The Simsseries has managed to remain largely a PC-focused experience, in large part thanks to the impressive modding community. However, it has had a number of notable console ports.The Sims 3saw a port to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, andThe Sims 4 is available on all modern consoles. Well, that is apart from the Nintendo Switch. Despite fans desperately wanting a portable version ofThe Sims, there is yet to be a Nintendo Switch version of it.
Of course, there are plenty ofgames likeThe Simson Switch, but these don’t always manage to nail the wonderful aspects that makeThe Simssuch a beloved series in the first place. Luckily,there is an alternative for those who have been searching for aSims-like experience on a handheld device. In fact, that alternative is aSimsgame, and it’s on a Nintendo console. For those who’ve been dreaming of a fully-fledgedSimsexperience on a handheld console, then the perfect game is genuinely out there.
The Sims 3 On DS Is The Perfect Handheld Sims Experience
It’s A Slightly Downgraded Version Of The Original
The Sims 3on the Nintendo DS may not be the most well-knownSimsgame, but it’s certainly one of the best, especially for those who prefer handheld gaming.It reimagines the entireSims 3experience from character creation to open-world exploration, just for Nintendo’s iconic and relatively weak device. While it’s not fair to say thatThe Sims 3is one of thebest DS gamesof all time, for those who enjoyThe Sims, it’s a must.
For starters, somehow,the open-world aspect ofThe Sims 3,which made it such a revolutionary game at the time and easily one of thebest life simsavailable today, is kept mostly intact. After creating a Sim in the relatively lackluster, but nevertheless still robust character creator, players pick a house from one of the many available on the map. Then, they can dance, paint, shower, watch TV, or tell their friends incessant jokes in their house, which is its own instanced location.
However, from there, they can head into the open world and travel to any of the other Sims' houses or the available recreational buildings, such as a gym. These are all instanced too, but players can still meet up with other Sims in the open world and watch as their blocky car whizzes down the road.It’s pretty incredible to see the entire experience diluted this wayand feels fairly reminiscent of the kinds of sacrifices games likeHogwarts Legacyhave made to get onto the Nintendo Switch.
For those who want aSimsexperience on a handheld device,The Sims 3on DS is perfect.
What setsThe Sims 3on DS apart from other ports is that the restrictions still work. The instanced locations are no different from howThe Sims 4handles it, so it doesn’t feel out of place. The loading times are also mercifully short, which is surprising considering the hardware it’s running on. It’s not likeThe Sims 3on DS is the best-looking game of all time, but the visuals are crisp and detailed enough to see exactly what’s happening. Frankly,for those who want aSimsexperience on a handheld device,The Sims 3on DS is perfect.
There Are So Many Great Standalone Sims Games On DS
Sims Pets & More
Of course, there were plenty of otherSimsgames on the Nintendo DS. Unlike on PC or more modern consoles, the Nintendo DS couldn’t get DLC. So, a lot ofTheSimsexpansions that would typically be sold as an addition toThe Simsmainline games were sold as their own standalone experience.Sims 2 Pets, for example, on the Nintendo DS saw players running their own vets. It puts them in charge of monitoring their patient’s pets, ordering the right supplies and food, and then, of course, taking care of their Sim.
I Started Playing The Sims 3 In 2024 - It’s Ruined The Sims 4 For Me
The Sims 4 has been criticized for its shallow gameplay, but I didn’t realise how much it really impacts the player experience until I played Sims 3.
There were sixSimsgames for the Nintendo DS. While not all of them were as good asThe Sims 3, they each had their strong suits. These were the sixSimsgames on DS:
Most notably,on the DS, onlyThe Sims 3was a faithful port of its PC counterpart.The Sims 2, for example, followed the player getting stuck in Strangetown and having to run its hotel. Naturally, this featured some ofThe Sims’integral elements but was otherwise a story-driven standalone campaign. It’s not quite what fans ofThe Simsmainline games may be used to, but they’re a lot of fun to play. In fact, they’ve grown quite a following, with fans of these DS games and the GBA ones believing that thesespin-offs deserve a sequel.
Players Should Avoid The Sims 3 On 3DS
It’s An Inferior Version Despite The Nice Graphics
Unfortunately, while the majority of the Nintendo DS Sims games are actually quite good, with the earlier titles offering weird and wonderful story-driven experiences or entirely different simulation gameplay andThe Sims 3offering a fairly faithful recreation of the PC game,the Nintendo 3DS version ofThe Sims 3is not nearly as good. In fact, when it launched,The Sims 3on 3DS was heavilycriticized by reviewers, with several calling it a lazy tie-in game that only existed to capitalize on the launch of the 3DS.
Its most notable flaws were the myriad of bugs, unfinished gameplay, and lack of towns and lots.The Sims 3on 3DS did not compare to the far more expansive and unique experience on the original DSoutside its substantially better visuals. It’s pretty difficult to get a Sim to look even remotely good on the DS version of the game, and while the furniture is passable, a lot of the environments feel fairly blocky. The 3DS version fixed a lot of these visual hiccups but failed in almost every other category.
The Sims 4 Life & Death Expansion Pack Review: So Good It’s Scary
The Sims 4 Life & Death is one of the most impressive DLC releases in years, with a gorgeous world, great active career, a new occult, and much more.
Luckily, its follow-up,The Sims 3 Pets, proved to be a much better experience on the 3DS and addressed a lot of the criticisms of the original game. While certainly not one of thebest 3DS games,The Sims 3 Petsis still a pretty enjoyable Sims experience on a handheld device. For those who are particularly bothered by visuals, thenThe Sims 3 Petson 3DS is by far the superior handheldSimsexperience. However, for those who aren’t as bothered, there’s a truly unique quality aboutThe Sims 3on the original DS that simply cannot be beaten.
