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| Sim City 3000 (1999; Maxis / EA Games) |
In in the mid 80's, game designer Will Wright came up with an idea that was so crazy it was brilliant: a video game you cannot win or lose, a game that was an ongoing subsistence; a game that was a living environment. Micropolis never saw the light of day, but in 1989, a miniscule game publisher named Maxis picked up the game and it was released under the title Sim City. Since then, the "Sim" franchise is a cash cow, more than two decades old, with more than thirty games and releases. Sim City alone saw ports on the Super Nintendo, PC, Mac, Amiga, Commodore 64, multiple Atari consoles, multiple cellular phone platforms and more! It is one of the most ported games of all time.
The "Sim Phenomenon" revolves around the idea that you, the gamer, should be able to play the game the way YOU want to, not the way the developer wants you to. Other revolutionary designers of the time, like Richard Garriot and Sid Meyer, believed that the video game was meant to be a more personal experience, one that varied from player to player. Some players may not want to follow the rules, and that is what led to the idea of what is now known as the God Game.
Sim City, in particular, was a big part of my childhood. I played the computer version at school (not having a PC of my own at the time) and played the Super Nintendo version religiously, a friend of mine and I spent hours upon hours building our cities and then watching them thrive. Then, we would occasionally unleash death and destruction on the populace.
As Sim City's popularity expanded, its sequels grew in complexity and added new features over time expanding the experience and the need for player skill but one constant remained: Amazing music. Composer Jerry Martin picked up the reins for Sim City 2000 and worked with Maxis on many of the Sim games. A versatile composer, Martin worked on a number of titles and as a free agent in advertisement for various major companies.
The soundtrack to Sim City 3000 is heavily influenced by jazz but has elements of many sounds blended into it. It is a soundtrack that ranges from warm and organic, to cold and synthetic, and every song works. I have chosen six songs that are my favorites from the soundtrack. So, let us have a listen to selections from the soundtrack of Sim City 3000.
The Soundtrack -
This smooth jazz tune has many of the trademarks of the Sim City soundtrack. Slick beats, imaginative and inspired rhythmic experiments and a good hook. The soft sax solo fades into trumpet, the drums fill the background. This is a fun, lively tune.
This tune starts with an almost mournful solo followed by a bright, flighty tune that is yet another experiment in rhythm. The syncopated violins and overall composition moves with a great deal of joy.
This is not only my favorite song on this soundtrack, it ranks high among my favorite video game themes of all time. It is so good, so well-composed that I actually chose to feature this soundtrack based on the merits of this single song. I love the piano, the sax and the breakdown at the end of the chorus. This is an amazing piece of music by any standard and it should be recognized as such.
This is an interesting one. It is very simple, very understated for about half the song, it slowly ads more and more layers but it never gets too busy, it is just a soft, relaxing bit. Near the end a constant twinkle is featured throughout the song with crashing cymbals and the occasional swell, but the mellowness remains.
This is another soft piece that mixes a wailing emotional violin with the soft twinkle of a marimba. As the song progresses, synth and piano sounds fill the song. It becomes a powerful piece. As soft as it is, it is still strong, the layers creating a nice atmospheric sound.
This is yet another nice little jazz piece. The piano and soft drums make for good slick accompaniment to the lead sax. This just feels like city music. A bright piece, it has that Sim City sound to it. I like it!
And, that's Sim City 3000, or, at least, part of it. I suggest checking out the rest of the soundtrack that is not featured here. It is quite good. Next time I'm covering music from a Nintendo title that also happens to be my favorite video game of all time. Period.
All above music, Sim City 3000 and all elements therein are property of Maxis and EA. The video files were found on YouTube and I do not own the videos or their contents.
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