Fun but a hard expansion (The Sims - Superstar (PC))

Member Name: forsaken

Product:	The Sims - Superstar (PC)
Date:	03/12/03 (510 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Become a celebrity, Hire a butler

Disadvantages: Very hard, Social interact becomes harder

First of all you need "The Sims" as this is only an expansion pack to add to the game. Secondly I wouldn't recomend you buy it unless you have another expansion pack that helps you with social interactions or your Sim will be wanting to comit suicide sharpish.

Instalation was really easy, just like any other pack, just make sure you don't loose the box, as the serial numbers are hard to come by. This Sims can take a while to load, but its all good because its not as tempermental as some of the other expansion packs which won't load or whatever.


System requirements as usual but here they are again for anyon that wants to know:


300 Mhz Pentium II
128 MB of RAM
8X CD-ROM
500 BM HD free space
Windows ME
Windows 2000
Windows XP
Stereo Sound

An additional purchase I would suggest if you are fairly new to the whole sims thing would be a manual which will hopefully help you along the way.

Basically the idea of the game is to make your Sim into a celebrity, using the Hollywood Lot system which is set up in the same way as HotDate, Vacation and Unleashed, so you exit your neighbourhood in order to become a Superstar.

You have the chance to sign up with an agent by using the magazine which will be delivered at the same time as your newspaper, but I warn you its worth working on your cooking, mechanical, logic, creativity, charisma and body first or you will be stuck forever at print adds. I usually get all the skills before signing up with an agent.

Hollywood Town has three things you can do, model, sing and act and you have to work your way up from being a nobody to being a megastar. You can use the karoke and acting stages in order to get your feet on the rung of sucess. After that its hard, getting celebrity influence is really tough, as the minor celebritys haven't got enough influence and the superstars won't talk to you. Its woreth hangi
ng around the spas though as there is alot of interaction there.

Use the press (paperazi) to get yourself noticed, arrange publicity stunts and pose for photos with celebrity friends. Its really not rocket science. You also get lots of new items, including a skuba tank, home spas, oxygen therapy and some new furniture. You also have the chance to hire a butler, which I love, he will dismiss obbsessive fans, cook your food, look after your pets and children (and also cries if you fire him), but he is expensive, but cleaning up after you is worth the 500 simoleans a day. You can also hire a massure, which is a lovely treat for being at home (but you have to remember to buy the massage table).

However, the problem with this is that you will never be able to use hotdate (or the other packs) in the same way as with "normal" Sims your social interaction is limited. The reason that the social interact changes is because as a celebritiy you aren't able to talk to other Sims (like in hot date) in the same way. Your Sim develops a tendancy to ask other Sims whether they want a signed photo or a hug, which makes it a little annoying. I would say buy it, but have it installed some of the time and take it off if your get bored. I would also add that if you aren't really a Sims fanatic you won't have as many expansion packs as I do, and I was eagerly awaiting this, and I have to say that I was slightly disappointed.

I think its the only way that most of us will ever meet Marylin Munroe, Avril Lavinge or
Christina Aguilera though, as they feature as celebs who make cameo appearances as people you can ask for autographs.


*Update* My Sims Superstar has crashed as a result of downloading two things from the Sims offical website, I downloaded a make your own celeb tool, and a McDonalds cart. It works better now, but only after I deleted them. Also something I forgot before is that it also has a tendancy to stop runn
ing (or is that only me).

Summary: