Common Sense Media Review
By Chad Sapieha
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Pet spa simulator brings The Sims brand to kids.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
What's It About?
THE SIMS 2: APARTMENT PETS has little to do with The Sims 2 or any of its expansions (including the recently released and similarly titled The Sims 2: Apartment Life), offering instead a simplified sort of simulation that focuses almost solely on grooming and caring for animals at a pet spa. As a result, it's remarkably kid-friendly; unlike other Sims games, there are no romances, fights, bills to pay, or friendships to cultivate. Players still have to look after their sims' basic human needs, ensuring that they eat, sleep, and relieve themselves regularly, but even these necessities prove less pressing and easier to satisfy than in other Sims games.
While Apartment Pets has little in the way of content that could be deemed unsuitable for children, it also lacks some of the panache that has made the Sims games so popular with older players. Part of the appeal of Sims games is that they provide a world full of freedom and opportunity, allowing players to lead their digital avatars in whatever direction strikes their fancy. The problem with Apartment Pets is that players are locked into a vigorously repetitive routine right from the start. Most days in your sim's life play out more or less like this: wake up, eat, go to the bathroom, then head downstairs to the spa and examine and treat an endless stream of dogs, cats, and other house pets. When you earn enough cash, you can spend a few minutes buying items to upgrade your shop or your apartment. Then it's back to the grind.
Is It Any Good?
To be fair, there's a little more to it than that. The act of treating a pet, for example, is made up of lots of little mini-games. The player may also choose to chum around with the animals by adorning them in a variety of pet clothes, stroking them, or playing games like fetching a ball, though these activities feel a little like a poor man's Nintendogs. There are also a few side challenges available, including a doggy treasure hunt and a couple of music games. But while there are plenty of activities, they're all extremely brief and lose their appeal the more you play them. It's fun at the start, and some crisp and clean 3-D animal animations help keep the players' interest, but it eventually grows wearisome.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the responsibilities involved in caring for pets, and whether the game does a good job of simulating them. In your experience, what things are important to ensure a pet's health and happiness? Are they in the game? Do you think the game's pets behaved like real animals? How could the player's interactions with the pets have been made to feel more realistic?
Game Details
- Platform : Nintendo DS
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Electronic Arts
- Release date : August 26, 2008
- Genre : Simulation
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : June 19, 2019
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