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Just When You Think the Sims Can't Get Any Better

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 225 / 229
Date: November 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I've had the game since the day it came out. Where to start? First, the basics. The box says there are over 125 new items. There are new floors, windows, wallpapers, doors, trees, lights, tables and counters. There's even a lighted ceiling fan.

When Sims are ready to go downtown, they simply call a cab. They can invite other Sims with them or just look for their friends once downtown.

The Sims really seem to enjoy the new fish pond. They can buy fish food to feed the fish or rent sailboats to play with in the water. There's a rental shack where you get these items and it also has a picnic basket you can get.

When your Sims get a picnic basket, they spread out a blanket and then lay on it, eating and talking. If the date's going well, he might just go for a romantic kiss and then again, his date might completely reject him!

Each one of your neighborhoods has its own downtown area. When you go to the beach, you actually hear waves crashing! They can't swim in the water but, of course, you can always put a swimming pool on the beach. There are even changing rooms where your Sims can change into their swimsuits.

Another great feature of Hot Date is the "Townies." When you're downtown, you see all sorts of Sims, not only the ones from your neighborhood. You can talk to them and make friends. If all goes well, you can ask them to "Hang Out" with you and they'll follow you around doing what you do.

Let's talk food. There are all sorts of places your Sims can eat. There's an ice cream counter, hot dog stand, a place to get hamburgers, hot dogs and pizza, a diner and also a really fancy restaurant. You can create the restaurants yourself too or you can use the downtown buildings that come with the game.

There's a new grill for the park areas so your Sims can cookout. There's a new stove and when you place it downtown, you automatically hire a chef for your restaurant. When you put a dishwasher in the restaurant, you automatically get busboys that clean off the tables.

You can also put cash registers in the stores and restaurants. This automatically hires store clerks, hostesses and waiters/waitresses.

Another great thing about this game is that the people change. For example, you can go to a diner once and you'll have a male waiter taking orders. You can go again and it will be a woman. It's as if they have shift changes just like in the real world.

It's fun to watch the hostess seat your Sims and hand them menus. Your Sims will read the menus and talk about what they want to order. Then the waiter will come, take their order and take the menus.

They can also go to the bar and order drinks. You can have your Sim sit at a table and call the "barmaid" over.

Sims can shop for clothes, jewelry, candy, flowers and magazines. When they shop for clothes, they can buy outfits for themselves or for the Sims their with. One of my Sims bought a new pair of pajamas and now that's what she wears when she goes to sleep instead of the default pajamas. Everyone else in the house is still wearing default pj's because they haven't been shopping yet. Nice feature!

Also, you can put changing rooms in the clothing boutiques so they can try on outfits, swimsuits and pajamas. They'll go in the changing room and come out with the other clothes on. Then they'll prance up to the mirror and check themself out.

Sims now have an "inventory" that allows you to buy things like teddy bears, The Sims game, lollipops, chocolates, a yellow rose, a bouquet of red roses and even jewelry. One of my Sims bought his date a bouquet of red roses. The date was going well so when he gave the roses to her, she threw them on the ground and stomped on them!

In Hot Date, they also have new personality traits. Your Sims can now talk movies, parties, fitness, fashion and more with each other.

If there's a topic they don't know too much about, they can buy a magazine at the magazine stand. They'll take it home and read about it there. There are about six different types of magazines, I believe. The magazines have funny titles like MAXSIMUM and WhooNoo.

You can place speakers anywhere downtown and your Sims can listen to jazz-like music while they shop. And most everything you do downtown costs money. For instance, playing pool costs money. Turning on the jukebox costs money. Even the bubble blowing machine costs money.

Sims can also interact with over 40 new actions. They can cuddle, play footsie, kiss, make out, embrace, insult each other by shaking their fists, gossip, admire, entertain with puppets, nag about the house or their friends.

One of my favorites is the hug feature. Sims can now hug friendly, romantic, intimate or even leap into each other's arms. And they're all so funny to watch.

They can even kiss suave, peck on the cheek, fiery and more. And if your Sim is feeling frisky, he/she can "check out" another Sim or "growl" at them.

Another funny interaction is "Brag." Sims can flex their muscles. They can also primp. One of my female Sims primped by pulling out a compact and checking herself out in the mirror.

When your Sims are back at home, they now have four new beds (all singles). Really nice. And there's also the Niagara Love Tub that allows two Sims in at once. They can wash each other, play and embrace. It's really funny to hear them "playing" under the water.

I've gone into a lot of detail here but it's still not enough. There's just way too much to discover. Happy Simming!

Much fun and much better

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 108 / 113
Date: November 08, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I got the opportunity to see the game first hand before it was released. What can I say but much better than before. Finally, the Sims are able to break out of just hanging out at home and actually act out.

