The Sims™ 2: Super Collection. Mac Strategy/Simulation. The ground breaking classic returns to the Mac, exclusively on the Mac App Store! Watch popular The Sims 2: Super Collection videos on Twitch! Aug 07, 2014  In The Sims™ 2: Super Collection, take your Sim from cradle to grave through life’s greatest moments. Create your own houses, neighborhoods, Sims, and even family dynasties—then watch it all come to life! You may choose to manage your.

Comments

• edited August 2016

  I'm downloading Sims 2 Super Collection right now (which has been a masochistic exercise since every time my Internet connection goes out, which happens all the time in rural Scotland, it restarts the download from scratch, but 12 hours later I'm still not giving up), and I'm wondering: what differences will I notice? Does the game look any different from the old regular Sims 2 on the Mac? It says on the App Store that it's got several enhancements exclusively for Mac but I don't really understand what that'll mean in my game:
  - Native resolution support, including 4K and Retina
  - Drastically improved performance, thanks to an all new renderer
  Also, my old beloved Sims 2 game gradually nuked itself after about 5 years because we had corrupted the poor soul out of that game without realising it. Now I'm wiser and have seen this guide for avoiding corruption, but I'm wondering whether there are any mods that really help with preventing corruption.

  
  the game will mostly be the same just with better graphics and frame rate. dont know any mods that can help.

  2
• The only mod is use is the espresso machine and the money cheats
• I needed a mod to fix black squares under sims' feet. And find a guide on how to get 1080p.
• @Terra
  First congrats on getting your UC, I am not a long time player of 2 but I love it now. I am not sure what the differences may be between mac and windows OS systems but yes there are mods that help with corruption it just depends what you are actually looking for?
  Because I got used to mods and CC after the sims 3 series finished I wasted no time adding a ton of them to 2 also without knowing too much about what causes corruption.
  the following link has a massive list of what not to do to cause corruption in the game and I admit it was all way over my head when I first started playing so my advice would be to play the game as you like to and check if you think you are about to do anything wrong before you do it or come out of the game add the relevant mod and start the game up again that's how I got better and started to remember what I could and could not do..
  http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Avoiding_Hood_Corruption
  For example I don't like old fashioned houses and community lots in my game but was aware if lots had urns and I deleted them this would cause corruption so I downloaded something called the lot inspector mod which is an object when clicked on in game informs you if there are any urns or other problems to do with the property prior to bulldozing the empty lot. (never bulldoze a lot with sims living in them or an owned business)
  This mod can be found on the following link
  http://www.cyjon.net/node/430
  If there is an urn on the property you want to demolish the best way to remove it safely is to create a cemetery in your town and get a sim to take the urn there.
  Never save a family and home lot to the bin either
  I have not experienced too many problems in the short time I have been playing 2 but I did add the following mods from the get go
  No corrupted death package
  http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php?topic=2368.0
  no unlinkondelete package
  http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php?topic=2083.0
  creature fix package ( this is supposed to stop the downtown vampires going on a biting spree causing corruption by biting NPC's like Mrs Crumplebottom)
  http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php?topic=1482.0
  Don't interact with the NPC's Like Mrs Crumplebottom and the Unsavory Charleston as apparently this can cause corruption as well.
  After installing these few recommended mods as time went on I started to remember what I should not do in game to cause corruption and then I moved on the what I call the niggle mods ( the ones I want in game to change certain sim behaviors I don't like-)
  If you want a mod that changes sims motives ( invaluable-) and similar a really useful mod that comes as an object placed in residential and community lots is the sim blender, its the first mod I ever used when I started playing sims 2 and its so easy and useful. it can be downloaded on the following link and there is a description of what the mod can actually do.
  http://www.simbology.com/smf/index.php?topic=20.0
  I am not sure if you used the Hack Conflict Detection Utility before when you used to play which basically checks for mods that conflict with one another but it is a good idea and it does work. it can be downloaded from the following link
  http://plum/mybb/showthread.php?tid=2063
  you will also need clean installer if you intend downloading lots and using them in game and this can be found on the following link
  http://sims2pack.modthesims2.com/index.php?page=3
  Also you will need CEP if you intend to use any recolors of objects/cc in your game and that can be found on the following link
  http://modthesims.info/d/92541
  Another thing I want to mention is that a lot of players who were used to playing the disc version of the game found that the path where mods/programs are installing with this new digital version of the series is different and while I never played the discs version of the game before I was also experiencing similar problems when I first started to download these programs/mods that I wanted to use.
  I found what was happening was that these programs were actually installing into the sims 2 folder and not the sims 2 ultimate collection folder as outlined below.
  My documents
  1st EA games folder when clicked into you will see
  The sims 2 folder then underneath
  The sims 2 ultimate collection folder (this contains your downloaded game files)
  2nd Ea games (empty can be ignored)
  If you want to add mods/CC you will need to make a folder called Downloads with a capital D and place your mods and cc in there and add it into your sims 2 ultimate collection.
  There is some great info concerning file paths for UC on the following link and when I followed the instructions everything worked for me
  http://modthesims.info/t/534429
  If you want to find and use the sims 2 body shop you will have to follow this path
  C:Program Files (x86)Origin GamesThe Sims 2 Ultimate CollectionFun with PetsSP9CSBin
  once there you will see the body shop icon click on it and add a shortcut to your desktop or wherever else you wish to put it and then you will have bodyshop ready anytime you wish to use it.
  And I lastly I also experienced problems with 2 sometimes in that it would not start up and I found that by going into Origin my games and clicking update game it fixes it every time.
  Make sure you check everything I have outlined with Mac as I have no idea if all this info is for windows only.
  Let me know how it works out for you or if I can be of any further help and above all enjoy the game
  @Nette
  whenever I have experienced a problem with black triangles under sims feet changing the shadows in game in the game options stopped it for me however I notice online that it did not work for everyone so I saved this link to a mod to remove those shadows in case I would ever need it in the future. link below
  http://modthesims.info/d/569585
  I am sorry I know nothing about 1080p as I am experiencing my own problems in relation to a new graphics card I have just had installed and am trying to sort something like that out myself. to be able to get back into my game.
  
