Maybe I'm dating myself, but I totally grew up on the Sims; every afternoon after grade school was done, I'd be on my dad's PC, trying to get my Sims to talk to each other instead of beating each other's brains out. Ahh, good times.
Nintendo's jumped on the Sims bandwagon with MySims Agents for the Wii and Nintendo DS. Unlike the previous installments in the Sims series, this one is more of a click-and-find mystery game. You play as a secret agent of the Sims Protection Agency, working your way through different quests and mysteries with the ultimate goal of defeating Marcubus, uber-bad guy and the Agency's arch enemy.
I was really surprised by the look and feel of this game. For one, it looks more like a typical Wii game than the original Sims since the characters are essentially your Miis. Also, like I mentioned above, the whole purpose of MySims Agentsis different from other Sims games that were life and relationship simulations. Having actual dialogue instead of symbols was a big change, too. In my opinion, these aren't bad differences, though, just notable — particularly if you thought this was merely a switch in platforms.
One thing in MySims Agents that is true to its roots is that it is extremely customizable. You can make your character look however you want him (or her) to, including picking from several crazy costumes if you feel that the standard black suit is just too drab. Headquarters is also at your mercy: You start with a few, basic options in décor and furniture, with more items to unlock as you progress. The designers are having lots of fun coming up with easter eggs for the game, most of which will be extra items to decorate the headquarters lobby or your own, personal suite.
The game is still in beta but is slated to be released this fall in stores (not for download). There will be a total of seven levels with miniquests and side games in each one. Gameplay should last about 20 hours for the targeted demographic of kids ages 8-12. Don't let the age range keep you away, though; I'm double the max, and I still can't wait for MySims Agents to come out. It's cute, quirky, and has things for me to find — what more can I ask for!
Gwoman is a young, L.A.-based gamer who's addicted to RPGs, hack-n-slash and all things Final Fantasy. Because so many of her friends also are gamers, she is reasonably well-informed about other genres. When she plays a game, she plays ALL of it; finding and besting every sidequest, hidden character, boss fight, secret pathway and ultimate weapon is the only way for her. This, along with baking goodies, running an etymology Web site and the occasional bout of clubbing, is how Gwoman spends most of her time outside of work.
