The Sims expansion packs
| The Sims expansion packs | |
|---|---|
| Genre(s) | Life simulation |
| Developer(s) | Maxis |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts (PC) Aspyr (Mac) |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows Mac OS Mac OS X |
| First release | The Sims: Livin' Large August 29, 2000 |
| Latest release | The Sims: Makin' Magic October 29, 2003 |
Search The Sims expansion packs on Amazon.
| Game | GameRankings | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| Livin' Large | 77.48%[1] | 82/100[2] |
| House Party | 75.95% | 74/100[3] |
| Hot Date | 85.54%[4] | 85/100[5] |
| Vacation | 77.30% | 75/100[6] |
| Unleashed | 80.25% | 79/100[7] |
| Superstar | 76.76% | 79/100[8] |
| Makin' Magic | 78.45% | 80/100[9] |
Seven expansion packs were released for the 2000 life simulation video game The Sims, the first major title in The Sims series. All expansion packs were developed by Maxis for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Windows versions were published by Electronic Arts, and Mac OS X versions were published by Aspyr. Expansion packs tend to focus on major new features, with many objects, clothes, styles, worlds and life states geared towards the pack's major theme. The first expansion pack, Livin' Large, was released on August 29, 2000. The last expansion pack, Makin' Magic, was released on October 29, 2003.
Expansions
Livin' Large
The Sims: Livin' Large (known as The Sims: Livin' It Up in Europe) is the first expansion pack released for The Sims, released in North America on August 29, 2000, and Europe on September 8, 2000.[10][11] The pack includes new characters, careers, items, and features. This expansion pack is also part of The Sims Deluxe Edition and later compilations of the core game.
House Party
The Sims: House Party is the second expansion pack released for The Sims, released in North America on April 2, 2001. The pack gives players the ability and facilities to hold parties and gatherings in their Sims' homes. Upon release, House Party met an average reception from reviewers, with praise directed at the new objects and mechanics that aided social interaction and variety of visual styles, and criticism at the limited scope and lack of changes to core gameplay. Many of the objects and gameplay mechanics in House Party would be reintroduced in The Sims 2: Nightlife.
Hot Date
The Sims: Hot Date is the third expansion pack, released in North America on November 14, 2001. The expansion adds a new community area to the game, Downtown, and provides players with more opportunities for their Sims to interact and romance one another. Upon release, Hot Date received generally favorable reviews, with praise directed to the game's expansion of game mechanics and locations in contrast to earlier expansions, although with some criticism of the limited options for customisation and the level of challenge with relationship management. Following release, Hot Date was a commercial success, becoming one of the top ten highest-selling computer games of 2001 and 2002 in the United States.
Vacation
The Sims: Vacation (known as The Sims: On Holiday in the UK, Ireland, China, Portugal and Scandinavia) is the fourth expansion pack released for The Sims. It was released on March 26, 2002.[12] The pack introduces a new destination called "Vacation Island" where Sims can take vacations with family members or with other Sims and marks the first time Sims can stay on lots away from home. Players can save the game while a Sim is on Vacation Island. The pack also allows Sims to purchase or find souvenirs, stay at a hotel, or rent a tent/igloo.[13] The concept of travelling to different areas in Vacation would be re-introduced in The Sims 2: Bon Voyage.
Unleashed
The Sims: Unleashed is the fifth expansion pack released for The Sims. It was released on November 7, 2002. The pack introduces cats and dogs into the game. The pack also introduces farming and gardening, and expands original 10-lot neighborhood to over 40 lots, with the added ability to rezone these lots for residential or community use. Community lots can be modified to shops, cafes, and other commercial establishments.[14] Small pets like birds, fish and reptiles are also introduced. The concept of owning pets would be later re-introduced in The Sims 2: Pets, The Sims 3: Pets and The Sims 4: Cats & Dogs.
Superstar
The Sims: Superstar is the sixth expansion pack released for The Sims. It was released on May 13, 2003. The pack allows Sims to become entertainment figures and includes representations of several famous personalities, and contains additional work and leisure items. Upon release, Superstar was a commercial success, leading sales charts in the United States and United Kingdom. Critical reception of the expansion was generally favorable, with critics praising the addition of a new and challenging game mechanic through the star power system, and others critiquing the repetition and tedium of the system in balance with other gameplay mechanics. The addition of celebrity gameplay mechanics in Superstar would be re-introduced in future Sims expansions including The Sims 3: Late Night and The Sims 4: Get Famous.