• edited August 2016

  I needed a mod to fix black squares under sims' feet. And find a guide on how to get 1080p.

  
  http://www.mediafire.com/download/01gnwlcpuu50zs6/Graphics_Rules.sgr download that and then go to where you installed the game at and place it at your most recent pack's file than open tsdata than open res than config and copy and paste it there and replace the current file. it will fix the shadows and lets you play with max resolution .if you dont know what your most recent pack is than copy and paste this file at all your packs to make sure you got it right

  0
• ooh @harun789
  As you seem to know your way around rules sgr files I am wondering if you could help me at all with my current issue.
  I had a PC upgrade this week which included a GeForce GTX 960 graphics card and now when I go in game my sims are blurry a little like being in safe mode if that makes sense and my smooth edges is greyed out in graphic game options so I cannot even use that.
  I have tried everything from changing rules sgr files and tried the rules graphic maker program and a couple of other things that have not worked and now I am at the end of my tether.
  Reading online the problem appears to be because the game will not recognize me new graphics card but nothing I have tried appears to correct this problem so am wondering would you have any other ideas I could try?
  
• @Nette you don't need a mod. It can be fixed by turning off the shadows or turning it to low in options

  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNL5gjlpUCxgJOuYou-T__w?
  Blog: https://blxndes.blogspot.com
  
• Wow @SPARKY1922 - thanks for all the tips. I've never played with mods in TS2 before but I will definitely consider some of those for helping prevent corruption.

  My ideas for how to improve the Sims 4
  Add Manage Neighbourhood Options - assign your own Sim to NPC jobs!
  The Problems with Death in The Sims 4
  Distinguish Elder gameplay with Elder-only reward traits
  Filter Rugs by Room Size
• I don't know if it was mentioned but here is a mod to remove the black square.
  http://modthesims.info/download.php?t=569585
  They say you can also just lower the settings in the game (I forget which one) but this way you'll still have the shadows from other stuff.
• @Terra
  You are very welcome I only played the 2 base game when it first came out for a little while and truly loved it but my life was so busy back then I did not have time to play then I lost the base game in a move, fast forward more years than i care to admit and everything was 3 so I bought everything 3 until I noticed people were still getting 2 UC and begged EA to give it to me which they did after I bought a new disc version of the base game and went from there.
  I cannot begin to express the initial confusion I experienced playing 2 the whole series all at once and for a long time I tried to play like 3 and if it was not for some very helpful 2 players on this forum I might have given up lol
  So while I don't understand the Mac system too much I do understand extreme frustration of trying to play a full new sims series and getting confused as to file paths and adding the best mods/cc and generally working out what the heck to do next so just ask and I will help in any way I can like other players helped me
• edited August 2016

  ooh @harun789
  As you seem to know your way around rules sgr files I am wondering if you could help me at all with my current issue.
  I had a PC upgrade this week which included a GeForce GTX 960 graphics card and now when I go in game my sims are blurry a little like being in safe mode if that makes sense and my smooth edges is greyed out in graphic game options so I cannot even use that.
  I have tried everything from changing rules sgr files and tried the rules graphic maker program and a couple of other things that have not worked and now I am at the end of my tether.
  Reading online the problem appears to be because the game will not recognize me new graphics card but nothing I have tried appears to correct this problem so am wondering would you have any other ideas I could try?
  

  
  have you tried to use the file i provided earlier it should fix all those graphical issues. i dont know any other solutions for the problem you are having.

