The Sims: Superstar
When societies become prosperous, celebrities usually emerge, supported by the well-to-do masses who have enough disposable income to buy non-necessities. This holds true not only of the real world but also the digital one found in Aspyr Media’s best-selling people simulator The Sims.
Places to Go, People to See
Like the other expansion packs, Superstar adds a new place for your Sims to visit. In this case it’s Studio Town, which is essentially Los Angeles and New York City smooshed into the same space. Your Sims can call cabs and visit Studio Town as fans, but you should get them agents and start them on the road to stardom to get the most out of this game.
Luckily, launching a career as a bankable film star, popular musician or successful fashion model in Superstar isn’t as hard as it is in the real world. Simply look in the newspaper that arrives at your Sim’s house every day and hire an agent (you’ll need to quit your day job first, though; this applies even if you chose the old fashion or music career paths). That action gives you a star rating, which starts at zero, of course, but you can increase that through the same tactics that make people stars in the real world: talent, persistence, relationship management and a bit of luck.
There’s a lot to do in Studio Town, but most of the activities require at least a little star power, so you need to search out the karaoke stage or open mic night, where nobodies can try to entertain the crowd and increase their star ratings. You can also seek out the Paparazzo character and pull off a publicity stunt while he photographs you.
Don’t Forget Where Your Sim Came From
Unlike the jobs found in other expansion packs, the careers in Superstar require quite a bit of hands-on management. Because talent and relationships are important, your Sim needs to consistently engage in activities that increase her skills as well as her network of friends and business associates. That network needs to include not only her agent and the Paparazzo, but also audience members at her performances and even other superstar Sims, including Andy Warhol and Marilyn Monroe, who are approachable under the right circumstances.
As your Sim becomes more popular, pressure from fans and industry executives forces you to use new social interactions such as “schmooze” and “sign autographs.” If he gets too stressed out, your Sim can also relax with a mud bath or a visit to an oxygen bar. There’s no room in the game, though, for lost weekends or trips to see the Dalai Lama: If he misses two consecutive days in Studio Town, he loses some star power.
However, the upside to such a fast-paced career means enhanced social standing among other Sims in Old Town (where your Sim continues to live while pursuing stardom) as well as enough Simoleans to purchase the finer things in Sim life, including the services of a butler and a masseuse, a skydiving simulator and a scuba room. If your Sim had trouble making friends before, she won’t have much difficulty now, but beware of the Obsessed Fan who shows up and follows her around. Luckily, your butler can throw him off your property.
As you climb to the top, just promise us you’ll remember the little people when you accept your first Simmy Award.
In Like Flynn. Show off your acting chops on a movie set and you could be the next Brando. Or Sandler at least.
If You Don’t Schmooze, You Lose. Talk to people in Studio Town and build your relationships with them or you won’t get very far.
System Requirements:
 | Full version of The Sims required to play |
| Mac OS X version 10.1 or higher |
| 333MHz PowerPC G3 processor (500MHz or faster recommended) |
| 192MB of RAM (320MB Recommended) |
| 4MB of VRAM (8MB recommended) |
| 1.1GB free hard drive space |
As we all know, stars can be high maintenance, so you should use a bachelor Sim when entering show business, especially the first time. Superstars usually have so little time for relationships that your famous Sim’s marriage could easily suffer, unless his spouse has stars in her eyes too. But if that’s the case, you need to think about the children, if there are any.
You might want to visit Studio Town as a fan a few times before embarking on a new career, just to get a feel for the place. Once you jump in, though, you’ll need to start impressing the players in the particular industry you’re most interested in. This comes in the form of mini games that require you to figure out what the person you’re auditioning for wants. Typically, the games offer three options with three choices per option. You have three chances to select the correct choices in the correct order to impress the person and further your Sim’s career.
All that time spent in Studio Town means that housework will suffer at home, so you’ll need to hire a butler if you really want to devote the energy required to become a superstar. Your butler also comes with a nice extra benefit: He’ll throw out anyone who’s bothering your Sim if you ask him to, and he’ll automatically eject the Obsessed Fan if he shows up.
