Urbz, Sims GBA. Challenge Everything™

[@CarbonatedFox]

I like that the villain in this game is essentially just AA running his tax free city, charging entry fees absolutely everywhere and indiscriminately bulldozing whatever he pleases.

[@LordMogatron]

LOL I thought that exact thing. While he was explaining Daddy Bigbucks' plan it was like having a flashback

[@TheInternetHelpdeskPlays]

Sounds more like Spiffing Brit

[@3Black.1Red]

pure nostalgia

[@RexRondo]

The antagonist in this game is the protagonist in Sim City.

[@calvingarbacik272]

@@narsakucanada154 if god is not dead yet then we should kill it

[@oldsnaaake]

I loved this game when I was a kid. The fiddle duel music and the nighttime theme of the Sim Market live rent free in my head since then.

[@Wizz5]

indeed "Soul Music" the song played on the Red Man's mini game, the Jail's theme, Urbania's Night theme as well many others will always live in my mind and heart

[@KNR90]

This was the best GBA game I've ever played

[@mcmlxciseaton8651]

I like the misty waters gym music. Sometimes I'd go to the gym just to listen to it.

[@lexa_power]

Same

[@TheDaemon2142]

This game is extremely underrated. The characters, minigames, ost, rpg elements, locations, quests, and the other crazy things you can do in this game is insane -- and it's all packed in a small cartridge of pure joy.

[@lexa_power]

It still lives rent free in my head. It was so good and so complex.

[@izot1061]

Seeing that they made Daddy Big Bucks into a force vision like Darth Vader on Dagobah during Luke's training killed me

[@randomstuffinthehandle088]

I'm glad someone else noticed lol

[@user-73a]

Yes I too understood that reference 🤓

[@fshoaps]

pretty surprised that the creator of the video didn’t recognize it. Star Wars seems to be fading from our culture…

[@Syndicalism]

​@fshoaps Just because he didn't comment further on the reference, it doesn't mean he didn't understand the reference.

[@kricku]

​@@fshoapsNature is healing

[@lwoods507]

This and the Sims 2 for the DS were my favourite. The Sims 2 for the DS was quite extraordinarily strange and wonderful, what with the cult that worshipped the giant cow, the ancient mummy in the basement, the suspicious mobsters, the alien autopsy room, and the general feeling that your little Sim character had fallen into some sort of Lynchian nightmare in the abandoned desert town. Great music too!

[@razzledazzle8424]

The Sims 2 for the DS and PSP are probably my favourite ports.

[@houraisheperd9721]

I'd recommend checking out the PSP one as well. They're vastly different games, and equally surreal.

[@loen1z]

the lore and eerie atmosphere in that game is unmatched, i just wish it was more like the urbz and bustin out games instead of real-time but i'm guessing that had something to do with the DS limitations. without it it's a pretty short game.

[@corvigae]

My friends and I generally agree that the world of the Sims 2 DS is, if not inspired by, at least very similar to a Hotel California feel. It's all centered around a hotel, none of the characters seem all that thrilled to be where they are but they never really leave, and everyone's always just checking in and out of this hotel for perpetuity after you finish the main storyline. Feels almost like everyone is trapped there but they either don't totally realize it or they refuse to acknowledge it. Anyways that game both entertained me for hours and and also scared the everloving shit out of me as a kid just with the eerie feeling that hung over the whole game. Swear to god the alien theme still plays in my nightmares sometimes to this day.

[@TheDarkFiddler]

Urbz and Sims 2 DS really are the best the series had when it came to the "weird America" feeling. Great games... or at least, decent enough games absolutely oozing with style.

[@Guile_The_Exile]

A criminally underrated game in the series honestly. That OST is so damn good.

[@Audiojack_]

Ian Stocker is a great composer.

[@Mister_BIack]

You should check out the remastered OST he uploaded without the bit crushed GBA/DS sound on KZbin.

[@Guile_The_Exile]

@@Mister_BIack Already did months ago when I was randomly searching for the whole OST to vibe too. 😎👍 But to others that see this comment do what the guy above me said! The best version of the whole OST is available from the original composer!

[@edybero]

I would love to see a making of from that game

[@carcosa_swamp]

Skipped school one day just to play this game because of how hooked I was. A true gem in the gba catalogue.

