SimCity 4's expansion, Rush Hour, streamlined the gameplay in ways that made the initial release seem obsolete, so again, be sure to install the expansion before jumping into the original. As you can guess, Rush Hour is all about transportation, and it gives you all the tools to manage your travel networks: parking garages, intercity ferries, and other enhancements that allow you to better see how your roads are affecting traffic congestion. But the most interesting aspect of the expansion is the added ability to get behind the wheel of a vehicle (or in the cockpit of an airplane) and zoom about your bustling burg. It's all good fun, though you shouldn't expect much from the driving mode: It's clunky and a bit unintuitive, though it was pretty awesome back in 2003.
In Rush Hour, rail stations are only one solution to your traffic woes.
Together, these four games make The SimCity Box a worthwhile value, if only because there's so much gameplay for a good price. SimCity 4, the oldest game of the bunch, still looks good and sounds great, so there's no reason to shy away if you're worried about the dated visuals. The pair of Societies titles looks better by today's standards, though the frame rate can get a little rough in a city packed with structures and decorations. All four of them benefit from a good deal of charm, from the oft-hilarious news tickers to the dramatic-looking disasters that can lay your city to waste. As for the fifth included game, Sims Carnival: SnapCity, it's best to ignore it completely and hope it goes away. It's a weird and boring mixture of Tetris and SimCity, and as interesting as that sounds, you shouldn't play it.
It's too bad that The SimCity Box isn't more historically relevant: A package including SimCity 2000, SimCity 3000, and SimCity 4 (and their add-ons) would have made for a fantastic, entertaining look at an important game universe. Thankfully, four of the five titles included provide enough value and entertainment to be worth the price, so if you're looking for a broad introduction to the SimCity series, this is a good way to start.
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