Editing SimCity (1989 video game) (section)

==Reception==
{{Cleanup|section|date=March 2017|reason=No list of professional scores and accolades poorly organized}}
{{Video game reviews
| Allgame = {{Rating|5|5}} (PC)<ref>{{cite web |last=Cook |first=Brad |title=SimCity (PC) - Review |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=24895&tab=review |publisher=AllGame |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114225401/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=24895&tab=review |archive-date=November 14, 2014 |access-date=March 27, 2024}}</ref><br />{{Rating|4.5|5}} ({{nowrap|Macintosh}})<ref>{{cite web |last=Savignano |first=Lisa Karen |title=SimCity (Mac) - Review|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=7102&tab=review |publisher=AllGame |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114225400/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=7102&tab=review |archive-date=November 14, 2014 |access-date=March 27, 2024}}</ref>
| MM = 94% (SNES)<ref>{{cite magazine|author1=[[Julian Rignall]]|author2=Richard Leadbetter|url=https://archive.org/details/Mean_Machines_Issue_10_1991-07_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n81/mode/2up|title=SimCity|magazine=[[Mean Machines]]|issue=10|date=July 1991|pages=82–83|access-date=December 9, 2024}}</ref>
}}
''SimCity'' was a financial success, selling one million copies by late 1992, including 500,000 for home computers and another 500,000 for the SNES.{{r|rivenburg19921002}} In the United States, it was the ninth best-selling computer game from 1993 to 1999, with another 830,000 units sold.<ref name=wargames>{{cite book | author=Dunnigan, James F. | author-link=Jim Dunnigan | date=January 3, 2000 | title=Wargames Handbook, Third Edition: How to Play and Design Commercial and Professional Wargames | publisher=[[iUniverse|Writers Club Press]] |pages=14–17}}</ref> The SNES version sold 1.98 million units worldwide,<ref name="whitepaper">{{cite book |title=2021CESAゲーム白書 (2021 CESA Games White Papers)|publisher=[[Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association]]|year=2021|isbn=978-4-902346-43-5}}</ref> including 900,000 units in Japan.<ref>{{cite web |title=Game Search |url=https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/ |website=Game Data Library |publisher=[[Famitsu]] |access-date=7 April 2025}}</ref> It was critically acclaimed and received significant recognition within a year after its initial release. As of December 1990, the game was reported to have won the following awards:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
|-
| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top;"|
* Critics' Choice: Best Consumer Program, 1989, Software Publisher's Association.
* Most Innovative Publisher, 1989, Computer Game Developer's Conference.
* Member of the 1989 Game Hall of Fame, ''[[Macworld]]''.
* Game of the Year, 1989., ''[[Computer Gaming World]]''.<ref name = "CGW2">{{citation | date = October 1989 | magazine = [[Computer Gaming World]] | title = Game of the Year Awards | page = 42}}</ref>
* Fourth Best Simulation of All Time for Amiga, ''[[.info (magazine)|.info]]''.
* Editors' Choice Award: Best Simulation, 1989, Compute.<!-- Apparently, all this may not be properly copied from the source. Please clarify -->
* Editors' Choice Award: Best Recreation Program, 1989, ''[[MacUser]]''.
* Best Curricular Program, [[Software and Information Industry Association#CODiE Awards|Codie award]].<ref name="SimCity-CodieAward">{{cite web |title=SIIA Codie Awards |url=https://www.siia.net/codie/About-the-Awards/Past-Winners/1990-Winners |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220114711/https://www.siia.net/codie/About-the-Awards/Past-Winners/1990-Winners |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |access-date=December 14, 2016}}</ref>
* Best Consumer Program, [[Critic's Choice Award]].<ref name="SimCity-CodieAward" />
| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top;"|
* Best Computer Strategy Game, 1989, ''[[Video Games & Computer Entertainment]]''.
* Best Game Designer of the Year: Will Wright, for ''SimCity'', 1989, ''[[Computer Entertainer]]''.
* Best 20th Century Computer Game, 1989, [[Charles S. Roberts Award]].
* Software Award of Excellence, 1990–1991, ''Technology and Learning''.
* Best Educational Program, 1990, European Computer Leisure Award.
* Tilt D'Or (Golden Award): Most Original Game, 1989, ''[[Tilt (French magazine)|Tilt]]'' (France).
* Game of the Year, 1989, Amiga Annual (Australia).
* World Class Award, 1990, ''[[Macworld Australia]]''.
* 4th best game of all time, [[Amiga Power]].<ref>Amiga Power magazine issue 0, [[Future Publishing]], May 1991.</ref>
|}

