The Nintendo Wii changed gaming forever, and its legacy should never be understated. It ushered in a new, more approachable era for everyone, inviting whole new audiences into cosy, innovative, unique game worlds filled with novelty. During the glory days of the Wii, EA tried something very new, with MySims, branching out Sims-style gameplay into cuter, more wholesome, all-ages friendly adventures.
What resulted was a blockbuster franchise. I owned My Sims on the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS, and spent countless fruitful hours building up my towns, taking part in mini-games, and befriending tiny little people. MySims was (and remains) a very simple sort of game – you establish yourself in a town, and complete building requests for villagers, until you level up and unlock new villagers – but in its bright aesthetic and approachable gameplay, it was a lovely entry to video games for young players.
By design, it’s moreish and rewarding, as you chat with new folks, tick off their requests, and decorate homes. It’s somewhere in the vein of Animal Crossing, but with features pared back for a slower-paced, light story-based journey. It’s a bite-sized, brain-tickling good time – and with the launch of the MySims: Cozy Bundle, a new generation of players can now experience the franchise on Nintendo Switch.
Read: The Sims 4 Life and Death review – The best expansion yet
For years, Sims fans have begged EA to put a Sims game on this console. MySims maintained a passionate audience across a decade of absence, and prior to launch, there were frequent calls to port the games to modern consoles. While the MySims: Cozy Bundle arrives in the very late stages of the Nintendo Switch’s life cycle, we all know late is better than never – and at the very least, this bundle has arrived with great timing.
After a year filled with major, large scale RPGs, settling down with MySims once more has been incredibly gratifying. It’s the sort of game that just reeks wholesomeness, in a way that settles into your soul. You create a little character, enter your custom town, and suddenly you’re in a whirlwind of good vibes, where all that stands between you and pure happiness is gathering Apple Essences.
There are more complex and layered games than MySims. There are games with more interesting building systems, and deeper characters. But MySims more than makes up for its simplistic nature with its colourful, enthusiastic spirit.
It encourages you to take time smelling the roses. To go kick up your feet. To go fishing (even when you find tyres). And as you advance, your world grows larger, more folks trickle into your town, and eventually you’re the chief architect of a thriving cosy paradise, complete with a roaring pizza joint, a rocking nightclub, and a museum curated by a man who’s definitely not a vampire.
While there’s certainly nostalgia clouding part of my relationship with MySims, it is inherent cosy, in a way I believe translates across the eras. This is certainly a game from 2007 in its design, but in a time where games are becoming so complex and demanding, it’s a fantastic artefact of a simpler time.
It takes some getting used to its building controls, with each furniture item needing to be built from scratch, piece by piece – but novel translation to button-based controls means it won’t be long before you acquaint (or reacquaint) yourself with this system. At first I was quite frustrated with the slow pace of building, but it doesn’t take long before you pick it up, and it becomes novel to see your creations spring to life.
Once you’ve got the hang of it, your town will absolutely thrive – and you can watch with great satisfaction as your creations add to your star rating, new friends come to town, and existing friends open up.
I particularly enjoyed making friends with the town goth, Violet Nightshade, who mopes around town with a sombre expression. Get close to her house, and you’ll hear sinister music. She barely ever smiles. But give her time, and she’ll blossom.
Then there’s her sister, Poppy, who’s bright and eager, and runs the local flower shop. And DJ Candy Supergroove, who runs the local club, and boosts happiness wherever she goes. And of course, Sir Vincent, who corrals you into a life of crime by requesting counterfeit artefacts for his museum. There’s a veritable raft of good folks that follow them, each with their own little quirks.
Beyond bright, moreish gameplay, what remains most compelling about MySims is this mix of characters. In snippets, they’ll reveal more about themselves, sharing funny, weird dialogue that makes them even more endearing. You forge ahead with your town for their cause, really.
The more quests you complete, and the higher your star level, the more loveable weirdos will join your town, and the more secrets you’ll uncover. In the background, you also get the iconic Sims weirdness playing out – as actual vampires come to town, and ghosts arrive to scare you silly.
Over on the MySims Kingdom side of things, you also get a similar pathway forward, enhanced by the magic and drama of building up a fantasy kingdom, with additional quests and activities to spice up your journey.
I’m so glad both games are back and playable on modern consoles in 2024. For a long stretch, it seemed like MySims would become a forgotten franchise – a trivia question adjacent to the behemoth that is The Sims 4.
But in re-releasing MySims and MySims Kingdom for Nintendo Switch, complete with well-refreshed controls and newly-crispy graphics, EA has saved it from being a footnote. In fact, it may have paved the way for a future franchise return.
With the successor to the Nintendo Switch set to be announced in early 2025, could we see a new MySims announced along with it? There’s every chance. A MySims sequel would make for a wonderful platform inclusion, and we can all remain hopeful it will eventuate, existing alongside other cosy sims like Animal Crossing. In the meantime, those less familiar with MySims now have the perfect opportunity to get on board, and get crafting.
MySims: Cozy Bundle was provided to GamesHub by EA for the purposes of this review.