[@perkasenior]

I love revisiting this game every now and then, and in fact I played and finished it again just a few days ago! What a gem, the soundtrack is still great, and the story has some fun twists. Games with urban settings from the 90s and 2000s are quite special.

[@dirtySwingset]

Yo same! That's a trip to think how many people still play these, I just beat urbz for gba at the beginning of the month!

[@perkasenior]

@@dirtySwingset right? Mine was also the GBA version, I only ever played that one. Originally I emulated it as a kid, but I found a copy of the game on a second hand shop some time ago and had to buy it. It really is that special.

[@Digger-Nick]

The DS version has even more goodies and missions

[@Doylt]

I love when AA is doing challenge runs of games but I also greatly enjoy “here’s a 19 year old game I’ve been thinking a lot about….” videos.

[@TheBinsQueen]

THIS IS ALSO ONE OF MY FAVORITE GAMES OF ALL TIME. I even tracked down all the figures from atomic toys they made for this game on eBay. I am so happy to see someone else love this incredibly special game as much as me! So nice to see other commenters so fond of this game as well. It was just absolute perfection. This and bustin out on GBA packed such a punch for a GBA game

[@katierasburn9571]

THEY MADE FIGURES???

[@Jonatron101]

...Figures?!?!

[@TheBinsQueen]

@@katierasburn9571 YEP. I found out about them from the URBZ instruction manual on the back recently. So on ebay I went and I had to get them imported from the UK from the only person in the world selling them. I got a GBA set and they did have a console set as well and the only trace of those I've seen are some old reddit posts.

[@pinkpugginz]

This is also one of my favorite games too. seriously ahead of its time.

[@harvester_of_sorrow96]

I loved this game so much.

[@BonnieEldritch]

I bought this game as a bootleg version in turkey as a child and much like you, the game captivated me so much. I still love it dearly and remember all the characters by heart. 🥰 Fun fact, I too was very scared by Daddy Bigbucks throwing me into the river, but the bayou bit had the complete opposite effect on me! It started my love for the backwoods and bayous as well as their people. 😂

[@mimi-xx]

can we talk about how amazing the music in this game is? i know people already acknowledge how good the music in the urbz is plenty, or even the sims as a whole, but damn if that fiddle minigame music doesnt haunt me in my dreams and damn if i dont love it every single time.

[@jarnobot]

Check out Ian Stocker on KZbin! He's the original composer of the these masterpieces and he remastered all of them with original source files and put them on KZbin!

[@megbishop638]

I'm now doing a PhD on the housing crisis and gentrification and I absolutely will reference this game in the acknowledgements

[@DerangedHarlequin]

I get unreasonably happy when I see you play these sims spin offs. They have a special place in my soul

[@KatlamosQuickdraw]

Oh man. This version of the game is the one I had and loved. This whole episode is just a straight nostalgia trip. I'm gonna have to emulate this game and play it again since I don't have a gba anymore

[@tonightscake4127]

If you do, please share where you get the emulator from.

[@LunaRuna212]

@@tonightscake4127 there are still many emulator apps for android (and probably ios) available in all app stores. On my PC I'm still using the same one I got more than 12 years ago, but it's probably not too hard to find a download somewhere.

[@frostyx1531]

I like ur pfp!

[@KatlamosQuickdraw]

@@frostyx1531 thank you! She's my fursona (I bought the base and did the coloring and some minor edits)

[@jamiesf7485]

play the DS version. its the same game but with even more weird features

[@chloroaurics]

Holy shit i cannot understate how many times I've played this game as a kid. Among all the handheld sims games, this was my favorite-I adored the plot, characters, locations, music, and even little details like dialogue and secrets. It's so cool to see that I'm not the only one this game made an impact on

[@jordanmacavoy4089]

This brought back some ancient core memories for me. I’ll never forget the pain of not knowing how to cure vampirism.

[@bigjohnsbreakfastlog5819]

As you know, chocolate cures vampires up to a year out. After that, you gotta kill 'em, unfortunately.

[@katierasburn9571]

For me it was that damned motorbike minigame, couldnt get past it at all

[@Jonatron101]

@@katierasburn9571 The trick is to spend more money than you'll ever earn from it on upgrades so no one else stands a chance. Then never play it again because the other minigames are much more profitable.

