It's amazing how well SimCity 4 has aged

[drocca 173]

SimCity 4 is 16 years old. Think about it, there are people driving on the roads with a license who were born after SC4 came out. And yet we still play it, as a current game. People play games that are 16 and much older as classic games, but SC4 is still offered new for sale, still gets mods, updates, etc. I remember when I started collecting classic video games in 2006, games that were 16 years old then (1990) were bought for historical value just as much as play value. How has SimCity 4 stayed so current? I have some ideas:

1) Game style. The graphics and sounds of SC4 aren't up to 2019 standards, but they don't need to be. They get the job done just as well for a city building game. 

2) Flexibility. SimCity 4 offers immense creative latitude. You can sculpt the terrain to your liking and literally build almost anything you want. 

3) Deluxe Edition. You never hear about the original release of SC4 anymore. The versions that are sold for download are always the Deluxe Edition, and honestly, the original version isn't really missed. Deluxe Edition launched eight months after the original and added difficulty levels and various transport options. The original SC4's biggest flaw was that it was too difficult. Deluxe Edition solved this flaw, and if you like the difficulty of the original, you can still play on Hard mode in Deluxe.

4) SimCity 2013. I looked forward to this game for a year before EA crapped it out onto store shelves and download websites. I got it in March 2013, maybe the 9th? There was little creative freedom. The whole game just seemed dumbed-down. I feel that in SimCity's effort to stay modern they alienated their fan base that were looking for a "serious" SimCity game. So, serious SimCity players went back to 4 or to different city builders altogether. 

[Cyclone Boom 17,031]

I couldn't agree more.

For many people (myself included), SimCity 4 has become more than a "game" too. That's what inspired my signature line of how it's a tool driven by our imagination and creativity. A big thing of course is how the community here at Simtropolis, SC4Devotion, and other sites have brought people together to share a common interest and focus. There's no doubt all the custom content has extended the possibilities, giving more variety to what our cities can look like. Then how the knowledge shared by others has become a cycle, which has inspired and continues to inspire new mayors from around the world.

Even with new city builders around, I have a feeling how SC4 will still be the one of choice for many, for many years to come.

[Slammed0 8]

Well said. SimCity 4 is a fantastic game and I still play it to this day. It's actually crazy to me that it came out in 2003. Doesn't feel like it did. Heck, I still play, love, and very much enjoy SimCity 3000. 

[CorinaMarie 29,856]

1 hour ago, Slammed0 said:

Heck, I still play, love, and very much enjoy SimCity 3000. 

Cool. If you get a chance we could always use expert replies over in the SC3000 forum.

(A new question pops up there every month or so.)

[Handyman 785]

On 2019-06-07 at 7:37 AM, Cyclone Boom said:

a tool driven by our imagination and creativity

I would have to add that it has also become a tool to express my imagination and creativity.