The Sims Pet Stories

The Sims Pet Stories is the second game in The Sims Stories product line, developed by Aspyr and published by EA Games. It was released on June 15, 2007.

The main character in Best in Show is Alice Whitt while Stephen Loyal is the main character in Midnight Masquerade. As in The Sims Life Stories, the game is mostly about being directed to perform tasks that the player has to follow for their stories to unfold (Each story has 12 chapters). The game also challenges Sims to care for and train pets, similar to The Sims 2: Pets but unlike The Sims 2: Pets, The Sims Pet Stories doesn't feature werewolves. There is also a Free Play mode that has no story to follow. After you complete the stories you can continue to play as you wish.

Description
''The Sims Pet Stories is the second game in the all-new game series called The Sims Stories. Train, play, and care for your cats and dogs, and count on many unexpected twists and turns in this easy-to-play, laptop-friendly version of The Sims. The Sims Pet Stories features two great ways to play. In the new and engaging directed Story mode, you take on a variety of challenges as you compete for 1st place in a local pet show and learn to tame a variety of pet personalities. You even unlock rewards along the way as you achieve set goals. In open-ended Classic mode, you create your Sims and their pets, design their homes, and teach your pets tricks. You decide how their stories unfold.''

Features

 * Two complete stories in Directed Story mode - Play as Alice who needs to win the local Dog Show competition (and the large cash prize) with her loveable dog Sam in order to save her house. Or follow Stephen, an executive chef whose highly predictable life is thrown into chaos when he’s forced to take care of his cousin’s spoiled cat, Diva.
 * Brand-new Pet Show - Your Sims can train their pets to strut their stuff and earn rewards by getting them to navigate an agility course including walking along a see-saw, running through tunnels, and jumping over obstacles.
 * Open-ended Freeplay mode - You create your Sims and their pets (choose from 70 dog and 30 cat breeds), fulfill their desires or dash their hopes, and tell their stories.
 * It’s never been easier to play on your laptop - Featuring simple shortcuts and an all-new auto-pause that lets you start and stop easily when opening/closing your laptop.
 * Be creative while staying connected - Easily stay in touch with your friends by using your own IM and email while playing the game in its own window.

Neighborhoods
The Sims Pet Stories includes three pre-made neighborhoods and a Tutorial neighborhood.


 * Learn to Play
 * If you are new to The Sims, check out these tutorials for a few basic guidelines on how to play.


 * Garden Heights, where Alice's Story, Best in Show takes place.
 * Alice Whitt has inherited her grandparents' house. Recently she's moved back to Garden Heights to take ownership of the property, but money problems have put her on the verge of financial ruin. A starving artist, she hasn't been able to make ends meet every month, but she is determined to make a better life for herself and her dog, Sam. She may be forced to move if she doesn't come up with the simoleons to pay her taxes. Her friends Amaya and Thomas are there to help, but ultimately Alice must find a way to save her house!


 * Mesa Flats, where Stephen's Story, Midnight Masquerade takes place.
 * Stephen Loyal is an accomplished SimCity chef who leads a quiet and ordered life in the desert suburb of Mesa Flats. Lately he's been unusually busy getting ready for his cousin's wedding and helping his employer Julianne cater the annual Mesa Flats Midnight Masquerade ball. Little does Stephen know that his life is about to get turned upside down...


 * Arbor Falls, a Free-Play mode neighborhood
 * Arbor Falls is a pleasant resort-style town nestled into the mountains of SimCity. The homes are modest one- to two- story houses usually surrounded by hills, trees and businesses. A fun-loving family town, Arbor Falls has become the location of choice for go-getters and trendsetters everywhere!

At first the player can only play Free Play or Best in Show but, will unlock Midnight Masquerade later on, as the player completes goals in Best in Show.

Characters in Best in Show
The main character in Best in Show who lives in Garden Heights. She owns a Dalmatian named Sam and is facing eviction in two weeks if she fails to pay her debt of §120,000 to her landowner Diana DeBore. Therefore, she enters Sam in the local dog show in order to win the cash prize and pay off her debt. Alice's pet Dalmatian. Despite his behavioral problems, he has the heart of a champion in him. Towards the end of the story, Sam wins the Garden Heights Dog Show and he and Lucy Jones have puppies together. A greedy lady and philanthropist who is determined to evict Alice and tear down her house. She also happens to be the owner of the reigning champion of the dog show, Precious. Throughout the story, she takes pleasure in taunting Alice about the foreclosure. However, at the championship, Precious falls from an obstacle and is disqualified. Instead, Alice and Sam win the competition, and Diana is arrested for several convictions. Diana's pet poodle who is the reigning champion of the Garden Heights Dog Show. At the end of the story, Precious fails a particular obstacle and is immediately disqualified allowing Alice and Sam to take the victory. Alice's best friend. She provides moral support and advice to Alice throughout the story. Amaya's pet dog. A mysterious man who is rumored to be a remarkable pet trainer. He is the master of "The Way of the Paw". Otis' pet dog. He begins an unusual relationship with Sam when Alice learns "The Way of the Paw". Before the release of the game, he was called Milo. A friend of Alice. They steadily develop a relationship throughout the story. Thomas' pet dog. She and Sam Whitt get along well and have puppies at the end of the story. One of Diana DeBore's henchmen. He is very loyal and is later defeated in a fight by Thomas Jones. One of Diana DeBore's henchmen. Brock is not as loyal as Reece and secretly helps Alice register for the dog show. After Sam is kidnapped, he helps Alice find him and provides her with an obstacle needed to train Sam for the dog show finals. Brock's pet cat. Won a fight against Meat Grinder sometime before the events of Best in Show.
 * Alice Whitt
 * Sam Whitt
 * Diana DeBore
 * Precious DeBore
 * Amaya Flores
 * Roscoe Flores
 * Otis Fielding
 * Jake Fielding
 * Thomas Jones
 * Lucy Jones
 * Reece Mustella
 * Brock Thornton
 * Indie Thornton
 * Richard Martin