  0
• @harun789
  Just to let you know I downloaded and used the file from the link you provided but it did not work, I have since found other information and links to downloading the Graphics Rules file that are specifically related to Nvidia cards ( there are other download options for the Radeon and Intel graphics cards) and after 5 days of hell this has solved my problem and I am running sims 2 at the highest resolution/settings with almost perfect sim detail. The smooth edging in game options that had previously been greyed out is now back and usable
  All the info and links to downloading the Graphics Rule file which is correct for your own brand of graphics card can be found from step 3 on the following link
  http://www.plum/mybb/showthread.php?tid=5446
  @Nette
  I think its the screen resolutions you are wanting to change if so and you need any further info I have posted exact details how to do it on the following link and hope it can be of some use/help to you
  http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/15118168#Comment_15118168

• @harun789
  Just to let you know I downloaded and used the file from the link you provided but it did not work, I have since found other information and links to downloading the Graphics Rules file that are specifically related to Nvidia cards ( there are other download options for the Radeon and Intel graphics cards) and after 5 days of plum this has solved my problem and I am running sims 2 at the highest resolution/settings with almost perfect sim detail. The smooth edging in game options that had previously been greyed out is now back and usable
  All the info and links to downloading the Graphics Rule file which is correct for your own brand of graphics card can be found from step 3 on the following link
  http://www.plum/mybb/showthread.php?tid=5446
  @Nette
  I think its the screen resolutions you are wanting to change if so and you need any further info I have posted exact details how to do it on the following link and hope it can be of some use/help to you
  http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/15118168#Comment_15118168

  
  i am sorry that i couldn't help you. but i am glad you were able to solve your problem.

  0
• @harun789
  On the contrary you did help because it made me realize that it appeared there are differing graphic rules programs for different graphic cards and if I had not found that out I would not have been able to find the next step.
  And even if you could not help the fact you responded and tried to means a lot to me
• Yay, I'm glad you're working towards getting your issue resolved.
  I finally got TS2: Super Collection to download on my computer - hooray! So far the only differences I've noticed are that the graphics are definitely a little better (though that may be because my laptop could handle higher graphics than our old computer) but the UI is really small! Still, I'm so happy to be playing the Sims 2 again.

  My ideas for how to improve the Sims 4
  Add Manage Neighbourhood Options - assign your own Sim to NPC jobs!
  The Problems with Death in The Sims 4
  Distinguish Elder gameplay with Elder-only reward traits
  Filter Rugs by Room Size
• @Terra
  I am so pleased you finally got the series to download and you are able to use and enjoy it ( I think it took me 2 days to download the UC )
  Honestly last night was the first night I slept in days properly lol
  I think mac users are quite lucky at the moment as you get the fill series including the castaway story's? window users don't get those.
  Of course I started trying to add back what I call necessary mods and programs last night and came up against the incorrect file path lol but now those are all sorted again and I can get on with the bit of adding everything back a little at a time and testing.
  Looking at your Avi do you still play 1 at all? I bought the complete series 1 a few weeks ago and it did actually look quite good on the set up prior to this upgrade but the sim detail was really awful so I am having a laptop made by my tech with all the right specs on just to play 1. I have been waiting for this laptop for a few weeks because I have been saving up for this PC upgrade first but now that's over with I will be playing 1 in the next couple weeks then after that I never want to hear about PC upgrades, specs or computers for a very long time
  Come back and post some pics I would be really interested to see the picture quality of 2 on a mac

• @Nette you don't need a mod. It can be fixed by turning off the shadows or turning it to low in options

  
  That didn't work for me, but the mod worked somehow

• @harun789
  Just to let you know I downloaded and used the file from the link you provided but it did not work, I have since found other information and links to downloading the Graphics Rules file that are specifically related to Nvidia cards ( there are other download options for the Radeon and Intel graphics cards) and after 5 days of plum this has solved my problem and I am running sims 2 at the highest resolution/settings with almost perfect sim detail. The smooth edging in game options that had previously been greyed out is now back and usable
  All the info and links to downloading the Graphics Rule file which is correct for your own brand of graphics card can be found from step 3 on the following link
  http://www.plum/mybb/showthread.php?tid=5446
  @Nette
  I think its the screen resolutions you are wanting to change if so and you need any further info I have posted exact details how to do it on the following link and hope it can be of some use/help to you
  http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/15118168#Comment_15118168

  
  Thank you for the info, I already fixed it about a year ago but this would be useful for members who haven't
• Oh apologies @Nette
  For some reason my brain is not taking in the information I am reading on posts at the moment and getting it wrong my only defense is extreme tiredness at the moment-)
  
• @SPARKY1922 - Thanks, I'm having so much fun so far. I took loads of pictures but I forgot that they're not saved directly to my documents folder like in TS4, so I'll have to go back and take some more later. The graphics look better to me than they did in the past but it might be because I used to play with the lowest graphic settings.
  I have never really played TS1 - my avatar is from The Urbz for GBA. Aside from Sims 2 for the PC, my favourite games of all time are The Urbz and The Sims 2 for GBA. Have you ever played any of the handheld Sims games? I also really love Bustin' Out.

