Yoot Tower
Encyclopedia
Yoot Tower is a 1998
construction and management simulation computer game.
, who also worked on SimTower
, produced this game as a sequel to SimTower, adding several new features while retaining the same general interface and style. The game's premise is largely unchanged from its predecessor; players must build a profitable and unique tower block complete with various amenities and living accommodations, whilst balancing the needs of the occupants.
Using the provided starting funds, players must begin to build a tower from scratch. As in SimTower, offices and food courts can be built to generate income, as well as condos
that can be sold to families. There are plenty of new facilities that can be placed such as rented apartments, vending machines and public restrooms for food court patrons. There are also many changes to existing items that featured in the original game, i.e. a notable difference between the shop item in Yoot Tower and the one originally in SimTower is that it no longer functions as a rented space where the player has no control over what the shop sells; rather the player is provided with different types of shop from the start from which the income they make is part of the player's earnings. Another interesting addition is the ability for players to build two or more towers next to each other and join them with sky bridges
. Other income sources also exist, such as placing billboard
s outside and renting them out as advertisement space.
Also new to this game is the ability to choose where the building is built. What the player can do in these locations varies, such as how many stories high the building can be, what the player is actually allowed to build, and how much money the player starts off with. The variation gives each location its own difficulty level compared to the others.
store to a swimming pool
), new events, billboards, and movies, as well as other aspects of gameplay. Inspection of the game's official website through web archives
indicates that although the American
version never got any true additions, the Japanese version got several updates, including new movies and locations. However, none of these appear to have survived when the official websites relating to the game and its developer OPeNBooK9003 went offline between the years 2001 and 2002. Through translations on the Japanese downloads page, an Austin Powers
movie can be downloaded.
The original Tower II game came with Tokyo
and Hawaii
. The American version had Tokyo, Hawaii, and Kegon Falls. However, unlike in Japan, America did not get updates. In Japan, each expansion pack was sold under the Towerkit title.
s. After building up those plus an underground shopping mall
, you can place a cathedral
on the top floor (the 45th).
on the top level.
also indicated the Tower team was working on another location, "Tokyo Tower
"http://www.mymac.com/archives/feb_99/interview.shtml, but the addition was only released in Japan as Towerkit. This is not to be confused with the "Tokyo" location.
was launched as a product based on the Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys
movie. This version was sold as Towerkit, or bundled with the base The Tower II game.
.
This version was sold as Towerkit, or bundled with the base The Tower II game.
. You can place billboards for Apple Computer and Sega
, while there are tenants featuring real-world stores like GameWorks
, Orange Julius
or Air Jamaica
. Some updates include more real-world tenants and billboards. The Japanese version of Yoot Tower even has a Glico
store.
1998 in video gaming
-Events:*Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 1st Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo to the AIAS Hall of Fame*British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the 1st annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards...
construction and management simulation computer game.
Description
The lead designer, Yoot SaitoYoot Saito
is a Japanese game designer famous for designing innovative video games, often featuring the use of voice recognition technology, such as Seaman for the Dreamcast. In 1996, he founded his own video game development company, Vivarium...
, who also worked on SimTower
SimTower
SimTower: The Vertical Empire is a construction and management simulation computer game developed by OPeNBooK Co., Ltd. and published by Maxis for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS 7 operating systems in November 1994. In Japan, it was published by OPeNBooK that same year and was later released for...
, produced this game as a sequel to SimTower, adding several new features while retaining the same general interface and style. The game's premise is largely unchanged from its predecessor; players must build a profitable and unique tower block complete with various amenities and living accommodations, whilst balancing the needs of the occupants.
Gameplay
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
that can be sold to families. There are plenty of new facilities that can be placed such as rented apartments, vending machines and public restrooms for food court patrons. There are also many changes to existing items that featured in the original game, i.e. a notable difference between the shop item in Yoot Tower and the one originally in SimTower is that it no longer functions as a rented space where the player has no control over what the shop sells; rather the player is provided with different types of shop from the start from which the income they make is part of the player's earnings. Another interesting addition is the ability for players to build two or more towers next to each other and join them with sky bridges
Skyway
In an urban setting, a skyway, catwalk, sky bridge, or skywalk is a type of pedway consisting of an enclosed or covered bridge between two buildings. This protects pedestrians from the weather. These skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public spaces...
. Other income sources also exist, such as placing billboard
Billboard (advertising)
A billboard is a large outdoor advertising structure , typically found in high traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertisements to passing pedestrians and drivers...
s outside and renting them out as advertisement space.
Also new to this game is the ability to choose where the building is built. What the player can do in these locations varies, such as how many stories high the building can be, what the player is actually allowed to build, and how much money the player starts off with. The variation gives each location its own difficulty level compared to the others.
Expansions
A new addition of the game is the ability to expand the game using plug-ins released for download which would add new features, such as new facilities (e.g. additional shops, restaurants, and services, ranging from a GlicoEzaki Glico
is a Japanese confectionery company headquartered in Nishiyodogawa-ku, Osaka.The company manufactures the traditional Glico caramel candy, as well as Pocky and many others. The company name, Glico, is derived from a shortening of the word glycogen. The first candy produced by the company was known...
store to a swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
), new events, billboards, and movies, as well as other aspects of gameplay. Inspection of the game's official website through web archives
Web archiving
Web archiving is the process of collecting portions of the World Wide Web and ensuring the collection is preserved in an archive, such as an archive site, for future researchers, historians, and the public. Due to the massive size of the Web, web archivists typically employ web crawlers for...
indicates that although the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
version never got any true additions, the Japanese version got several updates, including new movies and locations. However, none of these appear to have survived when the official websites relating to the game and its developer OPeNBooK9003 went offline between the years 2001 and 2002. Through translations on the Japanese downloads page, an Austin Powers
Austin Powers (film series)
The Austin Powers series is a series of action-comedy films written by and starring Mike Myers as the title character, directed by Jay Roach and distributed by New Line Cinema...
movie can be downloaded.