[@thelongboarddude95]

Holy crap, yes! I remember I got completely stuck on that one! To a point where I gave up and only a year or so later came up with the idea to search for the solution online. That was so frustrating 😄

[@Crampsam]

I love how many people have great memories of this and Bustin Out on GBA. I played Urbz to death as a kid and loved finding the secret areas and getting to know the townsfolk. And yes, that soundtrack has gotta be one of the best for any game, handheld or otherwise

[@blurrydreams97]

This is my favorite game of all time! I do a replay of the DS version about once a year. I miss the bumper boats and didn't do anything with Splicer Island until last year lol. It makes me genuinely happy to see someone still talking about this game. Thank you AA!

[@Enoxix.]

Urbz and Bustin’ Out were both in my top 5 of favorite games for the GBA! Replayed them so many times! Think I’ll go get my GameBoy SP again.

[@foopakoopa1348]

Ive been waiting for this video tbh lol This game is a huge part of my childhood, the sisters I played this game with are no longer with us but watching this video definitely brought back some memories Thank you for the great video

[@charlesgill1854]

One of my favorites as a child. Crazy how realistic the gentrification of daddy big bucks has become.

[@funnythings4u]

dude so true, so many bars and places close then reopen as a parody of their previous selves

[@bardofhighrenown]

The bayou scene traumatized him so bad he has spent the rest of his life building fictional cities over and over and over again to stave off the dread of the eternal, impending wilderness.

[@michaelcrain-zamora3271]

Happy to hear someone else talk about this game. I played it as a child too and it's been one of the games that have always stuck with me. I still love to play the violin job from time to time. I also feel like a lunatic when describing the game to other people.

[@gonzoGnostalgic]

I love a game that takes a detour from a "Stop the evil land developer" plot to explore a Lynchian demon swamp for a few hours

[@rockinrootbeer1795]

My older brother was gifted this game and an original DS when it fist first launched (I one got as well but witb Mario 64 DS instead). I was too young to read efficiently, so I had no idea what to do in the game, but once I was old enough, by golly, was this game fun. My favorite part was creating bizarre creatures in the lab towards the end of the story. It was so much fun watching a tiny T-rex/raptor and unicorn follow my character around town!

[@Warlordofsin]

I love seeing videos on Bustin' Out and Urbz on GBA! These were my favorite games as a kid. I played them back-to-back last year and they're still amazing! One of my favorite strats is to stay in jail, max out the body stat, and get promoted in the basketball minigame for some good income. Also, the voicelines for the Bayou Brothers live rent-free in my head; I still find myself saying "HOODEE YEEHAW" and "KAY OLBOY" to this day. Thanks for making this video, it makes me smile seeing the community in the comments and finding out how much this game meant to others as well!

[@mah1na]

i only have a few things to say to that. KOH LAY? SHO-HAH!

[@smartiechuco]

I played this game so much as a kid. It’s soundtrack was crazy good. “Glasstown (Night)” is one of my favorite video game tracks ever.

[@xxFireaxx]

This was and still is my favourite game of all time. It's so simple yet so full of creativity and likley sparked my desire to make games. I still play this on my first gbsp all the time.

[@xxFireaxx]

Playing this game after my mom put me to bed. I hid under the sheets playing the game and when she would hear the music I would hide my gbsp under my pillow only to flip it back open after she thinks I'm asleep only to listen to that smooth nighttime theme wile playing the mitigates over and over again. Such a cozy game. There's nothing like it

[@gigits2798]

The video on Bustin' Out was strange to me, a close uncanny valley to a faint memory I had of a sims game I had all but convinced myself was a dream. I never beat Urbz but I played it allot, this has brought back so much nostalgia for me that I can't help but smile.

[@IamTheaveragegamer]

What a game this was, countless hours spent. The Townhouse was goated housing to me but the tower was dope too. Darius was legit, him and his swizzlesticks.

[@darlagoddesshate]

This was one of my favorite games growing up. It had such a cool sense of place even with the zany quests. I keep wishing they'll one day have games with the same sense of humor and wanting to give an experience again. But memories like from this game remain.

[@YoursTrulyGarbage]

Such an insane amount of nostalgia packed into just 10 minutes here. I spent countless hours playing this game and loved every second of it... well, almost. Apart from the graveyard guarding and the part where running gets you thrown in jail, but other than that it was a wonderful experience all through out.