  My ideas for how to improve the Sims 4
  Add Manage Neighbourhood Options - assign your own Sim to NPC jobs!
  The Problems with Death in The Sims 4
  Distinguish Elder gameplay with Elder-only reward traits
  Filter Rugs by Room Size
• @Terra
  apologies for getting your Avi mixed up I went for a quick google search to see what you were talking about and no I never seen those games before however I don't have a handheld console so never really looked. I have always got by with desktops/laptops but now you have mentioned it I suppose it could be a good idea for when out and about. I will do more research
  Yes I learned the hard way about sims 2 pics not saving to my documents as well-)
• Hi Guys, for weeks i'm searching the internet off to look for a way downloading the sims 1 or 2 on my macbook. I tried several versions downloaded from the internet which were great, untill I started the game and my macbook said that I had the wrong software. My macbook is running on EL capitain. So someone please help me and tell me there's a way to download one of these games on my macbook with this software because the sims 1 and 2 may have bad graphics. But the options and activities you can do on this game are so so much more fun then those on the sims 4 and 3, it's like they're building the game off more than on. PLEASE HELP!!!
  
• @Lotjemulderrr
  I know nothing about Macs's for sims one I know from what other players have said 2 seems fine on a Mac so I will try call in our resident Mac specialist who may be able to help @WinMacSims3
  I hope she responds

• Hi Guys, for weeks i'm searching the internet off to look for a way downloading the sims 1 or 2 on my macbook. I tried several versions downloaded from the internet which were great, untill I started the game and my macbook said that I had the wrong software. My macbook is running on EL capitain. So someone please help me and tell me there's a way to download one of these games on my macbook with this software because the sims 1 and 2 may have bad graphics. But the options and activities you can do on this game are so so much more fun then those on the sims 4 and 3, it's like they're building the game off more than on. PLEASE HELP!!!

  
  Sorry, I don't think I'm the best person to help since my computer can't run El Capitan and I'm on Yosemite. Did you download Sims 2 from the App Store?

  My ideas for how to improve the Sims 4
  Add Manage Neighbourhood Options - assign your own Sim to NPC jobs!
  The Problems with Death in The Sims 4
  Distinguish Elder gameplay with Elder-only reward traits
  Filter Rugs by Room Size
• @Terra Yes i'm starting to think that's the only way, just pay for what you get. But I actually was looking for a free download.

The Sims 2 is a 2004 strategiclife simulationvideo game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to The Sims.^[1]

The game has the same concept as its predecessor: players control their Sims in various activities and form relationships in a manner similar to real life. The Sims 2, like its predecessor, does not have a defined final goal; the gameplay is open-ended. Sims have life goals, wants and fears, the fulfillment of which can produce both positive or negative outcomes. All Sims age, and can live to 90 sim days depending on the degree to which their aspirations are fulfilled. The Sims 2 builds on its predecessor by allowing Sims to age through six stages of life and incorporating a 3D graphics engine. Although gameplay is not linear, storylines exist in the game's pre-built neighborhoods. Pleasantview is based 25 years after the town in the original The Sims. Strangetown's storyline is based on the supernatural, and is loosely connected with Pleasantview. Veronaville's characters are based on Shakespearean characters.

The Sims 2 was released on September 14, 2004 for Microsoft Windows. A port to Mac OS X was released on June 17, 2005. Eight expansion packs and nine stuff packs were subsequently released. In addition several console versions have been released. The Sims 2 is offered on mobile platforms, with manufacturers such as Nokia offering The Sims 2 from the Ovi Store. A sequel, The Sims 3, was released in June 2009.^[2][3]

The Sims 2 was a commercial success, selling one million copies in its first ten days, a record at the time.^[4] During April 2008, The Sims 2 website announced that 100 million copies of The Sims series had been sold.^[5]The Sims 2 was well received by critics, gaining a 90% score from aggregators Metacritic and GameRankings.^[6][7] By March 2012, The Sims 2 had sold 13 million copies over all platforms with over six million PC copies, making it one of the best-selling PC games of all-time.^[8]

• 1Gameplay
  • 1.1Sims
• 6Editions, compilations, and add-ons
  • 6.3Handheld versions
  • 6.8Downloadable content

Gameplay[edit]

From the neighborhood view, the player selects one lot to play, as in The Sims.^[9] There are both residential and community lots, but Sims can only live in residential lots. Sims can travel to Community lots in order to purchase things like clothing and magazines, and to interact with NPCs and townies. This feature was only included in this game.

The player can choose between playing a pre-made inhabited lot, moving a household into an unoccupied pre-built lot, or constructing a building on an empty lot. One novelty from The Sims is foundations.

