You can post one thing or multiple things, up to you. And, preferably, most entries are posted on November 9th, 2024, which is the date that all console versions of the Urbz alongside the GBA version were released in North America, two decades prior!
If participating, please tag your post as #urbz handheld 20th anniversary. You can also tag me or send the post to me if this doesn’t work for you. I do plan on reblogging entries!
Further specification under the cut.
You can create fan-art or fan-fiction, but if you’re not skilled nor confident at either of those, you’re not limited to just them.
If you’re mostly a Sims player like me, you can share recreations of the locations and characters in whatever game you prefer! You can post analysis on parts of the game, post your head canons on the characters/world, or talk about any other ideas you've had.
You can even do something as simple as telling us all about what you liked with the game and your experiences with it or even making a ranking of the characters based off of whatever criteria you want. You could even just post some screenshots you took while playing! Do whatever works for you!
The goal of this event is to get people talking and thinking about The Urbz: Sims in the City during/around its anniversary. I want people to do whatever the hell they want, but I also want to make sure to provide some ideas as a starting point for people who may want to particpate.
Also! Since all versions of the The Urbz: Sims in the City weren’t published in all territories for a few months, you can participate until March 11th, 2025, which is 20 years after The Urbz for DS released in Europe. So, if you want to participate but don't have the time, didn't see this post, or whatever you're doing is taking longer than expected, don't sweat!
Quick appreciation of the slightly cursed renders in the GBA manuals for the sims: bustin’ out & the urbz.
Anyways, did you know? The handbooks for the first two handheld Sims games has some unique descriptions for many of the characters!
These are the ‘Meet Your Neighbors’ pages of of The Sims: Bustin’ Out (GBA) and The Urbz: Sims in the City (GBA & DS) in the official game manuals.
[TRANSCRIPTION UNDER CUT]
[page 1]
MEET YOUR SIMVALLEY NEIGHBORS
For a small town, SimValley has a lot of colorful characters for your Sim to get acquainted with. This section gives you a peak at just a few of the people who populate your Sim’s new home town.
Dusty Hogg - This bad boy biker plays by his own rules. While rumors around town state that he still lives with his parents, we don’t recommend you tease him about that—or anything else.
Mad Willy Hurtzya - Mad Willy knows a thing or two about going 10 rounds. Quick to solve a problem by applying his fists, he's definitely more of a fighter than a lover
Eddie Renalin - Although some Sims say that Eddie used to be a skinny twerp of a kid, those allegations have never been proven. Though short on smarts, these days Eddie's the biggest and strongest guy around town.
Bucki Brock - Bucki is a straight shooter who was born and raised right in the Valley. This is one girl who knows a cow from a steer and that's no bull.
Daddy Bigbucks - Daddy is sure enough a big spender. Your Sim will want to keep on his god side a to ensure they're near the drainpipe should any of that wealth trickle down.
Det. Dan D. Mann - Detective Dan D. Mann is the police presence in SimValley. He prides himself on keeping the SimValley streets safe and boasts that jaywalking is down 25% since he took on the beat.
[page 2]
O. Phil McClean - While O. Phil McClean isn’t the friendliest fisherman your Sim will ever meet, he does know the best spots for reeling in the biggest fish. If your Sim can get to know this crusty angler, he might tell them just what he’s using for bait.
Ephram Earl - This otherworldly neighbor is very familiar with things that go bump in the night. A bit on the loony side, this ghost can still give your Sim some of the worldly belongings that he no longer needs.
Misty Waters - Misty is responsible for keeping swimming Sims from expiring in the watery deep. She prides herself on staying fit, all the better to save lives and look good in her work uniform... a swimsuit.
Chet R. Chase - No hoity-toity, fancy French cooking for Chet R. Chase. A SimValley native, Chet serves up a tasty plate o' vittles that’s pure down home cooking.
Olde Salty - Olde Salty is the SimValley fish monger. He's a grumpy old sailor so ye'd best be wary of what ye say!
Nicki Knack - This SimValley old timer has made it her business to put her nose in everyone else's. A devoted collector of this and that, Nicki really might have a use for some of the items your Sim can't use.
Uncle Hayseed - Thanks to Uncle Hayseed’s generous invitation to come and spend the summer in SimValley, your Sim has a chance to enjoy the slower-paced life of country livin’ at its finest.
[Page 3]
Giuseppi Mezzoalto - Some Sims are suspicious of this Giuseppi and think that he sometimes uses his van for moving people's things—whether he hired or not, But when it's time to relocate, his big, roomy van does the trick for toting a Sim’s possessions across town.
In addition to this cast of characters, there are many more Sims around town who can become friends, roommates, or more!
