The Sims Superstar
That is what you are.
By Libe Goad

PLATFORM: PC

PUBLISHER: EA Games

DEVELOPER: Maxis

GENRE: Simulation

ESRB: Teen

You've got big dreams? You want fame? Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying. With simulated sweat.

In the latest expansion to the obscenely popular Sims, your little people have the chance to give up the daily grind and make a play for celebrity. What, at first, seemed like a cheap play to make a buck off the rea American Idol reality TV show has turned out to be the best addition to the Sims universe to date. Instead of simply adding items and throwing in a few new tidbits of gameplay, Superstar changes the actual gameplay—taking your Sim out of the confines of her home and into the working world.

And work it she shall. After your Sim acquires an agent (through your newly acquired daily tabloid), she sets off to Studio Town to make a name for herself. Skills are easy enough to acquire – like the real tinseltown, you can’t throw a penny without hitting someone with talent. Your main mission, however, is to win the respect of famous Sims, the “Somebody”s who make the daily tabloids and cringe when you greet them with a wave. That alone, is the true challenge in Superstar. The more famous your friends, the easier it will be for you to increase your StarPower rating. Once you acquire five stars—you’ve hit the big time, baby!

As you acquire StarPower, new fashion, music and acting opportunities will become available. At the beginning, you’ll be able to earn star points easily by singing karaoke or by modeling for print ads, but as the star rating increases, so does the difficulty of various tasks—a nice change of pace from the usual sandbox activities. Granted, the mini-games don’t require the mentality of a brain surgeon, but it does take a little logic to succeed. Every time you succeed, you earn cash and fame. And if you fail, you’ll experience the joys of “fame decay.”

If there’s one thing this game teaches you, Studio Town types have to work hard to achieve “it” status. Even though they make oodles of cash, if they step out of the limelight for one day, fame decay rears its hideous head. Though it’s marginally annoying to have to take your sum from home to Studio Town on a daily basis, that’s the price you gotta pay.

Aside from the addition of new skins, objects—love the new skydiving simulator—and original Simlish songs, your Sims will be able to take full advantage of the Hollywood lifestyle. Aside from working on fame, you can schmooze with the best of them in various spa locations—complete with mud baths and oxygen bars—sushi bars, smoothie stands, clothes boutiques and dive bars. After you’ve greeted big celebs, the spa makes for the best place to win friends and influence people by dropping various names.

Once you’ve made your first fortune, you’ll also be able to hire a butler to take care of your every household need—including the pesky tasks of cooking meals and calling the maid/gardener/repair guy. Keep an eye on the butler, though. He hits the sauce when you aren't looking.

Stardom's amenities are equally paired with the downfalls. Adoring fans require your attention, but they’re practically a blessing once you meet… the Obsessed Fan. This googly eyed menace will hound you at every chance. You’ll have the chance to shoo him away or berate him, but that doesn’t mean he’ll stop taking pictures at your house. Like the mime from House Party, the Obsessed Fan is an amusing and irritating diversion—just as they are in real life.

Other than the new items, the game looks the same, graphically. And, the same bugs that have been around since the original still reign supreme. In fact, this particular expansion pack seems to contribute a few problems of its own. Superstar seems to be the buggiest expansion pack to date. Sims seem to get more easily confused, most likely due to more on-screen activity in Studio Town, and for the first time, one of my Sims froze in place as the rest of the world moved around her. I had to evict my Sim, Hattie McFamous, from her house and then move her back in – only to find that I had to replace all of the contents her super-Cali-style pad.

The new gameplay, however, is such a fresh breath of sim air that you probably won't pay any mind to the varous technical hazards. In terms of Sims add-ons, Superstar provides an easy road to fame-dom. It's a small price to pay to live large.

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