Makin' Magic
The Sims: Makin' Magic is the seventh and final expansion pack released for The Sims. It was released on October 29, 2003. The pack introduces magic to the game and allows Sims to cast spells, forge charms, and buy alchemical ingredients. The pack introduces the Magic Town neighborhood, as well as Magic Town lots, which house vendors of magical ingredients and items and a number of magic-related mini-games.[15] Baking and nectar-making are also introduced. Adds additional residential lots in Magic Town, which contain new aesthetic accents such as new grass textures, background sound effects, and a higher chance of growing magical items, marking the first time that Sims may live outside of the main neighborhood. The game includes a disc with a preview of The Sims 2, which would be released in 2004. The concept of magic/witchcraft in Makin' Magic would be re-introduced in The Sims 2: Apartment Life, The Sims 3: Supernatural and The Sims 4: Realm of Magic.
Compilations
Collections
There have been many expansion-only compilations released over the years, including The Sims Expansion Collection and The Sims Expansion Three-Pack.
The Sims Deluxe Edition
The Sims Deluxe Edition, was the first major compilation of the game. Released in October 2002 to coincide with the release of The Sims: Unleashed, Deluxe Edition includes an updated version of the base game and the Livin' Large/Livin' It Up expansion pack in a single package, replacing the standalone versions of both titles for retail. Two new themed sets containing over twenty-five items, and fifty new clothing choices were also included with the game, which could allow for Deluxe Edition to be installed as an expansion pack for existing owners of the game. Deluxe Edition also comes bundled with The Sims Creator, a program that allows in-game skins to be edited and the saving of real-life faces to be used for Sims in-game.[16]
The Sims Double Deluxe
The Sims Double Deluxe, was released on September 23, 2003 to coincide with the release of The Sims: Makin' Magic, Double Deluxe included everything from Deluxe Edition along with the addition of the House Party expansion pack and a bonus disc containing extra themed set and trailers for other Sims expansions, SimCity 4 and The Sims 2.[17]
The Sims Mega Deluxe
The Sims Mega Deluxe, was released on May 26, 2004, and included the entirety of The Sims Double Deluxe with the addition of the Hot Date expansion.[18] It was only released in North America.
The pack was released for Mac on August 30, 2004 by Aspyr Media, under the name of The Sims Party Pack.[19] Unlike the PC release, this version of the game was released in Europe as well, in May 2005.[20]
The Sims Triple Deluxe
The Sims Triple Deluxe was released in June 2004 exclusively in Europe. It is similar to Mega Deluxe but includes the On Holiday (Vacation) expansion instead of Hot Date.[21]
The Sims Complete Collection
The Sims Complete Collection (Released as The Sims: Full House in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) was released on November 10, 2005, and combines the base game with all seven expansions.[22]
References
- ↑ "The Sims: Livin' Large". GameRankings. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "The Sims: Livin' Large for PC". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2016. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "The Sims: House Party". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "The Sims: Hot Date Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on March 28, 2009. Retrieved July 7, 2016. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Sims: Hot Date, The (pc:2001): Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2016. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "The Sims: Vacation". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "The Sims: Unleashed". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "The Sims: Superstar". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 22, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "The Sims: Makin' Magic". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "The Sims: Livin' Large". IGN. Archived from the original on December 8, 2000. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ↑ Writer, Gestalt (September 8, 2000). "Latest UK releases". Eurogamer. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ↑ Walker, Trey. "The Sims overtakes Myst". GameSpot. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ↑ Bates, Jason (2002-04-08). "The Sims: Vacation". IGN. Archived from the original on 2019-06-26. Retrieved 2019-06-26. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Park, Andrew (2002-09-30). "The Sims: Unleashed Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2018-08-01. Retrieved 2019-06-26. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Butts, Steve (30 October 2003). "The Sims: Makin' Magic Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2023. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Bates, Jason (2002-11-06). "The Sims Deluxe". IGN. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ↑ McNamara, Tom (2003-09-23). "Sims Double Deluxe Released". IGN. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ↑ "EA ships The Sims Mega Deluxe". GameSpot. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ↑ https://www.amazon.com/Sims-Party-Pack-Mac/dp/B0002RCYZA
- ↑ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sims-Party-Pack-Mac-DVD/dp/B0009F1ECY
- ↑ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sims-Triple-Deluxe-PC-CD/dp/B0002IW61Q
- ↑ Adams, David (2005-11-10). "The Sims Complete Collection Arrives". IGN. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
External links
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