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"GameSpy hits the streets with some digital friends in EA's latest update to the Sims 2 world."

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The Sims 2: Nightlife Hands-On

By Dave 'Fargo' Kosak

GameSpy hits the streets with some digital friends in EA's latest update to the Sims 2 world.

Spiffy:
Adds restaurants with waited tables, new relationship gameplay, cars, and a downtown area with tons of new objects.

Iffy:
No sweeping changes such as University's college-age.

Dear diary: My attempts to become a vampire have again been thwarted. Ever since we learned that "Vampirism" was in the upcoming Sims 2 expansion pack, Nightlife (see it all in our earlier preview) I was dying to try it out. Since we recently got a build of the expansion here at GameSpy, I made Vampirism a priority.

Now, turning my Sim into a vampire means that I'll have to find the "Master Vampire," who wanders around the new Downtown area late at night. That meant that I was going to have to hang around downtown late at night. No problem: the Downtown area that comes with the pack is sprawling, with dozens of bars, restaurants, clubs, out-of-the-way dives, and no less than three bowling alleys.

It is my personal belief that vampires get all the chicks.

And who better to stay up all night than a college student? I thought for sure a college student would be the first to turn. From my own halcyon days of schooling, I seem to remember that my campus was crawling with vampires. Or at least with pasty white guys who hung out in the computer lab during the wee hours.

Sweet moves on the dance floor.

On creating my character (a brooding guy with dark hair, natch) I discovered the first sign that something was afoot in SimCity: before finishing up I had to select my Sim's turn-ons and turn-offs. It's possible to, for instance, be really into red hair and glasses and turned off by perfume. Of course, some truly bizarre combinations are available, like a Sim who's turned on by people with body odor who wear face paint.

As is typical with Sims games, it's hard to focus on getting any one particular thing done because there's so much to do. Like buy a car. Did I even need a car to become a vampire? Of course not, but I had to have one. For the chicks. Five car models are available, with about a dozen paint-jobs for each, so even the smallest car has some variety. You can give your little hatchback a Wayne's World paint-job, or leave it with rusted fenders and mismatched panels. There's also a pick-up truck, a minivan, a classy sedan, or of course, a slick sports car.

Buying a car requires that you first build a driveway, which attaches to the road. Later on you can add a garage door and a garage. Some of the sample homes in the expansion pack have some classy carports, so it's possible to be creative with where you house your wheels. Aside from getting you downtown or to work without requiring a taxi or carpool, cars can be a date destination in and of themselves. You can sit inside and listen to the radio, make out, or -- to put it delicately -- steam up the windows. If the family minivan is rockin', don't come knockin'!

What hotblooded young single can resist sultry bowling action?

Okay, so now I had wheels in the driveway, but no fangs in my face. I decided to scope out the Crypt O' Nightclub, surely a vampire haunt if I ever heard of one. Sure 'nuff, this place was the pimp: old gothic wrought-iron railings, dark decor, red walls, black curtains, dead trees, and a DJ spinning the hardest of house beats. In Nightlife you can sidle up to the bar, order a few drinks, even chat up and hit on the bartenders. I proceeded to do all of these things, but no vamps were in sight.

It seems that if you have a few drinks and then hit the dance floor, you'll stumble around like a stricken pi¿ata. It was awesome. Not very smooth, though. However, I did manage to get the patrons to join me in a rousing line dance.

Making out in my sweet ride.

Okay, day two: me and mom hit the bowling alley together. You'd think a night at the lanes with mom would be a terrible way to meet people, but one cool thing about Nightlife is that "the magic" can happen anywhere. If you click on your own Sim and select "Scope the Room," you'll check out the whole place. Sims that get your motor running will shimmer and they'll appear in a thought bubble over your head. I immediately took to this chick named Onya: being that my Sim had the "Pleasure seeker" aspiration, my wants immediately rolled over and turned into things like "Talk to Onya" and "ask Onya out." Hedonism is good.

Turns out that vampires don't like to bowl, or if they do, they must only come during league night. So after another night on the town I was back to the drawing board, with nothing to show for it but the phone numbers of several hotties. I put these to good use: Nightlife now has a "Group" feature, so it's easy to kick off a party with a bunch of friends. Clicking on the telephone will allow you to "Manage Groups," so you can stick a bunch of your friends in a group. Then you can invite the whole group simultaneously either over to your house or out on the town.

