Installation is easy and similar to all the other installs. It should include any updates that EA has included such as bug fixes. If you have the prior expansion packs installed, you won’t notice any changes except the new items being added. I haven’t had a chance to play the prior expansions yet, so some of the features from them have been included with The Sims 2: Family Fun Stuff like the influence system. This is similar to the aspiration meter. You gain influence points as you fill your Sims “wants” and you can use this to make other Sims do you want them to do. Since there are no real gameplay additions to this expansion, the game doesn’t really change at all. You still get to control your family and get them to do whatever it is that you want them to do. You can watch them grow up, get a date, get married, start a family, the choice is up to you. This is what makes the game so addictive, each character you choose is going to be different and your interactions will be different as well.

You’ll find that in your collections folders you should see all the new items sorted by theme. This makes it easy to design your kids’ bedrooms without having to dig around for matching items. The fantasy themed items look like it’s taken out of someone’s castle. With colorful tapestries and fairy rugs, this should make any young princess happy. The underwater themed items are interesting as well. You can have fish on the wall, on the floor, and the Stinging Jelly Light is a nice touch on any tabletop. There are nautical themed items as well if you have the urge to put oars or propellers up as a conversation piece.

There are a handful of fun costumes and outfits for your Sims to wear. The girls will enjoy dressing up as a princess to play in their room or as a mermaid. There is also a dragon and snorkel outfit for the boys. If you have a tiki style home or decide to throw a party, there are also Hawaiian outfits for the entire family. Unfortunately the costumes are for the children only. I was disappointed that there really aren’t too many new items or outfits for the grown ups. This is really aimed towards our Sim kids, not to so much the entire family.

There are a couple of new items for your garden including stepping stones and a rabbit that basically sits there like a garden gnome. This is really it in terms of “what’s new.” Even though these items are a lot of fun and well designed, it doesn’t justify calling this an expansion, as there are no new added gameplay elements. Considering there are thousands of freely downloadable fan-designed items online, I used to spend hours “shopping” online to download items for my Sims. I would stick with the University and Open for Business expansions instead since they add a lot more to the game as well as items.

This is really a “stuff” pack for the Sims 2 and EA really should have bundled this with another expansion or at least make these items downloadable for a small fee off their website. Hardcore Sim fans will probably get this expansion anyway, but I really doubt anyone will find that this is worth the money. Even though these items are cute and a lot of fun, there should have at least been more to play items to play with and there could have been some themes for the adults as well. The Sims 2: Family Fun Stuff contains fresh new items to tide you over until the next expansion, and if you don’t like downloading items online, then this should give you a few things to play around with. There is a wide variety of wallpaper to choose from, that’s for sure. Each item comes in various colors if you ever feel compelled to have yellow and blue oars hanging off your walls. Overall, I would not recommend buying this unless you really want that mermaid costume.