Whereas the first two expansion packs were fun, the problem was the characters never really changed. This time, the characters developing more detailed personalities and having a place to go try them out is the gem of the new expansion pack.

Your new sims can flirt or play footsie or show off their muscles while hanging out downtown. Another new feature! you can help create a downtown for your sims to hang out at such as the restaurants, boutiques or clubs and shops. Also, there are plenty of new characters to interact with, such as the Femme Fatal or the lonely guitar player -- quite a bit of fun to see new people! Also, there's an old lady that will beat you with her purse if you get too close to her hubby. LOL! There's no interaction with cars, unfortunately. Nope, Sims don't own their own cars -- but a taxi will help them downtown instead. There's also new wallpapers, doors and windows as well as furniture and a heart shaped tub for your new couple. :)

There's more to hot date than meets the eye. Now, you have to get your sim to date and talking isn't the only thing to keep another sim interested in your sim. If they're hungry you should feed them or if they're bored you should direct them to a club to hang out and dance -- otherwise, one of them could walk out on the other sim. But no matter -- your sim could look into picking up another date while downtown. Still, if your sims stay interested in each other, a make-out session could ensue very easily.

Buying new things isn't limited anymore either. When I mentioned the boutique, that isn't the only thing they can buy. Gifts for your date, such as teddy bears or roses is an option -- but let's say that your Sim buys some lingerie. No more ugly pajamas to bed! Other things you can buy include the entertainment, such as racing boats, feeding the fish or having a picnic. The more you buy for your Sim's date, the more they end up liking your Sim.

The character differences are what really adds to the game. You have options on how to greet your sims, from handshakes to air kisses to hugs and real kisses. They also react differently as well as having a new skill bar to work on. The relationship bar is now more of a meter to see how the relationship between your sims is working. You can build these new skills by buying magazines to increase your sims relationships skills.

Easily the BEST expansion pack so far. A serious MUST have.

SIMS, SIMS, SIMS!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 58 / 64
Date: October 28, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I have to say that I love The SIMS! From Livin' Large to Hose Party, there has always been something missing, but in The Sims Hot Date expansion pack Everything changes. IF you've never played the Sims Before beware it is extremely adictive, but with this new EP I think that It will be even harder. For example there's The big thing: DownTown. DownTown is where your Sim can meet the Man/Women of their dreams. DownTown is full of NPC's (NonPlayableCharacters) you can date or chat up. But if you already have a charater in your neighborhood that you like even better then you can invite them out. There is like 150 new interactions for example there are about 6 different kisses ex: Dip Kiss. And of course, you can go shopping. You can buy roses, necklaces or a teddy bear, and even clothing, like lingerie, for your date. When your Sims are sleeping, they usually wear the same boring pajamas that everyone else wears. But if you go to Downtown, you can buy some lingerie for yourself or your date, and when you get home, you can wear that particular piece of clothing instead of the default jammies. At the park, you'll be able to feed the fish, race toy boats, and enjoy a nice picnic in the shade under the trees. Of course, all these activities cost money. The more you have, the more you can get for your date. And the more your date gets, the more he or she will like you. Not to mention So much MORE. But I must warn you Hot Date will be even better if you have the others So (...), get all the the expansions and start playing.

Fun, but a bit disappointing

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 44 / 46
Date: November 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Hot Date provides Sim fans with things that other expansion packs have failed to do before - more interactions and an opportunity to leave your house! That in itself is worth to 30 Simoleans that the expansion pack costs. The downtown area is a lot of fun to look at and interact with - there are many interesting characters to interact with and your neighbors show up there too.

Lots of great new items - my particular favorites are the Cuddle Couch (where I have discovered new interactions such as "caress," and "embrace") and the Heart-Shaped Hot Tub (where you can "wash," "cuddle," and "kiss" your date). There are some new decorative elements as well, although not as expansive as Living Large or House Party.

The best part of this game,however, was the new interactions. You can ask particular questions now, including if the Sim wants to come home with you. There are too many new ones to list, but here's a few: extreme tickling, growling, checking out, kissing passionately, kissing romantically, etc. etc. Consequently, relationships have become more complex, with the addition of a "long term" relationship bar and a "short term" relationship bar. The latter displays how you're faring with your companion in the short term (fluctuates wildly) and the former is your longer relationship "base," if you will, which is fairly steady. Different combinations on these bars produce different opportunities for social interactions.

