The Sims: Vacation // On Holiday - PC Games

A trip to Vacation Island isn't cheap; you have to pay for travel and accommodations for the entire family, as well as entertainment. And just like a real vacation, you can run out of money fast. Thankfully, while on vacation your Sims' needs are slowed down significantly. They're having fun, and you don't have to micromanage them nearly as much as you do at home. This allows you to sit back more and just observe your Sims playing with the often-funny new stuff. Stuff like a boardwalk Whack-a-Will (named for Sims creator Will Wright) game, a guy dressed as a shark who tries to terrorize the tourists, and new activities such as camping, building snowmen, playing volleyball, snuggling on a bear skin rug (or picnic blanket), and hitting the ski courses and snowboard half-pipe. When it's time to go home, your Sims can take a few reminders of the trip, both beneficial (souvenirs that increase happiness) and detrimental (a common tropical illness). Hint: Fans who remember the Brady Bunch Hawaiian vacation episode would do well to learn from Greg Brady's mistake. --Bob Andrews

Pros:

• Over 77 new items and things to do
• Truly expands the game

• It's probably time for a full-blown sequel