You can either host a formal group outing -- which will be scored, like a date, and may give you rewards -- or you can go out "just for fun," which is a way of getting a bunch of people together with no strings attached. I didn't want to be tied down in case I met up with my vamp, so I called up a bunch of girls (including the local college cheerleader) out just for fun to "Rodney's Hangout." Rodney's is a great little bar with a piano, a pool table, and a couple of poker tables. My group hit it off big time. There was dancing to the jukebox, beverages, and before I knew it I was playing cards.

When Sims sit down to play poker, they drop a load of $100 Simoleons on the table, winning or losing about $10 greenbacks a pop. Of course, my vampire-wannabe seemed more interested in playing with his chips than actually playing cards. When I finally got up to leave I'd broken even.

You know what they say: unlucky in cards ... sure to be turned into a vampire. Well, maybe they don't say that, but they should.

The next day was a busy one for me. I had classes to go to and pancakes to eat. I decided to nap before the evening's festivities, and it was around 10 p.m. by the time I rolled out of bed and decided that tonight would be the night for my first date. Lillith Pleasant may not have been a vampire, but she was a redhead, which is HAWT. And good enough for my Sim. I initiated the date by calling her on the phone, and she accepted right away. (In college, two people starting a date at 11 p.m. is perfectly normal.)

Mo' money! Mo' money!

My Sim was still wearing his pajamas (no shirt, just green fuzzy pants) when the taxi arrived. Surely, I thought, he wouldn't go out on a date in his pajamas ... but he did.

The venue was "Red's Famous 50's Diner," where (according to the lot description) you could "enjoy 1950's food at 2050's prices." Red's is open all night. Well, hell, all of the new downtown area is open all night, it's a lot like New York that way. The diner was classic, with a checkered floor, a dine-in counter, little booths with leather seats. And I had that whole shirtless bad-boy thing going on: this was gonna be great.

You can take a photo of your Sims together in a photo booth, either serious or all making silly faces. Afterwards, you can hang the photos on your wall. This is a great thing to do on dates, but not this particular date, since as it turns out Lillith was terrified of photo booths.

This date is going well, and best of all, I don't have to worry about getting food on my shirt.

In Sims 2: Nightlife, restaurant areas have a little host Sim -- click on him and he'll get you seated. Then little waiter Sims come to take your orders and wait on you hand and foot. I chatted with my waiter as much as my date (according to the manual, it's possible to get free food this way.) As for the date itself, how it's going is represented by a little meter in the corner of the screen. You can see it climb or fall like a thermometer as you do stuff that interests you and your partner. With each level that the date meter climbs, you get "extended time," which meant that we could've been there all night. At least, we would have been, but I forgot to order our food, since I was too busy trying to tell my date dirty jokes.

So the date ended in mediocrity, but not disaster. Afterwards, Lillith stuck around and we played pool. And made out. When Sims start to get the hots for each other, little hearts fly up every time they think of one another. Meanwhile, a whole crowd of people was grooving to the jukebox, which was playing some sort of Sim oldies channel (come to think of it, "Sha na na" probably means something in Simlish.) In the hours before dawn, my Sim started to reek and was nearly passing out from exhaustion. I decided to settle my bill and call a cab.

Then I saw him, coming down the sidewalk. THE COUNT. He wore a long black shiny cape, a black vest, and a medallion. This was my man! But I couldn't talk to him -- I was about to collapse onto the sidewalk from exhaustion. As my Sim got into the cab I watched the Count in action. He stalked along the sidewalk, holding his cloak dramatically before his face...

But the Sims all seemed pretty cool with the vampire in their midst. They were all smiling and pointing two fingers at him, saying things like "Howa!" or "Oba-day!" For his part, the Count lowered his cloak, lifted a pasty undead hand. .. and gave them a friendly wave. Then he went to play some pinball. I'm not joking.

'Bla! BLA! This game sucks ... more than me!'

So that's Nightlife in a nutshell. Nightlife! I didn't want a Nightlife. I wanted a NightUndeath! But I suppose all good things will come in time. Sims: Nightlife ships later this month, and should hit store shelves around September 15th. Stick around for a full review!

Find out what the stars are saying about you for the month of September!

Talk To The Stars!

September Horoscope

The leaves are changing and so are things in your life. See what the stars have in store for you as the days get shorter and the nights get l-o-n-g-e-r. Longer nights mean more time for all of your favorite after-dark pursuits, so get ready for your nightlife to really kick off!

Taurus
You've spent a few months on your own, but now you're completely ready to strike out and find a new romance. Why not get in touch with a matchmaker and see if you can find your true love?