So why did I give it 4 stars? There seem to be gameplay problems similar to the release of the first game. Remember when it took your Sim 45 minutes to drink a cup of coffee? It now takes a staggering 4 hours to be seated, order and receive your food in a restaurant (I'm not even talking about eating the food). Also, the Downtown scenes are filled with lots of action and people, and that can put a strain on older computers, resulting in some pauses and choppy movement. If you've got a new, powerful computer, this shouldn't be a problem.

All in all, this is a great addition to a great franchise. It's a little racy (although I think the pictures are relatively tame, the SOUNDS are surprisingly suggestive), but it is rated TEEN, so your kids aren't going to see anything they haven't seen on TV or Dawson's Creek. I highly recommend it and hope that Maxis comes up with a patch to fix some of the timing problems.

The good and the bad

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 46 / 50
Date: December 06, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This expansion pack adds a lot more to the game than the previous two and, combined with the other two, makes for an amazing and full gameplay experience. The addition of the downtown lots gives your Sims a kind of second life and a new way to meet friends or hang out with old buddies.

The new social interactions--and there are a LOT of them--add tons of humor and COOL to an already very slick title. Want to send your sims to a nightclub to dance the night away and watch DJ Z Buffer spin? Want to hang out in a bar and play pool? Want to hang out by the pinball machines and meet new people? Or have a picnic? Or take a date downtown to try on some new lingerie? You can do all this and more. This expansion delivers at least as much as it promised. It's hilarious, it's engaging, it's a hell of a lot of fun.

But it's also broken. When you install Hot Date (if your CD-ROM drive can even read the disc), certain items from Livin' Large (if you have it) will disappear completely, Sims will get stuck sitting on the couch, Sims will forget to go to work, any music playing downtown will become garbled, the game will crash or fail to recognize the CD, and a number of other glitches, major and minor, will have you pulling your hair out.

You definitely want to get this expansion, but you should keep your eye on The Sims web site and wait until there is a patch announced. It's incredibly frustrating to see the promise of a good game but be basically unable to play. I wish they hadn't rushed it out the door because now I feel like I'm still waiting for it to come out, even after I've bought it.

Definitely a neccessity for the Sim Gamer!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 39 / 42
Date: May 29, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Another expansion pack to the highly loved game The Sims. The Hot Date version is probabaly one of the best, focusing on a point of high interest in most people-Romance, not to mention kinky foreplay ;)

With this new expansion pack, gamers not only control and run the home lives of their sims, but also their social lives. What could be more fun!? Visit Downtown, a new world in which sims can explore all sorts of stores, from formal wear and lingerie to chocolates and video games. Introduce your sims to tons of "townies," new sims, especially created for dating.

Pros:

1.Expanded social options, including asking questions, such as "How is work?" ("Leap into arms," "play footsie," "check out")
2.125+ new items including coffee tables and romantic hot tubs.
3.Downtown neighborhood is full of colorful characters, hotdog stands and snazzy restaurants.
4.Tons of new heads and skins (femme fatale, blonde bombshell, dream boat)

Cons: I couldn't find any!!!

There is so much fun to have in this game its scary. You can dine out with your sweetheart and makeout right there in the booth! You can even create your own downtown buildings designed specifically for what you want to sell. Make it a bar or a ritzy club or even just an ice cream and hot dog food court.
(WARNING: Sims behave differently while under the influence of alcohol :D Its most entertaining)

I was not disappointed with my purchase of this game. It was just how I expected it to be and I play it for hours. You truly will not be disappointed. Also, be sure to have the 1st Sims before purchasing Hot Date. This is only an expansion pack. The 1st game is needed to play. Windows 95/98 is required.

Hot time in the city

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 27 / 27
Date: December 02, 2002
Author: Amazon User

The Hot Date expansion pack adds a whole new dimension to The Sims. What with working all day and constantly fighting off hunger and fatigue, our sims just don't have a lot of time for romance and fun. Wouldn't it be great if you could simply stop time while you work on building your sims' social lives? Well, now you can do just that. Oh, time passes for your sim while he/she is out painting the town red in the new Downtown area, but you arrive back home just after you left, giving you a much-needed chance to rest and recover from your daring exploits in town (not to mention entertain any date that actually agrees to come home with you).

The new Downtown area is great. Now your sims can go out dancing, hit the bars, dine out in fancy restaurants or just grab a hot dog and ice cream cone, shop for new clothes, buy gifts for one another, etc. If you want to buy a new outfit for your sim sweetie, you can have her try it on and model it for you before deciding to fork over the simulated dough. As for dating, you can simply dismiss your date if things go badly (or a more attractive prospect happens along). When things are really clicking, though, you can lay a number of different lip-locks on your lucky date, including the aptly named passionate kiss, play footsie underneath the table, and/or cuddle up and neck (right there in public, mind you). Even a seemingly casual encounter can become exciting when a sim quite taken with you suddenly jumps up into your arms. These sims are not easy by any means, however-convincing a date to come home with you requires skill and a little bit of luck.

