Comparison between The Sims 2 and The Sims 3

The Sims 3 is based on The Sims original base game and The Sims 2 original base game, and therefore contains many of the same features.

Completely new features
These features in The Sims 3 base game have not existed in any game in The Sims series before:


 * Seamless neighborhood
 * Bicycles
 * Universal clock synchronized in all lots—in The Sims 2, time was frozen on the home lot as long as Sims visited community lots. To avoid exploitation of this, Sims weren't able to learn skills or sleep on community lots. In The Sims 3, Sims can do almost everything regardless of where they are.
 * Ability to visit other homes
 * Story progression - non-active households evolve during gameplay (can be turned on or off)
 * Adjustable lifespan
 * Create-A-Sim features:
 * Continuous body shapes (muscular/obese) and skin colors
 * Enhanced facial customization features
 * Independent footwear (was attached to legwear in The Sims 2)
 * Different voice types
 * Traits
 * Moodlets
 * Favorites
 * Create-A-Style
 * Ability to adjust lifespan
 * Ability to turn off aging (possible through cheats in The Sims 2)
 * Many new and more enhanced skills
 * Upgrading ability
 * Recipes
 * Sheet music
 * Skill books at different levels for all skills
 * Unique books and new literary genres
 * Different workout abilities
 * Skill achievements
 * Rabbit holes - elementary, opaque civic buildings
 * Skill classes at rabbit holes
 * Community events at rabbit holes and community lots
 * Maintaining controls over Sims at school or workplace
 * Opportunities
 * Enhanced job features
 * Job performance options
 * Dynamic performance criteria (skills, coworkers, assignments)
 * Raises
 * Branching careers
 * Ghost interaction and playable ghosts.

In The Sims 3 expansion packs

 * Basement tool (Basements were made by using foundations and as part of feature in The Sims 2: Nightlife)
 * Laundry
 * Tattoo
 * Fountain tool
 * Breast and muscle definition slider
 * Body hair
 * Controllable pets (possible through cheats in The Sims 2: Pets)

The Sims 2 expansion features in The Sims 3 base game
Many features introduced in The Sims 2 expansions appear in The Sims 3 base game, to some extent.


 * Young adult: Part of the regular life state now.
 * Treadmill
 * Inventory: Each Sim has personal inventory and a family inventory.
 * Cemeteries
 * Gardening
 * Fishing
 * Leftover
 * Journalism and Music careers
 * Jewelry
 * Walking between lots
 * Beaches: Ability for Sims to swim in the open sea reappears in patch 1.42, equivalent to The Sims 3: Seasons.
 * Bug collecting
 * Jogging: Now in the open environment, instead of off-screen.
 * Toothbrushing

Objects

 * Mobile phones: Each Sim that is a child and older now has a mobile phone fixed in their inventory.
 * Guitar: As many games and expansions featured a fixed electric guitar, The Sims 3 has a portable acoustic guitar with a designated guitar skill.
 * Ownable cars
 * Roof objects
 * Activity table: Toddlers no longer gain skill from using it.
 * Playground objects
 * Ceiling

Lost features
These game features were found in The Sims 2 base game but not in The Sims 3.


 * Cinematics
 * Aspiration: Replaced with lifetime happiness.
 * Slacker career
 * Fears: Replaced with negative moodlets.
 * Underwear: Underwear clothing style is part of pajamas.
 * Private school: Reappears as Boarding school in The Sims 3: Generations.
 * Visible retail stores: Reappears as market and consignment store
 * Interests
 * Memories: Returns in The Sims 3: Generations
 * Aliens, alien abduction, and alien pregnancy: Aliens and alien abduction return in The Sims 3: Seasons.
 * Flower beds that require watering and bushes that require trimming
 * Environment and comfort needs: Replaced by moodlets
 * The ability to create new neighborhoods. Replaced by Create-A-World
 * Illness: Returns in The Sims 3: Seasons
 * Inheritance: Returns as a Lifetime Reward
 * Photo album: Screenshots are uploaded to TheSims3.com where stories are created.
 * The need to buy clothes
 * Cockroaches. Returns as a collectibles
 * Dreaming during sleep: Re-added in patch 1.5/1.6
 * Body Shop
 * Crosswords in newspapers
 * Astrological signs: Returns in The Sims 3: Late Night
 * Influence: Returns in The Sims 3: Late Night
 * The need to bathe babies and toddlers: Returns with the Changing Table Premium Object

Lost skills

 * Mechanical skill: Replaced with Handiness
 * Cleaning skill
 * Creativity skill: Replaced with several relevant skills; Guitar, Painting, and Writing in base game, and additional skills from expansion packs including Sculpting, Piano, Bass, and Drums skills.
 * Yoga secret skill
 * Meditation secret skill: An ability upon reaching level 5 of the Martial Arts skill.

Lost NPCs
NPCs that were in The Sims 2 base game, but not in The Sims 3.
 * Exterminator
 * Headmaster
 * Hula Zombies
 * Social Bunny
 * Therapist
 * Gardener
 * Nanny: Replaced with babysitter.
 * Cashier: Reappears in market and consignment store.
 * Bartender: Replaced with Mixologist

Lost objects
These objects (with unique interactions) were found in The Sims 2 base game but not The Sims 3 base game:


 * Aspiration rewards: Replaced with lifetime reward
 * Career rewards
 * Piano: Returns in The Sims 3: Late Night
 * Pinball Machines: Returns as Premium Content in The Sims 3 Store
 * Diving board: Returns in The Sims 3: Seasons
 * Hot tub: Returns in The Sims 3: Late Night
 * Retail objects (cash register, shelves): Returns in The Sims 3: World Adventures and The Sims 3: Ambitions and The Sims 3: University Life 
 * Magazines
 * Wedding arch: Returns in The Sims 3: Generations
 * Changing tables: Returns as Premium Content

Changes in Animations

 * Pregnancy
 * Birthday parties / aging up
 * Death
 * Marriage
 * Making out: has been toned down
 * Getting in and out of a vehicle