User Reviews (1 - 11 of 38)

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Truly fun and creative game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: September 01, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I have always enjoyed the series since its beginnings as a 256 color game. Simcity has come a long way since the original release and with Simcity 4 you can expect one of the most challenging game play and one of a kind gaming experience.

This simulator gives you complete freedom in terraforming and urban planning. Aside from managing the physicality of your city you are also giving the power and responsibility of governance; from funding a skate park, local clinic, or the entire transit system (broken down into many sub categories) to managing ordinance, taxation and inter-city or regional economy.

This is the only game that will allow you to test you wits at a multitude of issues. The greatest joy comes from observing a successful city developing, renewing and breathing itself.

Another cool new feature is that you can actually import or create "Sims." People who you can follow from their life to death, understand their struggle and concerns thus creating a better city.

Last but not least is music; Simcity 4's background score is quite amazing, inspirational at times and will leave you in-the-zone for hours at a time.

Overall, I'd highly recommend someone who's got the time, interest and computing power to purchase this simulator/game. If you are or someone you know is constructive and love to investigate and empower then this is a must!

Another SIM

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: June 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I come and go through the sim cravings... However, it is not a game that I would say I play every single day forever & ever. It is very similar to the other SIM City games & offers some other neat functions. Overall, it is great while I'm interested & playing, but I do go through times where I get bored with it.

Some Features I Loved are Gone

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: April 22, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I have played SimCity on an old Nintendo system and a previous Mac version, so I already knew what to expect from this game. It runs fine on my G5 (with the patch), but it is really annoying that there aren't more options like playing in a window. I do have a patch for that but it doesn't work.

This version of Sim City is more difficult than the other versions I've played. I'm finding it close to impossible to make money and get my city to grow. The graphics are very beautiful, though.

There are two important things that are missing from this game that I would really like to see: 1) RANDOM disasters. I don't see how a disaster is fun if you know in advance that you're going to make it. It's a lot more fun when you spend hours building something only to have it destroyed by some random event (just like real life!) and 2) Real cities.

I'm not a fan of Aspyr, so although I like this game I can't really say I recommend it. Go to Aspyr's web site and look around for even a few minutes: you'll see how hard they make it to find information or get help about anything. Very user-unfriendly company, that unfortunately is making these fun games.

Never buy anything from Aspyr!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: June 29, 2006
Author: Amazon User

If you ever get this game running, you will see the numerous bugs (like the glowing buildings), the horrible speed on machines that well exceed the "system requirements", and countless options taken out from the PC version. The biggest bug though is that it will crash on many machines. Aspyr has a patch to download on their website for this, but it requires the serial number from the CD case, which is a problem because they shipped thousands of copies with invalid serial numbers. They have no tech support to speak of, which is fitting I guess for their horrible products.

In short, Aspyr is a crooked organization that may be in line for some class action lawsuits, and I wouldn't have paid one cent for their typically worthless mac port of Simcity 4 if I had known anything about Aspyr beforehand.

Aspyr has to go

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 16 / 16
Date: November 22, 2005
Author: Amazon User

While SC4 isn't without it's flaws, Aspyr has taken pains to code windows-like interfaces for file access and skipped on making them work with the Mac file system. The game blocks many system features making it impossible to Command-Tab out to check e-mail, fast forward iTunes or whatever else you want. My attempts to contact customer support were responded to tersely and with no concern for my patronage.

But maybe you don't want to switch out of the game or customize maps. Maybe you don't want access to the Maxis conent, such as making a SC4 map of the area you live in. Did you want to play the game? You do? I hope you have 15 minutes to spare because that's the longest I've ever gotten it to run.

But there's the Rush Hour expansion... Sure it's been panned but it must stabalize the game... Nope, check the fan forums.

Once again Aspyr has taken a popular game, done a weak port and avoided all forms of support. Thay have your money, go away. My advise is to load an older version in classic and tell Maxis hat they won't get their cut from Mac games as long as they continue letting Aspyr screw their customers.

System Requirements

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 16
Date: November 15, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The system requirements for this Mac game are available at:
[...]

System Requirements:

Operating System: Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later
CPU Processor: PowerPC G4 or later
CPU Speed: 700 MHz or faster
Memory: 256 MB or higher
Hard Disk Space: 2.0 GB free disk space
Video Card (ATI): Radeon 7500 or better
Video Card (NVidia): GeForce2 MX or better
Video Memory (VRam): 32 MB or higher
Media Required: DVD Drive

No System Requirements

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 12 / 16
Date: September 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Amazon doesn't list system requirements for this game, so I didn't know that it won't run on my system. Refuses to even start because it needs a video card that wasn't standard equipment on most Macs until 2004. And since the box is opened I can't send it back to the seller or sell it myself on Amazon Marketplace. Thanks for eating my $43.

Beautiful Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 6
Date: August 29, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Having a great time on my iBook, no major performance issues. Some slowdown on highest graphic settings. I reccomend buying expansion pack along with the game from the beginning.

Potentially interesting, but just too unreliable

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: August 23, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Running this game on a 1.42 GHz Mac Mini with 512MB and 32MB VRAM ARI Radeon I have never managed to play this game more than 45 minutes before the system hangs. Yes - entire system.

I'll play around with the built-in graphics options a couple more times, but my patience has essentially run out already.

AWFUL

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 11 / 16
Date: June 29, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I hate computer games. Refuse to waste my life with video games. Have nothing but contempt for my peers who sit around all day playing Halo. But I've always had a soft spot for Maxis and their Sim games, and they're practically the only computer games I've ever owned. I had the original Sim City, plus Sim Farm, Sim Isle, Sim Tower, and Sim City 2000. So after I upgraded my computer and got a PowerBook G4 1.5 ghz 1 gig RAM I enthusiastically loaded Sim City 4. What a disaster. After four days of trying to get it to run properly (blackened screen, frozen computer, etc), I just erased it from my hard drive and returned it to Aspyr requesting a refund. Don't even bother with this. The interface is confusing, they ruined the terrain editor, and if you can't get it to even run properly on a upgraded new computer, what is the point?

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