We'd rather wreck the city than have to pay back interest on our loans.

SimCity relocates to the iPhone, remodeling the storied city simulation into a small space. And it plays like a meaty, complete version; the iPhone game is based on SimCity 3000, closely resembling that deep edition. SimCity still needs some refinement and more explicit instructions, but the control naturally translates to the small touch-screen. The hallmark of the series also survives; you'll build up a town from empty fields to metropolis, watching the city grow as a living creature.

You're mayor, initially just zoning various residential, commercial, and industrial spaces. As standard for the series, instead of micromanaging every building, the citizens choose whether to add industries and homes based on the health of the town. You'll create government-led infrastructure, including roads, a water and power system, police stations, and even sports stadiums to make the area attractive. While there's a lot to do, such as setting tax rates and approving ordinances, the balance is manageable; we never got frustrated by having to control too many tasks.

The iPhone interface largely excels in driving the game. You'll pinch to zoom-in and -out, swipe to scroll, and intuitively run the town. When placing structures, various helper buttons verify your choice, so you don't accidentally build with a mis-tap. But a few moderate interface issues still need improvement; for example, screens with scrolling lists are often unclear that there's more information hidden below. And we often had problems building bridges, trying dozens of times before the game would allow us to finish.

A scrolling news ticker and other layers of feedback provide data on your city. Lots of help screens give good background information, but we wanted more specifics. For example, our citizens constantly complained that certain areas were unreachable by roads, but we wanted the game to highlight specific trouble spots. And our train systems were nearly always ignored; we wanted to know why they lacked riders.

SimCity condenses its sprawling, urban simulation into an iPhone-sized package that still feels big. While some interface issues disappoint, we always enjoy watching the cities grow and transform.

SimCity 1.0.0
COMPANY: Electronic Arts
CONTACT: www.eamobile.com
PRICE: $9.99
REQUIREMENTS: iPhone or iPod touch with 2.2 software update.
Gradually unfurls complexity. Wide range of building types and upgrades. Controls usually effective.
Slow to boot, load, and save. Doesn't save automatically if you push the Home button. Lacks explicit feedback to help tune your towns. Can't listen to your own music while playing.