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A lot of little changes don't make a big one

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 108 / 116
Date: November 19, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I played SimCity 2000 and loved it; the only major downs of that game were the fact that you can't build on hills (or should I call them "cliffs"?) and if you have a diagonal road, the buildings don't come up to the edge of it, as real buildings would. Nevertheless, I found the game rather entertaining and challenging.

So I figured, when I bought SimCity 3000 Unlimited, that it would be a great deal better than 2000. I won't say it isn't better. It is. But I think that all the new changes are still very little. That is, you get new buildings, the ability to design your own buildings, new zones, and a slightly nicer interface. I particularly like the Asian Landmark buildings (though the romanization of some of the names is sometimes inaccurate.) But, as some other reviewers have mentioned, it's slow when you get a big city (even on a top of the line computer), and is such a memory hog that I have to turn off my few background applications as well as the music and traffic.

If you don't already have a SimCity game, I'd say get it ... it is a good game. But if you've got 3000, or even just 2000, I'd say wait; maybe 4000 will be a smoother, more realistic version.

Unlimited for old and new players alike!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 101 / 107
Date: May 30, 2000
Author: Amazon User

For those who don't have SimCity 3000 already, SimCity 3000 Unlimited is the best way to get into the game. The game is nearly identical to the smash hit of 1999. All the same playability, the same city building challenges, etc.

For those who already own SimCity 3000, there are a number of new options that could make it worthwhile to upgrade. In fact, when you install Unlimited on a computer that already has the original 3000, you get the option to transfer over files (like all your old cities). It then even does the uninstall of the old product for you (very nice). Granted, Unlimited does chew up a bit more disk space so you should make sure you have room to spare for the new version.

I'd also suggest you try to get in while the rebate is going on. It will get you back $10 on the price of Unlimited. Then you won't feel so bad spending money on a game you basically already have. Then do what I did: give your old copy of SimCity 3000 to a family member to get them hooked on the game.

Same as SimCity 3000, don't waste your money!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 63 / 70
Date: November 08, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Basically this is a repackaged version of Sim City 3000. I found it annoying that you pay the price for a repeat. Yes you get the building architect and all, but you can download that from the Sim City site for free! The "new disasters" are silly, especially the whirlpool. The aspect of this expansion that I did like was the new asian and european building sets.

If you have Sim City 3000, don't bother with Unlimited. It is a waste of money unless you want to pay the price for the new building sets.

I have one of the new powerful computers and the unlimted version slows down big time once cities get large. You have to turn off the music and traffic to make the thing go at a decent pace.

The "new" scenarios are silly and very easy to master. Not challenging at all.

So, if you have Sim City 3000, don't waste your money

SimCity 3000 vs. SimCity 4

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 37 / 38
Date: July 06, 2005
Author: Amazon User

After playing SimCity 4 for several months (anxiously awaited, bought the expansion as soon as it came out), I decided to go back to SimCity 3000 Unlimited just for the heck of it.

While it may not have the sophistication technically of SimCity 4, and the graphics are not as pseudorealistic as SC4, I have to say that there are a lot of things that Unlimited had that I wish Maxis would have carried forward with their new release.

One of the primary things is the Building Architect Tool. It was so easy to build virtually any building with that tool (though admittedly imperfect). The building tool in SC4 is very good for computer graphics professionals, but honestly - I was just completely turned off by it's high learning curve. I initiated an experimental building, but just gave up because it was too frustrating to use. I know - in return, we have more realistically rendered buildings, but look at the dearth of origional buildings on the SC4 site. The SC3000 tool is like building blocks, and then you add textures and props. Nuff said. It works even for me!

Another thing I prefer in SC3000 is the general ambience of the playspace. I like that you can change the terrain color, the vegetation, building sets, and the general character of the lighting. So aesthetically, it is a more pleasant game to play.

Maybe it is just easier, and that is why I like it? But I honestly like the fact that you can really solve problems in the game. In SC4, I find it is a complete mystery why someone won't drive across town to a job like we do in real life! Their houses fall into decay because of their commute time! I don't see that happening in Palmdale, CA where half the population commutes more than an hour each way into Los Angeles! In SC3000 you can solve this problem more easily - put in a subway! The entire transportation system is much more effective at solving this problem than the SC4 system (with a durned expansion pak!!!)

Look, both games are great. I am in awe of the work that goes into them. I just thought someone might benefit from my observations.

SimCity 2000 Gone Bad.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 48 / 59
Date: December 20, 2000
Author: Amazon User

When Maxis put out SimCity 3000: Unlimited, I was very excited. I've always been impressed with their games, from SimCity Classic and 2000 to SimTower, SimFarm, and Sim ThemePark. But this game just doesn't live up to the Maxis reputation.

First, you're lucky if the game loads under 10 minutes. On my 400mhz machine with 128 megs of RAM, it often took me 15 minutes to get the game loaded. I couldn't do any multitasking with this game, or it would crash. Another problem with memory -- if you get a large city, it takes forever to load and forever to scroll. The image jumps across the screen at a pace that makes you feel like your only transportation is a walker.

The game has some nice upgrades from 2000 - better trading of goods - power, trash, etc - and a better advising system all together. The graphics are more pleasing, and the ultra zoom is entertaining, allowing you to watch individual cars and people, as well as parades in your honor. The special landmarks are pretty, but they aren't restricted at all, nor do they seem to add anything but aesthetic value to the gamer. You lose the stats on visitors like you had with the landmarks in 2000.

The game is more challenging than 2000, and I found it too difficult to get my city up and started. Building to the bare minimum, I still would go bankrupt - a problem I had never encountered with SimCity 2000.