One really great thing about Hot Date is the fact that it greatly expands your world of potential friends. Once you meet a new character downtown, you can call that individual up from home to invite him/her over, ask him/her out on a date, or just talk. This makes it much easier for you to win enough friends to qualify for that big promotion you've been after at work.

Hot Date is really great, but there are a couple of minor drawbacks to it. There is one bug in particular that continues to plague me. In a busy restaurant with tables placed close together, one of the NPCs can get in the way of your date, making him/her essentially freeze in place while you are stranded at the table all alone. At the best of such times, you can cancel the dining transaction, get your date moving again, and make a second attempt at ordering a meal; there have been times, however, when my sim became stuck in the Downtown area, unable to even return home, and I had to shut down the program manually or reboot. More importantly, though, Hot Date is pretty hard on the old processor. You can play the game on a PC running the minimum system requirements, but your game will be agonizingly slow at times and will continue to run slower and slower until such time as you exit, reboot, and restart the program. Overall, though, this expansion pack is by far the best of the bunch and makes possible a brand new kind of experience sure to delight all fans of The Sims.

The biggest expansion yet!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 26 / 28
Date: August 24, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This expansion has more objects, more interactions, more sims, more everything! Build a Downtown area for your sims to explore alone, or with a friend. You can use several new objects and characters in each downtown building, with no limit on the amount of money you spend! Keep in mind, though, that the more you spend on a building, the more your sims pay to go there. You can build parks, restaurants, nightclubs, malls, and any other public place you can think of. Any objects you can use their can also be used in your own household. Then it's time to put those buildings to use. It all starts by picking up the phone. Call up a date. It can be someone you know from the neighborhood, or one of several NPCs (non-playable characters.) Or, if you prefer, go alone and spend some money on yourself. You can buy new clothes to wear, eat some food, dance, whatever! A seperate meter from the friend meter is on the menu showing how far along you are with your love interest. If you have a good enough time, you may even fall in love and marry your date, making him/her a permanent part of your household! Having a good time may require building up of interests your date enjoys, including sports, computers, etc. Building interests can be easily done by reading magazines. Plenty of new features insures this expansion will be the biggest and best yet!

The Hot-Date expansion pack !

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 42 / 55
Date: October 21, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Since the first " the Sims " Game came out its been really popular with grown-ups & kids. And with the expansion packs its been even more fun. Livin Large & House Party are fun but Hot-date has a whole new area, Downtown. In Down Town you can build restaurents, beaches, parks, cafes etc. then comes the fun bit, you can take your date to any of the areas you have created. Maxis have created cabs to take to and fro from town. But it'll cost ya 50 simoloneons. In the park you can feed fish, race boats or rent a picnic basket. There are over 40 new interactions such as a dip-kiss, hand-kiss. You can also play footsie under the table or gossip about the couple next to you while you are waiting for your food. There even is an old lady who will wack you with her hand-bag if you try any hanky-panky with your date. Going back to the objects there are objects like the love couch, love swing and love tub. So I think this expansion is really worth it. You can preorder this game now.

Only if you have a fast computer

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 25 / 28
Date: November 24, 2001
Author: Amazon User

What's different between this and the other expansion packs? Well, there are many new objects, wallpapers, floors and build tools like fences and windows. Of course, the biggest difference is that this introduces a whole new element of gameplay to the Sims, with the downtown area.

Downtown, Sims can shop for clothes, read magazines, swim, buy hamburgers and icecreams. Most of all, though, they can go on dates and meet people. Downtown, you can only control one Sim at a time, and they have to keep both themselves and their date happy. This is a lot more difficult than it sounds!

The relationships with Sims have changed in other ways, too. There are now two relationship bars - short-term and long-term. It's much more difficult to get Sims to fall in love, and they're a lot more temperamental than they used to be!

Downtown is very, very expensive. For a meal that would cost the Sims $20 at home, it costs them $120 dollars downtown. Everything costs money, and usually a lot of it. You'd better have very rich Sims, (...).

Performance-wise, on my computer it is very poor. I've got a Pentium III, running Windows ME with 128MB of RAM, and this is one REALLY slow game. It takes about the same amount of time to load the game up, but there are unfortunately other parts where the game has really slowed for me. When cars arrive, my computer used to just slow down a little. Now the screen freezes for 20 - 40 seconds. The downtown area takes a really long time to load (especially the first time), and going from shop to shop also takes a long time.

Would I recommend it? If you have a slow computer, you'll have to be very patient while playing the game. If you have a really slow computer, forget it. If your computer is fast, buy this right now!

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