The producer of the GBA & DS Urbz games elaborates on the DS version’s gameplay, controls, characters and connectivity.
Q: Could you share a little about yourself and your position on The URBZ: Sims in the City for the Nintendo DS?
A: Hello, My name is Virginia McArthur, Producer, for The URBZ GBA and Nintendo DS . I have been a producer on the console team for the last two years. Previously, I was one of the producers for The Sims Online and the producer for The Sims Vacation expansion pack.
As producer for the handheld Urbz titles, I focus on design and making sure we have a top tier title. Last year I merged the handheld and console teams by working directly with the GameCube team to help coordinate the GBA to GAMECUBE connectivity. This year I am solely focusing on our GBA to GBA efforts and learning new hardware, The Nintendo DS.
Q: How are the menus and controls navigated in the DS? Is it primarily through the touch screen or standard buttons?
A: The Player’s second screen becomes their XAM –the PDA for the URBZ. They will be able to use either their finger or stylus to navigate menus, talk to other Urbz, track goals, get messages about key events, play mini-games, view the real-time map, and customize paintings for their Urb’s home. Players will also use the touch-screen to Create –an- Urb and navigate the Social Screens. They will use the D pad to navigate in the world and use A and B to interact with objects in the world. These buttons affect the top screen leaving the touch pad for all things XAM ,MINIGAME, CAU and SOCIAL.
Q: What mini-games are included in the DS?
A: Players will find all of the mini-games that are found on The URBZ GBA plus unique DS only mini-games. We will be moving most of the GBA mini-games to the touchscreen giving players a whole new feel for how to play those games. On the Nintendo DS, we have introduced a new location, Splicer Island, with mini-games that will help unlock and save this hidden part of Miniopolis. There are four mini-games alone that will address pet creation and challenging this pet against other NPC pets on the Island. Players will also have a lottery scratch ticket game, a Sushi mini-game, and the “G-Disc” mini-game.
Q: What do you think will set The URBZ apart from the rest of the DS games?
A: The Urbz is set up for customization and use of the second screen to track other important information needed while players explore Miniopolis. Players need and want to keep a nice place to live. Players will be able to create their own paintings and then trade them with other players. The touchscreen makes for unique and challenging mini-games not possible without the second screen. Players will get a real-time map letting them know where they are in the world, making finding vehicles and goal locations much faster and easier. It is not just one key feature that sets The Urbz apart, it is all of the features that makes The Urbz on the DS a natural fit and a really fun game.
Q: The urban setting lends itself well to humorous characters and situations. How far do you push the concept without being too stereotypical?
A: We use the new location, Miniopolis, to help define our characters for us without the need to stereotype. Each location has a storyline with unique and diverse characters to help unfold the missions. We have created archetypes for each of these characters which we are slowly releasing on our website: www.URBZSIMS.com. While you are there, check out the new tagging features that let you send graffiti to your friends via email!
Q: Will the DS version communicate with its GBA or GameCube counterparts?
A: We are focusing on DS to DS via wireless communication for multiplayer mini-games, auctions, and trading.