The player switches among the 'live' mode (default) to control Sims, the 'buy' mode to add, move or delete furniture, or the 'build' mode to rebuild the house. Buy and build mode cannot be accessed when on a community lot, but can be opened by using the neighborhood view. It is also possible to import neighborhood terrains from SimCity 4.^[10]

The game contains some time-bound social challenges that provide a reward if successful. Sims can throw parties to gain aspiration points or invite the headmaster over for dinner in order to enroll their children in private school.^[9] Some expansion packs have new mini-games, like running a Greek house in University or dating in Nightlife. In Nightlife, each date is a challenge to keep both Sims as happy as possible while accumulating aspiration points. Various other expansion packs introduce supernatural characters which Sims can be turned into, such as Zombies, Vampires, Werewolves, Plantsims, and Witches.

Sims[edit]

The main part of the game is to lead a Sim from the start of life to death. A Sim will be born when a female Sim and a male Sim try for a baby several times. The mother will spend 3 Sim days (each day lasts 24 minutes though time can be sped-up) pregnant before giving birth to a baby.^[9] During Pregnancy, the belly does not expand gradually. Instead, every day, it 'pops' to a bigger size. Players can name the new Sim upon birth. The baby's appearance and personality will be based on the genetics of its parents (though the baby's appearance is hidden until it becomes a toddler). Babies can also be adopted by calling adoption service on the phone, even by single parents, old age sims or same-gender couples. The baby will change into a toddler in 3 days, and 4 more days for the toddler to change into a child. After 8 days, the child grows into a teenager, and will live 15 days before changing into an adult. After 29 days, the Sim will become an elder. An elder will eventually die; the length of this final stage depends on the aspiration bar when they become an elder.

Babies, toddlers, children, teens, and adults can be advanced to their next life stage at any time during the 24 Sim hours before they will grow up automatically. For babies, this requires using the birthday cake. Toddlers, children, teens, and adults can use the 'Grow Up' self-interaction. If the University expansion pack is installed, teens have the option to go to college, where they will be young adults for approximately 24 days. Aging can be disabled via cheats.

Players will need to build up talent badges, skills and relationships with other people, so that they can be successful in their career.^[11] A player will also need to make sure a Sim is happy and well by fulfilling wants (including lifetime wants, avoiding fears, and fulfilling motives).

Pregnancy, toddlers, teens, and elders are new stages of life. Young adult is a unique age added with the University expansion. Teen Sims will become young adults once they are moved to a University, and will be adults once they leave campus, regardless of the reason.

Create-a-Sim[edit]

In The Sims 2, Create a Family is entered by clicking the 'Families' button in the lower left-hand corner of the neighborhood view, then clicking the large 'Create New Family' button. Clicking the button labeled 'Create A Sim' will expand a tab which has the 'Create a Sim' and 'Make a Child' icons. 'Make a Child' will be grayed out unless the family contains an adult male and adult female. Clicking the 'Create a Sim' icon will generate a random adult Sim, who may be male or female which can be edited by the player.

As opposed to The Sims, any age besides baby or young adult (which must be made in the University Create a Student) may be created. Instead of having to choose from already finished faces which include hair, it is now possible to alter the facial structure (e.g. widening the nose, thinning the lips, elongating the chin, etc.) and choose any hairstyle to go with it. Different eye colors and an additional skin tone is available for the Sims as well. If Sims are older than a child, their aspiration and turn-ons/offs (Nightlife or later) may be determined. As in The Sims, there are five personality traits, and 25 personality points which can be assigned to those traits.^[12] However, in The Sims 2, all personality points must be assigned. Additionally, there are twelve pre-set personalities, one for each of the zodiac signs. A zodiac sign will be set which matches the personality the player has selected for the Sim.

The Sims 2 also comes with The Sims 2 Body Shop, which enables users to create genetics, makeups, accessories, clothes, and Sims, with the help of third-party tools, such as MS Paint, Paint.NET, Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, Wings 3D, and SimPE.

Social interactions[edit]

There are several new social interactions introduced in The Sims 2. These new social interactions can create memories and can be related to certain age groups. Social interactions can come up in the Wants and Fears panel and can be dependent on the Sim's personality and aspiration. Sims with certain personalities may not want to complete certain social interactions.

Influencing^[13]

Influencing social interactions are introduced in the University expansion pack. A Sim is able to influence another Sim to complete a social interaction or a chore. Sims gain influence points by completing Wants and can lose influence points by completing Fears. The size of the influence bar depends on the number of friends the Sim has. It also can grow in size with business perks from the Open for Business expansion pack. Influence was also in the Nightlife expansion but added nothing.

