10 Harsh Realities Of Playing The Original Sims, Nearly 25 Years After Release
Returning to The Sims is rather difficult after playing the more polished Sims 4 for so long, and there are many reasons for that steep shift in difficulty between these versions. While there might be a fair bit of nostalgia related to The Sims for many players, the reality of returning to the original might be a bit harder than expected. Unlike The Sims 4, The Sims was designed as a much more difficult game, and it's easy to forget just how difficult it was after being spoiled by newer versions.
The Sims, when it first released, was rather clunky and included features that new Sims games haven't had in years now. To an extent, these missing features in The Sims 4 could add more drama and ramp up the difficulty, but there are also plenty of features that The Sims 4 has that never made it to The Sims, such as universities and many life stages. For anybody who returns to The Sims, these forgotten features might be rather jarring.
10 The Sims Is Hard To Play On Modern Hardware
Hardware Compatibility
The first obstacle that appears when trying to play The Sims is getting the game itself to work. Without access to the original hardware that The Sims was played on, it's nearly impossible to play the first game. Even if EA never intends to remake the older games, it would be great to have them patched and re-released to make them somewhat accessible.
It's truly a shame that this historic gem is so difficult to access with modern hardware.
Of course, there are less-than-official ways to access The Sims.However, having an official re-release or a patch that helps it run on modern machines, which can then let EA list it on its store, would be a great way to let players relive the nostalgia from it, or let players who've never experienced the frustratingly fun experience of the original Sims try it for the first time. It's truly a shame that this historic gem is so difficult to access with modern hardware.
9 Prices In The Sims Are Way Different
90s Prices
Interestingly enough, inflation in The Sims 4 is a real feature, and that means that the prices of various items in each main game change. Since playing The Sims 4 gets players used to more expensive prices, going back to older versions can be a bit jarring. The reason this is a harsh reality for returning is because pay rates for jobs were also lower in The Sims.
Getting a job, getting promoted, and keeping a job can be tougher for a Sim in the original Sims. The career system was not as developed, so there were fewer options and what Sims needed to do for a promotion isn't indicated as clearly. On top of it all, Sims can get fired easily, especially since they simply refuse to go to work if their Needs are too low. As a result, even with lower prices, it's tough to buy a big house and furniture in the original games.
8 Celebrities In The Sims Reflect The Time Period
90s Celebrities
The content of The Sims games tends to reflect the current era, so it's not that surprising that The Sims: Superstar has celebrities that were popular in 2003, when the game was released. As a result, younger players playing The Sims: Superstar for the first time might not be as familiar with the celebrities and references to movies and bands. To older players, it could seem like a blast to the past and a reminder of celebrities who haven't been in the spotlight in recent years.
In some ways, returning to The Sims: Superstar can be depressing, seeing the difference in the entertainment industry between 2003 and the present.
Iit's also frustrating to try becoming a celebrity as a Sim in the original game, whereas the processes available for gaining fame in The Sims 4 are much easier. The end result is mixed for Superstar, as it holds nostalgic qualities for both the series and which celebrities were popular at the time, and that can be a bittersweet feeling.
7 Sims Worked 7 Days A Week
No Calendar System
Without the calendar system that's in other base Sims games, the original Sims only included the time of day. As a result, Sims worked or went to school seven days a week. Since days off in The Sims 4 are a great way to manage a Sim’s Needs and have them learn skills for a promotion, this work schedule adds to The Sims’ difficulty.
The lack of days off is particularly tough in The Sims, because the game's difficulty is overall higher compared to later entries in the series. This means that there's less time to make a Sim happy between their shifts, and make sure that they get enough sleep before their next shift. As a result, it's easy for a Sim's moodlets to drop far enough that they refuse to go to work at all, which means they won't have a job for long.
6 The Sims Child Life Stage Was Nearly Permanent
Life Stages Weren't As Complex
In The Sims, there were fewer life stages, and aging only happened for children if they used the Age of Instant charm from Makin' Magic. Otherwise, children in The Sims would stay children forever. The Age Up option in The Sims was simply nonexistent. Then, like adults, kids had school seven days a week, and it didn't take many absences for kids to be taken from a household and sent to a military school.
Instead, Sims would have to kiss repeatedly or use the "Play in bed" option to have a baby.
