Given the earth-shuddering success of The Sims on PC, it was inevitable that EA would try and launch its little computer people into the fickle console market. But, like every other attempt to bring The Sims into gamers' living rooms, MySims goes a step too far in streamlining the experience and sacrifices the virtual folk management and social interaction that helped make the series a global hit.
Unlike the digital riffraff living on your PC, the Wii Sims don't have to worry about basic tasks such as holding down a job, eating or
sleeping, the game instead focusing on building a desirable town that will attract new citizens, and interacting with the cutesy community to gather building materials. And while the game is tremendous fun as it allows players to build structures using the Wii's intuitive motion controls, it still lacks the depth of its PC brethren, is limited in its
options for creating characters, and doesn't encourage players to invest emotionally in their Sim or the colourful friends they make along the way.
For younger players, MySims is a clever and beautifully-presented introduction to the mechanics of the PC hit, and anyone who enjoyed the wholesome charms of Nintendo's Animal Crossing will feel right at home shooting the breeze with the game's impossibly-cute inhabitants. But if you're hoping to recreate the PC experience on your TV, this isn't the Sims game you're looking for.