Chemistry^[14]

The Nightlife expansion pack introduces Turn-Ons and Turn-Offs. Teenagers and older are able to choose their turn-ons and turn-offs. These determine the chemistry that one Sim has with another in the form of lightning bolts. Sims can have up to 3 lightning bolts with another Sim. The higher the chemistry is that a Sim has with another Sim, the greater the chance for social interactions to be accepted. New turn-ons and turn-offs are introduced with the Bon Voyage expansion pack.

Fury^[14]

Fury is introduced in the Nightlife expansion pack and occurs when one Sim gets angry at another. During this time relationships with the Sim who is furious are harder to build. Also, the Sim who is furious may pick a fight or vandalize the home lot of the Sim they are furious with. Fury can be caused by another Sim burgling the Sim's house, getting fined after calling emergency services when there was no emergency, fighting, cheating on (the cheater or the Sim that was cheated with, often both), and more.

Reputation^[15]

Reputation, which is found in the previous Sims game The Urbz: Sims in the City is reintroduced in the Apartment Life expansion pack. A Sim gains reputation by interacting with other Sims on community lots. Sims with higher reputations are more likely to gain perks such as free objects and job promotions.

Careers[edit]

There are careers that come with the game that require skills and a certain number of friends in order for promotion.^[16] Success in these careers unlocks career rewards and higher salaries plus bonuses. Sims also receive chance cards. Correct answers to these chance cards creates rewards for Sims while incorrect answers could cause a Sim to lose its job. Nightlife and Apartment Life allow Sims to gain promotions through social interactions with other Sims.^[17] And now other Careers such as Dancers and acting jobs and vet people too.

Comparison to The Sims[edit]

Graphically, The Sims 2 is more detailed than The Sims and lets players view its world in full 3D. This is a change from earlier Sim games, such as SimCity 2000, which used dimetric projection and fixed resolutions, as the camera was in The Sims. In The Sims, Sims are 3D meshes, but The Sims 2 introduces far more detail in mesh quality, texture quality, and animation capability. A Sim's facial features are customizable and unique, and Sims can smile, frown, and blink. The player can adjust a Sim's features in the in-game Create-a-Sim tool; for example, noses can be made to be very large or very small. Texturing is achieved through use of raster images, though it appears more lifelike.

The Sims 2 characters pass through seven life stages — babies, toddlers, children, teenagers, young adults (only with University), adults, and elders — with eventual death of old age, while babies in The Sims only become children before ceasing to continue aging. The aspiration system (described above) is also new to The Sims 2. Sims can become pregnant and produce babies that take on genetic characteristics of their parents, such as eye color, hair color, facial structure, and personality traits as opposed to Sims, in which the baby would take on random appearance and personality. Genetics play a major role in the game, and as such, dominant and recessive genes play a larger role than they did in the original game. A player can also aspire to have a Sim abducted by aliens. Males then have the chance to become impregnated and produce after three Sim days a half-alien child.

Some of the other additions to gameplay are career rewards, a week cycle, the cleaning skill (which was a hidden skill in The Sims), a variety of meals (depending on time of day), exercise clothing, body shape affected by diet and exercise, and houses built on foundations.

Easter eggs[edit]

As known, this game had many mysteries, Easter eggs and neighbourhood stories, the most interesting being of Bella Goth's disappearance to Strangetown where her memory is erased.

Cutscenes[edit]

Another interesting feature was the cutscenes in the Sims 2. There were cutscenes featuring woohoo, child birth, Going to college and graduation in the Sims 2: University.

Development[edit]

EA Games announced on May 5, 2003 that the Maxis studio had begun development on The Sims 2.^[18] The game was first shown at E3 in Los Angeles, California on May 13, 2004.^[18] Will Wright admits that while most of the content of The Sims 2 are original ideas, inspiration for its own expansions and constituents spawned from the successes of the first game. The community interest in the antecedent The Sims: Unleashed and The Sims: Hot Date expansions ensured the creation of The Sims 2: Pets and The Sims 2: Nightlife expansions, respectively.^[19]

After development concluded, designers from Maxis regarded The Sims 2 as very capricious during creation. Bugs would appear, and Sims would be 'tweaked', or have anomalies not present in a previous run.^[20]A teaser trailer was provided on the Makin' Magic CD but was later uploaded to websites all over the Internet.

On December 15, 2012, Electronic Arts announced that the official website would be shut down on January 14, 2013. It is now no longer possible to download content from the official site, create exchanges, or participate in the official forum communities.^[21]

On July 16, 2014, Electronic Arts announced the end of support for The Sims 2. As a response The Sims 2: Ultimate Collection was released at the same time as a limited time offer. The game became available for free download from Origin exclusively following an announcement by EA that they would no longer be supporting the Game.^[22] This offer ended at 10:00 PDT July 31, 2014.^[23][24][25] EA stated that they were planning on releasing the compilation as a retail release. However, as of now, no further information has since been released or confirmed on its planned retail release date, and the game has since been removed entirely from Origin as of the end of 2017.

