SimCity 4: Rush Hour

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SimCity 4: Rush Hour
Developer(s)	Maxis
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts (Windows) Aspyr Media (Mac)
Designer(s)	Will Wright (SimCity series)
Series	SimCity
Engine	Custom
Latest version	1.0.2
Release date(s)	September 22, 2003 (PC)
Genre(s)	Simulation City-building game
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB rating: Everyone (E) PEGI rating: 3+
Platform(s)	Windows Linux under WINE Mac OS
Media	1 CD
System requirements	SimCity 4 previously installed. 500MHz Pentium III processor. Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows ME, or Windows 98; or Mac OS X, version 10.2 or later. 128MB RAM, 256MB RAM for Windows XP/Me. 1GB hard disk space. 32MB DirectX 7.0-compatible video card, 8x CD-ROM drive.
Input	Keyboard & mouse

SimCity 4: Rush Hour is an expansion pack of SimCity 4, where the player gets to build a city from scratch. Created by EA Games and Maxis, this game has new features than from the other version.

1 New features
2 Reception
3 See Also
4 References

[edit] New features

[edit] U-Drive-It

U-Drive-It is a new add-on to Rush Hour, a mode where players can take control of cars, planes, and many other vehicles and drive them around the city. There are two modes of driving: Scenario Mode, where the player has a limited amount of time to win money or prizes, or Free Drive, that allows the player to drive freely.

If the vehicle is damaged too much, it may burst into flames. This is shown by a colored diamond above the vehicle (much like the ones in The Sims) which can turn from green to red.

Some vehicles have certain individual features, such as a police siren on police cars or the ability to throw money to by-passers in the mayor's limo.

GameSpot has related U-Drive-It to Streets of SimCity,^[1] and indicated the feature including an enhanced physics model partially based on that of SimCopter.^[2]

[edit] Roads and highways

A screenshot showing some examples of new features in SimCity 4: Rush Hour

The newest addition to the roads section are One-Way roads and avenues. One-Way roads are the same size as normal roads only they stretch into one direction, while avenues are roads that stretch in two directions, with some shrubbery in the center strip (defined by the wealth of buildings on the road).

In the term of highways, the Ground Highway is the new addition. Cheaper than elevated highways, the ground highway has the same capacity as other highways. It also comes packed with assorted ramps and overpasses. The T-intersection for highways was also introduced.

[edit] Public transportation

Major changes to the public transportation section were made. The monorail, a fast moving above-ground railway, was introduced for high density areas. Unlike its similar partner, the above-ground railway, the monorail is much more modern-looking and faster.

The parking garage (otherwise dubbed as "Park & Go") was also introduced.

[edit] Water transport

The ferry system was introduced as the only change to the water transport section. The ferry system came in two types: Pedestrian, for people only, and Car and Pedestrian, for both.

[edit] Route Query

The Rush Hour route query tool shows how Sims travel to, from, and across a building or road.

Another new feature in Rush Hour is the route query; with it, it is possible to check the routes the Sims use to get to their jobs, allowing the player to see directly where the Sims need to go and how they do it.

[edit] Disasters

Two new disasters are included in the game. They are an alien attack and a "Autosauraus Wrecks", a dinosaur-like monster constructed from road vehicles which can go on a rampage.

[edit] Reception

Critics took the release fairly well, but criticised EA Games and Maxis for not including the extra features in the original SimCity 4 release. Many complained that it was "a waste of money" to buy the new version when it easily could've been included in the first version. Still, GameSpot awarded it a score of 8.3, while critics gave it 7.6. ^[3]