The Sims 2 (Game Boy Advance video game)

The Sims 2 is a 2005 life simulation video game developed by Amaze Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts for the Game Boy Advance (GBA). Development of the game began following the success of The Sims 2 for personal computers. The GBA version differs significantly from the original version, being a game with linear progression in the style of a reality show and 2D isometric graphics.

It is the third and final game in the Sims series to be developed by Amaze Entertainment following The Sims Bustin' Out and The Urbz: Sims in the City. The game received mixed reviews from critics upon release.

Gameplay and plot
The game takes place in a city called Strangetown, which is populated by various Sims who have no idea that they are part of a grandiose reality show called “Once Upon a Time in a Strange Town” and all their actions are being filmed. The show is organized by billionaire Daddy Bigbucks, who moved from the metropolis after his defeat in The Urbz. Bigbucks personally hires the player character as the star of the show and guides them via earpiece through a number of scenarios.

The game begins with a character creation editor where the player can choose the name, gender, skin color, clothes and hairstyle of the Sim. Next, the controlled Sim finds themself in a new area, in which they will henceforth live. The game is a linear action-adventure title with some attributes of the original The Sims 2. The character moves around the town to solve problems and help local residents. By choosing a life goal related to wealth, popularity or knowledge, this affects the further desires and knowledge of the controlled Sim. As the player completes tasks, the controlled Sim earns money and looks for things they need. Sims can also earn extra money by playing various mini-games (that are presented in-universe as commercials). With all this, the player must not forget about the character's basic needs for sleep, food, toilet, hygiene and sleep.

After completing the storyline of each episode in the reality show, the player's performance is judged by critics based on how well the main storyline was executed and how many secret easter eggs were uncovered. A large number of points increases the show's rating and unlocks new items and interactions with other characters.

Development and release
Following the commercial success of The Sims 2, Electronic Arts (EA) announced on May 5, 2005, that it would release versions of The Sims 2 for additional platforms, including a version for the Game Boy Advance (GBA). Despite sharing a title, the GBA version bears little similarity to the original game, and was designed around the platform's unique features. The GBA version was developed by Amaze Entertainment, and would be the final game in the franchise developed by them. It was produced by J.C. Connors, written by Darby McDevitt, and featured level design by Dan McAuliffe.

The GBA version of The Sims 2, unlike the original game, is not an open-ended life simulator, but a game with a linear progression in which the controlled Sim must maintain the ratings of a reality show. The game contains elements of surreal and dark humor, influenced by the development team's previous work on the GBA version of The Sims Bustin' Out; the developers credited the creative freedom granted by Maxis for such a clear genre departure from the main series. Producer J.C. Connors noted that EA eventually ceased monitoring the progress of development and the creators decided to completely move away from the canon proposed in The Sims 2 for PC. Connors admitted that the lack of control allowed the writers to create strange plot twists and humor, which could be traced back to the game Bustin' Out and became more and more obvious along with the release of subsequent games.

The soundtrack for The Sims 2 was jointly created by composers Ian Stocker of Ian Stocker Sound Design and Kyle Johnson of Moontech Studios, who collaborated online to compose music for the GBA and Nintendo DS versions.

The Sims 2 was released in North America on October 25, 2005, and in Europe on November 4.

Reception
The Sims 2 was met with "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.