Retro-future
Speaking of seductive simplicity, the retro-futurism of SimCity 2000‘s look and feel is still compelling after all this time. As a child, I remember being immediately put off by the look of the original SimCity, with its garish EGA colors, complicated user interface, and overly rigid, stylized overhead grid map. By contrast, the bright SVGA colors, angular hills, flowing waterfalls, and isometric skyscrapers of SimCity 2000 felt, at the time, like the future implied by its title.
You mean the roads can go diagonally? My mind is BLOWN!
Credit:
Maxis
Now that the year 2000 is a quarter-century in the past, there are definitely some UI touches that feel downright archaic, though. Years of quickly dragging and zooming through the likes of Google Maps and smartphone photos makes it feel incredibly awkward to use the much rougher camera tools in SimCity 2000. I found myself constantly wishing for the ability to turn the camera in increments less than 90 degrees or to have access to a more fine-grained zoom control.
Still, it’s hard to deny the charm of seeing these tiny pixel-art buildings popping up like weeds from a carefully manicured zoning plot, fed by electricity, water, and nearby services you’ve set up. As a responsible adult, I want to do right by the tiny citizens in those tiny virtual houses and create a living space for them where they can build a life worth living.
But I’d be lying if my inner child didn’t just want to unleash a tornado on virtual downtown sometimes…
Feel like giving SimCity 2000 a whirl? Grab the DOSBox-powered Special Edition—complete with Urban Renewal Kit—for only $5.99 on the GOG store! Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.