In addition, ''SimCity'' won the [[Origins Award]] for "Best Military or Strategy Computer Game" of 1989 in 1990,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1989|title=Origins Award Winners (1989)|publisher=Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design|access-date=October 29, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071105015044/http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1989 <!-- Bot retrieved archive -->|archive-date=November 5, 2007}}</ref> was named to ''Computer Gaming World''{{'}}s Hall of Fame for games readers highly rated over time,<ref name="cgw199110">{{cite news|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1991&pub=2&id=87 |title=On Silvery Disks of Splendor |magazine=Computer Gaming World |date=October 1991 |access-date=November 18, 2013 |pages=112 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202224200/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1991&pub=2&id=87 |archive-date=December 2, 2013}}</ref> and the multiplayer [[X Window System|X11]] version of the game was also nominated in 1992 as the Best Product of the Year in ''Unix World''.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} ''[[Macworld]]'' named the Macintosh version of ''SimCity'' the Best Simulation Game of 1989, putting it into the Macintosh Game Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1 = Levy|first1 = Steven|last2 = Mello|first2 = Adrian|title = The Game Hall of Fame|date = December 1989|url = https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_8912_December_1989/page/n167|magazine = Macworld|publisher = Mac Publishing|pages = 162–167}}</ref> ''Macworld'', in their review, praised its graphics as well as its strategic gameplay, calling it "A challenging, dynamic game, realistic and unpredictable", and notes how "as the population grows the city's needs change."<ref>{{cite magazine|last = McCandless|first = Janet|title = SimCity Review|date = November 1989|url = https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_8911_November_1989/page/n249|magazine = MacWorld|publisher = Mac Publishing|page = 231}}</ref> ''SimCity'' was named No. 4 "Ten Greatest PC Game Ever" by [[PC World (magazine)|PC World]] in 2009.<ref name="pc_world">{{cite magazine|last=Edwards |first=Benj |title=The Ten Greatest PC Games Ever |magazine=[[PC World (magazine)|PC World]] |date=February 8, 2009 |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/158850/the_ten_greatest_pc_games_ever.html?tk=nl_bex_h_reviews |access-date=January 3, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606054702/http://www.pcworld.com/article/158850/the_ten_greatest_pc_games_ever.html?tk=nl_bex_h_reviews |archive-date=June 6, 2011}}</ref> It was named one of the sixteen most influential games in history at Telespiel, a German technology and games trade show, in 2007.<ref name=gsw_top16>{{cite web|last=Plunkett |first=Luke |title=German Journos Pick Their Most Important Games Of All Time |publisher=Kotaku |date=August 27, 2007 |url=http://kotaku.com/gaming/notag/german-journos-pick-their-most-important-games-of-all-time-293565.php |access-date=June 20, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420195406/http://kotaku.com/gaming/notag/german-journos-pick-their-most-important-games-of-all-time-293565.php |archive-date=April 20, 2010}}</ref> [[Sid Meier]] in 2008 named ''SimCity'' as one of the three most important innovations in videogame history, as it led to other games that encouraged players to create, not destroy.<ref name="arendt20080304">{{cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/2008/03/sid-meier-names/ |title=Civilization Creator Lists Three Most Important Innovations in Gaming |magazine=Wired |date=March 4, 2008 |access-date=July 7, 2014 |author=Arendt, Susan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714200336/http://www.wired.com/2008/03/sid-meier-names/ |archive-date=July 14, 2014}}</ref> It was named No. 11 on [[IGN]]'s 2009 "Top 25 PC Games of All Time" list.<ref name=ign_top25_2009>{{cite web|title=The Top 25 PC Games of All Time |website=IGN |date=August 6, 2009 |url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/101/1011624p1.html |access-date=January 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305060206/http://pc.ign.com/articles/101/1011624p1.html |archive-date=March 5, 2010}}</ref> In 1996, ''Computer Gaming World'' declared ''SimCity'' the 6th-best computer game ever released.<ref name=cgw150>{{cite magazine | author=Staff | title=150 Best (and 50 Worst) Games of All Time | magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | date=November 1996 | issue=148 | pages=63–65, 68, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 84, 88, 90, 94, 98}}</ref> In 2018, [[Complex Networks|Complex]] rated SimCity 50th on its "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time."<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time|url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/the-100-best-super-nintendo-games/|access-date=2022-02-04|website=Complex|archive-date=January 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116111038/http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/the-100-best-super-nintendo-games/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1995, [[Total!]] listed SimCity 89th on their "Top 100 SNES Games."<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=July 1995|title=Top 100 SNES Games|url=https://archive.org/details/total-43/page/n47/mode/2up|magazine=Total!|issue=43|pages=48|access-date=February 24, 2022}}</ref> IGN ranked the game 35th in its "Top 100 SNES Games of All Time."<ref>{{Citation |title=Top 100 SNES Games of All Time - IGN.com |url=https://www.ign.com/lists/top-100-snes-games |access-date=2022-09-04 |archive-date=January 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123081606/http://www.ign.com/top/snes-games/31 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Mike Siggins reviewed ''SimCity'' for ''[[Games International]]'' magazine, and gave it 5 stars out of 5, and stated that "Overall, ''SimCity'' must be ranked right up there in the all-time Amiga classics. It is the first title that I have come across to turn a 'serious' theme into a passable simulation while also making for an excellent game."<ref name="gi11">{{cite journal | last = Siggins |first = Mike | title =Computer Games | journal = [[Games International]] | issue = 11 | pages =48–49 |date=December 1989}}</ref> ''[[Macworld]]'' called ''SimCity'' "an intricate and intriguing game".<ref name="macworld">{{cite magazine |last1=McCandless |first1=Janet |title=Reviews - Simcity |journal=[[Macworld]] |date=November 1989 |page=231 |publisher=[[International Data Group]]}}</ref>

