EA Games shows perfectly how you improve on a good thing.

As a Sim just trying to make it in the big city, you start out as just another face in the crowd who's destined to go through a series of bad jobs. That is, until you cross Daddy BigBuck's path. The multi-jillionaire wants to take over all the property in Miniopolis and turn the city into his own center of commerce. You must rise from being just another number to the number-one Urb who is the only hope to stop BigBuck's vision of monopolizing Miniopolis. The city belongs to everyone!

The Urbz aren't satisfied with a simple suburban life, where the biggest concern is which neighbor to invite to your hot tub. The Urbz lead a much more complicated, and fun, existence.

Unlike The Sims, The Urbz have no set career path. They do odd jobs (these are cool minigames) and run errands to make ends meet. Your Urb starts at the bottom rung of the ladder in these jobs but can make more money in each minigame by increasing his or her skills. Having skills, not making friends, gets your Urb closer to the top of the pay scale.

Connections and friends count on the street, though. The Urbz, for all its nonlinear aspects, is a goal-based game. You meet all kinds of people and certain ones give you important tasks to perform. Your Urb needs to use his or her street smarts to make friends and build up a reputation with the city's Rep Groups: Richies, Streeties, Nerdies and Artsies. This is tougher than it sounds because cliques are what they are for a reason.

Your Urb's Rep Group is determined when you create your Urb. After choosing your Urb's likeness and sex, the game asks you a series of personality-based questions. Your answers will determine what group you're in. Each group also has a separate set of Xizzles, or bonuses Urbz receive for making friends. Every time you make a good friend, that friend gives you a set of Xizzle Beads. Exchange three sets of beads at Club Xizzle to gain big player bonuses, such as 10,000 Simoleans or resistance to tiring.

If The Sims left you feeling a little flat because the game was more about interaction than action, The Urbz will pump you up. Every one of the minigames is well-designed and fun. (You can play the minigames against others with the Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable.) Instead of reading a book about a skill, get up early and take a quick class at the university. For a few dollars, you get the opportunity to pump up your skills without using all your time and body resources.

The local thrift shop hosts a daily auction. Compete against four other Urbz to get the best deal on an item.

Of course, The Urbz includes all the elements that made The Sims such a phenomenon. Buy a pad and fill it with all the touches that say, "This is my crib; give me some mad props." Cook grub and keep the burglars at bay. Even though you live in a city that never sleeps, you still need to.

And when you've done it all, a new section of the city opens up for you to explore, make friends and expand your real-estate interests.

Explore 25 locations in Miniopolis

Collect more than 120 objects

Easy-to-use interface

Four save slots