Difference between revisions of "SimAnt: The Electronic Ant Colony"

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[[Image:SimAnt - Game.png|thumb]]
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[[Image:SimAnt - DOS - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|Original box art.]]
  
'''''SimAnt''''' is a simulation game by [[Maxis]] where you play as ants in a colony trying to expand the size of your colony over a yard and house. The game also comes with an experiment mode and a thick manual with encyclopedic information about ants. Like a lot of the early Sim games, it's more of a toy than a game.
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'''''SimAnt''''' is a ant simulation game by developed and published by [[Maxis]] and released on [[DOS]] in 1991, and later ported to various other platforms. You play as ants in a colony trying to expand the size of your colony over a yard and house. The game also comes with an experimental mode and a thick manual with encyclopedic information about ants. Like a lot of the early Sim games, it's more of a toy than a game.
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I bought SimAnt, not just because I really liked Sim games, but also because I thinks ants are really interesting. I found out they're even more interesting from this game, and the manual.
  
 
==Status==
 
==Status==
I own this game for DOS and have beaten the game's campaign mode.
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I own this game for DOS and have beaten both the game's quick and full game modes.
  
 
==Review==
 
==Review==
* '''Overall:''' 4/10
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* '''Overall:''' 6/10
 
* '''Best Version:''' DOS
 
* '''Best Version:''' DOS
  
 
===Good===
 
===Good===
 
* The game nicely embodies the Sim mentality allowing for lots of experimentation. You can dig your own ant tunnels, lay your own chemical trails, pit ants against each other, etc.
 
* The game nicely embodies the Sim mentality allowing for lots of experimentation. You can dig your own ant tunnels, lay your own chemical trails, pit ants against each other, etc.
* It was nice that the designers actually included a campaign-style game where you can actually beat it. And the plot, trying to infest an entire yard, is very thematic.
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* It was nice that the designers actually included a campaign-style game where you can actually beat it. And the plot, trying to infest an entire yard and house, is very thematic.
 
* The game has a lot of details that teach you about ants like the ability to modify the birthing caste, sharing food, chemical trails, etc.
 
* The game has a lot of details that teach you about ants like the ability to modify the birthing caste, sharing food, chemical trails, etc.
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* The addition of the house setting, with new graphics and hazards, was icing on the cake.
 
* The various hazards, rain, lawn mower, spider, ant lion, kitchen, etc. make the game very life-like.
 
* The various hazards, rain, lawn mower, spider, ant lion, kitchen, etc. make the game very life-like.
* The graphics are actually quite nice for a PC game of the day, the designers wisely chose to modify the EGA palette.
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* The graphics are actually quite nice for a PC game of the day, the designers wisely chose to modify the EGA palette, a rare occurrence in this time.
* The manual is amazing.
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* The in-game tutorial if very helpful.
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* The manual is amazing features not just details about the game, but a miniature encyclopedia of ants.
 
* The addition of dialogue boxes is a hilarious addition to the game.
 
* The addition of dialogue boxes is a hilarious addition to the game.
* The game has a pretty impressive windowed interface for 1991.
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* The game has a pretty impressive windowed interface for a 1991 DOS game.
  
 
===Bad===
 
===Bad===
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===Ugly===
 
===Ugly===
 
* Nothing.
 
* Nothing.
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==Box Art==
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There were two main art styles for SimAnt, the original and the re-released Classics version. While I like both, I prefer the original, which is the one I own.
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<gallery>
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SimAnt - DOS - USA.jpg|The original box art shows a CGI black ant encountering a red ant. The background of the house and the owner mowing is one of the hazards in the game. Pretty good box art, and it gives you an idea of the game's theme. This was used on DOS, Amiga, and Windows.
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SimAnt - Mac - USA.jpg|The Classics art was used on the re-release of the game, and on later ports. It features a far more cartoony, almost clipart, style. It also more-accurately shows the side-view underground display with green globs of food and the spider and ant-lion.
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</gallery>
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==Gallery==
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<gallery>
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SimAnt - DOS - Manual (Revision).pdf|Game manual (revision).
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</gallery>
  
 
==Gallery==
 
==Gallery==

Revision as of 18:38, 13 September 2017

Original box art.

SimAnt is a ant simulation game by developed and published by Maxis and released on DOS in 1991, and later ported to various other platforms. You play as ants in a colony trying to expand the size of your colony over a yard and house. The game also comes with an experimental mode and a thick manual with encyclopedic information about ants. Like a lot of the early Sim games, it's more of a toy than a game.

I bought SimAnt, not just because I really liked Sim games, but also because I thinks ants are really interesting. I found out they're even more interesting from this game, and the manual.

Status

I own this game for DOS and have beaten both the game's quick and full game modes.

Review

  • Overall: 6/10
  • Best Version: DOS

Good

  • The game nicely embodies the Sim mentality allowing for lots of experimentation. You can dig your own ant tunnels, lay your own chemical trails, pit ants against each other, etc.
  • It was nice that the designers actually included a campaign-style game where you can actually beat it. And the plot, trying to infest an entire yard and house, is very thematic.
  • The game has a lot of details that teach you about ants like the ability to modify the birthing caste, sharing food, chemical trails, etc.
  • The addition of the house setting, with new graphics and hazards, was icing on the cake.
  • The various hazards, rain, lawn mower, spider, ant lion, kitchen, etc. make the game very life-like.
  • The graphics are actually quite nice for a PC game of the day, the designers wisely chose to modify the EGA palette, a rare occurrence in this time.
  • The in-game tutorial if very helpful.
  • The manual is amazing features not just details about the game, but a miniature encyclopedia of ants.
  • The addition of dialogue boxes is a hilarious addition to the game.
  • The game has a pretty impressive windowed interface for a 1991 DOS game.

Bad

  • Over all, there just isn't that much to do in the game. After a single play-through of the campaign mode, and an hour in experiment mode, you've done everything the game has to offer.
  • The campaign mode is really easy, and can be beaten in only a few hours without much skill.
  • While you get to dig your own nest, the AI ants don't utilize it effectively. They drop food and eggs randomly around, making it very difficult to make a strategic layout unless you want to sit in the nest all day and move stuff around. I would have preferred a way for you to direct other ants to keep eggs in one section, food in another, etc.
  • Even though most of the game takes place in a backyard lawn, there is very little grass. This was probably a decided because too many obstacles would make movement frustrating, but this means you're looking at a dull brown screen most of the time.
  • For some reason, in experiment mode, you can't remove walls once they're built, which makes them problematic to use.

Ugly

  • Nothing.

Box Art

There were two main art styles for SimAnt, the original and the re-released Classics version. While I like both, I prefer the original, which is the one I own.

Gallery

Gallery

Links