The Sims: House Party Expansion Pack

by Electronic Arts

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000059S8D
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: March 10, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (194 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,396 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #31 in Video Games > PC Games > Arcade

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Toga party, anyone? Now your Sims can do that and more with The Sims: House Party Expansion Pack, which makes it easier than ever for characters from The Sims to make friends and quickly rise to the top ranks of their professions.

They'll need all the extra money they make from promotions to pay for all the cool goodies included in this expansion. Party themes range from Wild West campfire cookouts to Hawaiian luaus and room-shaking raves, with plenty of objects provided to keep guests entertained. There's a costume trunk to guarantee everyone will be dressed for the occasion, and it's even possible to hire a caterer to keep the food and drink flowing. If you're really lucky, a famous star may pop in for a guest appearance. Every party is packed with surprises, and the inclusion of extra neighborhoods ensures there's always a bash to plan. This is one expansion that no fan of The Sims should be without. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• More than 100 new objects and characters
• Guaranteed social interactions can really help a Sim's career
• Great music and fun themes
• Plenty of surprises

Cons:

• Takes time away from real parties

Product Description

For Windows 95/98

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

151 of 153 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Must Have" For Sims Fans!, March 29, 2001

By 

FictionAddiction.NET - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sims: House Party Expansion Pack (CD-ROM)

I've had this game for less than 24 hours so I'll give you the skinny on what I know so far:

To me, the best part is watching them dance in the Dance Cages. The way they dance and the noises they make are absolutely hilarious. They literally shake their booty!

Then there's the Mechanical Bull. You can have your Sim choose whether he or she wants to ride Easy, Medium or Difficult. So far my Sims have been knocked on their tail and one even landed on her head when she was thrown from the bull! Plus, the bull makes noises and it's just like being at a rodeo.

There's a bubble blower. New counters. New bookcases. New bars. New windows. New doors. New wallpapers. Lots of new, cool-looking furniture. New sinks. A futuristic-looking shower that has a "10" for hygiene. New stairs. Lots of fences.

Even a queue line so your Sims will be orderly in the bathroom line without walking in on each other. Oh, and there's a male and female door so your Sims will know which bathroom to go in! A "special" punch that makes the Sims do weird things (my Sims keep drinking and drinking the punch but nothing strange has happened yet). A male or female dancer will pop out of a cake (very funny).

Your Sims (up to 8 of them) can sit around a campfire. There, they can roast marshmallows, sing (you'll recognize some of the songs in that special Sim language) and they can tell stories. One of my Sims was telling a ghost story (you could tell by his actions) - Well, a ghost rose up from the middle of the fire! Everyone ran and one guy actually had a little bladder problem when he saw the ghost.

Now onto the dance floor. When your Sims dance on the special dance floor tiles, the floor changes color. They even dance differently to each music style. For example, they boogie when you play Disco, look like they're square dancing when you play Country and raise their hands in the air when you play Rap.

You've probably heard about the costume trunk. All you have to do is direct one Sim to change and they all automatically change. The different clothes styles are formalwear, beach, club, togas, western, costumes, disco and swimwear. The swimwear one isn't just their normal bathing suit either. It's all sorts of swimwear.

Instead of clicking on the neighbor's name and inviting everyone individually, there's now a "Throw Party" option on the telephone.

There are also non-player characters that show up to your party. I had some techno-looking girl show up. If you have a great party then a celebrity might show up. No word on who that celebrity is. And when your party is a bust, a mime shows up! Let's just say my first party was a bust!!

You can also hire a caterer to keep the plates filled. When the Sims walk up to the buffet table, they may grab a plate of cake or a plate of regular food. It's fun just to see what they're going to eat!

The caterer cleans up everything, talks, dances and even starts messing around with the costume trunk. He'll take clothes out and see how they'd look on him.

The Sims also play charades. Look for the "Parlor Game." From what I've seen an unlimited amount of Sims can play charades. When they get it right you hear a ding.

The reviews I read said there was going to be an oxygen bar for energy so the Sims would stay longer. I've looked and looked and don't see one. So yes, the Sims usually leave around 1 a.m. The police still show up too.

I have run into certain technical glitches. I have a brand new computer and Livin' Large ran just great on it. No problems. Not slow at all.

House Party does run a little slower and it's extremely slow when I have a whole bunch of people over. My Sims don't shake hands anymore either. Now they actually shake hands with the air. I'm not sure what that's all about. And I'll also be in one part of my Sims house and - all of a sudden - the game will kick me into a completely different part of the house. It's not enough to make me regret buying House Party, though.

I hope this review helps. I was skeptical about buying this game because I really wasn't sure if it was going to live up to its hype. I definitely think Maxis has struck gold again!

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!, March 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sims: House Party Expansion Pack (CD-ROM)

The Sims is an amazing game but after buying the and using the objects over and over you crave something more. That's what these expansions are for!!! They 'expand' you game (hence the name) by providing tons more wallpaper, skins, floors, building options, and objects. Also introduced are new game concepts:

-New NPC's: The Caterer, The Exotic Dance ;), the Tragic Mime, The Campfire Ghost, Party Crashers, and more

-Objects such as the dance floor, DJ booth, punch bowl (with side effects), costume trunk, mechanical bull, etc. radically can make or break a party.

- 3 new themes, rave, hula, and country, come with objects, decorations, and skins costume built

Check this game out! It'll give you tons more fun with The Sims!

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deserves 99 stars!, April 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sims: House Party Expansion Pack (CD-ROM)

This game is an expansion pack for the wildly popular game of the year for 2000, The Sims. Putting it basically, if you liked The Sims, you'll love this! It adds a TON of new objects, some of the best being: Campfire, which your Sims group around and sing songs, roast marshmellows, or tell stores; Mechanical Bull, which your Sims can ride for fun and the hard to get Body skill points; The Cake of Surprises, which will give you an exotice dancer; the Costume Trunk, which puts all of your Sims in the same genre of outfits; the Bubble Blower, a fun object for four Sims; the catering table, which holds many types of foods for your guests to grab whenever they want; the DJ table, with several types and new music; and the dance floor, totally awesome!! In addition to these, it adds plenty of new objects such as chairs, tables, and other common objects that can be used any time. It is now easier then ever to throw a party. Your Sims can go to the phone and select "Throw Party" and every other Sim they've met in the neighborhood will drop by. Then you can get ready for some serious socialzing! The expansion also adds things like floors, fences, and walls, and an awesome elevator! There are many new build mode objects. Then, there are the NPCs. The caterer, who keeps your table filled (for a fee), the Mime, male and female dancers, the Party Crasher, the campfire ghost, Drew Carey, and even more are rumored... If you liked The Sims and Livin' Large, this is a total MUST HAVE!!!