What is The Urbz: Sims in the City
The Urbz: Sims in the City was developed by Maxis for consoles and published by Electronic Arts in November 2004. It moves the familiar Sims formula out of the suburbs and into an urban setting called Urbzville. Rather than managing a household, players create a single character and guide them through the city's social scene, satisfying motives, making friends, and working jobs along the way. The game released on PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube, with separate handheld versions for Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS developed by Griptonite Games.
Rep, districts, and social life
Urbzville is divided into nine districts, each home to a distinct social group with its own style and culture. The districts include Central Station, Kicktail Park, Gasoline Row, Skyline Beach, South Side Bridge, Diamond Heights, Cozmo Street, Neon East, and The Foundry. Players build reputation, known in-game as Rep, by socializing with district regulars and fitting in with local crowds. Gaining Rep opens up VIP rooms, new districts, and access to larger apartments. Job minigames in each district let players earn money, with earnings tied to skill levels they have built up over time.
Music and the Black Eyed Peas
The console versions of The Urbz feature a soundtrack produced in collaboration with the Black Eyed Peas. The group recorded original songs for the game as well as Simlish-language versions of "Shut Up" and "Let's Get It Started," both originally from their album Elephunk. The Black Eyed Peas also appear as guest characters within the game itself, with will.i.am playing a role in the console storyline.
Console and handheld versions
The console and handheld releases play quite differently. On PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube, the game follows a story-driven structure set in Urbzville's nine districts. The Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS versions take an adventure-game approach with direct character control and are set in Miniopolis rather than Urbzville. The handheld games act as a follow-up to The Sims Bustin' Out and organize social groups into four Rep Groups: Richies, Artsies, Streeties, and Nerdies. The DS version was one of the launch titles for Nintendo's new handheld and includes an exclusive mission set on Splicer Isle that is not found in the GBA release.