Sims 2 folks . . .

OMG I am addicted! You get to chose which town you live in and travel around the neighborhood, which I don't remember being able to do in the other ones. Graphics are better and I like the age progression. Do you need cheats?

It's very cute.

The game is definitely worth the $$. Since you can play in different neighborhoods and make different characters or play in one of MANY pre programmed scenarios there's so much to do, there are generations and new aspirations. it's SO much better than the first one.it's really addictive. I'll cut and apste the review I wrote for amazon:
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

= Fun = Overall
Likely to surpass its predecessor as the #1 selling PC game, October 8, 2004
Reviewer: Jennifer - See all my reviews


It's hard to to improve on greatness, and sequels usually don't come close to the quality of the original, but the The SIms 2 is an exception to this rule. The Sims 2 has the same general structure and gameplay of the The Sims in that you can create Sims, control their interactions and work toward short and long term goals. What the new game offers that no expansion of the first game can is incredible depth. From the get go, this game is infinitely more personalizable. The 'Create a Sim' engine gives you near total control of what your Sims look like, so you can make identifiable Sims of yourself, your friends, your enemies, or movie stars. In addition to appearance and personality traits, you also get to choose what your Sim's aspiration will be. You can choose from Family, Popularity, Fortune, Knowledge and Romance. This will determine what your sim's long and short term goals will be. Far more complicated than making sure your Sims get to the toilet on time and don't burn the house down, you must now help your Romance Sim, for example achieve his goal of having 5 Loves, or making 'Woo Hoo!' in public, or help you Knowledge Sim max out her mechanical skill. These and other goals require more thought and planning and make the game much richer.

One of my favorite things about the new game is the introduction of genetics. Now you can have a baby and his or her characteristics will match those of the parents. One of the best things about the new game: CHILDREN GROW UP! They don't stay children forever. You can nurse an infant, teach your toddler to walk, talk and use the potty, help your child with her homework, hope the teenager doens't sneak out with her boyfriend, and then watch her get married on the front lawn. Likewise, adult sims age and become elders and can now die of old age. There are ways around this, through items you can get form 'aspiration points', rewards you get for fulfilling your Sims' aspirations. I love the game. It's very engaging to see generations of a family continue to grow and interact, and even the pre-made characters have much more complex stories and problems to solve. What happenned to Bella Goth? Will the Pleasant Twins ever stop fighting? Will Daniel Pleasant pursue an affair with the maid, or remain true to his wife, Mary Sue? it's all up to you to decide in this addictive, engaging game.

This game also has many of the features of the expansions ot the orignal game. you cn now have house parties, birthday parties and wedding parties, take a stroll in the park, but clothes at the strip mall or go swimming in the public pool. it's a great game and very addictive.

One Caveat: Read the system requirements and check them with your computer before purchasing the game. giving the game a poor review because it does not work with one's computer is not fair. It does have pretty high system requirements. I added some more RAM before purchasing this game, because I needed it anyway and the game is fine. It takes awhile to load, but other than that I have had no problems with slow gameplay or freezing or anything else. The new 3D engine is fantastic and the gameplay is smoother than ever. One gripe? The camera panning is still slow, and speaking of cameras you can now take photos and movies of anything in the game to be edited and shared later.

Other cool features:

You can choose what the Sims paint on the easel- even a picture you have on your computer!

Careers now involve choices that can result in promotions, demotions or being fired. For example, will your scientist's assistant report the findings as her own, or pass them on to the head scientist? Will the chef create a book of boring low carb food certain to sell books, or creative asian cuisine? The choice is up to you!

You now ahve added challenges, like impressing the headmaster so your child will be accepted to private school.

The aspiration rewards items are really fun, including a 'love tub' which fulfills many needs, 'smart milk' for babies and a money tree.

Overall I think this is a fun, immersive and engaging game for all ages. It is certain to surpass the original!