I give the game 3 stars for its new features and for being a memory hog. If you have SimCity 2000, I'd invest in the expansion pack or the special edition and not bother with 3000: Unlimited. It's a lot cheaper, has many similar feautres, and it won't crash your system.

Build Your Own Metropolis

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 21 / 23
Date: January 13, 2003
Author: Amazon User

A decent game if you are into the simulation games. I bought this a few months ago and have been playing it (off and on) ever since. I recommend not to play this game endlessly, it takes a long time (real) to build a decent and thriving city. When I first started building cities, I would get impeached after about 20 years. This game, like other simulation games, takes experience before you become successful.

I especially liked the options of choosing real city terrains, such as Paris or Berlin. This is a great feature if you would like to see how Paris would look if you built it. What if Paris had the Taj Mahal instead of the Eiffle Tower?

You can also have aliens attack the city, which is neat to watch. I recommend turning off the disasters when you first get your city running. Limited budget and income makes repairing buildings and roads very hard. I have found that after running a city for about 60 years(Sim time) there is enough surplus in the budget to experiment with the disasters.

It is a little hard to have the same poplutaion as the surrounding SimCities. My cities have always had a fraction of the population in comparison to my SimCity neighbors.

And it seems that you can't keep the Sims happy. If you have taxes too high they complain, so you have to lower them. Eventually, I had to lower them down to about 1%...and they still complained that they are being taxed to high. So you have to lower it to 0%, however you no longer have the population as a source of income. This aspect of the game is a little annoying. If you play this game sparadically, which I recommend, it is not as annoying as if you decide to play it of several hours many days in a row.

As far as building farms and seaports... I had a hard time having these features develop in my cities. But after much determination and a quick glance at the official website, I have been successful. The only problem I have with the farms is keeping them when my city started to expand. What I mean is after awhile, farms started to turn into factories. Once this happens there is no turning back to farmland.

Here's a tip: try to keep the zones you intend to have farms develop as far away from the residential, commerical and industrial centers as possible.

Another zoning problem that I have encountered is with the airport zoning. I can get it to develop, but not to how I want it to look. This type of zoning is expensive, so demolising existing buildings that spring up randomly and re-zoning/dezoning becomes a nuisance.

Overall this is a decent game, and a good value. I am looking forward to the next SimCity, and hope that they improved on what is already a good game.

This is a game where there is not much action, usually simulation type games are slow paced, and this is one of them. It took me many weeks of periodical playing to build a halfway decent city. Although, when I first got the game, I played many hours on end thinking I was going to master this game in a day. No such luck.
If you are looking for quick results and action, this is not the game for you. But if you like taking your time and experimenting, I definitely recommend this game.

A Great Game Built on Sound Planning Principals

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 22 / 25
Date: May 29, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I first used the SimCity software almost ten years ago while pursuing a masters degree in urban planning and policy. The software was useful as a foundation for a simple, but fun class project. At the time, SimCity was relatively new and basic in its graphics and detail.

Well, the software has come a long way since that time. It is still useful in getting students interested in studying, or at least understanding, the underlying logic (or, sometimes, lack of logic) that is at work shaping the cities and towns in which we live.Some of the features seem a bit frivolous, but do serve to maintain the interest of even the shortest of attention spans.

Since I first played this game several years ago, I have gone on to become a professional city planner. Where the game was once a useful tool in learning the art of the trade, it is now a useful escape to an environment where I have the opportunity to positively shape a simulated urban environment. Not bad for those days,weeks or even months where it seems that things aren't moving fast enough in the real world.

Always a Cityfan

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 16
Date: July 17, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Simcity 3000 Unlimited is currently installed on my computer and continues to please and delight me. The new features have doubtlessly been counted and recounted, I shall not go on with those. I have found all of the new features fun and made the gaming experience more enjoyable, and worth the cost of the upgrade. Giving my city a European and/or Asain flair is delightful, as is being able to manipulate scenarios and buildings. I debated about whether to get this verison, and if you are, I heartily suggest that you go ahead, you won't be disappointed!

I have had problems with SC3KU freezing on my computer, however. I didn't have the same issue with S3K, so I can only fault this upgrade, which hasn't been addressed on their website as of yet.

Onwards toward SC4K!

The Best SimCity Game on Average

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 14
Date: June 18, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Going from SimCity 2000 to SimCity 3000 required a little bit of effort to get used to the differences, but once you do, you will find this to be a highly superior game. Graphics are not as good as SimCity 4, but SimCity 4 is more boring than 3000 Unlimited. Not only can you build cities, but you can make your own scenarios and make your own buildings. The Building Architect is actually the most popular feature of SimCity 3000 Unlimited. In SimCity 4, all you can do is make cities... until they release expansion packs and you have to pay $30 for each expansion pack, which I do not plan to do. I've played every one of the SimCity releases, and SimCity 3000 Unlimited is the best one and the one I've played the most. It has so much more to offer than any of the other SimCity's and is the best game for your bucks.

A big step up from the original(and even from 2000!)

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 16
Date: September 18, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game is really cool! Here's all the features of Sim City 3000 Unlimited that Sim City 3000 didn't include: It includes 4 new disasters which are Whirpools,Toxic Waste Clouds,falling space ships, and locusts,you can make you're own buildings and scenarios,improved graphics,you can make as many landmarks as you want and there new ones,Plus at least one new reward building. if you're a Sim City 2000 fan that didn't buy sim City 3000 cause it wasn't much different from 2000 then you should go with this one since it's a lot more up to date and realilistic than Sim City classic and 2000. P.S. Sim City 3000 Unlimited also includes scenarios that 3000 dosn't that are a little more complex than those of The original Sim city and sim city 2000

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