On August 7, 2014, Aspyr Media released The Sims 2: Super Collection as digital download exclusively available at the Mac App Store; the game was updated for OS X Mavericks, 4K and Retina. This compilation only includes the first six expansion packs and the first three stuff packs. Aspyr stated they were unable to include the remaining packs for the game due to licensing conflicts with EA. Like the Ultimate Collection, no new updates on when the remaining packs will be released separately or as a single add-on to the Super Collection have emerged.

Music[edit]

The game features music performed by Paramore, Ryan Ferguson, Trivium, Chiodos and more recording artists (all songs recorded in the Sims language 'Simlish').^[26] The Humble Brothers contributed heavily to the game.

Reception and legacy[edit]

The Sims 2 had a successful E3.^[33][34] The game also received the Editor's Choice Award from IGN and GameSpy upon final review of the finished product.^[35][36] From 71 online reviews, the average score was 90 out of 100. Seven of those sources awarded the game a 100 out of 100 score.^[37]X-Play gave the game a 4/5. Computer Gaming World awarded the game as their 2004 'Strategy Game of the Year (General)', beating out RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, The Political Machine, and Silent Storm.^[38] However, critics noted some serious bugs in the game.^{[citation needed]}

The Sims creator, Will Wright, was recognized by being nominated at the Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards for Visionary and Game Developer.^[39] The game was also nominated for two international awards in 2005.^[40][41] The Mac version of the game won an Apple Design Award in 2006.^[42]Computer Games Magazine named The Sims 2 the sixth-best computer game of 2004. The editors wrote that it is 'more of a game and less of a dollhouse [than The Sims], but it remains a celebration of the beauty of the mundane.' It also won the magazine's 'Best Voice Acting' award.^[43]

The Sims 2 was an instant commercial success, selling a then-record one million copies in its first ten days.^[4] The game sold 4.5 million units within its first year, and 7 million by October 2006.^[44][45] It received a 'Double Platinum' sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),^[46] indicating sales of at least 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom.^[47] It received a 'Double Platinum' award from the Asociación Española de Distribuidores y Editores de Software de Entretenimiento (aDeSe), for more than 160,000 sales in Spain during its first 12 months.^[48]

As of March 2012, The Sims 2 had sold 13 million units across all platforms with at Least six million units on PC, making it one of the best-selling PC games of all-time.^[8]During April 2008, The Sims 2 website announced that 100 million copies of The Sims series had been sold.^[5]

Controversy[edit]

The Sims 2's malleable content and open-ended customization have led to controversy on the subject of pay sites. Custom content is distributed through independent websites, some of which charge for downloading materials. Charging money for custom content is a violation of the game's EULA,^[49] which prohibits the commercial use of Electronic Art's intellectual property.

On July 22, 2005, former Florida attorney Jack Thompson alleged that Electronic Arts and The Sims 2 promoted nudity through the use of a mod or a cheat code. The claim was made that pubic hair, labia and other genital details were visible once the 'blur' (the pixelation that occurs when a Sim is using the toilet or is naked in the game) was removed.^[50]Electronic Arts executive Jeff Brown said in an interview with GameSpot:^[51]

This is nonsense. We've reviewed 100 percent of the content. There is no content inappropriate for a teen audience. Players never see a nude Sim. If someone with an extreme amount of expertise and time were to remove the pixels, they would see that the sims have no genitals. They appear like Ken and Barbie.

Prior to Thompson's statement, there was an enterable code which allowed to modify the size (including to zero) of pixelation accessible from the console menu. Shortly after the statement, subsequent patches and expansion packs removed the 'intProp censorGridSize' code; this code had been left over from the beta testing stage of the original game and had not been intended for a public audience.

Editions, compilations, and add-ons[edit]

Many Sims games have been ported to OS X by Aspyr. The Sims 2 has also been released for a number of video game consoles including the PlayStation 2, the Xbox, Nintendo DS and the Nintendo GameCube.

OS X version[edit]

OS X ports of the base game, six expansion packs, and three Stuff Packs have been released by Aspyr Media. The port for the base game was announced on October 19, 2004.^[52]The Sims 2 had reached beta status on March 1, 2005, and was released on June 17 the same year.^[53] It was, at release, compatible with Mac OS X Panther and above. The Sims 2 Bodyshop was also available for OS X. The game is now available for purchase with all ported expansions and Stuff Packs on the Mac App Store for OS X Mavericks.

Console versions[edit]

The console versions of The Sims 2 featured local splitscreen multiplayer, a story mode and an option to control game characters directly, as opposed to queuing options as is traditional Sims gameplay.

Handheld versions[edit]

Game Boy Advance version[edit]

The Game Boy Advance version of The Sims 2 takes place in Strangetown, and shares a similar GUI to its predecessors (The Sims Bustin' Out and The Urbz). Players are guided through a goal-oriented game based on the reality television concept in which partitions of the game are divided into 'episodes'. Characters from the previous handheld sims games also appeared.