The original Tower II game came with Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. The American version had Tokyo, Hawaii, and Kegon Falls. However, unlike in Japan, America did not get updates. In Japan, each expansion pack was sold under the Towerkit title.
Waikiki, Hawaii
The easiest of the three scenarios, Hawaii has you building a mixed-use structure featuring condominiums and hotelHotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s. After building up those plus an underground shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
, you can place a cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
on the top floor (the 45th).
Tokyo, Japan
The advanced Tokyo level has you building a fast-paced tower with primarily offices and eventually other uses as well. You place a stadiumStadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
on the top level.
Kegon Falls
In this scenario, the player is required to construct mostly underground, building a vast underground tourist attraction through hotels, shops, and a museum. This was initially sold in Japan as an expansion, but is included in Yoot Tower and later The Tower II releases.Statue of Liberty
This expansion, was released in Japan in February 1999 under the name Towerkit CD-ROM: The Statue of Liberty. It was also originally meant to be available to download from the American official website, but the English version never materialized. The expansion is rare in Japan.Tokyo Tower
In this game, player build below Tokyo Tower. Yoot SaitoYoot Saito
is a Japanese game designer famous for designing innovative video games, often featuring the use of voice recognition technology, such as Seaman for the Dreamcast. In 1996, he founded his own video game development company, Vivarium...
also indicated the Tower team was working on another location, "Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Tower
is a communications and observation tower located in Shiba Park, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. At , it is the second tallest artificial structure in Japan. The structure is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations.Built in...
"http://www.mymac.com/archives/feb_99/interview.shtml, but the addition was only released in Japan as Towerkit. This is not to be confused with the "Tokyo" location.
Kyoto Station Bldg.
The Kyoto StationKyoto Station
is the most important transportation hub in Kyoto, Japan. It has Japan's second-largest train station building and is one of the country's largest buildings, incorporating a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, Isetan department store, and several local government facilities under one 15-story roof...
was launched as a product based on the Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys
Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys
is a 1999 Kaiju film. It is the third and last film in the Gamera Heisei series, and the last to be distributed by Toho. It was released in the United States on DVD in 2003 under the title Gamera: Revenge of Iris.-Plot:...
movie. This version was sold as Towerkit, or bundled with the base The Tower II game.
King Naniwa Building Legend
In this add-on, player built around TsutenkakuTsutenkaku
, lit. "Tower Reaching Heaven", owned by Tsūtenkaku Kanko Co., Ltd. is a well-known landmark of Osaka, Japan and advertises Hitachi. It is located in the Shinsekai district of Naniwa-ku, Osaka....
.
This version was sold as Towerkit, or bundled with the base The Tower II game.
Christmas Story
In this add-on, player builds a log building to collect Christmas-themed items. This version was sold as Towerkit and the rarest and most obscure of the released items. It is not even known if this was actually released.Brand names
Yoot Tower includes a non-invasive form of static in-game advertisingIn-game advertising
In-game advertising refers to advertising in computer and video games. IGA differs from advergaming, which refers to a game specifically made to advertise a product.The IGA industry is large and growing...
. You can place billboards for Apple Computer and Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
, while there are tenants featuring real-world stores like GameWorks
GameWorks
GameWorks is a chain of entertainment venues featuring video games, simulators, prizes, and a full service bar and restaurant. There are 7 GameWorks venues throughout the U.S. The first GameWorks opened in Downtown Seattle in March 1997....
, Orange Julius
Orange Julius
Orange Julius is a chain of fruit drink beverage stores. It has been in business since the late 1920s. The eponymous beverage is a mixture of orange juice, milk, sugar, ice and vanilla flavoring.- History :...
or Air Jamaica
Air Jamaica
Air Jamaica is the current national airline of Jamaica. It is has been owned and operated by Caribbean Airlines since 26 May 2011. The airline, headquartered in Piarco, Trinidad and Tobago also has administrative offices located in Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica...
. Some updates include more real-world tenants and billboards. The Japanese version of Yoot Tower even has a Glico
Ezaki Glico
is a Japanese confectionery company headquartered in Nishiyodogawa-ku, Osaka.The company manufactures the traditional Glico caramel candy, as well as Pocky and many others. The company name, Glico, is derived from a shortening of the word glycogen. The first candy produced by the company was known...
store.
Criticism
The game was dismissed by some game review websites and magazines as being too much a rehash of the original SimTower. Many wrote the game off as being basically identical to its predecessor. Due to the average reviews and spotty distribution, the game was largely ignored by the mainstream gaming public after release, possibly contributing to its poor sales. This in turn is the most likely reason why none of the new locations or expansion plug-ins were ever localized for the English version.. It sold well in Japan, however, and received several new plug-ins. Another criticism was that some in-game text was not localized effectively. This resulted in some minor text errors and unfamiliar items to American audiences (such as placing cigarette machines commonly).External links
- Project Tower (Japanese)
- The Tower II homepage (Japanese)
- Archived Support Website Contains Patches to the Game. (Japanese)