[Page 4]
Darius - King of the Streeties, Darius has moves on the court and is a straight shooter when it comes to darts. He can usually be found at his hangout, Club Xizzle. Remember to stay away from his hotdogs.
Kris Thistle - Kris Thistle is King Tower's janitor. Outgoing, with a touch of attitude, she's more at home in her darkroom than behind a mop.
Daddy Bigbucks - Sim Valley's big spender moved to Miniopolis with plans to buy the entire city! Keep your eyes and ears open—this cat is definitely up to something.
Polly Nomial - Queen of the Nerdies and Associate Professor at the university, Polly is one smart cookie. If you're lucky, she might show you her vintage dictionary collection.
Roxanna Moxie - Flamboyant and fearless, Roxanna Moxie is the Carnival ringmaster and Queen of the Artsies. Fond of the bizarre, she counts the founding of the carnival's first freak show among her greatest achievements.
Luthor L Bigbucks III - Luthor is son and heir to Daddy Bigbucks' financial empire. A jetsetter and King of the Richies, Luthor walks the walk, but didn’t quite inherit his father’s evil streak.
[Page 5]
MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS
The city is full of people for your Urb to get acquainted with. This section gives you the rundown on some of the people you'll meet.
Darius - King of the Streeties, Darius can usually be found at his hangout, Club Xizzle. Remember to stay away from his corndogs.
Kris Thistle - The King Tower janitor is outgoing, with a touch of attitude. Kris is more at home in her darkroom than behind a mop.
Daddy Bigbucks - Sim Valley's big spender moved to Miniopolis with plans to buy the entire city! Keep your eyes and ears open—he's definitely up to something.
Futo Maki - This construction worker oversaw the renovation of Splicer Island before it was shut down. Maybe you can put him back to work.
Sharona Faster - Sharona had plans to operate a water taxi to Splicer Island, until Daddy Bigbucks squashed her dream.
Jack I. Deal - This big man used to work for Daddy Bigbucks himself, but now he's got different ideas on how to earn his living.
Busta Cruz - This guy is a born entertainer. He keeps the Urbz amusement levels up.
Downloads to the full manuals can be found in this archive.
All secret unlock dialogues in the Sims 2 for DS. Oh boy. I got most of these during my first playthough approx. 3 years ago, using cheats to make everyone sad :( to expedite the process. I don't recommend doing this yourself. It gets very repetitive, very fast.
There's also some unused secret dialogues that are in the Sims 2 for GBA (Burple, Emperor Xizzle, Jimmy "The" Neck, Yeti), so, if that interests you, you can check out the The Cutting Room Floor page for that game.
About two (?) years ago, I had made a quick chart that lined up all the characters in the Urbz for DS in approximate tallest-to-shortest. I wanted to remake it (using proper sprite-ripping techniques) plus make one for the other GBA games. So, here you go. :D
I was looking through the string table in the Urbz for GBA and noticed some dialogue that goes unused in the actual game and decided to catalogue it and share it because I just love things like this.
If you see an '@1', in the dialogue, that's just a placeholder for the player's name (or at least for all of THESE. Sometimes it's used for other things.)
As a side note, the dialogue for this game is pretty well-organized and all the characters have distinct enough voices (TS2GBA DO NOT INTERACT) that it's incredibly easy to figure out who said what. There's also a lot more unused strings, but I'm just focusing on the dialogue right now
First of all, all characters, not just those you can have as a roommate, have roommate acceptance dialogues. So, here are all the unused ones.
BAYOU BOO: Gosh, that's fine idea. Don't mind if I do.
BERKELEY CLODD: Sure I'll move in with you. What a splendid way to meet a whole new set of clients.
LINCOLN BROADSHEET: Sure, I'll live with you, buddy. But be warned: I stay up late.
CRAWDAD CLEM: You know, It'd be real fun to share accommodations with you for a bit. Sure.
EPHRAM EARL: To haunt your house with your permission, this I will do.
PRITCHARD LOCKSLEY: Sure, so long as you help me memorize my lines.
HARLAN KING: Of course I will. How wonderful!
LOTTIE CASH: Okay! That'd be killer! We're going to have such an awesome time.
LUTHOR L. BIGBUCKS: Sure, why not. It'll be just like college all over again.
MAMBO LOA: I would gladly share accommodations with you. When do I move in? Now?
MAXIMILLIAN MOORE: Sure, why not? So long as you don't mind the smell of bleach.
OLDE SALTY: You're darn tooting! I'd be your roommate any day.
CRYSTAL: Okay! I can't wait to redecorate your dumpy pad.
POLLY NOMIAL: Yes. To maintain a domicile with you would be most enlightening.
GIUSEPPI MEZZOALTO: Why not, right? It'll be loads of fun. I'm moving in today!
ROXANNA MOXIE: Sure, why not? It'll be fun, you know? A real laugh.