Nintendo DS version[edit]

The Nintendo DS version of The Sims 2 (commonly referred to as 'The Sims 2 Hotel') begins with the player's car breaking down in Strangetown. Upon arriving, an anonymous donor grants the player the deed to a hotel which can be operated and customized at the player's discretion. The player's job is to bring life back into Strangetown by encouraging people to come to the hotel, which players can do by upgrading it and making the guests happy. There are several ways in which a player can make Strangetown a nicer place, but is up to the player to find them. Unlike most games in the Sim series, this one takes place in real-time.

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PlayStation Portable version[edit]

The PlayStation Portable version of the game is played in third person. There is more of a solid storyline the player is required to navigate through in order to unlock most of the things available in the other versions. The option to build your own home is replaced by a pre-built home where you can customize the furniture and decor. Conversation is carried out via a mini-game function. The player's character does not age, nor are they able to marry or have children. Relationships are mainly used for the point of solving goals, though a close friend may 'move in' with the player after progressing in the game.

The game begins with the player's character driving through the Strangetown desert, presumably 'Road to Nowhere' in their car, when suddenly a flying green diamond (Also known as the Plumbob, the marker and logo of the Sims game) flies towards the player and causes them to lose control of, and damage, their car. Fortunately, the player finds a gas station. The player takes their car into the garage. At that point the player takes control. The player is introduced to a vehicle mechanic named Oscar who, after a brief tutorial in teaching the player how to talk to NPC Sims, informs the player their car will only take a short while to fix.

The player is then free to roam around the gas station, and after being introduced to some more NPCs, including Bella Goth, who claims to be abducted by aliens, completing tasks and being taught the basic objective of the game which is 'Secret Hunting' for the store clerk. The player then exits the shop only to find the garage around the back has completely disappeared along with Oscar and their car, with only the foundation of the garage remaining. The only thing left from the disappearance is a cell phone, which the player answers and a man named Doctor Dominic Newlow offers the player a job, requiring him or her to get a ride into town and find a place to stay.

The player informs Police Deputy Duncan about the situation who replies that he can do nothing about it and suggests the player find a place to stay. After having bought Bella's house for pocket change and getting donuts for Deputy Duncan (which happen to have been found in the trash), the player finally gets a lift into Strangetown's Paradise Place, only to find more tasks and mysteries.

Expansion packs[edit]

The Sims 2expansion packs provide additional game features and items. Eight expansion packs were released throughout the game's lifecycle. The Sims 2: Apartment Life is the final expansion pack for The Sims 2.

Stuff packs[edit]

Stuff packs are add-ons that intend to add only new items (usually in the amount of 60) to the base game. However, some releases include certain gameplay elements introduced in previous expansion packs. There are ten total stuff packs. However, The Sims 2: Holiday Party Pack served as the pilot release for this line of products, which were called 'booster packs'. After the success of the pilot release, EA named the releases 'stuff packs' and launched the line with The Sims 2: Family Fun Stuff.The Sims 2: Mansion & Garden Stuff is the final stuff pack for The Sims 2.

Core game editions[edit]

Expansion-only compilations[edit]

Compilations of expansion packs and stuff packs without the core game have also been released. Windows 7 professional 64 bit activation key.

Downloadable content[edit]

Pre-order content[edit]

Most of expansion packs and stuff packs were released with pre-order items. This game content was redeemable at the official site using a code supplied by the retailer from which the player purchased, each retailer was often associated with an exclusive download. A total of 60 pre-order items were released.

The Sims 2 Store[edit]

The Sims 2 Store was an online store where players of The Sims 2 for PC could purchase and download content for their game online for additional fees. It offered objects, clothing, skins, and hairstyles that are both exclusive to the store and also come from earlier expansion and stuff packs.

It also had featured seven exclusive item collections that could only be found in the store. The store used a point system that players can purchase. It was opened from July 2008 to March 31, 2011 as a beta version limited to the United States and Canada. To download, players must install The Sims 2 Store Edition and the EA Download Manager. The exclusive collections were 'Cubic', 'Art Deco', 'Spooky', 'Castle', 'Asian Fusion', 'Art Nouveaulicious' and 'Oh Baby', including a total of 471 items.

The Sims 2: Store Edition and the savegame can't be used with The Sims 2: Ultimate Collection.

Third-party tools[edit]

SimPE is an open-source utility for The Sims 2 that allows editing of Sims' characteristics, relationships and careers. It also allows the creation of objects. As the tool is intended for use by experienced modders, the SimPE interface is not considered intuitive^[63] and users risk corrupting the game files.^[64]TS2 Enhancer, developed by Rick Halle, is a commercial utility for editing characters and neighborhoods, but has since fallen into disuse.^[65]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

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External links[edit]

• The Sims 2 at MobyGames