[@perkasenior]

The positive thing about those parts of the game, is that it keeps the player on their toes. The running law especially, so many games of the time had the "press B to run" mechanic that the developers expected players to rely heavily on it, even with a bike and hoverboard at their disposal. So using that against the player as a part of the plot, while annoying, is clever because that's the point.

[@talk-supersix-seven6021]

I loved the graveyard guarding mission. That was so funny. The way Darius comes up to you demands to be let in and if you deny him his response is HUH??? in a really loudly played sound effect along with a ridiculous face expression. So much nostalgia. I loved the way you you just had to spam topics to make people like you and the funny sounds they’d make “ uh huh! 😊” “eughooo 😡” lol

[@Wh173c0c0]

Man, I loved this game as a teen. You had a Sims-style game with an open world filled with interesting characters with unique personalities. There were tons of fun side activities, a quirky but compelling story, lots of locales to explore and secrets to find... And all of that was contained in a handheld that I could play on long car rides. Thanks for the nostalgia trip.

[@404_nowheresnotfound3]

I love watching people happy and passionate about stuff, even if I’ve never heard of it before!

[@c.a.1506]

This was one of my favorite games growing up, I'm so glad that you did a video on it!

[@jillhueller2418]

I've been hoping you would play this. Gosh am I excited.

[@ximbabwe0228]

I love how the evil plan involves a completely unnecessary and expensive bulldozing phase 😂 like you don't need to rebuild the whole building if you bought it just to charge entry

[@conormcwelch4749]

Words can’t express how excited I am to watch this

[@NuclearDystopia]

thanks for making this, i have such fond memories of this game and i always felt like i was the only one who ever played it. you're exactly right that it felt so mysterious and huge as a kid.

[@psychohippie]

This game is one of my all time favorites! It holds a lot of nostalgia.

[@jonscott831]

Not only do i love your delivery, humor, and shared interest in weird sim experiments, you've got me replaying sims 4 to scratch the itch. You're hilarious.

[@nightrider_]

Played this on a tablet with a simulator not long ago (didn't have gba when I was little :() I loved it so much. Coming from playing all the other story oriented sims games this is my favourite of all time. I love it.

[@beerdedtechreviews7634]

One of my fav channels. Love everything Sims related, and this really makes me want to get a GBA again. I had mine for just a year or so and apparently missed out on a lot of fun games.

[@Weatherman4Eva]

I played the hell out of the DS version, I'm so glad you're getting to this game

[@henotic.essence]

Man, I love your videos so much, I watch them whenever they're suggested to me, even when I've already seen them multiple times! You have such a refreshing, charming way of talking about games.

[@my_kneecaps7706]

So Daddy Bigbucks' big plan is just... playing SimCity? Are we all our Sims' own Daddy Bigbucks???

[@arenard765]

Thank you so much for this video, this is probably one of my all time fav video game, I'm glad it got the recognition it deserves!!

[@crkhane]

The Daddy Bigbucks matchup can be rough sometimes, but knowing that giant swing is a 1 break helps a lot.

[@Ozziethecat]

Your content has helped keep me sane over the last few years. Thank you for another great piece of content. I went through a lot of depression while taking care of an ill family member, and I lost my connection with gaming, and I've gotten back into gaming through your content. I got into Rimworld because of you and that game was a huge breath of fresh air. Sorry for dragging on, but thank you for helping us persist amongst this modern ennui, kaloo kalay!

[@loen1z]

hopefully you're planning on making a video on the sims castaway console game because the story and gameplay is incredible! it's crazy how much content they fit into it. i've never actually beat it because i got sidetracked/had too much fun exploring and crafting everything i could but now that i'm thinking about it i really want to. it's a shame that the console games for the sims 4 are literally just ports of the pc versions. i'd say i should have appreciated the sims 2 era of games but i still replay most of them every year lol

[@schmeggomeggo]

This was the first video game ever that made me smuggle my gba to grade school to play in the bathroom stalls during breaks

[@00110000]

This game is such a treasure trove of memories for me. I can still hear that amazing bayou music in my head from time to time...