THERESA BULLHORN: Yes! I would love to share your life of glamour and fame.
DARIUS: Heck yeah, dawg. We can kick it together.
DADDY BIGBUCKS: You betcha!
DET. DAN D. MANN: It's an interesting proposition. Hm… Consider it done!
LILY GATES: An excellent plan! Your place is much closer to where I work!
KRIS THISTLE: You want me to move in with you? After all I've done? Wow. You're great.
GRAMMA HATTIE: What a grand idea. Your house will be a great place to hold meetings.
There is also an unused set of rep group-related dialogues. These ones most likely being used if you managed to get an exceedingly poor rep with your rep group.
DARIUS: Hey, @1. Check yourself before you wreck your Rep. The Streeties are getting sick of you hanging around.
LUTHOR L. BIGBUCKS: Sorry to be the one to break this to you, @1, but the rest of the Richies think you're getting a tad uppity. Clean up your act or we'll boot you.
POLLY NOMIAL: Our patience with your gradual assimilation into our social sphere is waning. Progress or be excommunicated from the Nerdies.
ROXANNA MOXIE: A few words of advice @1. Shape up or ship out of our group. End of story.
These MAY not be unused, but I've never heard of anyone getting any of these messages, and, for the life of me, I could not get them to activate through my own twiddling. There exists no dialogue for actually kicking you out of the rep group. So even if this WAS used, it would just be an empty threat. (I mean… it's implied that it was your rep group that picked you up after you crash landed in Miniopolis, which is why you're apart of it despite not really knowing anyone.)
As a side note, when I was going through getting to -10 rep points with the Richies, after about -6, every time I lost a rep group point, Roxanna Moxie kept on giving my silver plaques. RICHIE silver plaques. Using the Artsie silver plaque dialogue. By the time I was done testing things out, I had five of them. Strange glitch?
So, the Urbz GBA, for whatever reason, doesn’t let us romance the elderly. That doesn't mean that there isn't flirting and kissing dialogue for the unromancable characters! The first dialogue is flirting, and the second one is refusing to accept a kiss.
EPHRAM EARL: A piece of human interest seems to be the loving way.
EPHRAM EARL: I cannot kiss that which I cannot touch.
HARLAN KING: Eh? Does that have a saucy secondary meaning I am not aware of?
HARLAN KING: Ugh! No! Your breath smells like everything but fresh!
OLDE SALTY: Arrr, you've cracked my barnacle encrusted heart!
OLDE SALTY: I'll kiss no one! Not until you proves your devotion!
DADDY BIGBUCKS: Hello there… do you mind if I buy you a small island?
DADDY BIGBUCKS: Get away from me, you pest! I'd sooner kiss a sneezing dog.
GRAMMA HATTIE: Stop it this instant. I know you're just trying to fool with an old woman's mind.
GRAMMA HATTIE: Ack! Help! Help! Police! This boy is trying to inhale me!
Related, when a character accepts a hug or a kiss in-game, they don't say anything. However, there is actually unused dialogue for this event. Almost all of it is just "Aw!". However, there's a few exceptions.
BAYOU BOO: Aw!
BAYOU BOO: Plant one right here, girl!
BERKELEY CLODD: Come hither and embrace me, @1!
BERKELEY CLODD: Ah!
LINCOLN BROADSHEET: Come here, you!
LINCOLN BROADSHEET: Oh!
EPHRAM EARL: If arms were ribbons consider this my bow.
EPHRAM EARL: Ah!
EWAN WATAHMEE: Hugs are free, yes. But they are also round.
EWAN WATAHMEE: Ah!
PRITCHARD LOCKSLEY: It's so good to see you too! Let's do lunch.
PRITCHARD LOCKSLEY: Ah!
LOTTIE CASH: It's fun to be this close to me, huh?
LOTTIE CASH: Oh!
LUTHOR L. BIGBUCKS: Wrap your arms around me, baby.
LUTHOR L. BIGBUCKS: Yeah!
MAXIMILLIAN MOORE: You washed your hands before you hugged me, right?
MAXIMILLIAN MOORE: Eek!
CRYSTAL: Gee, thanks. You're sweet.
CRYSTAL: Oh!
OLDE SALTY: That's right, give poor Olde Salty a nice hug.
OLDE SALTY: Yay!
DADDY BIGBUCKS: Normally I don't let people touch me if they're not wearing an expensive coat. But for you'll I'll make an exception.
DADDY BIGBUCKS: Normally I don't let people kiss me if they're not wearing fruity lip gloss. But for you'll I'll make an exception.
The first dialogue here is accepting a hug; the second is accepting a kiss. All characters not listed here just has "Aw!" as a response to both being kissed and hugged.
