In conversation of the best video game soundtracks, The Urbz: Sims in the City for Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS is unlikely to rank – for the simple reason that not enough folks have been exposed to its brilliance. Time and again, it’s the soundtrack I switch on for chill, relaxing vibes, when I’m working on a new article or writing project.
You wouldn’t expect the soundtrack of a handheld Sims spin-off game to go so hard, but composer Ian Stocker is clearly a talented sort. With the task of creating some compelling background music for a tongue-in-cheek quest-based adventure game, he smiled, nodded, and unleashed some of the most brain-tickling, toe-tapping beats you’ll find in all of gaming.
Over on YouTube, Stocker has released a remastered longplay of this soundtrack, and I’d strongly recommend it for anyone looking to ease themselves into a cool night. If you want just a minor taste, I’d start with ‘Urbania (Night)’ – just one of the magical tracks that gives the handheld versions of The Urbz: Sims in the City such a strong sense of identity.
Pairing synthpop beats with a slow, rolling drumbeat and electric whistles makes this track a particularly lively tune. It invites you into an urban soundscape where the possibilities feel endless, as with the game itself. It speaks to strange, slightly off-putting supernatural circumstances, the hot breeze of a summer night, and the infusion of bayou stench on the air. (For reference, The Urbz: Sims in the City is set in a minor metropolis surrounded by swamps.)
For a stronger sense of place, you can jump into ‘The Crypt/Cemetary’ which uses low, haunting synths and a slow beat to give a sense of spookiness to your trips through the town cemetery. This is a faster-paced track that adds a sense of tension in its pace and advancing volume. At first, it suggests peace – then, it quickens and loudens, as if ghosts are wailing at your back.
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Stocker’s soundtrack is wonderful for how it evokes not only place, but activity. ‘Squeegee Clean’ backs the game’s window-cleaning mini-game, and in its zippy digital tweets you can feel the back-and-forth of wiping, and trying to stay positive and upbeat as you’re completing a menial task.
In ‘Jail/RnB’ you can feel the slow lament of a prisoner (in this case, you’ll be arrested for accidentally peeing on the street or being caught running when you shouldn’t). There’s metallic sounds in the background, reflecting bars or chains, and the main tune is a weaving cry that speaks to injustice.
‘Comic Explosion’ is a very funny little track that backs your performances as standup comedian. This mini-game tasks you with avoiding tomatoes while spending time at a microphone, and its jaunty accompaniment amps up the humour with a smug string beat.
A good soundtrack does so much for players. It invites them into a unique world, and provides flavour and texture to this world. The Urbz: Sims in the City is a strange, strange game. I’ve written about it extensively, across a number of publications, because it remains a source of fascination to me. Developer Griptonite Games did a fantastic job, turning simple contract work into an opportunity to stretch its developer’s skills and creativity.
To give an idea of the talent of the team working behind the scenes, this particular game was written by Darby McDevitt, who went on to be a lead writer for Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise. He’s currently contributing to work on the witchy Assassin’s Creed: Codename Hexe. Associate producer and designer Dan McAuliffe now works for Bungie.
The entire Griptonite team put their full effort into The Urbz: Sims in the City and their other Sims handheld spin-offs, injecting them with such a tangible uniqueness. And of course, it’s all elevated and made real by Ian Stocker’s excellent soundtrack.
As you’re wandering Miniopolis, you’re running the gamut of emotions. The Graveyard is a scary place, where the tunes suggest ghosts in the rearview. The slow, cricket-infused tones of ‘Bayou (Night)’ give a sense of creepiness – and given you’ll encounter vampires and alligators in this particular area, it feels mightily appropriate. The city streets reek of slow, edgy cool. The nearby carnival is more upbeat, with its lighter, jazzy tunes.
It’s rare that anyone talks about the power of The Urbz: Sims in the City. But as one of my all-time favourite games (and gaming oddities), I will continue to champion it at any turn. It’s a game that defies its commercial brief. And in penning its soundtrack, Ian Stocker created something genuinely, inconceivably fantastic.
Next time you’re looking for a jazzy, chill soundtrack to fill your days with, get your ears around the soundtrack for The Urbz: Sims in the City for Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance. It’ll give you everything you want, and more.
