Simcity DS

Impressively, this miniaturized version of SimCity packs nearly every classic aspect of raising a bustling metropolis from the bare ground. After tracing out roadways and zoning a few parcels, I watched with anticipation as the buildings sprung up. And then the reality of actually playing SimCity on a DS set in. Because neither of the two zoom levels work well, construction planning really built up my frustration. I was ready to throw up my hands trying to play anywhere other than sitting still; even the slightest bump made it impossible to be accurate with the stylus. Still, that unique SimCity urban-planning pride kicked in when my burg started growing, but the high faded awfully fast. Never have the DS screens felt so small; even the largest buildings lack the details key to their charming appeal. Take this as a reminder that just because you can put SimCity on the DS doesn't mean you should.

I completely agree. Part of the series' charm is watching your town come to life. Everything's so tiny and blurry on the DS, however--so never mind that for this particular SimCity. But for an on-the-go city-management simulator, this version is really robust: It's got budget sheets, graphs, too-talkative advisers with different personalities, and lots of special buildings to research and discover (including some sci-fi-themed ones). SimCity DS is deeper than I would've expected, but those annoying citizens that are constantly asking me to build random things (that aren't really helping the city) have got to go away.

It's indeed impressive that EA has shrunk down such a complex game without dumbing it down, but having to regularly hit the "Undo" button due to imprecise touches and a janky camera sucks out some of the fun. I didn't have as much of a problem with the visuals as my compadres, but I can definitely relate to the headache of having to sit through the whiny requests of my tiny denizens just in case they offer something important. SimCity's still a uniquely addictive experience when everything's clicking, but the DS just isn't the best medium for burgeoning city planners.