C:\ArsGames
At Ars Orbiting HQ, our passion for gaming spans from the classics to contemporary titles. To celebrate this, we have collaborated with GOG.com to launch a dedicated store page featuring a curated selection of our top picks from their extensive library. Each month, we will refresh the lineup, showcasing a total of around 50 titles, with some games replaced and new ones introduced.
Twice monthly, we’ll present personal retrospectives focusing on select games from our list—whether it’s a beloved classic or a modern gem you might have missed. Every featured game will come ready for you in a DRM-free format via GOG, making it easy for you to delve into the experience. Don’t forget to check out our prior installments in this ongoing series!
Reflecting back on my childhood, SimCity 2000 once felt like an endless playground filled with animated urban building blocks. Now, nearly thirty years later, returning to the game has shifted my perspective, influenced by the realities of adult life and responsibilities.
As a child, the complexities of running a successful city didn’t weigh on me. Instead of nurturing a sustainable tax base in a city populated by content citizens, I often resorted to using infinite money cheats or the Urban Renewal Kit expansion to construct anything my imagination desired, at a rapid pace.
With such unchecked power, I reveled in the game’s mechanics, whimsically adjusting settings just to observe their effects on my virtual populace. I would sometimes attempt to create ideal neighborhoods filled with futuristic arcologies and police stations, aiming for a perfectly orderly city. More frequently, I enjoyed pushing the boundaries of the simulation, zoning residential areas near heavy industry or neglecting fire safety in hopes of witnessing the ensuing chaos.
Now, as I play SimCity 2000, I find it difficult to let go of my responsibilities and act without thought towards the lives of my virtual citizens. My years as a homeowner and community member compel me to be more considerate about the challenges I impose on these small inhabitants.
Raising property taxes to fund a personal project no longer feels trivial—it’s a reminder of my own increasing property tax bill. The notion of legalizing gambling to plug budget holes evokes thoughts of the potential social issues that might arise from turning my town into a betting hub.
When the game’s traffic helicopter whirls above a congested cityscape, it reminds me of my own frustrations with navigating traffic and reflecting on the shortcomings of urban planning. Likewise, when witnessing neighborhoods littered with abandoned structures, I draw parallels to the real-life areas struggling for renewal in the communities I’ve known.
Trade-offs
Engaging with SimCity 2000 in adulthood encourages me to deeply reevaluate what constitutes a thriving city in ways I previously could not appreciate.
I question whether I can prioritize funding for homeless shelters or smoking cessation programs in constrained budgets. Should I believe my police captain’s assertions regarding soaring crime, or contemplate the motives behind such claims? The trade-off between investing in solar energy versus coal power also looms large—how important is environmental sustainability alongside immediate cost savings?
The weight of these choices weighs heavily now, unlike in my youth. However, it also highlights the contrasts within the gameplay: when building a train line, I can pause the game and effortlessly lay tracks across the city, a luxury unattainable in real-life urban infrastructure projects where delays can span years, as I have witnessed with the ongoing Purple Line light rail construction in my own community.
While I appreciate the game’s design choice to eschew multi-year waits for large-scale projects, it nonetheless offers a simplistic view of urban development that can be alluring in its ease.
Retro-future
The nostalgic and retro-futuristic aesthetic of SimCity 2000 continues to captivate me. My younger self found the original SimCity’s visuals unappealing due to its jarring EGA colors and complex interface. In contrast, SimCity 2000’s vibrant SVGA palette, dynamic landscapes, and stylized structures painted a picture of a hopeful urban future.
Now, as we stand well beyond the year 2000, certain interface elements are glaringly outdated. My familiarity with intuitive navigation through platforms like Google Maps has left the clunky camera controls of SimCity 2000 feeling cumbersome. I often yearn for refined camera adjustments and precise zoom capabilities.
Nevertheless, the allure of nurturing a vibrant digital city remains strong, as these pixel-art buildings sprout from the zoning area I’ve cultivated, fueled by the infrastructure I’ve strategically put in place. As a conscious adult, I aspire to create livable conditions for these tiny characters, ensuring they can thrive.
Yet, I cannot ignore the part of me that occasionally fantasizes about unleashing chaos—a virtual tornado could provide a guilty pleasure amidst the careful planning.
Interested in exploring SimCity 2000? Get the DOSBox-powered Special Edition, complete with the Urban Renewal Kit, for just $5.99 on the GOG store! Please note that Ars Technica may earn a commission from sales made through links in this article via affiliate programs.