There seems to be a scrapped interaction, most likely called 'Talk about Pets.' from the subject of the replies and the fact that it was tucked between 'Talk about Ninjas' and 'Talk about Politics,' which would make the placement alphabetical. I wonder why it went unused!
Not every single character had a line for this. The following characters do not: Bayou Boo, Crawdad Clem, Ephram Earl, Ewan Watahmee Harlan King, Luthor L. Bigbucks, Mambo Loa, Misty Waters, Olde Salty, and Theresa Bullhorn. Some of these characters do have other lines that refer to owning a pet; they just don't have a dialogue here.
BERKELEY CLODD: I looked into buying a talented chimpanzee, but very few know how to pick pock- er, pick their nose.
LINCOLN BROADSHEET: I have my pet rabbit to thank for my interest in journalism. Why? Well… isn't it obvious?
PRITCHARD LOCKSLEY: I was so proud my pet lizard Harvey was cast as the lead in a new gladiator film. Sure he beat me for the role… but he was wonderful!
LOTTIE CASH: I have a cute little pug named Paris. You don't think I'll get sued for that, do you? I hope not.
MAXIMILLIAN MOORE: Sooner or later, every disease that pets get will jump to humans! The end is near!
CRYSTAL: I totally want a pet dolphin so it can protect me from sharks.
PHOEBE TWIDDLE: My mom was a cat lady and my dad was a dog guy, so I learned to love pets very early on. But I'll never forget the smell.
POLLY NOMIAL: Your colorful colloquy is highly amusing.
GIUSEPPI MEZZOALTO: If I tell you I like snakes, you'd better not make any jokes. Got it?
ROXANNA MOXIE: Come by the carnival sometime! There are lots of needy animals there.
SUE PIRNOVA: I'm not organized enough to take care of another creature. The best I can manage is feeding ants.
DARIUS: I like goldfish. What?
DADDY BIGBUCKS: Yuck! There is nothing worse that a sniveling, drooling, hairy servant who cannot follow orders.
DET. DAN D. MANN: When people don't clean up after their pets, who do you think has to do it for them? Huh? I'm asking you because I don't know the answer.
LILY GATES: Every time I buy a pet, I get so busy I forget to feed it. And then… well… I shouldn't own any pets.
KRIS THISTLE: Don't remind me! My landlord doesn't allow pets, so when I moved here I was forced to sell my ferret.
CANNONBALL COLEMAN: I owned a crow a few years ago. He made enough noise to scare ghosts away. I miss that old bird.
GRAMMA HATTIE: I'm definitely a cat person. And a dog person. And a chicken person too. I'm really a pet person.
DUSTY HOGG: I used to own a small python and a small dog. Now I just own a bigger python.
'Talk about Pets' does not show up in the list of interactions earlier in the string set.
Lincoln Broadsheet has some mission dialogue that, again, may not be unused, but I have never seen, and I have never seen anyone else talk about it.
YOU: Mister Broadsheet, would you help me write a thesis?
LINCOLN BROADSHEET: Gosh, I would if I wasn't so busy. Tell you what I can do though: I'll let you use my computer to log in to my research database. That should give you some good ideas.
LINCOLN BROADSHEET: Hey, have you heard the recent news? A local TV station is filming a new Reality Television Show.
YOU: Interesting, but I don't watch much TV.
LINCOLN BROADSHEET: Me neither, but don't let that stop you from going up to Paradise Island and signing up. If you do well I could write a big article about you.
YOU: Are they still letting people sign up?
LINCOLN BROADSHEET: I think so. Head up to Paradise Island and see for yourself. And if you do well Id love to write an article on you.
Note: I have been informed that the first two lines in this section actually can happen in-game!
It is also appears he would have given the player the Reality TV Show plotline.
And finally, ‘The Bad Ending.’
DADDY BIGBUCKS: People around here call me Daddy Bigbucks. If you like what you see in Miniopolis, it's a good bet I own it.
This is actually listed next to all the character introductions, so this would have been how Daddy Bigbucks introduced himself, if he were to actually introduce himself. There are placeholders for the other characters who don’t get to say a proper introduction as well (Kris Thistle, Det. Dan D. Mann, Crawdad Clem, Harlan King), but they’re just placeholders. No text of relevance.
Hi! So I recently discovered sim2team (check them out! they have a sims 2 gba save editor) and their s2gbatool, which provides a complete list of all the text (used or unused) in the Sims 2 for GBA.
The Sims 2 for GBA a LOT of unused text, so I went through it and decided to compile as much as I could here.
here's also a complete list of all the text in the game. if you get one from s2gbatool yourself, it won't be in order. so this is a text document with all of them ordered.
soooo i finished replaying the sims 2 gba today & ended up hyperfixating on extracting all of the expression sprites. i have nothing else to add. anyhow i am sleepy. goodnight.
