Sim City began as a bland 2-D city builder, in two releases it made a leap from a simple game into a complex 3-D micromanagement system... and now its going that one step farther!

   I know how hard Sim City 4 is. Believe me I was getting frustrated by it but now I have learnt a few little tricks to guide you through to that bustling metropolis, Click Here to check out our 'Tips' section.

Praise Me!

   The rewards of SC4 are much, much better... if a little odd. More rewards become available as your city grows, as your Agricultural sector peaks you will be offered a farmers market. Got 500 sims in your city? They'll ask you to move in with them. There are huge numbers of buildings you need to earn, its a great challenge! Today, I earned myself a graveyard, a house and a temple!

Can't beat em'? Cheat em'!

Notice: We take no responsibility in any loss of game play or unwanted affects caused while using these cheats. We strongly advise using them and would suggest you check the TIPS prior to use. Thank you

All that said; hit ESC, then press CTRL and X; a dialogue box will appear and you just type in the relevant code:    

I've Made My City Now How Can I Destroy it?


Disasters, totally unpredictable and completely out of your control… Not any more! Once your city is prosperous and thriving, why not completely destroy it? Sim City 4 gives you new destructive powers, the creation tools are all well and good but they don’t offer the same feeling! Disasters are now ‘hands-on’, they are interactive. Setting taxes is all well and good but wouldn’t it be fun to toss a meteorite into the heart of town?

OK, first things first, Tornadoes! Select the tornado icon and a whirling column of dust appears on the map wherever your cursor goes. One click and a massive tower a swirling winds touches down and begins tearing through the landscape. With a little effort it is possible to drive your own ball of fury through an unsuspecting neighborhood, cars hurtled through the air, Sims fleeing in terror… I can’t think of anything more fun! They’ll meander through town leaving piles of rubble and chaos in their wake but your Mayor; you can grab them and direct them here and there. The tornado will pull and struggle, weaving back and forth but it will eventually move in the desired direction. Sims don’t mind the odd tornado but they get a bit annoyed by constant tornados destroying their lives!
 

Remember that helpful little Robot in The Sims expansions? Yeh, the one you used to abuse...make him cook and clean all day? Well now its payback! Watch out for this mammoth machine descending on the unsuspecting inhabitants of your city. He will destroy anything in his path so beware!

Don't you hate those pesky little sims who, no matter what you do for them, always gripe about something!?! They drive me nuts! Fortunately there is a way to....dispose of them now, you have the power of the weather under your control, just find the inconvenience and zap em' good with a Thunderbolt. That'll silence those petitioners!

Next we have Meteors. Meteors are a great deal of fun! Push the button and send a giant ball of flaming space rock thundering into your city. Direct the meteor into those annoying little Sims, really give them something too moan about! If your heart suddenly re-emerges you can try and push the meteors out to sea or miss the city altogether. There is a creative side to meteors so your caring citizens can rejoice, you wont be heartless ogres. The meteors can sculpt the ideal setting for you metropolis; imagine the stories of the gargantuan crater found at the centre of town. Perhaps it would make a nice spot for the Town Hall.

Finally we have Volcanoes! Select a volcano and click on a favorable spot and watch the ground writhe and crumble as a bump rises from the ground huge clouds of smoke billow from plumes from the cracks. A volcano can do some serious damage to property values as well as the surroundings. As lava begins to ooze from the new zenith Sims will run in fear when the lava flows down to the sea it will strike the water with huge clouds of steam. Fires will break out wherever the lava passes. Eventually it will slow and solidify and your Sims can return!

Here we are only scratching the surface of the power the new disasters offer!

Growth Hormones- Is that really the last resort?

Remember those RCI (Residential, Commerce & Industrial) from Sim City 3000? Well now you have tons more! Don’t worry, its not more complicated, just more interesting. These extra demand bars give you the power to create specialized cities. Develop and expand your city into a farming city, a hi-tech yuppies paradise or a city catering for those with families. If you want loads of different specialized cities, fear not! Each city belongs to part of a much larger region; you can control and build each city. You have to be careful of how; each economy for each city is intertwined.

Once the economy is stable, you need Sims! Sims to live in you houses, Sims to live in the houses and Sims to pay your taxes. People are drawn to your city by different things. Sims are attracted to residential zones for example by healthcare, number of parks and quality of schools. Deterrents include crime, pollution and long commutes. Each action you make affects your city. For example, an Opera House may appeal to the upper classers where as a Sports Stadium would appeal to hard working beer guzzlers! The result, a more complex and responsive game than ever before. The overall desirability of your city feeds back into your economy, spoil your Sims and your city will boom, neglect them and your city will crumble and die!

One of the greatest changes in Sim Cities growth is the ability to monitor individual Sims. Move your favorite Sims from The Sims and check their progress. Be warned of problems in their neighborhood; receive praise for your triumphs. Now you can also check the occupancy levels for each and every building individually, this can help you gage your cities prosperity. If a block of apartments doesn’t have enough residents, the landlord may be unable to afford to maintain the building in pristine condition. That’s not very appealing for potential residents!

My Sim- Their City!

A great new feature of Sim City 4 is the ability to import your own Sims from The Sims original home. You can move them in to any neighborhood and they give you local feedback, Maxis have thought of those who haven’t got The Sims you will be lumbered with dodgy preset Sims.

Lets say I start a new city, Superior for example. Get on with the basics; get a basic community but things keep going wrong! I know, I click ‘My Sim’ and select ‘Benedict Margalow’. I move him into one of the worst neighborhoods next to a big coal power plant. He inherits the attributes of the house; low wealth, poor health and poor education. Soon after his move he’ll let me know he has made a successful move and he’s happy to be in Superior. As soon as he possibly can, he will begin to moan, complaining about conditions to me, the Mayor!

As things progress and the city grow I may import a new Sim, ‘Margaret Belch’. She can go in a rich area of town. She may inform me of her joy in the new Arts Centre; meanwhile Benedict will still be moaning about the lack of opportunities and start asking for colleges! If I supply a college for Benedict but drop a prison on Margaret’s doorstep. The tables are turned and Margaret begins to threaten to leave but Benedict changes its tune and praises your good work. Benedict moves on to a new job and moves to a better neighborhood, Margaret leaves…Good riddance! After time, Benedict will die but his family name and appearance shall be shifted to his son, Benedict Margalow the Second.

After Benedict’s descendants have really settled in (we’re talking 6th generation here!), the family home will have transformed into a penthouse overlooking the city. With there help your city has grown and prospered to form a bustling city.