By Brad Cook

Seen last weekend at the Crypt o’ Night Club: The Count and Contessa, hoping to grow their vampiric legions by chomping on the necks of any willing Sims. They may have found one or two, judging by their fangy grins.

The Sims 2: Nightlife

Unfortunately, Mrs. Crumplebottom probably helped them out by breaking up a few smooching couples on the dance floor. Or maybe that was a fortunate turn of events, depending how red your eyes run.

Woe to the Sim who becomes a vampire. Daylight becomes lethal, quickly sapping their needs until they die. A hermetically-sealed coffin is the best defense against such a fate, at least until the afflicted Sim can find a cure for the disease.

Universal Binary

Cruising for a good meal and a nice date

I hear the host at FM passes out discounts on meals, but he won’t do it for just any Sim. He needs to warm up to ya a bit before he knocks a few Simoleons off your check. My recommendation: the filet mignon is delish. And don’t forget to order a drink or two at the bar before you leave.

Saw Mr. Big and The Diva dining there. Yes, those are just code names — you’ll know who they are when you see his fabulous red jacket and her gorgeous black designer dress. No, neither of them needs the host’s generosity: word has it The Diva moved into the Curious household and brought over 70,000 Simoleons with her. Yes, she hooked up with the goofy one — you should have seen the lightning bolts in her relationship panel, if you know what I mean.

Of course, they’re all goofy at the Curious household, thanks to some kind of weird alien influence. But at least none of them is The Slob. If you’re desperate for a date, I suppose he (or she) will do. But must you lower your standards?

Your last resort

If you simply can’t find a date while you’re downtown, try calling the Gypsy Matchmaker. She’ll set you up with someone, but be prepared to part with many hard-earned Simoleons if you really want to get a little extra-special somethin’-somethin’. Your date will literally fall from the sky.

I hear the Matchmaker also sells Vamprocillin-D and Love Potion #8.5. Both magical elixirs come in handy during the right situations. You’ll know when.

Yum, cheesy goodness

A friend of a bartender of a mad scientist told me about an unfortunate accident with a ReNuYu SensoOrb. Seems a Sim wasn’t happy with his aspirations in life, so he hoped the SensoOrb would let him choose new ones. Something happened, and now he wants nothing more out of life than grilled cheese sandwiches.

He not only wants to cook them up and scarf them down whenever he can, but he talks about them incessantly, to the point that you may want to claw your eyes out. Unless you love that cheesy goodness too, of course.

But don’t reject him outright, because he’s terrified that another Sim might not share his love for those gut-busting sandwiches (and I mean that literally; you’ll see). But, then again, that might be part of your plan.

My suggestion? Help him fulfill his desires and then convince him to use the ReNuYu SensoOrb again.

Do the smustle

Oh dear. I’ve come to the end of another column. And I was hoping to tell you the ins and outs of the “smustle.” I guess you’ll have to learn more about that one on your own.

The Sims 2
The Sims 2
Learn more about The Sims 2 by reading our previous feature which covers the original version of the game.
 
Sims dancing in a club.

Do the Smustle. Mr. Big and The Count vie for some dance floor time.

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The city at night.

The Lights Are Bright Downtown. You can create your own custom downtown and let the exotic nightlife come out and play.

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Scrumptious New Treats in The Sims 2 Nightlife

Sims going about their business.

Now that you’ve read all about the downtown nightlife, darlings, let me tell you what else is new in the Nightlife expansion pack. First, you’ll notice there’s a gameplay option that lets you view the surrounding lots while controlling a household. It’s a helpful trick to have when you want to click on a neighbor’s house and drop by for a visit.

The main focus in Nightlife, of course, is dating. Not only can you score a date while cruising the downtown scene, but you can also pick up a phone and ask out another Sim. If you want to cut to the chase and check out the chemistry mix, look at other Sims’ pictures in the relationship panel. Lightning bolts appear on the images of Sims who are mucho compatible. The more lightning bolts, the better your chances of sparks flying. Yes, a red X over a lightning bolt is bad.

When you’re painting the downtown red and want to figure out who catches your Sim’s eye, the new Scope Room command will help you decide right away which Sims are worth zeroing in on. Your Sim also has turn-ons and turn-offs that add a few clues. You get to choose those when creating new Sims in Nightlife — existing characters automatically get a one-time use potion, called ReNuYu Porta-Chug, that lets you set them.

Situational socializing

So what happens when you score a date (or employ the Gypsy Matchmaker’s services)? As in real life, the pressure is on to make a good impression. Unlike real life, the new Date Meter monitors your progress. Your date’s wants and fears will help you choose the evening’s activities. Hit a home run and your Sim might receive flowers or a card the next day. Leave a sour taste in your partner’s mouth and your Sim may be the recipient of some, shall we say, less-than-pleasant gifts.

Sims who want to play it safe should create a group and go on an outing. One type, Just For Fun, lets you relax with pals. The other, For an Outing, plays out like a date, complete with a meter that tells you whether everyone loves your Sim’s choices or thinks he’s a real drag. As with a date, rewards await the Sim who successfully navigates a group trip downtown.

The new pleasure aspiration is a sure-fire way to ensure that your Sims love their outings and convince others to have a great time too. It’s a heck of a lot better than that grilled cheese aspiration, I’ll tell you that much.

Of cars and inventory

In addition to all the cool stuff you can use to build your own unique downtown area, your Sims can now own different types of vehicles, from a frumpy family van to a head-turning sports car. You’ll need to build a driveway before you can own a vehicle, but that shouldn’t set you back too many Simoleons. The Sim who owns the car gets to take it to work, rather than waiting for the carpool.

Your Sim can also use the new inventory panel to carry items around with him. It’s the best place to keep those potions and other special objects. After all, you never know what’s around the next corner when you start exploring the Nightlife.