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
- Time passes on all lots on the same time - in The Sims 2 it was frozen on the home lot as long as Sims visited community lots. To avoid exploitation of this, Sims could not learn skills, or sleep, in 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 turn on or off)
Create-A-Sim features:
- Continuous body shapes (muscularity/obesity) and skin colors
- Enhanced facial customisation features
- Independent footwear (was attached to legwear in The Sims 2)
Traits
Moodlets
Favorites
Create-A-Style
Ability to adjust lifespan
- Ability to turn off aging (possible through cheats in The Sims 2)
New skills: (Guitar, Painting and Writing)
New music
Skill challenges
- New Upgrades
- Recipes
- Sheet music
- New literary genres
- Skill achievements
"Rabbit holes" - elementary, opaque civic buildings
Opportunities
Enhanced job features
- Job performance options
- Dynamic performance criteria (skills, co-workers, assignments)
- Raises

Basement tool (Basements were made by using foundations in The Sims 2) ^[TS3:WA]
Being able to sing songs from other countries ^[TS3:WA]
New Skills: (Martial arts^[TS3:WA], Nectar making^[TS3:WA] photography^[TS3:WA], inventing^{[The Sims 3: Ambitions]} and sculpting^{[The Sims 3: Ambitions]})
Laundry ^{[The Sims 3: Ambitions]}
Breast Slider in CAS. ^{[The Sims 3: Late Night]}
Fountain Tool (adds ability to create custom fountains) ^{[The Sims 3: Late Night]}

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

Young adults (University): This life stage was for college years. Now it is a regular life stage.
Mobile phones (University): 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.
Treadmill (University)
Private cars (Nightlife)
Personal inventory (Nightlife) - now limited to vehicles and portable objects
Fish tanks/bowls (Pets) - can be used for caught fish
Gardening (Seasons) - expanded
Fishing (Seasons) - expanded
Storing and eating leftovers (Seasons)
Journalism and Music careers (Seasons)
Jewelry (Bon Voyage) - though many kinds of jewelry (such as face piercings) are left out without the addition of custom content
Walking between lots (Bon Voyage)
Activity table (Free Time): Toddlers no longer gain regular skills, but certain activities can give skills as they grow up.
Bug catching (Free Time): See collecting.
Ceilings (Apartment Life)
Toothbrushing (Apartment Life): As it was featured in The Sims base game.
Playground structures (Apartment Life)
Influence - combined with Charisma skill
Roof Objects

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

Cinematics
Aspiration - replaced by lifetime happiness
Slacker career - replaced by part-time jobs
Fears - much because of the coward and brave Sim traits, and negative moodlets
Underwear styles - though underwear can be used as the pajamas style or added in custom content
Private school, there is only one School which is public.
Visible retail stores - replaced by "rabbit holes". Retail stores reappeared in The Sims 3: World Adventures
Interests- only favourites now
Memories (although moodlets act as temporary memories)
Aliens, alien abduction, alien pregnancy. In CAS there is a green skin tone that can be adjusted to the yellowish green that the Aliens from TS2 had. This along with changing the shape and color of the eyes, nose and ears allows the user to create a sim that looks very close to an alien.
Environment and comfort needs (replaced by moodlets)
The ability to create new neighborhoods. replaced by Create-A-World
Illness
Inheritance
Photo album - Screenshots are uploaded to TheSims3.com where stories are created.
The need to buy clothes - your Sims already have everything.
Cockroaches - Although they can be collected. See collecting.
Dreaming during sleep (re-added in patch 1.5/1.6)
Body Shop
Crosswords in newspapers
Astrological signs (re-added in The Sims 3 Late Night) [1]
Influence (re-added in The Sims 3 Late Night) [2]

Mechanical skill - replaced by Handiness
Cleaning skill - much because of the neat and slob Sim traits
Creativity skill - replaced by several other skills: Guitar, Painting and Writing in TS3 base game, and Inventing, Sculpting, Piano, Bass and Drums skills in expansion packs.
Yoga
Meditation - re-added as Martial Arts with The Sims 3: World Adventures

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)
Shop assistant: Re-added in World Adventures at the markets and in Ambitions at the Consignment Shop.
Bartender (Re-added with Sims 3 Late Night but now called Mixologist)[3]

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

Retail objects - cash register, shelves, etc.: Cash registers are added in WA for markets and stores:Shelves are added in Ambitions for the cosignment store (but they are only for decoration).
Farstar e3 Telescope - the simple telescope remains
Specialised weight machines - the game now has only one combined weight machine.
Magazines to change interests - though there are non-interactive "decor" magazines.
Wedding arch