Play SimCity (Japan) Online

Start with empty land, zone neighborhoods, and scramble to keep the power on and roads clear—until you get fed up and unleash a tornado just to watch the chaos. That SNES soundtrack somehow makes budget disasters feel zen.

Developer: Maxis

Genre: City-building

Released: 1991

File size: 306 bytes

Game Overview

SimCity on SNES is where I first learned city planning is way harder than it looks. You start with a blank map, plop down some residential zones, and pray people actually move in—but then they complain about traffic, fires, or no power. The disasters menu is secretly the best part; nothing like dropping a giant robot on your own city when taxes get too high.

It’s got that classic SimCity charm with a weirdly relaxing soundtrack, even when your budget’s in the red. The scenarios are brutal though—trying to fix a crime-ridden mess with zero funds feels like being handed a sinking ship and a teacup to bail it out. Still weirdly addictive after all these years.