[@nickek8623]

Thank you for making a video on this game, I was obsessed with it as a kid. I still have my 4 copies of the GBA cartridge and on DS cartridge. Seeing one of my favorite KZbinrs making a video on my favorite game really made my day. This was like a trip down memory lane. Thanks AA!

[@SnipeDude500]

I love The Urbz: Sims in the City

[@nakenmil]

I love these little re-views! I never played any of them, so it's nice to get a "guided tour" so to speak.

[@BeaneCat]

God I love console Sims. This looks like so much fun.

[@KopperNeoman]

@narsakucanada154 You're only going to drive people away from the Lord of Lords like that.

[@harperthejay]

This was one of my favorite games, and nobody had ever heard of it when I was younger. It was one of those GBA titles that really drew me in. It might sound silly, but I always thought this and Metroid Pinball were two *really* underrated games that should have been more popular.

[@peppy5121]

The Waffle House has found its new host

[@machomuu]

I've been hoping you would cover this one for so long, it was my first DS game and it feels like almost no one knows about it. It's SUCH a joy to go back to and idk, glad to see other people that feel the same way about it.

[@FollyPlays]

This game is actually the GOAT of the GBA. I have so many fond memories of this game, it's kinda like a fever dream thinking back on it. Also The Sims 2 on GBA / DS was an amazing game too from what I can remember

[@magetsalive5162]

I waited for this, and I'm happy it's happened. I'm going to point out just a couple of my favorite tidbits of the game, so spoiler warning to anyone who hasn't yet played this gem. If you're still looking even after the "show more", you're about to be spoiled. The whole bayou portion is probably my favorite part of the game. Not only is the Red Man my favorite of the minigame jobs, but escaping the bayou leads to a great rugpull moment in the story. See, while you were having an involuntary bayou adventure, Daddy Bigbucks somehow got "running" turned into a criminal offense. After the amount of time you've spent playing the game and running everywhere, it's only natural that you'd continue doing so upon getting back to Sim Quarter. So when you suddenly hear the police siren SFX, get a popup telling you you're busted, and find yourself in jail talking to Detective Dan again, it's the last thing you'd expect to happen. It absolutely caught me my first playthrough, and the memory of that sudden change in the laws has stuck with me ever since. Oh, and the Bayou brothers? The Ninja is tied to them. If you talk about Ninjas with Clem, he'll tell you they supply her with her smoothies.

[@Baleur]

7:38 LOL its a Star Wars reference to when Luke confronts his own self as Darth Vade in the caverns.

[@IsoscelesNightmare]

This is absolutely my favourite game of all time, the vibes were immaculate, the music revolutionary, the bayou is probably got my favourite area music of all time. Glad to see people are still thinking about it even today. I wonder will you cover the Sims 2 gba game because thats ALSO a ride!

[@GhettoWxzrd]

0:57 Something about seeing the Sims 1 expansions after all these years, that gives me EXTREME nostalgia..

[@TheRishikesh99]

I just found out your channel trying to live out memories of the games. If you notice at the start of the game there is a crashed rocket on top of the tower. It is implied that the rocket from bustin out crashed into the tower and you came out of it. And then you get hired as a janitor.

[@HelensLibrary]

This game is so close to my heart! Many, many hours of my tween life were spent in Miniopolis. Thank you for sharing!

[@twootievids]

I loved every moment of this video. I grew up with the Urbz Sims in the City DS and it's ultimately become one of my top 10 favorite video games of all time. It definitely shaped my musical tastes and I also spent some time in Louisiana while playing it. Very nostalgic! I replay the DS version every few years and ngl it doesn't get old! Thanks for bringing light to these awesome Sim handheld games. :)

[@chaoticjexak]

thank you for diving into this one. ive been hoping youd cover it since the home console urbz video!

[@potSine]

The Urbz was my longest Blockbuster game rental

[@LindseyTyler]

This was so good! Please keep making more Sims content - they're such a joy to watch. I think it would be cool to see you try doing the same challenge (like Rags to Riches) in The Sims 1, 2, and 3 to see how different each game is

[@jayro6397]

I am so glad I am not the only one to think "Challenge Everything" whenever I see the EA logo.

[@Balnazzari]

this was one of my absolute favourite games growing up and definitely one of my favourite Sims games so seeing you do a video about it was great!

