Appealing to the nostalgic side of gamers, Electronic Arts presents MySims: Cozy Bundle for Nintendo Switch. It includes the first two games in the Sims series, MySims and MySims: Kingdom. Here are my impressions.
MySims: Cozy Bundle details
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch OLED
Developer: Maxis
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: Life simulation
Mode: Single-player
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Return of the first two titles in the MySims series
Originally released on Nintendo Wii and DS in 2007 and 2008, MySims and MySims: Kingdom are being re-released on Nintendo Switch. This improved version enhances the original graphics, corrects a few misfires and adds a welcome autosave function.
In MySims, players live in a town that is falling into disrepair. Mayor Rosalyn calls on your talents as carpenter. Your task is to satisfy the villagers’ demands, and entice them back to live in the town. Once you’ve found them a plot of land, you build them a house using the materials on offer, and then construct furniture to suit their tastes.
In MySims: Kingdom, it’s the whole kingdom that needs help to rebuild. The founding members of the Wandoliers have left for new horizons. King Roland calls on the population to choose a new member, and a great contest is organized. This second title takes up the basic mechanics of the first game, but expands its options by offering a more accomplished and diversified adventure.
Quests galore
In the first title, players build furniture piece by piece. Customers are specific in their requests, but that’s the heart of the game. As the days go by, you collect the essence of the desired materials so that each object pleases its recipient. They’ll want apples, sunflowers, pumpkins, crayons, terracotta or clown fish. These harvests give a tint to the objects to give them a unique look. You can even use the essence to place a ghost next to the requested chair, for example. For fruit and flowers, you can replant trees in the village. However, species found in caves and in the ground cannot be found elsewhere. Once I’d explored all the areas, I’d have liked to have a note in my notepad about where to find them.
The idea behind MySims is a good one. After having total freedom of action in The Sims, having a book of tasks to accomplish in MySims offers a more orderly game mechanic. All while allowing creative freedom in the design of our customers’ objects. The happier your customers are, the stronger your reputation becomes. At each stage, a new area becomes accessible. The way in which quests are completed is similar in both games. However, this is where I ended up finding a few shortcomings in MySims that the second game corrected. The identification of quests, the number of items to be used for each job and the materials to be collected are better indicated in MySims: Kingdom.
Restoring an entire kingdom in MySims: Kingdom
In MySims: Kingdom, you build a building, decorate your courtyard and fill it with furniture all at the same time. Once you’ve collected the plans, it’s easy to manipulate with your magic wand. It’s a bit simpler to place everything to your taste, but also, the furniture and objects are predefined. So players can be as creative in arranging them as a professional decorator would be, rather than a carpenter.
Traveling from island to island, the quests follow a linear overall story. But each location offers its own unique setting and characters to meet. You’ve got a kingdom to make shine! This second opus also adds animal interaction, making the whole experience even cuter.
I had a bit of trouble with the wand manipulation to assemble all the building blocks in the right places. Sometimes, I had to go back for a piece that didn’t want to line up properly. However, the result of our efforts is more beautiful. Overall, I found this game more accomplished than the first.
MySims: Cozy Bundle is a comforting package
For fans of simulation games, this remastered collection for Nintendo Switch is well worth a look. The Sims democratized style. Getting back to basics is an experience that will appeal to many. For my part, although I liked MySims less for its repetitiveness, MySims: Kingdom kept me entertained. This set is ideal for those who want to spend a relaxing moment without overthinking too much.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Several hours of play ahead of players to get everything done | Lack of variety in things to do |
| Two games included in the collection | I would have liked to see the essences area added to the character’s notebook in the first title. |
| Being able to use the Nintendo Switch touchscreen | Dated gameplay mechanics |
| Good remastering work | I found MySims less fun in the long run than MySims: Kingdom |
Overall assessment of MySims: Cozy Bundle
Gameplay: 2.5/5
Graphics: 3.5/5
Sound: 3/5
Lasting appeal/Replayability: 4/5
Overall rating: 3.25/5 (68%)
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