In SimCity you are the Mayor and City Planner of one of eight existing cities, such as San Francisco, Tokyo or Rio De Janeiro or of a city of your own design. It is entirely up to you to build, nurture and prosper the city of your choosing.

In this game you must build houses, streets, factories, churches, airports and a stadium, all the while fighting crime and pollution, collecting taxes and balancing your budget. Natural disasters such as tornadoes and earthquakes will sometimes wreak havoc on your city.

To ensure your city's growth, you must make its citizens happy. There must be plenty of residential space, a wealth of jobs and a high quality of life. Other things to consider and work on include land value, zoning laws, industrial and commercial space and funding for city services. You are given bulldozers, mapping and graphing systems, layouts and other tools to help you work your way toward the city of your dreams.

The ideal city is entirely up to you. You may prefer a bustling metropolis filled with lots of people, cars and tall buildings, or you may want to design a small rural community which will provide a nice and quiet way of life for its citizens. As long as traffic, overcrowding, crime, taxes or other problems don't drive away your Sims (simulated humans), your city will prosper. ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide