The Sims Bustin' Out (console)

The Sims Bustin' Out is the second title in The Sims console series. Bustin' Out was released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance and N-Gage in the fourth quarter of 2003. As the title suggests, Sims can get out of the house to visit other locations such as Shiny Things Lab or Casa Caliente. There are two modes. Bust Out Mode which has mission based gameplay and Freeplay Mode which is open-ended gameplay very much like the original The Sims PC game. It was the first Sims game to not be on the PC. The PlayStation 2 version also features the option to play online, though EA no longer supports it as of August 15, 2004.

Gameplay
In the console version, Malcolm Landgraab is going around the neighborhood, repossessing items in return for unpaid rent. The player's objective is to complete each career track, unlock and buy back everyone's possessions, and become rich enough to evict Malcolm from his mansion and move their own Sim in.

The Game Boy Advance version puts the player's Sim in a place called "SimValley" for summer holiday. Like the console version, GBA version gameplay is objective-based - every time the player completes a series of tasks, the game is allowed to progress. In this game, there are no furnishing objects to unlock. Instead, the player must complete all tasks to unlock new houses.

Deviating from the "point-and-click" selection process heretofore used in every Sims title, this version allows the user to control their Sim directly, using the GBA's directional pad.

In both versions, there are various locations Sims may visit throughout the course of the game. As Sims advance through the game, new areas become accessible. In the console version, new social interactions may be learned at a particular location. In the GBA version, new mini-games may be unlocked in certain areas.

PlayStation 2 Controls

 * Left analog stick: Moves cursor
 * Right analog stick: Zoom and camera angle; Scrolls through displays when holding down a directional arrow
 * "X" button: Select
 * Triangle button: Back/Cancel
 * Circle button: Raises and lowers walls in all modes
 * Square button: Follows selected Sim
 * D-pad: scroll options
 * Up arrow: Displays Motives
 * Right arrow: Displays Relationships
 * Left arrow: Displays Career and Skill information
 * Down arrow: Displays Personality
 * "L1" button: Pauses the game while holding
 * "R1" button: Speeds up the game in Live Mode
 * "R2" button: Switches characters
 * "L2" button: Follows next Sim
 * "Start" button: Access game menu; Goals, Buy and Build Modes, Save and Quit
 * "Select": describes current action and allows the player to cancel

Gameboy Advance Controls

 * Arrows: to move or select
 * A: accept
 * B: exit; press while walking to run
 * L and R: to change the colors of furniture (this only applies to some); to change menu choices
 * Start: Shows your goals, personality, items, etc.
 * Select: Menu

Trivia

 * This is the only game that Sims can get away at pool, though there isn't ladders, unless there are sofas around with pool.