Below are user reviews of The Sims: House Party and on the right are links to professionally written reviews.
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User Reviews (1 - 11 of 193)
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A "Must Have" For Sims Fans!
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 153 / 157
Date: March 29, 2001
Author: Amazon User
I've had this game for less than 24 hours so I'll give you the skinny on what I know so far:
To me, the best part is watching them dance in the Dance Cages. The way they dance and the noises they make are absolutely hilarious. They literally shake their booty!
Then there's the Mechanical Bull. You can have your Sim choose whether he or she wants to ride Easy, Medium or Difficult. So far my Sims have been knocked on their tail and one even landed on her head when she was thrown from the bull! Plus, the bull makes noises and it's just like being at a rodeo.
There's a bubble blower. New counters. New bookcases. New bars. New windows. New doors. New wallpapers. Lots of new, cool-looking furniture. New sinks. A futuristic-looking shower that has a "10" for hygiene. New stairs. Lots of fences.
Even a queue line so your Sims will be orderly in the bathroom line without walking in on each other. Oh, and there's a male and female door so your Sims will know which bathroom to go in! A "special" punch that makes the Sims do weird things (my Sims keep drinking and drinking the punch but nothing strange has happened yet). A male or female dancer will pop out of a cake (very funny).
Your Sims (up to 8 of them) can sit around a campfire. There, they can roast marshmallows, sing (you'll recognize some of the songs in that special Sim language) and they can tell stories. One of my Sims was telling a ghost story (you could tell by his actions) - Well, a ghost rose up from the middle of the fire! Everyone ran and one guy actually had a little bladder problem when he saw the ghost.
Now onto the dance floor. When your Sims dance on the special dance floor tiles, the floor changes color. They even dance differently to each music style. For example, they boogie when you play Disco, look like they're square dancing when you play Country and raise their hands in the air when you play Rap.
You've probably heard about the costume trunk. All you have to do is direct one Sim to change and they all automatically change. The different clothes styles are formalwear, beach, club, togas, western, costumes, disco and swimwear. The swimwear one isn't just their normal bathing suit either. It's all sorts of swimwear.
Instead of clicking on the neighbor's name and inviting everyone individually, there's now a "Throw Party" option on the telephone.
There are also non-player characters that show up to your party. I had some techno-looking girl show up. If you have a great party then a celebrity might show up. No word on who that celebrity is. And when your party is a bust, a mime shows up! Let's just say my first party was a bust!!
You can also hire a caterer to keep the plates filled. When the Sims walk up to the buffet table, they may grab a plate of cake or a plate of regular food. It's fun just to see what they're going to eat!
The caterer cleans up everything, talks, dances and even starts messing around with the costume trunk. He'll take clothes out and see how they'd look on him.
The Sims also play charades. Look for the "Parlor Game." From what I've seen an unlimited amount of Sims can play charades. When they get it right you hear a ding.
The reviews I read said there was going to be an oxygen bar for energy so the Sims would stay longer. I've looked and looked and don't see one. So yes, the Sims usually leave around 1 a.m. The police still show up too.
I have run into certain technical glitches. I have a brand new computer and Livin' Large ran just great on it. No problems. Not slow at all.
House Party does run a little slower and it's extremely slow when I have a whole bunch of people over. My Sims don't shake hands anymore either. Now they actually shake hands with the air. I'm not sure what that's all about. And I'll also be in one part of my Sims house and - all of a sudden - the game will kick me into a completely different part of the house. It's not enough to make me regret buying House Party, though.
I hope this review helps. I was skeptical about buying this game because I really wasn't sure if it was going to live up to its hype. I definitely think Maxis has struck gold again!
Deserves 99 stars!
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 45 / 48
Date: April 02, 2001
Author: Amazon User
This game is an expansion pack for the wildly popular game of the year for 2000, The Sims. Putting it basically, if you liked The Sims, you'll love this! It adds a TON of new objects, some of the best being: Campfire, which your Sims group around and sing songs, roast marshmellows, or tell stores; Mechanical Bull, which your Sims can ride for fun and the hard to get Body skill points; The Cake of Surprises, which will give you an exotice dancer; the Costume Trunk, which puts all of your Sims in the same genre of outfits; the Bubble Blower, a fun object for four Sims; the catering table, which holds many types of foods for your guests to grab whenever they want; the DJ table, with several types and new music; and the dance floor, totally awesome!! In addition to these, it adds plenty of new objects such as chairs, tables, and other common objects that can be used any time. It is now easier then ever to throw a party. Your Sims can go to the phone and select "Throw Party" and every other Sim they've met in the neighborhood will drop by. Then you can get ready for some serious socialzing! The expansion also adds things like floors, fences, and walls, and an awesome elevator! There are many new build mode objects. Then, there are the NPCs. The caterer, who keeps your table filled (for a fee), the Mime, male and female dancers, the Party Crasher, the campfire ghost, Drew Carey, and even more are rumored... If you liked The Sims and Livin' Large, this is a total MUST HAVE!!!
