KEY POINTS:
One important aspect of the Sims success story is that it has been able to make the leap across several different platforms and become a hit - not something that all gaming franchises manage to achieve.
Now comes Sims on the Wii - and what fun we can expect,
complete with evil coconuts.
In EA's Sims 2 Castaway (think Swiss Family Robinson or the first season of Lost), you have to help your Sims build a new life after washing ashore on a deserted tropical island.
And this is difficult &45; not much in the way of entertainment - no TV and your friends aren't even there to start with, just a bunch of crazy monkeys, strangers and evil coconuts.
While helping them survive you find clues that will get them back to civilisation. Collecting stuff is a big part of the game.
Along the way, you build shelters, craft items, and discover many useful treasures and ancient mysteries hidden deep within a jungle filled with plants, fruit, wildlife and 'others'.
So, unlike the traditional Sims game where your character worries about buying stuff, doing house chores and chasing love, this is about far more basic survival without the trappings of modern life.
You have to create tools to fish with, build basic furniture out of logs - even make a fire to cook food on.
The shipwrecked characters are separated early in the game, so in order to meet up and rebuild relationships, most of the game is spent investigating and finding things.
There is no argument about how good Sims games are. They have become the biggest selling multiplayer games and in the early days introduced many women to gaming life.
With a very innovative way to play it on the Wii, and bringing a new twist to the story, it's going to be popular. This is the sort of leisurely game to play when you really just want to blob out without any pressure and have a few laughs along the way.
One of the amazing things about The Sims is how absorbed you can get in the family life you have created. This will be no exception as you worry over keeping them alive, fed and happy.
It's great to see how a popular franchise can be rejuvenated after all this time even if a little bit simple.
Also out on PSP, DS and PS2.
MadGamer rating: 7 / 10