Reviewed: May 8, 2007
Reviewed by: Mahamari Tsukitaka
Publisher
Electronic Arts
Developer
Maxis
Released: April 5, 2007
Genre: Simulation
Players: 1
ESRB: Teen
8
8
-
7
7.9
System Requirements
- Sims 2- Sims 2 Special DVD Edition
- The Sims 2 Holiday Edition
Screenshots (Click Image for Gallery)
Besides releasing multiple expansion packs for the popular people simulator The Sims 2, Maxis has also been simultaneously releasing a number of “stuff packs” which add items and outfits to the game without otherwise altering gameplay. The fourth in the series of stuff packs for The Sims 2, The Sims 2: Celebration Stuff adds a number of party- and celebration-related goodies for you and your Sims to enjoy.
Where the previous Sims 2 stuff packs—Happy Holiday Stuff, Family Fun Stuff, and Glamour Life Stuff—offered new Maxis-created items and outfits for the winter holidays, Sim families with children, and lifestyles of abundance, The Sims 2: Celebration Stuff provides similar additions for your party-loving and wedding-planning Sims. Like the other stuff packs, Celebration Stuff doesn’t change gameplay in any way, but it does widen the selection of material goods available to your Sims in the game.
As with the last couple stuff packs, the new furniture and home fashions in Celebration Stuff are organized into “collections” for your decorating convenience. The new items (just to name a few) include festively colored patio umbrellas, tables of varying sizes covered in colorful cloths, decorative chairs festooned with bows or balloons, bright paper lanterns, ornamental garlands, a fancy wedding arch, and other party-related goods.
Most of the items (such as the new barbecue, buffet table, cakes, and balloons) function exactly like the original Sims 2 party items. Still, they have stylish new exteriors, and the fresh look and huge selection of color combinations work very well to create more personalized Sim celebrations—no more cookie-cutter birthdays and weddings!
The selection of new formalwear isn’t bad, either, and there are fancy new party clothes for both children and adults. Players tired of the single wedding gown originally available to their female Sims now have several new styles available to them in a few colors each. There are also a number of new bridesmaids’ gowns in various colors, and male Sims have their choice of a handful of snazzy new tuxes with flower corsages.
Another nice addition is a few new female hairstyles to go with the new wedding gowns, including ‘dos dressed with flowers, a veil, or a tiara.
Also included in the package are several party-themed floors and walls, new terrains for sprinkling your Sim’s lawn with rose petals, and two new pre-made houses showcasing the new Celebration Stuff items.
The only odd discovery I’ve made is that the new birthday and wedding cakes unfortunately cannot be placed into the commercial food display shelves from The Sims 2: Open For Business expansion. Other than that, though, Celebration Stuff seems to mesh well with the other Sims 2 expansions and stuff packs.
The quality of the graphics for the new items, outfits, and other additions is on par with what we’ve seen from previous Sims 2 expansions and stuff packs. It’s got the same high level of detail, and the new items don’t look at all out of place when placed alongside existing items.
As far as I know or can tell, the game’s sound hasn’t been changed with this expansion.
Celebration Stuff includes a satisfying addition of items, clothing, and other goodies to your Sim’s universe, but at a retail price of $19.99 (only $10 less than a typical full-blown expansion pack that includes both items and gameplay improvements), it can feel a little expensive, especially when so much user-created content is available for much cheaper, or even free.
Nevertheless, official Maxis-created content has so far been of consistently high quality, and players don’t have to worry about compatibility issues when sticking to official stuff packs. Most likely, though, you can probably snag this stuff pack for less through careful shopping, so it’s not necessarily a bad deal for a fan that would enjoy the additional items.
I’ll be honest: the Sims 2 stuff packs won’t be for all Sims 2 fans, and those folks who frequently download and enjoy user-created content for the game may not find them to be all that necessary. For those who really enjoy the new items and outfits, though, and especially for players who tend to stick to Maxis-released items just to play it safe, The Sims 2: Celebration Stuff can add a lot of much-needed flavor to your Sims’ social events.