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Post by mrmolecule on Mar 28, 2005 18:28:29 GMT -5
This game as we know, is coming out by Vivarium/Nintendo in April. What many people don't know about is this game is a part of a series where you build a tower (it's better than you think. Trust me.). The original The Tower (PC, 1994) was published by Maxis (the makers of The Sims and SimCity, now owned by EA) as SimTower. The Tower II was published by Sega PC under Yoot Tower (Mac, 1998) which lived a short life, primarily, to the horrendous graphics at the time. The Tower SP looks (by 1 screenshot, I haven't seen the movie yet) like Yoot Tower. It could be like The Tower: Bonus Edition (for PlayStation). I really wish this strange game could be ported to English! Have you played SimTower? Would you like The Tower SP?
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Post by Andronicus on Mar 28, 2005 20:34:04 GMT -5
This game looks exactly like Sim Tower for the PC...
I had it (still do somewhere...), and loved playing it. Basically you have to build up a giant tower with an efficient elevator system, ready access to facilities and retail outlets, offices that generate rent income for you, hotel rooms for more income (but cost money when you provide cleaning services), apartments to build up your tower population, etc.
You get a star rating depending on the state of your tower - you eventually can build cinemas (but not next to aprtments, as they are too noisy), restauarnts, clubs, underground parking, a subway station, bigger hotel rooms, etc.
Fires break out, baddies plant bombs, tennants complain and move out, infestations sprout, and VIPs come to visit.
The game is great fun, and is kind of like Sim City in a single building.
I think it would be pretty cool on the GBA if it stuck to the original formula...
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Post by Fryguy64 on Mar 29, 2005 3:09:27 GMT -5
Seems to be part of an ongoing Vivarium thing. I hope we're all looking forward to Vivarium's OTHER crazy Nintendo project: Odama. It seems the company's vision is to make innovative titles, and Nintendo seems to like them being on board.
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Post by Andronicus on Mar 29, 2005 6:27:00 GMT -5
Vivarium?
Is that the developer?
Sim Tower for PC was part of the Sim series developed by Maxis (Sim City, Sim Ant, Sim Tower, Sim Golf, The Sims, Sim Butt, etc.)
Wouldn't they be behind a port of their own game?
I don't know, so I'm asking...
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Post by Fryguy64 on Mar 29, 2005 8:48:33 GMT -5
Considering the close relationship between Will Wright and Nintendo lately I wouldn't be surprised if the rights were passed on through that channel. In fact, Will Wright seems to have signed up to the new Nintendo philosophy of "bigger, crazier, newer" more than any other developer.
So I expect the series was passed on through those channels.
And Vivarium, who confused everybody with their voice-recognition Seaman series, also seems to be signed up to the same philosophy.
Perhaps it was just a meeting of minds that bred this Game Boy love-in.
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Post by Blueberry_pie on Mar 29, 2005 9:10:32 GMT -5
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Post by Doubutsu80 on Mar 29, 2005 16:08:37 GMT -5
Let us hope that the Tower SP gets released in the West
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Post by mrmolecule on Mar 29, 2005 19:01:28 GMT -5
SimTower was the original The Tower with a Maxis name. I simply love Yoot Tower and there's a Japanese add-on to it where you remodel the Statue of Liberty. And if you want to go to the original Yoot Tower website.... www.archive.org/type " www.yoottower.com/" and click "Take Me Back". I'd like to see the entire old-school Maxis library on the GBA. SimCity 2000, now this! Kewl!
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Post by Blueberry_pie on Mar 30, 2005 13:27:30 GMT -5
I'd like to see the entire old-school Maxis library on the GBA. SimCity 2000, now this! Kewl! Wait, SimCity 2000 had a GBA port? * looks it up on GameSpot... * Hey, you're right! I never knew that
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Post by mrmolecule on Mar 31, 2005 18:50:59 GMT -5
Sadly, to get decent sales in the West, NCL could fork over the rights in US/PAL to slap a "SimTower" label on it. It would NOT have the Maxis logo, but should have Vivarium on it. Either something that degrading or forget it.
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Post by Fryguy64 on Apr 1, 2005 5:51:10 GMT -5
You say they'd have to fork over the rights, but who holds those rights? Electronic Arts. Who has Nintendo been sucking up to with their own franchise materials? Electronic Arts. Oh, and Will Wright of course. It sounds like the similar Nintendo-BPS-Tetris Company relationship.
Nintendo is quite possibly in the market for some more Sim action.
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Post by Fryguy64 on Apr 1, 2005 13:35:41 GMT -5
The official Japanese website for The Tower SP has opened, and the website says that the game is (C) 1993-2005 Vivarium... did they make the original game? Ooooh. www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/btrj/index.html
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Post by Doubutsu80 on Apr 1, 2005 17:07:12 GMT -5
I don't know, I personally think that they might have made a game before Tower SP, and we didn't hear about it. Probably only in Japan
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Post by mrmolecule on Apr 1, 2005 19:29:05 GMT -5
Apparently Yoot Saito made the original The Tower (under no real company) then in The Tower II (Yoot Tower) it was Open Book 9003 which was bought out by somebody, then Saito started Vivarium (with Seaman for the DC) which was acquired by Nintendo. Trouble is...everybody in the West knows The Tower as SimTower, and confusion will arrive if Nintendo markets it itself. Now if Nintendo bought Maxis (who ported SimTower, before being acquired by EA) that could be cool, but Maxis has buried it so deep into EA (EA RUNS off Maxis!) they would ask for a very high price, if selling it at all. What a shame I don't know Japanese...on the website....now if you'll 'scuse me I'd like to get my paws on that Japanese add-on to Yoot Tower!
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Post by Andronicus on Apr 1, 2005 20:13:12 GMT -5
Serious? Maxis ported it?
I can remember Yoot Saito's name appearing somewhere on the boot-up screen...
Well, the screenshots on the website are almost identical to the old PC version, so I'm guessing it's the same game - it should be good then.
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