The Sims Bustin’ Out has good reviews, but I’ll have you know that the Gamecube version is difficult. Really difficult. Hear me out: the graphics and socializing goals all make the game harder than it should be (unless I’m just bad at video games).
Since the The Sims Bustin’ Out was made during the Gamecube, PS2 and Xbox generation the graphics are bound to be a bit under expectation these days. Even with this in consideration, though, it may still be a problem when you can’t tell the difference between a pinball machine and a toilet. I played the Gamecube version for the home console port, but have also played the GBA version. The graphics on that are much better. I recommend getting the Gameboy Advance version if you already have bad vision, because the graphics in the Gamecube version are so unfocused that you can’t even tell what certain facial features are.
Socializing is the worst. In real life, of course, but also in The Sims: Bustin’ Out. Complimenting someone can seem too nice to other sims, making them jealous. You have to please everyone. Then there are socialization options such as Spank Booty or Admire Body, but getting to use these options requires a friendship level – about 50 or more points – with a sim. Even entertaining a sim can offend them and cause your points to go down, entering the negatives. Social activity is complicated and even when you think you’re doing right you might get punished.
The main goal of the game is to be promoted and to do this you have to keep gaining friends and building skills. It’s hard to make even one friend because you also have to be in the mood to talk to them. In the GBA version socializing is simpler because you can appeal to the character you’re talking with. For example, there are specific categories to talk about like food, creativity, and careers.
The social goals are hard. Once you get higher up on the career ladder, you must have up to four or more friends. One of the goals might be to throw an amazing art party – there are about 500,000 articles that show up on Google pertaining to this goal. A lot of the goals are accomplished by chance and take days.
In one of the houses you live in, you have to control three people who don’t even own a shower. Money is hard to make when you accidentally sell $17,000 worth of someone else’s furniture and now owe them money. The goals are also hard because you have to switch between careers. I learned this the hard way by trying to get a different sim from mine promoted, and discovered that goals only get completed when your sim accomplishes them, no matter the career.
The GBA version has much easier goals because they require completing mini-games rather than climbing a career ladder. You can easily accomplish a set of goals by just performing well on a mini-game once.
The Sims Bustin’ Out for Gamecube is hard. Each version has different goals and people, so playing both should be fun, but the Gamecube version is too difficult. You can “woohoo” in the GameCube version only, though – that could render my entire argument null.
In short: if you plan on revisiting The Sims: Bustin’ Out, purchase the GBA version. You’ll thank me later.
