SimCity™ 3000 Unlimited

About

"SimCity™ 3000 Unlimited" expands on the original game with new building sets from Asia and Europe, over 95 world landmarks, and four additional disasters. Create and control your urban empire with 13 challenging scenarios, or build your own using the SimCity Scenario Creator. Customize your city with the Building Architect Plus tool and hundreds of buildings from SimCity 3000 and new European and Asian styles. Protect your citizens from nine disasters and reunify East and West Berlin in this ultimate SimCity experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 580 reviews

music50 positive mentions

monetization2 negative mentions

SimCity 3000 is a nostalgic classic that offers a charming pixelated aesthetic and an excellent jazz soundtrack, making it a joy to play even after many years.
The game provides a satisfying city-building experience with a good balance of complexity, allowing players to manage budgets, resources, and urban planning effectively.
Despite its age, the game runs well on modern systems and offers a relaxing yet challenging gameplay experience, making it a great value for its low price.

The port suffers from several issues, including unresponsive controls, fast scrolling speeds, and a lack of modern resolution support, which can make the game frustrating to play.
Some original soundtrack tracks are missing, and the game feels like a lazy release with minimal updates or improvements for modern hardware.
Players have reported bugs and crashes, particularly on Steam Deck and Linux, making it difficult to recommend without significant patches or mods.

music
90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
41%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many praising its nostalgic jazz and electronica blend that enhances the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. While some users noted the absence of certain original tracks, the soundtrack is still considered one of the best in the series, providing a relaxing and enjoyable backdrop even during chaotic moments. Overall, the composition and sound design contribute significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
- “The music is absolutely wonderful and provides a great atmosphere.”
- “The sprite-based art style and music - combining jazz with 90's electronica - elevate this game beyond the competition.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing and one of the best game OSTs out there.”
- “I'll be listening to the soundtrack or a YouTube video for a second, only to get earraped by static noise.”
- “One of the most disappointing things from my viewpoint was that I was expecting the original soundtrack to be available.”
- “Several songs are missing compared to the original SimCity 3000, including the iconic main theme 'Broadway.'”
graphics
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
50%
8%
The graphics of the game are described as charmingly pixelated and colorful, evoking nostalgia for simpler times while still holding up well despite their age. Many reviewers appreciate the detailed sprite-based art style and the overall aesthetic, though some criticize the dated visuals and clunky controls. Overall, while not on par with modern standards, the graphics are considered a significant part of the game's charm and appeal.
- “The graphics are charmingly pixelated, reminiscent of simpler times when we didn’t have to worry about hyper-realistic buildings or complex traffic simulations.”
- “The art style is still amazing, and the game is just pleasing to look at... it's hard to believe this came out in 1999 and still looks as good as it does.”
- “Amazing pastel-like visuals that stood the test of time, fantastic soundtrack, and just a chill game to kill some time.”
- “The controls are a bit clunky by today’s standards—zooming in and out requires buttons instead of the mouse wheel, and the graphics are pretty pixelated if you zoom in too much.”
- “Graphics are total crap and I only played it for 20 minutes and was very disappointed.”
- “Interface is horrific, controls are a nightmare, and graphics are stuck in 1992.”
gameplay
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
55%
8%
The gameplay of SimCity 3000 Unlimited is characterized by its depth and complexity, offering a nostalgic experience reminiscent of early 2000s simulation games. While the old-school mechanics and clunky UI can pose challenges, players appreciate the detailed systems and engaging city-building elements, which provide a rewarding learning curve. The game is praised for its well-balanced mechanics, enjoyable soundtrack, and the absence of modern predatory practices, making it a beloved choice among simulation fans.
- “Gameplay is understandable and extremely detailed.”
- “A relaxing classic, featuring timeless music and outstanding gameplay depth.”
- “The game's mechanics are well-balanced, providing just the right amount of challenge without being overwhelming.”
- “Although the mechanics are old and the UI is clunky, it has great depth and it is fun to develop your city.”
- “Its gameplay is still stuck in the 2000s.”
- “Lots of mechanics to learn that the game won't tell you about, so be warned the learning curve is a tad steep but very manageable if you stick with it.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with many users reporting frequent crashes, freezing, and issues with saving progress, particularly on modern systems. However, some players have noted that it runs smoothly on Windows 10, especially with specific modifications. Overall, while there are promising aspects, the stability issues detract from the overall experience.
- “Runs great on Windows 10 with the widescreen mod.”
- “It runs great on my laptop.”
- “Runs great on Windows.”
- “Unforgivably buggy - crashes and doesn't save.”
- “For me, it freezes and locks the screen so that I have to reboot.”
- “It is not smooth on modern systems; the architect tool freezes the game. I could go on and on, but this is not to pan the game, but to highlight some of the issues that, if fixed, will make this game great again.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The story aspect is characterized by a blank canvas metaphor, emphasizing the player's freedom to shape their narrative and environment, akin to a love story unfolding through choices and creativity. This open-ended approach invites players to explore their own interpretations and experiences within the game.
- “You start with a blank canvas—an empty plot of land just waiting for your genius (or chaos) to unfold.”
- “Bookstore gets new copies of simulations: a love story.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the wonderful and well-composed soundtrack that significantly enhances the overall gameplay experience. The music contributes greatly to creating an immersive and enjoyable environment.
- “The music is absolutely wonderful and provides a great atmosphere.”
- “Additionally, the soundtrack is wonderfully composed, enhancing the overall atmosphere and making the gameplay experience even more enjoyable.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers appreciate SimCity 3000 Unlimited for its lack of microtransactions and mobile-like mechanics, contrasting it favorably with modern city builders that often rely on such monetization strategies. This classic strategy game is recommended for those looking to enjoy a pure gaming experience without the distractions of contemporary monetization practices.
- “SimCity 3000 Unlimited feels like a breath of fresh air compared to modern city builders that get bogged down with microtransactions and mobile-like mechanics.”
- “If you're into classic strategy games and want to avoid the nonsense of modern microtransactions, SimCity 3000 Unlimited is definitely worth picking up.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The optimization of SimCity 3000 Unlimited has been criticized for not showing significant improvements over its original release, leading to performance issues that some players attribute to the game's coding rather than their hardware. While the game offers a more realistic simulation experience, it may feel overwhelming for newcomers, suggesting that the balance between complexity and accessibility has not been effectively addressed.
- “For what it's worth, given that this is an improved version over the original, I'd wager that SimCity 3000 Unlimited is a game that rivals my starting point into the series, the SimCity 2000 port for the PlayStation 1. Since its previous entry is loved by some fans of the series for striking a better balance of simplicity versus complex mechanics, this game focuses more heavily on the realistic simulation of a highly-developed city, which may be overwhelming for newbies to the genre.”
- “I'd understand if this was still 1999, when the original game released, but seeing that the performance has somehow not improved after 25 years makes me think this must be an issue with the game's code, not my computer hardware.”
- “The performance is lacking and doesn't control as great on a console controller, which makes it hard to recommend for those wanting to experience the second game for themselves.”
- “This game focuses more heavily on the realistic simulation of a highly-developed city at the expense of being too overwhelming for newbies to the genre.”

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SimCity™ 3000 Unlimited
$4.99
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8h Median play time

8h Average play time

7-8h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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