[@DustinOffAClassic]

The villain is an homage to the antagonist on It's a Wonderful Life, Mr Potter.

[@galaxycraft007]

I think more children or teens (like me) should play these absolute gems. I got into GB, GBC and GBA games about 2 years ago and bought a GBA SP almost a year ago, and honestly I'm so happy I did. These games are truly amazing.

[@dustinrobbins7313]

i have been waiting for a video on this game by a creator that i love for SO long thank you, i haven't even watched the vid yet and i know it's gonna be amazing this is def one of my favorite games of all time and one of the best soundtracks ever lol

[@olimagmoli]

as a minnesotan the fact that this city is a pun for minneapolis threw me for a loop every time you said it 😭

[@sqiddy2372]

I have so much love for this game, the team behind it did an amazing job of creating such a unique world! I recently replayed it after watching your sims bustin' out video. I'm so happy you did a video on the Urbz!

[@TheOverdxse]

Super happy to see you cover this, I never hear people talk about this game and I was obsessed with it as a kid. Probably my Favorite gba game

[@Tatulak]

One of the greatest games ever! There are so much personality in each corner it is always fresh and fun

[@postpup]

This game is genuinely one of the best games I have ever played -- I go back to it so often. Thanks for the nostalgia!

[@emilyfoster6487]

I love watching you talk about these old Sims games! I didn't have any of these growing up but I did have the Sims bustin out on GameCube and I never did beat it as a kid despite plenty of game hours put into it!

[@chainsawz5618]

yes! this game was amazing, one of my all time favorites for the gba, glad to see it getting some of the attention it deserves

[@JaneAndJohnDoe-w7n]

This one was my childhood goddamn. You are amazing.

[@anxietyfloof]

It's always amazing watching aa bring us through games he enjoyed. The passion and the joy embued in the story he tells.

[@KrazyCatQueen]

Ahaha. This is the Sims Urbz i played. I have a lot of fond memories of it. I never had the DS version and I remember my friend did. The DS version had a couple extra characters and i wanted to buy it, but never did. I’ll never forget getting my favorite item, which is the Magic Lamp. I was so excited haha.

[@Dexroid]

That was surprisingly heartfelt and tender. I loved my GBA, particularly Advance Wars. Good job, man.

[@Scycthe]

Thank you very much for reminding me of these games, I played them so much when I was a kid, this really really brings me back.

[@Ricksdetrix]

god damn I loved this game to death as a kid. I remember not knowing where to go, every time one of those green exclaimation marks popped up I would be so overjoyed

[@gustavovasquez92]

NOSTALGIA Thank you for reminding me how great my childhood was. I miss this game and NEED to find myself a copy and a GBA.

[@Keijoz]

I remember loving the shit out of this game as a kid. And as far as my memory serves its the best game in the sims franchise

[@joshwalker4399]

Yoooo this is a blast from the past! I legit was looking through my things the other day and saw my original cartridge for this game!

[@giladpellaeon1691]

New subscriber and fan of the channel, the algorithm guided my here from my long time viewing of Call Me Kevin and Spiffing Brit. I remember playing games of this franchise years ago (we share a fondness for Sim City on the SNES, lost weeks of my youth to that game) and I played the Urbz a bit but for PS2. Gotta say I like the different more narrative format you use in your vids. Keep up the great work!

[@thymebandit3456]

When the pages were flipping at the end I absolutely thought my screen was flickering... Anywho, thanks for another great video!

[@mah1na]

the wait is FINALLY OVER, i'm so glad you got to enjoy this childhood favorite

[@TheCoastalAVENGER]

I absolutely adored this game growing up! I've played plenty of Sims spinoff games but this one really feels like it's own thing. Has a ton of heart and personality as you said. criminally underrated. There's even a secret entrance that takes you to the moon :D

[@Diy_Papi]

He has slowly become my favorite gaming KZbinr by far, it’s because his narration is impeccable!

[@2005emobangs]

I literally decided to come back to this game on a whim last night and here you are releasing a video on it. We live in a simulation.

[@JackSlenderman]

I loved the GBA Bustin' out and have deep nostalgia for this game. So much content in the palm of my hands as a kid with a goofy yet engaging story.

[@MadRayne]

Oh man I loved this game. Just recently played through the DS version as well, they're so great! Thank you for covering it!