The Sims expansion packs

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This article is about the expansion packs for the 2000 video game. For the expansion packs of other installments, see List of The Sims video games.

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 releaseThe Sims: Livin' Large
August 31, 2000 (2000-08-31)
Latest releaseThe Sims: Makin' Magic
October 29, 2003 (2003-10-29)
Aggregate review scores
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 are geared towards the pack's major theme. The first expansion pack, Livin' Large, was released on August 27, 2000. The last expansion pack, Makin' Magic, was released on October 29, 2003.

Livin' Large[edit]

Main article: The Sims: 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 27, 2000, and Europe on September 8, 2000. 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[edit]

Main article: The Sims: 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[edit]

The Sims: Hot Date
Developer(s)Maxis
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts (PC)
Aspyr Media (Mac)
Platform(s)Windows
macOS
ReleaseWindows
  • WW: November 2001
macOS
  • NA: June 2002
  • EU: July 2002

The Sims: Hot Date is the third expansion pack released for The Sims, released on November 14, 2001, with overall positive reviews thanks to the addition of a Downtown area as a sub-neighborhood, which became the set up for upcoming expansion packs in which new areas were added. Several concepts in Hot Date would be re-introduced in The Sims 2: Nightlife.

Gameplay[edit]

In addition to many new items for households, the new downtown area is Hot Date's most significant new addition to The Sims. Sims can now use their telephones to call a taxi that takes them to downtown SimCity, which is composed of lots such as shopping centers, recreation areas, restaurants, or nightclubs. While a Sim is on a date, the Sim can be controlled, but not actually give orders to their date. Downtown features many brand-new, downtown-only items, like food vendors, clothing stores, picnic areas, and duck ponds that Sim couples can use to keep themselves busy, and a few new items, like the restaurant booth seat, that will let them get to know each other better.

All the time spent in Downtown takes place independent of time at home; in other words, Sims will get hungry, tired, and bored as usual during the time they spend downtown, but once they get home, the clock will actually reset to the time when they left. This makes having both a relationship and a job (which still typically takes about six hours out of a Sim's day) not only possible, but a lot easier than before.[10]

The relationship bar with acquaintances the Sims know, now includes a daily bar at the top showing short-term trends with decay quickly and a long term bar showing long-term trends. This feature would be carried forward in later expansion packs for The Sims and The Sims 2.

Reception[edit]

Overall, the game was judged to be the most substantial of The Sims expansion packs at its point of release, and critics praised the new downtown area.[10][11][12]

Hot Date was received 86% and an 85% averages from aggregate sites GameRankings and Metacritic respectively.[5][4] The Armchair Empire gave the game 9.2/10 points saying "Where Livin' Large and House Party were basically enhancements to the original, Hot Date completely revamps the gameplay by making it possible to focus more on social and romantic relationships and for the first time get away from the Sims house.[13]

Hot Date was a nominee for Computer Gaming World's 2001 "Best Game Expansion" award, which ultimately went to Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal. The editors wrote, "Hot Date added the one thing The Sims players clamored for, which was the ability to actually leave the house."[14] Similarly, the editors of Computer Games Magazine nominated Hot Date as the best add-on of 2001, but ultimately gave the award to Diablo II: Lord of Destruction.[15]

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Hot Date for its 2001 "Innovation in Computer Gaming" award,[16] which ultimately went to Black & White.[17]

Vacation[edit]

Main article: The Sims: 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 28, 2002. 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.[18] The concept of travelling to different areas in Vacation would be re-introduced in The Sims 2: Bon Voyage.

Unleashed[edit]

Main article: The Sims: 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.[19] 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[edit]

Main article: The Sims: 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[edit]

The Sims: Makin' Magic
Developer(s)Maxis
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts (PC)
Aspyr Media (Mac)
Platform(s)Windows
macOS
ReleaseWindows
  • NA: October 2003
  • EU: March 2003
macOS
  • NA: February 2004
  • EU: March 2004

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.[20]

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.

Gameplay[edit]

The main feature of the pack is the ability for Sims to create magic charms and cast spells, which work much like cooking meals from a recipe book. Ingredients are added to a Sim's inventory, from where they are used with the correct equipment to produce an item of food, or charge the Sim's magic wand with a spell, or produce a charm. These ingredients, which are many and varied, can be purchased in Magic Town or made at home with various machines and items that can be purchased. The ability to have a dragon as a pet was also introduced.

Upon moving in a new family, the Mystery Man appears with a box which includes a wand, a spell book, the magic ingredients needed for the Toadification spell, a wand charger (which also dispenses wands), 35 MagiCoins, and a Hole In The Ground which provides easy access to Magic Town.

Being caught casting spells outside of Magic Town by non-magical Sims is met with a fine by the Mystery Man. However this is not the case in Magic Town, although the spells may backfire as the vast majority of Magic Town residents are equipped with their own wands.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The Sims: Livin' Large". GameRankings. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  2. ^ "The Sims: Livin' Large for PC". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  3. ^ "The Sims: House Party". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "The Sims: Hot Date Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on March 28, 2009. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Sims: Hot Date, The (pc:2001): Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  6. ^ "The Sims: Vacation". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  7. ^ "The Sims: Unleashed". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  8. ^ "The Sims: Superstar". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 22, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  9. ^ "The Sims: Makin' Magic". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Park, Andrew Seyoon (November 19, 2001). "The Sims: Hot Date for PC Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on December 4, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  11. ^ Harker, Carla. "Reviews: The Sims: Hot Date (PC)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved November 23, 2008.
  12. ^ Lopez, Vincent (December 6, 2001). "The Sims: Hot Date Review". IGN. Archived from the original on March 22, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  13. ^ Cieniawa, Lee. "Sims: Hot Date PC Review". armchairempire.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2002. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  14. ^ Editors of Computer Gaming World (April 2002). "Games of the Year; The Very Best of a (Sometimes) Great Year in Gaming". Computer Gaming World. No. 213. pp. 69–73, 76–84.
  15. ^ Staff (March 2002). "11th Annual Computer Games Awards". Computer Games Magazine (136): 50–56.
  16. ^ "Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Announces Finalists for the 5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards" (Press release). Los Angeles: Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. February 5, 2002. Archived from the original on June 2, 2002.
  17. ^ "Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Announces Recipients of Fifth Annual Interactive Achievement Awards" (Press release). Las Vegas: Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. March 1, 2002. Archived from the original on March 6, 2002.
  18. ^ Bates, Jason (April 8, 2002). "The Sims: Vacation". IGN. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  19. ^ Park, Andrew (September 30, 2002). "The Sims: Unleashed Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  20. ^ Butts, Steve (October 30, 2003). "The Sims: Makin' Magic Review". IGN. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2023.

External links[edit]

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