SimCity 64
Encyclopedia
is a city-building
video game developed by HAL Laboratory
and published by Nintendo
for the Nintendo 64DD
. The game and this peripheral were released exclusively in Japan
. SimCity 64 is not to be confused with the Nintendo 64 port of SimCity 2000
, which was developed and released in 1997 by an entirely different developer, Imagineer
.
(SNES) release of the original 1991 SimCity
, given several elements from the SNES version are found in SimCity 64, including Dr. Wright, the city advisor. Although general gameplay in SimCity 64 is much like SimCity 2000, the game's graphical textures and building tilesets are considerably different. However, the game sports several advanced features that were not seen in SimCity 2000 or even SimCity 3000
: The ability to view the city at night (now also available in SimCity 4
), pedestrian level free-roaming of a city, and individual road vehicles and pedestrians (which could only be seen while in the free-roaming mode). Cities in the game are also presented in 3D
hybrid graphics. The 64DD incarnation of the game SimCopter
, which was first planned as a stand-alone title, was later integrated into SimCity 64.
and published by Nintendo
. Producer Shigeru Miyamoto
was involved in editing the game. SimCity 64 was originally intended to be released as a launch game for the peripheral. After numerous delays of the 64DD, SimCity 64 was made playable at Nintendo Space World
in 1999. The game is considerably obscure, given its Japan
-only release and designation to run on the ill-fated 64DD platform.
awarded SimCity 64 scores of 8, 8, 8 and 7 for a total of 31 out of 40 points. IGN
, however, gave the game a passable 6 out of 10.
City-building game
City-building games are a genre of strategy computer game where players act as the overall planner and leader of a city, looking down on it from above, and being responsible for its growth and management...
video game developed by HAL Laboratory
HAL Laboratory
is a Japanese video game developer that was founded on February 21, 1980. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its name comes from the HAL 9000 computer in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The company is most famous for its character Kirby, the protagonist of the eponymous game series, as well as...
and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the Nintendo 64DD
Nintendo 64DD
The is a peripheral for the Nintendo 64 game console. It plugged into the N64 through the EXTension Port on the Nintendo 64's underside, and allowed the N64 to use proprietary 64 MB magneto-optical discs for expanded data storage...
. The game and this peripheral were released exclusively in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. SimCity 64 is not to be confused with the Nintendo 64 port of SimCity 2000
SimCity 2000
SimCity 2000 is a simulation/city building video game and the second installment in the SimCity series. SimCity 2000 was first released by Maxis in 1994 for computers running Apple Macintosh Operating System...
, which was developed and released in 1997 by an entirely different developer, Imagineer
Imagineer (company)
is a Japanese entertainment company headquartered in Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.The name "Imagineer" is a portmanteau, derived from the words "imagination" and "engineer". They started publishing video games in the mid-1980s...
.
Gameplay
SimCity 64 may have been intended as a sequel to Nintendo's Super Nintendo Entertainment SystemSuper Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
(SNES) release of the original 1991 SimCity
SimCity
SimCity is a critically acclaimed city-building simulation video game, first released in 1989, and designed by Will Wright. SimCity was Maxis' first product, which has since been ported into various personal computers and game consoles, and spawned several sequels including SimCity 2000 in 1994,...
, given several elements from the SNES version are found in SimCity 64, including Dr. Wright, the city advisor. Although general gameplay in SimCity 64 is much like SimCity 2000, the game's graphical textures and building tilesets are considerably different. However, the game sports several advanced features that were not seen in SimCity 2000 or even SimCity 3000
SimCity 3000
SimCity 3000 is a city building simulation personal computer game and the third major installment in the SimCity series. It was published by Electronic Arts and developed by series creator Maxis, a wholly owned subsidiary of EA...
: The ability to view the city at night (now also available in SimCity 4
SimCity 4
SimCity 4 is a city-building/urban planning simulation computer game developed by Maxis, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts. It was released on January 14, 2003. It is the fourth installment in the SimCity series. SimCity 4 has a single expansion pack called Rush Hour which adds features to the game...
), pedestrian level free-roaming of a city, and individual road vehicles and pedestrians (which could only be seen while in the free-roaming mode). Cities in the game are also presented in 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
hybrid graphics. The 64DD incarnation of the game SimCopter
SimCopter
SimCopter is a 1996 computer game from Maxis. This game is a 3D offshoot from Maxis's normal fare, putting the player into a 3D city. Like Streets of SimCity, SimCopter lets the user import SimCity 2000 maps into the game.- Objective :...
, which was first planned as a stand-alone title, was later integrated into SimCity 64.
Development
SimCity 64 was developed by HAL LaboratoryHAL Laboratory
is a Japanese video game developer that was founded on February 21, 1980. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its name comes from the HAL 9000 computer in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The company is most famous for its character Kirby, the protagonist of the eponymous game series, as well as...
and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
. Producer Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
was involved in editing the game. SimCity 64 was originally intended to be released as a launch game for the peripheral. After numerous delays of the 64DD, SimCity 64 was made playable at Nintendo Space World
Nintendo Space World
Nintendo World, formerly called Nintendo Space World, Nintendo 64 Space World, Super Famicom Space World, Famicom Space World, and , is a video game trade show hosted by Nintendo, typically to unveil new consoles or handhelds...
in 1999. The game is considerably obscure, given its Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
-only release and designation to run on the ill-fated 64DD platform.
Reception
The four reviewers of the Japanese magazine FamitsuFamitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
awarded SimCity 64 scores of 8, 8, 8 and 7 for a total of 31 out of 40 points. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, however, gave the game a passable 6 out of 10.