Having children in The Sims was different, since the usual options that are found in later games for romantic interactions are absent. Instead, Sims would have to kiss repeatedly or use the "Play in bed" option to have a baby. After three days of in-game time, the baby ages into a child. Children in The Sims are also unique in that it's the only game in the series where they can die of starvation, whereas later games have a social worker take the kids away instead.
5 Crimes Were Committed Against Sim Households
Your Sim's House Got Broken Into Often
There was always a chance that a burglar would enter a household in The Sims, usually at night, and steal valuable items. It was possible for Sims to catch and stop them if they were already awake or woke up during the crime, but it seemed to happen rather frequently. Of course, it could be annoying to have burglars keep taking expensive items, like a TV, repeatedly, making the household purchase new ones repeatedly.
Burglars became increasingly less common after The Sims, and now they're rare in The Sims 4. Considering that there's an entire criminal career path in The Sims 4, it's strange that petty crimes aren't committed in the game's world. However, going back to The Sims after playing the latter versions means that these burglars can be a surprise when they show up.
4 Bug Infestations Were Common In The Sims
And Difficult To Get Rid Of
Another feature that ended up being reduced in later games wasbug infestations. Once roaches appeared in a household, and it was only a matter of time until they showed up, it was nearly impossible to truly remove them. Instead, they often multiplied and took over the house until the Sim hired an exterminator, but even that never seemed like a permanent solution to the horde of bugs that would keep showing up.
If that wasn't enough, a household would sometimes be plagued by raccoons that would keep knocking over their garbage bins and making a mess outside their property. On the one hand, infestations like these added more realism to the game, as, of course, bugs and rodents are part of life. Unfortunately, it seemed like a constant problem that ended up forgotten after being spoiled by the absence of infestations in modern Sims.
3 The Sims Was A Glitchy Game
Technical Issues Cause All Sorts Of Problems
The Sims 4 isn't a perfect game, but it runs smoother than The Sims ever did. Part of this is due to technology simply advancing in the time between the release of the first game and The Sims 4, but The Sims also didn't receive patches and continuous fixes the way that TS4 does. Additionally, The Sims didn't have as many options for resetting a Sim by force compared to modern versions.
It was common for Sims to get stuck standing in a single spot indefinitely, and they weren't able to clear out their action queue on their own after enough time passed. They also had a tendency to get stuck in doorways for no reason, which would have them grow increasingly upset as their Needs dropped, but they refused to move. It was simply a game filled with glitches that could be frustrating and tough to solve without losing progress, since these issues usually had to be fixed by logging out without saving.
2 The Sims Was More Realistic In Some Ways
Some Sound Effects Were Nauseating
Depending on the topic, added realism isn't always a good feature. That's especially true if the topic is the sound effects for a character vomiting, which was the case in The Sims. It's not the only hyperrealistic sound effect, but it's one of the most noticeable, since Sims could get food poisoning starting in Vacation, which made the sound effect well-known for any player who had the sound turned on.
The developers who worked on sound effects for The Sims did their jobs too well, and the realism can be jarring when going back to the game. At least when moving into future Sims games, the sound effects were made a bit easier to deal with, even if the puking sound is never exactly pleasant. It's certainly one change in direction that was an improvement for the franchise.
1 The Original Sims Has A Higher Difficulty
It Wasn't As Easy To Have Sims Succeed
There are a lot of factors that contribute to this, but it's generally agreed upon by players that The Sims remains the most difficult game in the franchise. Sims were harder to take care of, since their Needs dropped faster and refilled slower than in later games. Additionally, Sims in the first game have more Needs to manage than Sims in The Sims 4, since some Needs were removed as new games were released.
Then, there are factors like never having a day off, dealing with bug infestations, having burglars take expensive items, and Sims getting stuck in random glitches. It feels like the game actively works against the players, but that's not necessarily bad for players who are looking for a challenge. However, when going from The Sims 4 to the original games, the change in difficulty makes itself known quickly.
As a franchise, The Sims is large enough to have at least one expansion that any player who likes life simulators will enjoy, and it doesn't seem like the franchise will end any time soon. However, after having The Sims 4 reign for so long, it's easy to forget how much the franchise has changed. That's why going back to the beginning can lead to some harsh realizations in The Sims.
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