Gemini
Music is one of the great loves of your life and this month you have an opportunity to fire up that relationship. Enjoy your favorite tunes from your car or even throw an impromptu party by turning it up--and then boogying down.

Cancer
A misstep creates tension between you and a friend. Your behavior made them furious and it's souring things between you. Give them a little space and let tempers cool and before you know it, together you'll be making the whole world sing with your harmonious karaoke duets.

Leo
An excess amount of energy has you on the hyper side this month. Happily your penchant for shaking your booty can help dispel some of that energy. Why not call a group of friends and head out to a nightclub to get your groove on?

Virgo
A new commitment you made has your head in the clouds. But don't let that security lead you to take your relationship for granted. A little romance still goes a long way. Perhaps a moonlit smooch-a-thon in the local park?

Libra
A hot dinner date may turn cold if you don't monitor your mouth and keep from blurting out something you shouldn't. Keeping a zip on your lip could be the difference between a drink in your face or being offered a bite of your date's tasty morsels.

Scorpio
Your dreams of a new flame take on a whole new meaning this month as an unhappy date sends a message that leaves you stomping to extinguish a most unromantic fire.

Sagittarius
A dance partner might put some not-so-subtle moves on you this month. Will you respond enthusiastically to their advances or shoot them down with a blatant brush-off?

Capricorn
You're feeling lucky, but your bank account isn't. An invitation to a friend's poker night comes just in time. See if your poker prowess can inject some new cash flow into your anemic funds.

Aquarius
You're so excited about your big date and you want everything to be perfect. A new outfit is always a good idea and so is a fresh hair cut, but beware spraying on the scent-some people can be quite turned off by an overly aromatic date.

Pisces
Your new love is striking and sophisticated, but why do you only get to see them at night? What's wrong with a daytime picnic in the park? Better take a closer look if your new sweetheart seems totally daylight-adverse.

Aries
Your sporty little car attracts attention this month--some of it wanted and some not as desirable. Investing in an alarm could save you loads of heartache.

"Today, Electronic Arts announced that The Sims 2: Nightlife has gone gold and will ship as scheduled on September 13."

Find out more...

Sims 2 Nightlife boogies over to factory

By Tor Thorsen

Second expansion for EA and Maxis' popular life sim goes gold, due September 13.

Ever since they were released, both The Sims 2 and its first expansion pack, The Sims 2 University, have been among the top 10 best-selling PC games in the country. Soon, another member of the faux-life-sim family will join them. Today, Electronic Arts announced that The Sims 2: Nightlife has gone gold and will ship as scheduled on September 13.

Published by EA and developed by its internal Maxis studio, Nightlife is the second expansion for The Sims 2, after University. However, instead of letting players' sims do beer bongs at ragin' keggers, Nightlife will offer more-refined forms of nocturnal rest and relaxation, including restaurants, dance clubs, swanky bars, karaoke, bowling, and dating. GameSpot's previous coverage has more on the game's myriad new features.

The Sims 2 Nightlife will retail for $34.99 and is rated T for Teen. It will require the original Sims 2 to play.

"It's easy to get lost in adding all of the new stuff and styles to your house to make it an even cooler place for your sims to hang out but there's a ton of new places to go and interactions to have with other sims as well."

Read The Preview!

The Sims 2 Nightlife

We gussy up and head out for a night on the town.

Nightlife is the second in what will most assuredly be many expansions to The Sims 2. It's a concept that's been run by us before in the franchise with Hot Date for the original Sims, but that particular title didn't exactly have the oomph and personality behind it to really provide a nightlife feel of going out on the town. The folks at Maxis look to have the kinks worked out with this newest expansion (which just went gold today by the way) as it adds a lot of new features to an already fulfilling game experience. Along with the obligatory bunch of new items, some good new gameplay features have been implemented to help your sims along in their social lives (especially their romantic ones) while adding in some of the same quirky bits as we've seen in the past.

Many of you have seen the Sims 2 features and previews we've done in the past here at IGNPC, so you'll already be familiar with the players in the drama of Strangetown. Steve, Tal, Tom, and myself (all members of the IGN crew) along with a stowaway of sorts Jimmy all inhabited a quaint little roofless shack during the preview period for the original Sims 2. After the drama of Jimmy's long lost illegitimate child coming into his life and heading off to college for plenty of adventures, the focus moved back to the household of the Peeceers and the fab five fools who have collected quite a sum of money thanks to high paying jobs and an exorbitant amount of The Elixir of Life.