''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' gave the game a B+.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url = https://ew.com/article/1991/09/27/latest-video-games/|title = The latest video games|magazine = [[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date = September 9, 2018|archive-date = June 5, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160605192824/http://www.ew.com/article/1991/09/27/latest-video-games|url-status = live}}</ref>

Johnny L. Wilson reviewed the game for ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'', and stated that "Dynamic is exactly the right word for this product. There is constant strategy involved in the placement of zones, road building, political decision-making, and damage control."<ref name="CGW59"/>

In 1991, ''[[PC Format]]'' named ''SimCity'' one of the 50 best computer games ever. The editors called it "a town planner's dream".<ref name=pcformat50>{{cite journal | author=Staff | journal=[[PC Format]] | title=The 50 best games EVER! |date=October 1991 | issue=1 | pages=109–111}}</ref>

The [[University of Southern California]] and [[University of Arizona]] used ''SimCity'' in urban planning and political science classes. [[Chuck Moss]] of ''[[The Detroit News]]'' found that Godzilla attacking the city in the 1972 Detroit scenario caused less destruction than the mayoralty of [[Coleman Young]].<ref name="rivenburg19921002"/> In 1990 ''[[The Providence Journal]]'' invited five candidates for [[Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island]] to manage a ''SimCity'' town resembling the city. [[Victoria Lederberg]] blamed her close loss in the Democratic primary on the newspaper's description of her poor performance in the game; former mayor [[Buddy Cianci]], the most successful player, won the election that year.<ref name="koebler20150508">{{Cite web |title=The Real Mayors of 'SimCity' |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-real-mayors-of-simcity/ |last=Koebler |first=Jason |date=May 8, 2015 |website=Vice |access-date=May 21, 2020 |archive-date=May 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200520122153/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/ezv7wp/the-real-mayors-of-simcity |url-status=live}}</ref>

The ''SimCity Terrain Editor'' was reviewed in 1989 in ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' No. 147 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the expansion 4 out of 5 stars.<ref name="Dragon147">{{cite journal |title=The Role of Computers
|author=Lesser, Hartley|author2=Lesser, Patricia|author3=Lesser, Kirk |journal=Dragon |issue=147 |date=July 1989 |pages=76–83}}</ref>

The ZX Spectrum version was voted number 4 in the ''[[Your Sinclair]] Readers' Top 100 Games of All Time''.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Readers' Top 100 Games of All Time|journal=Your Sinclair|date=September 1993}}</ref>

In 2004, ''SimCity'' was inducted into [[GameSpot]]'s list of the greatest games of all time.<ref name="Gamespot">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-32.html|title=The Greatest Games of All Time: ''SimCity''|website=[[GameSpot]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071002234527/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-32.html | archive-date=October 2, 2007}}</ref>

On March 12, 2007, ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported that ''SimCity'' was named to a list of the ten most important video games of all time, the so-called [[game canon]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/arts/design/12vide.html?ex=1331352000&en=380fc9bb18694da5&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink |title=Is That Just Some Game? No, It's a Cultural Artifact |newspaper=[[nytimes.com]] |first=HEATHER |last=CHAPLIN |date=March 12, 2007 |access-date=November 1, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004173158/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/arts/design/12vide.html?ex=1331352000&en=380fc9bb18694da5&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink |archive-date=October 4, 2013}}</ref> The [[Library of Congress]] took up a video game preservation proposal and began with the games from this list, including ''SimCity''.<ref name="Joystiq">{{cite web|url=http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/12/10-most-important-video-games-of-all-time-as-judged-by-2-design/ |title=10 most important video games of all time, as judged by 2 designers, 2 academics, and 1 lowly blogger |last=Ransom-Wiley |first=James |publisher=[[Joystiq]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422035847/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/12/10-most-important-video-games-of-all-time-as-judged-by-2-design/ |archive-date=April 22, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.loc.gov/digitalpreservation/2012/09/yes-the-library-of-congress-has-video-games-an-interview-with-david-gibson/ |title=Yes, The Library of Congress Has Video Games: An Interview with David Gibson |date=September 26, 2012 |access-date=January 18, 2013 |publisher=blogs.loc.gov |first=Trevor |last=Owens |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331234239/http://blogs.loc.gov/digitalpreservation/2012/09/yes-the-library-of-congress-has-video-games-an-interview-with-david-gibson/ |archive-date=March 31, 2014}}</ref>