The Sims 3 Ambitions

Common Sense Media says

Feature-rich life sim adds babies, entrepreneurship.

Age(i)

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Quality(i)

 
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The Sims 3 Ambitions gallery

What parents need to know

Ease of play

Because this game is adopted from the popular Sims franchise on the PC, the controls and functionality are dumbed down and tweaked to work on a touch-screen platform. As such, maneuvering through the menus and directing Sims to do activities is sometimes a clunky process. In addition, this newer version of the game has more complexities to keep track of than The Sims 3 app, such as taking care of a baby and climbing up the corporate ladder. Players will need to buckle down and keep track of all their Sim character activities in order to fully succeed.

Violence

If players do not treat their Sim characters well, they are likely to become sick and agitated, and may engage in aggressive behavior. In addition, Sims can get to tussles with one another but no one is ever depicted as being seriously injured.

Sex

Part of the goal in this life simulation game is to fall in love with another Sim and have a baby. Sim characters can have sex, which is referred to in the game as "woohoo" and involves the two characters jumping into bed and making giggling sounds. Players need to nurture their relationship and build a strong bond with their partner before the "woohoo" option becomes available.

Language
Not applicable
Consumerism

A button in the game directs players to purchase other titles from the same publisher. Additionally, players are encouraged to buy the most extravagant and luxurious items in the game, using their in-game money, as the ultimate goal is to have the most money and the nicest house in the virtual world.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Not applicable
Privacy & safety
Not applicable

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Sims 3 Ambitions is a more feature-rich life simulation game than its predecessor, The Sims 3. The same basic concept applies -- players take care of a virtual Sim character and build up his or her life as high as possible. In Ambitions, players can now also start their own business and have children, making the process an even more accurate simulation of real life. As with most games in the Sims franchise, players need to foster relationships with other Sims, and can eventually have "woohoo" (sex) with them. Depending on how players treat their Sims, they can also become aggressive and violent. The way the game plays out is entirely up to each individual player.

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Kids say

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What's it about?

The Sims 3 Ambitions allows players to live a virtual life. They can get a job -- or even start their own business -- and make friends, get married, have children, and build their dream home. The caveat, of course, is that there is so much to do and so little time. Players need to figure out the correct proportion of time to spend at work, with family, socializing, and taking care of personal hygiene. The specific additions that the Ambitions version of this game includes are a more fleshed-out set of career paths, the ability to have children, and more items and mini-games. Otherwise, this game is nearly identical to The Sims 3.

Is it any good?

QUALITY
 

THE SIMS 3 AMBITIONS is a more complete version of the Sims experience than previous apps in the franchise. With the addition of being able to have children, a more robust career simulation, and a slew of new mini-games and items, it almost functions as a completely new game. The controls are not perfect, and sometimes the game may appear sluggish or slow to respond, but all in all it is an impressive game for a mobile platform, and should live up to the high expectations of those familiar with the Sims brand.

App details

Devices:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Price:$4.99
Release date:September 16, 2010
Category:Simulation Games
Size:163.00 MB
Publisher:Electronic Arts
Version:1.0.0
Minimum software requirements:iOS 3.0 or later

This review of The Sims 3 Ambitions was written by

Mark Raby

About our rating system

  • ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
  • OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids of any age.

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Quality

Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Learning ratings

  • Best: Really engaging, great learning approach.
  • Very Good: Engaging, good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging, okay learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

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Teen, 14 years old Written byzanyz September 25, 2011
AGE
6
QUALITY
 

Amazing game! Fantastic!

This is without a doubt one of the best apps out there. I love this game to death. Ive been playing versions of The Sims since I was 4 or 5, and besides a few sexual themes or actions (none of which were extreme enough to scar me for life) it's a terriffic game. This app is like a lesser version of the full game, and terriffic nonetheless.
What other families should know
Too much sex
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Teen, 16 years old Written byguardyoursaftey123 October 2, 2012
AGE
11
QUALITY
 
LEARNING

I AM YOUR GUARD!

I think that this game is appropriate for 11+ because it depends on you child's knowledge in certain contents of the game. It teaches life lessons by showing how life and reproductive things in life work such as jobs, socializing, friends, etc. Don't worry if your child knows about those certain things in life that your not sure they know about. Talk! Talk! Talk!
What other families should know
Too much sex
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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Kid, 12 years old January 24, 2013
AGE
10
QUALITY
 
LEARNING

Eh.

This game is good although it has a lot of influences, sometimes bad, I would recommend buying the sims free play. It still has the woohoo button but it is fully covered by pixels. The sims FreePlay is better and free.
What other families should know
Too much sex
Too much consumerism
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