Play Urbz - Sims In The City, The (EU) Online

I picked up The Urbz: Sims in the City for the Nintendo DS back in 2004, a time when handheld games were really stretching what you could do on a small screen. Maxis, the folks behind The Sims, put this one out, and it felt like a natural, if slightly odd, offshoot of the main series. It wasn't trying to be a home life simulator; it was all about the vibe of a crowded, slightly run-down city, and that was a fresh take for the platform.

You create a character and control them directly, tapping the screen to move and interact with objects and other Urbz. The main goal is to build up your reputation across different city districts by completing jobs, winning dance-offs, and schmoozing with the local cliques. Key mechanics include using the touch screen for context-specific mini-games, like fixing electronics or playing arcade machines, and managing your social standing, which directly affects which areas and opportunities open up for you. The pacing is fairly quick, with lots of short tasks, though some of the mini-games can be frustratingly imprecise. It feels like a scrappy, experimental take on the life sim formula, where your success is measured in cool points instead of cash.