Hands on with SimCity Creator on DS

When 18 year-old Michael Sessions became mayor of Hillsdale, Michigan in 2005, he caught headlines for being the youngest city leader in the US. Too bad SimCity Creator wasn't around then because he could have benefited from a little practice before managing the town's 9,000 denizens. No worries, though: he can beef up his leadership skills on the eve of his third year in office when the game release this autumn.

SimCity Creator packs in a challenge mode that acts as a campaign, as well as a free-play mode that lets you run rampant in a city without having to concern yourself with objectives. Challenge mode takes you through the ages starting at the dawn of civilization. In some ways, it's like SimCity mashed with Sid Meier's Civilization albeit without any warfare. As you raise your city, you advance through time and gain new technologies and cultural revelations.

Complete an age and you're given the option of either continuing in that period or progressing to the next. Playing in the "Open Asia Age," for example, meant our structures were built in an East Asian motif with beautiful cherry blossom trees and pagodas. Naturally, our slate of technologies was restricted to that era too. Once enough time had passed, we had the option of evolving into a new period and were given the choice of continuing through Asian history or switching to American or European styles. Opting for the "American Prosperity Age" opened up railroads and electricity for expanding our city.

Obviously, the structures available to you differ depending on the age and region you're playing. Stone age construction contrasts that of the Middle ages. Your goals also vary according to the period, such as during the dawn of civilization where harvesting timber acts as a vital resource and is treated like a form of currency.

This unique slant makes SimCity Creator highly entertaining, yet it's the tweaks and changes to the fundamental mechanics that truly give it greater appeal. Many of complaints lodged against SimCity DS have been taken to heart, leading to a flurry of fixes.

Chief among these is the ability to now save two cities - a vast improvement over the last game's restrictive option of only saving one. Revamped menus allow easier access to structures and other items, not to mention a sleeker overall design. Other changes include easier road construction, which now adheres strictly to the city grid with no option for diagonal streets, and improved zoom functionality. We're also pleased to see local wireless come into play with the ability to share screenshots of your cities with friends.

Enough has been fixed to warrant a look at SimCity Creator despite the failings of the first game. We're keen on its unique Civilization-style approach and the improvements to the core gameplay address some of our biggest complaints with the previous title. Look for it when it ships on September 26th in the UK, the 22nd in the US.