeth on SimCity with the Super Nintendo version in 1991. Being but a young lad then, the scope of the game was riveting, and there was absolutely nothing like it at the time. Save for the ever present issues of never having enough money to play with, and constantly having to sit idly by until that next wad of tax money hit the coffers at the start of the New Year, it was a perfect game.

I played most of the newer versions as they came out and enjoyed them all. After playing SimCity 4 with its nearly mind boggling amount of depth and replay value (with the inclusion of GTA style missions, and your own Sim creation), this step back to a simpler SimCity model was a nice change of pace. It’s very much akin to the first SimCity released, though with some of the features added to the later versions of the game.

Though the game is understandably much simpler than the newer major releases, SimCity may still prove daunting to gamers unfamiliar with this style of game. You take on the role of the mayor, in which you’re given an empty tract of land and a bunch of money, and set loose to build the city of your dreams.

Everything needs to be taken into consideration. You need a nice balance of residential structures, businesses, and factories. Too many or too few of one can lead to your entire system falling apart. You need to set the tax rates, build and fund police and fire stations, lay down the roads and power lines that will connect them all, and make sure you don’t completely destroy the natural environment in the process. A handy tutorial feature should get new players up to speed on how the game is played, but experimentation will likely be the key.

The graphics are one of the most impressive accomplishments yet on the iPhone. You can zoom in on your city and see the buildings in vivid detail, and watching your city grow and change from a distant view is equally impressive. The music is also great, with soothing songs and more upbeat inspirational tunes in equal doses.

The controls are very easy to handle overall. The left side and bottom of the screen have several buttons which bring up further menus when touched. These can display information on your city, open up your building options, and call on your advisors to make an appearance. Placing items on your map often requires you to zoom in close though, as it’s difficult to properly line items up from a far away view.

The biggest problem with SimCity is that it’s too ambitious for its own good. The amount of processing power required to compute every facet of your city, coupled with the impressive graphics, and ability to zoom in even further, causes the game to lag horrendously and crash completely at times once your city is well developed. Even in the newest 1.4 version update as of this review, it is still a major problem. Earlier versions were borderline unplayable. You should have little difficulty with the game until your city gets too big for its own good, at which point SimCity unfortunately becomes CrashCity.

SimCity is an outstanding game that will provide gamers with hours of fun. It’s a shame that the game becomes virtually unplayable once your city gobbles up the map. If you can overlook the end game instability, you’ll get a lot of mileage out of it until that point. Should these bugs be fixed in a future update, this game is certainly deserving of an even higher score.

Pros:

• Top-notch graphics
• Unrivalled depth for an iPhone game
• Brilliant gameplay that never gets old

Cons:

• Graphics and depth come at the cost of very poor stability
• No auto-save

Price - $5.99

Score: 7/10