The Urbz: Sims in the City

The Urbz: Sims in the City is a video game for the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox consoles, as well as the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS portable systems. It is the third Sims game for video game consoles and is the second Sims game not to be released on PC. The next release for consoles and handhelds was the console port of The Sims 2.

Hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas provided several music scores for the game, which have also been translated into Simlish. Members of the group would also appear as guest Urbz in the game.

Goal
The objective of the console games is to go to each of nine Districts and build their reputation (called "Rep", in-game). Rep is a measure of how popular a character is; as a character gains more reputation, they gain access to larger apartments and different Districts. In the end, the character will have the largest apartment and be able to visit any of the Districts.

In addition to gaining Rep, the player must also make sure that his or her character has its needs fulfilled, and to increase the character's skills by playing mini-games. The amount of money sims can make at the various jobs in each of the districts is determined by what skills they've leveled up. As you progress through the game, you will get messages for rent, from Darius, the sim with the highest rep in the city, and get programmed messages to your XAM. Also other challenges like helping Sims (or Urbz) get money from people or taking pictures of Urbz.

Tasks
The player will be given different tasks depending on the District they're in. The tasks are varied in nature, but most fall into a certain category:


 * Needs – The first task that the player will have to perform and will continue performing throughout the game is fulfilling his or her character's needs. The needs are hunger, bladder, fun, hygiene, and energy.  As time goes by, each of those needs starts to fall.  They can be restored by performing specific tasks (e.g., eating to reduce hunger or sleeping to increase energy).  If the player's Urb falls asleep in public on the floor, the policeman will fine them or even start a fight; the same applies when the Urb urinates on the floor.


 * Adding Furniture – At each apartment, the player will be asked to spend a certain amount of money on furniture in order to unlock a different pet animal to live with them. The pet has needs like the Urbz and requires care.


 * Build Reputation – In each District, the character will need to build up their reputation meter ("Rep"). First, the character needs enough Rep to get into the District's club.  Then, by increasing the character's reputation further, the character can gain access to a new District.


 * Master a Job – There's a different job to master in each District. Each job has three levels to complete, each of which requires a certain amount of skill to unlock.  Upon completion of a goal in a job, the character may earn money to buy items and learn a new social interaction.  The job consists of completing a mini-game that involves pushing buttons in a certain sequence or repeatedly pushing the same buttons.


 * Make Friends – The player is required to establish friendships with the residents of each District. By interacting socially, one can increase the relationship between the player's Urbz and an NPC Urb.  If the player builds a certain amount of Rep, they may also have other Urbz to join their crew, allowing the player to switch between their Urb and its friends.


 * Use a Powersocial – As one makes friends, the character will earn powersocials. Powersocials are unlockable actions that Urbz can use when socializing with other Urbz.  Each one is unique to a certain District.  As the game progresses, it becomes necessary to use powersocials on certain bully characters.


 * Tag an Object – After becoming friends with a certain character, one is required to tag certain objects, which includes spraying graffiti on walls. There is a graffiti tag for each District.


 * Helping Urbz –   Some Urbz want you to help them with some jobs like: Taking pictures of Urbz, Mugging other Urbz for money, tagging other Urbz faces or as previously mentioned tagging certain objects.


 * Villains –   In every district, there is a villain which will come, and take money off you and other Urbz. The only way to be rid of them is to use the Power Social given for that area. There are 3 different villains, (one is shown on the front cover with tattoos) but they must be defeated in every area. Defeat them all, and you get Darius' Penthouse, and get a pet monkey.

Handheld Gameplay
The handheld versions are played as an adventure game and require the player to complete missions to advance.

Goal
The goal of both the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance versions of The Urbz is to complete the five main missions. Both versions also include optional rep missions, but only the Nintendo DS version has the special Splicer Isle based mission.

Needs
As in most games of The Sims franchise, Urbz have eight basic needs: Hunger, Hygiene, Energy, Social, Comfort, Bladder, Entertainment, and Room.


 * Hunger – Satisfied by cooking on a stove or grill, or by eating food purchased from a vendor (e.g.: Salty's ship, the Crayfish Shack or Zydeco Club)


 * Hygiene – Satisfied by taking a shower or washing hands.


 * Energy – Satisfied by sleeping on a bed, couch, or bench.


 * Social – Satisfied by talking to other urbz or interacting with a pet.


 * Comfort – Satisfied by sitting or sleeping.


 * Bladder – Satisfied by using a toilet (or peeing on the ground).


 * Entertainment – Satisfied by using various objects like the television, trampoline, dance floor, etc, etc.


 * Room – Satisfied by spending time in the character's house.