Seeing as the house was a big focus of their lives, the first order of business was upgrading the abode into a new echelon of luxury… which required a whole lot of restructuring due to one of the biggest new additions, cars and driveways. The lot the Peeceers live upon is not the biggest on the block and therefore they have pretty much run out of room at this point. In order to make way for the driveway, which is required to purchase a car (there is no street parking in Strangetown or any other sim neighborhood), much of the house had to be redesigned to make room for the cumbersome piece of concrete. Small lots are definitely going to have a difficulty owning a car or garages are certainly going to have to be taken into account when originally building as there's no option for underground parking or uphill driveways to reach a certain height.

The dancing sphere is danger!

But the good thing is, it allows sim families to own cars. Carpools will still come by to pick sims up for work (the best alarm clock of them all) but now sims can go out on joyrides, hang out in the car and listen to the radio, drive downtown, pick up their dates to go out on the town, and even get a little hot and steamy in the back seat for some WooHoo action. There are a few cars to choose from, but if you have the cash, the fancy schmancy sports car is definitely the one you want and the one I eventually bought for our dysfunctional little family of five.

After that, it was just a matter of decking the place out with all of the new accoutrements. Dancing lights, electro dance sphere (which made my sim violently throw up), a poker table, various art pieces, and a pair of bowling alleys set in the new entertainment wing of the house. Basically, the house rocks now. It's just a matter of finding the space to fit all of the cool stuff.

But the new stuff sits in your house and a big part of this expansion is getting your sims out on the town. Just as was the case with the University expansion pack, each neighborhood will have to pick an area to visit on their trips into the hub of action. There is a default "Downtown" area up for choice, which seems good enough to me. There are a enough entertainment choices to keep your sims busy for years. Those that want to create their custom nightlife areas can feel free to do that as well.

Along with the regular shops and stops that most Sims players would expect to find out of their houses, destinations now also include bowling alleys (much hipper and exciting than any I've ever seen), nightclubs, and restaurants (a great way to go out on a date and fill up the mood meter as well). It's pretty easy to guess what these places are for, but you'll find that many of the locations have several attractive options inside such as a restaurant also having a dance floor, which makes a prime spot to take a date.

Dating is an interesting proposition. The guys at Maxis have made it much easier for the average Joe to score in Nightlife so that your lonely sims might finally have a chance at happiness. Dating is much like the Greek House experience from University. Once a date starts, sims will have a certain amount of time to reach as high a score as possible by impressing their heart's desire. A meter with several levels pops up when a date begins to show the progression without any embarrassing mixed signals. If your sims says or does something to make the date happy, the meter goes up. Say or do something bad, the meter goes down. However, if the meter goes up enough to reach a new level, more time is added to the date. Should the date reach "Perfect" status, your sim is likely in for a good night.

Making the dating easier is a new attraction system. Not only is it good for finding people to date, but it also works very well for hitting the right buttons when talking to them. A little lightning bolt will show up in any options that another sim would be likely to react well to.

Each sim also has values that make them more likely to be attracted to you. If you can find those out, you can even change your sim's looks to match a target's desires whether that be how fat your sim is or what color hair. These turn-ons and turn-offs can actually be changed along with aspirations (including the new Pleasure Seeker aspiration) using the new ReNuYu Senso Orb. If you want your sim to find formal wear a turn-off and blonde hair and facial hair a turn-on, it's up to you.

Heading out for a ride

But along with the good comes the bad. Seeing as your sims have more emotion to their choices now, it's not surprising that they should swing to the opposite side of the love spectrum. Take Jimmy and Tom. They've always hated each other. But now they really hate each other. In fact, every time that Jimmy or Tom thinks of the other person, the thought bubble sprouts some hateful flames so there is no mistaking the anger there. During the period of time the hate is pumping, each sim is less likely to talk to each other at all. What this seems to mean though is that sims have much more violent tendencies. I've already seen a bunch of fights in the little bit of time I've played Nightlife.

There's a lot of good stuff in Nightlife. It's easy to get lost in adding all of the new stuff and styles to your house to make it an even cooler place for your sims to hang out but there's a ton of new places to go and interactions to have with other sims as well. The only things we haven't found yet are vampires and the fortune teller. Both of these are random occurrences when out on the town. Obviously, the vampire could provide a seriously life altering change to the life of your sims, so be on the lookout for that one. The fortune teller, on the other hand, apparently can provide insight into which other sims your sim should be hitting on. If all else fails, she also sells Love Potion #8.5 to boost any sim's attractiveness for a bit.

Check out the new screens included with the preview and make sure to keep your eyes peeled for more on The Sims 2 Nightlife before the game is released September 15th.