Awesome!
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 42 / 43
Date: March 26, 2001
Author: Amazon User
The Sims is an amazing game but after buying the and using the objects over and over you crave something more. That's what these expansions are for!!! They 'expand' you game (hence the name) by providing tons more wallpaper, skins, floors, building options, and objects. Also introduced are new game concepts:
-New NPC's: The Caterer, The Exotic Dance ;), the Tragic Mime, The Campfire Ghost, Party Crashers, and more
-Objects such as the dance floor, DJ booth, punch bowl (with side effects), costume trunk, mechanical bull, etc. radically can make or break a party.
- 3 new themes, rave, hula, and country, come with objects, decorations, and skins costume built
Check this game out! It'll give you tons more fun with The Sims!
UNBELIEVABLE
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 28 / 45
Date: April 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User
I Just got this game the other day and wow! Its amazing! With the DJ's, camp fire ghost, exotic dancers, and check this out DREW CAREY! Also i've heard that if your party is horrible the Tragic Mime comes to try to get things going. Oh and also there's the party caterer. He's a funny guy. He tries on the costumes from the costume trunk. He cleans up, talk with the guests and even dances.
This game is a must have. If i knew this game was as good as it is i wouldv'e paid 40-50 dollars for it. Livin' Large was an absolutily great game. That added more skins and more neighborhoods which I thought was great. I always had trouble with a Sim living alone not having any social life. But with House Party he does whatever a Party Loving American would do. Take a day off from work have a party from 6:00 A.M until 3:00 A.M. Of course my Sim is a party machine. He's probably fallin' off the mechanical bull so many times i'm surprised he hasn't broken an arm. Except for one occasion my Sim hasn't been too bad. But one time he had a little too much to drink and passed out on the dance floor and forgot to wake up for work and got fired. But that was awile ago.
If you want to have a good enough party to make Drew Carey come I'd recommend knowing everyone in the neighborhood. Also have a Caterer, a DJ, a "surprise cake" with the exotic dancer. Also have a comstume trunk. The good thing about that is that only one person has to change into a costume and everyone changes.
Also its much easier to throw a party. Instead of calling each person you know (which is very boring) you can just hit the option "Throw a party"
Again this game is a must have. I don't think I waisted any money and if you like The Sims and Livin' Large you'll love this!
Lots of fun!!
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 21 / 23
Date: April 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User
When I first bought the Sims last year, it literally changed my life. I've never been SO addicted to a computer game before! I think this expansion pack was much needed, because my sims always use to try to have parties prior to the expansion pack and they always failed.
This adds a lot of fun to throwing a party and takes a lot of the work out of it too! Your sims can now cater their party, hire entertainment, wear costumes, play party games, and much more. Probably the best thing about this expansion pack is that it does make it much easier to make friends and thus advance your sims carrers. Besides all the new party entertainment, you also get lots of new objects and skins too.
So gather up your sims and have them roast marshmellows around the camp fire, blow bubbles from the bubble maker, wear costumes, or dance in a cage. Don't be surprised if a few unexpected events occur though. I won't give them away, but you'll be pleasantly surprised!
The Sims Livin' Large Just got Crazier!
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 20 / 22
Date: May 25, 2001
Author: Amazon User
I've been playing The Sims for awhile now, and Livin' Large was even better. House Party included thigs even crazier than Livin' Large! House Party adds items that are perfect for parties, in three themes! For example, you can buy a DJ station and a blinking color dance floor with stunning prop lights! There's a trunk where you can dress your Sims in many types of clothing. The three themes added in House Party are rave, west, and Hawaiian. Hawaiian includes bamboo trees, Hawaiian shirts, toilets, showers, and many others! The west theme is really incredible, with bars, a sofa called "cow-ch", poker games, and a machanical bull! The rave theme is really cool, with DJ stations, dance floors, and a bunch of futuristic stuff! I'd recommend this game to any Sim game lovers, but get The Sims and Livin' Large first.
The expansion really "Drew" me more into the Sims!
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 17 / 17
Date: March 24, 2001
Author: Amazon User
This expansion rocks. I've always wanted to see what the flirtatious (to be polite) Bella Goth would be like on the dance floor, and man, I wasn't disapointed.