Retired dog show judge who moves to Garden Heights after Alice and Sam Whitt win the SimCity Dog Show championship. (Free Play)
 * Maggie Martin

Richard Martin's dog. Never competed. (Free Play)

Competitors in the Garden Heights Dog Show

 * Coach Grinder
 * Meat Grinder
 * Henry Beniz
 * Simon Beniz
 * Melissa Carter
 * Bruno Carter

Characters in Midnight Masquerade
The main character in Midnight Masquerade, who lives in Mesa Flats. He's an executive chef who promises to look after his cousin Celeste's pet cat, Diva, to make up for missing her wedding. Meanwhile, he must prepare the catering and centerpiece for the annual Midnight Masquerade. During the course of the story, Stephen meets Rachel and Erin and dates both of them several times. Gordon Fetching, a mysterious newcomer to town is trying to steal both women and is constantly wrecking Stephen's dates and making his life a misery. At the end of the story, Gordon is arrested and Stephen is declared "King of the Midnight Masquerade". The player is then left with the option of which woman will be his Queen. The cat who moves in with Stephen. Diva causes mischief by scratching Stephen's furniture and eating food off the counter, but ultimately turns out to be lovable. Gordon is introduced as the best man of Damien, he is also the main antagonist of the story. He has a natural ability to attract women and is constantly ruining Stephen's dates. At the end of the story, he is revealed to be a con man from Arbor Falls and his last name is revealed to be "Schickel". After being declared "King of the Midnight Masquerade" Gordon and his henchman are arrested and Stephen is declared the new masquerade King. Gordon's henchman. He first appears during one of Stephen's dates and attacks (and is defeated by) James Briggs. At the Midnight Masquerade he sits on the rooftop and Stephen disguises himself as Gordon to beguile information from him. The owner of Diva and Stephen's cousin. Celeste requests Stephen to look after her cat during her honeymoon after he misses her wedding at the beginning of the story. She does not appear again after the first chapter, but she does send cat toys for Diva to Stephen and after completion of the story she sends an email saying that she and her husband are going on a cruise and that Stephen may keep the cat. Celeste's new husband. His best man is Gordon Fetching. Julianne Charlot is Stephen's employer. She entrusts him to make Salad, Lobster Thermidor and an Ice Sculpture (a role usually reserved for herself) for the Mesa Flats Midnight Masquerade. She appears to collect these things and is also the host of the Midnight Masquerade. James Briggs is Stephen's best friend. He is also a police officer who tries to track down a con man lurking in Mesa Flats. Kadisha Briggs is James' wife. Sal Zugovich is Stephen's friend and owner of the local art gallery and restaurant. Greta Zugovich is Sal's wife. A potential love interest for Stephen. She attended Celeste's wedding and met Stephen. She loves dancing and she dances whenever there's an opportunity to do so. Potential love interest for Stephen. She is introduced as Celeste's friend and arrives to deliver Diva to Stephen. She is an artist and has vast knowledge about domesticated animals. Erin's pet dog. He chases Diva causing a meeting between Stephen and Erin. Tracy Kosmokos is Celeste's bridesmaid. Not a story character, she leaves the game at pretty much her first opportunity. Her portrait indicates she is a mail carrier. Hailey Long is one of Gordon Fetching's girlfriends, and is seen falling in love with him after he flirts with her. Her outfit indicates that she is a repair specialist, and oddly she has the Elder female body shape when she appears in the game; however, when checked in SimPE she is an Adult, and wearing a different outfit.
 * Stephen Loyal
 * Diva Loyal
 * Gordon Fetching
 * Anthony Zilch
 * Celeste Girard
 * Damien Girard
 * Julianne Charlot
 * James Briggs
 * Kadisha Briggs
 * Sal Zugovich
 * Greta Zugovich
 * Rachel Ware
 * Erin Davis
 * Buster Davis
 * Tracy Kosmokos
 * Hailey Long

Features

 * Dogs, Cats, Womrats, Birds, Fish - All of the pets in the game which you can interact with.
 * Dating - A feature originally from Nightlife. Take your Sims into a club, restaurant or even park for a romantic date.
 * New objects - A-frames, tunnels and all sorts of games for your dog, musical instruments; drums, guitars and karaoke machines,pet houses and many more...
 * New building options - A complete set of roofs, new painting and floor patterns, and a new wall option.

Trivia

 * This is one of the few games on the series not to feature the elder life stage (except for pets). When a Sim reaches the end of their adulthood, they die as if they were elders. There is no known reason for this age not to be present in the game, since they exist in the other two Stories games.
 * If a Sim's life stage is changed to elder using SimPE, the Sim will not be playable and not viewable in-game, but will still exist in relationship panels, memories, and households, so if a household that contains a baby, toddler, child, or pet has an adult that was turned into an elder via SimPE, that household will still be playable since the game still considers that adult is alive and present, just not viewable nor playable.
 * It is still possible for a Sim turned into an elder using the above method to visit households and community lots, although they cannot be interacted with. These Sims look nearly exactly the same, but they have the elder walking animation, indicating that the code for that life stage is still present in the game.
 * Using a third party mod object called the InSimenator, Sims can be set to the Elder life stage and are playable, though it's unknown if this has any negative effects to the game.
 * Oddly, nearly every pre-created Sim in the game has their facial structure broken when aging up to adult or elder, even if they don't use any features of the broken face templates.