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Urbz Proves More Of A Hip-Hop Wannabe

December 13, 2004

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The recent console versions of the "Sims" franchise did a nice job bringing along an aging series with more 3-D graphics to hold over fans until this year's "Sims 2" PC game. Unfortunately, the Nintendo DS debut of "Sims" suffers from Repetitive Task Injury. The game, where you create a Sim character and guide him or her through city adventures, is more monotonous than fun. You find yourself running around to the toilet and scouting for food much more often than you talk to people and build a lifestyle. The more recent "Sims" games had taken the focus off that, but this one feels like the original "The Sims" without the illusion of freedom. You're rammed along a lame storyline using a character you created from a very limited set of options.

Graphics are decent and the conversations are fun, but "The Urbz" is full of annoying wannabe hip-hop vibes and, from the time I spent with it, it never gels enough to give you any kind of investment in your character.

The DS exchanges "The Sims" original elegant interface for an overly convoluted set of menus on the touch screen that give you lots of data, but prove a challenge to hunt through when your Sim's bladder is full or when he's dying of starvation.

There may be a good "Sims" game in the Nintendo DS' future, but "Urbz" doesn't exactly live large.

�Omar Gallaga/American-Statesman

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