The Livin' Large expansion was fun, but was essentially just a collection of objects. House Party has new objects, sure--but it also has new ACTIVITIES, and new ways for your Sims to interact. In other words, it expands the gameplay of The Sims. This is a terrific expansion!
SPOILER ALERT!
And the Drew Carey character was hilarious--since it never rains, I've always stuck the pool table outside. It was so funny the first time Drew came over and started shooting pool in my backyard.
A must have game!
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 17 / 19
Date: May 07, 2001
Author: Amazon User
If you loved The Sims, and Living Large (LL) then you will love House Party (HP)! It is the kind of game that you just can't stop playing! My sisters and I haven't stop playing it!
HP gives you more neighborhoods, so if you have other people that like to play this game, you can each have your own neighborhood or two.
There are a ton of new faces and clothes, except for the little boy. He doesn't have good choices for the clothes like the girls. But anyway, the costume trunk is really cute. I had a party where everyone dressed in formal wear, because my man was proposing to my girl. And of course they got married and everyone clapped.
The camp fire is also really cute, listening to them sing is a hoot! I heard that if you chirsma is over 6 bars a ghost will appear if you tell a story. But it hasn't happen to me yet.
There are a ton of new objects, like the vase full of roses. If you have them and you let your sims have free will, one of your grownups will go and give a flower to someone. And it is so cute. Also if you have free will on and you have kids and they go to bed before the parents do, the parents will tuck the kids in. This is a sometime thing!!
New themes, and wallpapers and floors. This will give you the chance to have a really smashing party. If you decide to have a party and it is really good Drew Carey will come and stay for about 4 hours. You guest will talk about him and have him in their minds, until they leave. Even when Drew leaves they will talk about him. If you party isn't that good a Mime will come. Not a good thing. He is horrible, he makes your guest really mad and they leave. The caterer is also really cool, he will talk to you guest, check out your costume trunk, and refill the food table. The cake dances help out the party. The will come out of the cake and dance. Then they will walk around flirting with eveyone and kissing people.
This is a great game, and I don't want to spoil all the fun this game holds. So if you love The Sims, then get HP. You won't regret it!!
It Keeps Getting Better and Better ! ! !
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 17 / 17
Date: April 11, 2001
Author: Amazon User
My wife and I have been hooked on the Sims so long, we really can't recall what live was like before the Sims (let alone Livin' Large.) A quirky, exciting and addictive game... it just keeps getting more and more quirky and addictive... and everytime the fun starts to wear off, either you can find neat stuff on the website or they come out with exciting expansion packs like this.
In a nut shell, in addition to all the added goodies (100+ new items according to the box, but it'll take time to get to all of them) what this expansion back does that makes it really worth while is takes the social interaction and relationship between your players to a whole new level. - - A particular problem we often have with our games that often our Sims are too busy to have social lives... and before the expansion packs, when they'd come over, all they could do was sit around, eat and watch TV (which is what real life guests do anyway) - - with this game, you can throw parties, and everyone in the neighborhood will drop by. Your Sims will tell stories around the camp fire, wip out a guitar and have group sing alongs while roasting marshmellows(the ones you grew up on, but in Sims jibberish and listen to them harmonize with each other), dance (w/ help from a DJ), even eat turkey and fall asleep left and right. - - The Sims expansion also will not only enhance your players social life (making both their life and your games more exciting) but will also boost fun level, charisma and more.
In summary, the Living Large expansion pack took the Sims to a whole new level of fun and reality... this pack does it again, and I'm sure more surprizes are to yet to come... ! ! ! (By the way, does anybody use the Sims Art Studio... is it just me... I've yet to put up a picture my Sims don't boo at ???)
A wonderful way to continue with The Sims
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 14 / 15
Date: June 06, 2001
Author: Amazon User
This expansion pack, while not providing the major changes which appeared in 'Livin Large, still was worth the money. It includes: New windows (3 squares wide!), new doors, new objects, new wallpapers, and even new stairs and 'teleporter'.
I love the now huge variety of new designs, plus the ability to make 'parties' much more fun and entertaining. The remotely activated surround sound speakers are wonderful, as are the cake dancers ;). I also like the ability to cater events.
On the downside: my computer has problems with loading music. When it switches songs, and sometimes for no reason at all, The Sims quits out and I have to reload it. Altough this was occuring before I loaded House Party, it has increaced substanitally in occurance. It is probably just a problem with my computer, however. :)
So, all in all: I loved this highly addictive game. The new decorations and items are wonderful, and throwing parties is a great way to make new friends.
Overall advice: Strong Buy.
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