Without warning, the first two games in The Sims series, plus all expansion packs, are set to be released in remastered form today.
The 25th anniversary of the series, February 4th, was initially believed to focus on new features for The Sims 4 (which released in 2014), but detective work by one fan of the series uncovered news of a larger event.
The Sims and The Sims 2 are coming to Windows computers in remastered form. It seems unlikely that they will be released on Mac at this stage (if at all).
Me and The Sims
Way back in 1999, I was playing pretty much every God Game around (along with DOOM, Half-Life, and Duke Nukem 3D). Looking for something a bit “lighter” than Civilization, I spotted a review of The Sims in a magazine. Seeing it was created by Will Wright, I thought it might be worth checking out.
Back then, my PC was a low-budget system with a Cyrix processor and no external graphics card. Let’s just say that while it could run The Sims, it couldn’t run the game long enough to really get into it. So it was a few months before I had a PC suitable to run The Sims. (In fact, I built my first PC, with help, in order to play the game.)
Various expansion packs, failed attempts at using skin editors, nude hacks, and The Sims 2 later, it’s fair to say I eventually lost interest. The Sims 3 didn’t grab me, and The Sims 4 – with it’s somewhat preachy ethos – was a bit of a turn off.
Still, news of a remaster of the first two titles is certainly intriguing.
The Sims and The Sims 2 Remaster Details
All the follow expansions can be found in The Sims 1 remaster:
- The Sims 1: Livin’ Large (August 27th, 2000)
- The Sims 1: House Party (March 28th, 2001)
- The Sims 1: Hot Date (November 14th, 2001)
- The Sims 1: Vacation (March 25th, 2002)
- The Sims 1: Unleashed (September 23rd, 2002)
- The Sims 1: Superstar (May 12th, 2003)
- The Sims 1: Makin’ Magic (October 28th, 2003)
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Meanwhile, The Sims 2 remastered release includes these expansions:
- The Sims 2 University (March 1st, 2005)
- The Sims 2 Nightlife (September 13th, 2005)
- The Sims 2 Open For Business (March 2nd, 2006)
- The Sims 2 Pets (October 17th, 2006)
- The Sims 2 Seasons (March 1st, 2007)
- The Sims 2 Bon Voyage (September 4th, 2007)
- The Sims 2 FreeTime (February 26th, 2008)
- The Sims 2 Apartment Life (August 27th, 2008)
Stuff packs are also included in The Sims 2 remaster:
- The Sims 2 Family Fun Stuff (April 13th, 2006)
- The Sims 2 Glamour Life Stuff (August 31st, 2006)
- The Sims 2 Happy Holiday Stuff (November 7th, 2006)
- The Sims 2 Celebration! Stuff (April 3rd, 2007)
- The Sims 2 H&M Fashion Stuff (June 5th, 2007)
- The Sims 2 Teen Style Stuff (November 5th, 2007)
- The Sims 2 Kitchen & Bath Interior Design stuff (April 15th, 2008)
- The Sims 2 Ikea Home Stuff (June 24th, 2008)
- The Sims 2 Mansion & Garden Stuff (November 17th, 2008)
Where Can You Get The Sims and The Sims 2 Remastered?
Electronic Arts has launched a new website for the event, at www.the-sims-y2k.com. This is where the games are expected to be made available – this isn’t a free download, however, but a premium, seperate release of both titles.
There is no news concerning a physical release of either remastered Sims collection.
The website is worth visiting, however, as it includes wallpapers, a soundboard, and more Sims-flavoured diversions.
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.