A good old-fashioned snowball fight might be all you need to improve your mood in winter.

Spring showers, summer heat, autumn winds, and winter snowstorms become a part of your Sims’ lives in Seasons, an expansion pack for The Sims 2. The challenge—to adapt to the changing climates—may not sound all that exciting, but Seasons is full of fun seasonal activities.

Various weather effects accompany each season—in autumn, leaves fall from the trees, so you need to rake them. In winter, you have to bundle up in outerwear to deal with blustery winds and heavy snowstorms. But along with the required chores and adaptation, there’s fun to be had. For example, in the winter, you can build snowmen and have snowball fights, which also helps your social relationships. At the community center, you can ice skate on the outdoor rink or go fishing at the pond (and even cook and eat, or mount, your fish).
Each season lasts for five days and affects your Sims’ moods differently. You can choose which season to play—skip summer and have two winters if you want.

Gardening blossoms on a whole new level in Seasons. The addition of greenhouses lets you grow fruit and veggies all year long. You have to fertilize the dirt, water your crops (peppers, strawberries, eggplant, and others), and tend to your plants when they get sick. When the harvest is good and ripe, you can enjoy it yourself or sell it for cash. If your plants die, they can become compost for your next crop.

The bottom line. Unlike other expansion packs, such as Open for Business or University, Seasons doesn’t add an entirely new aspect to The Sims’ gameplay. That’s not a bad thing. Instead, it enhances the core game and lets you get back to the business of managing your Sims, but in a new and more immersive way

COMPANY: Aspyr

CONTACT: www.aspyr.com

PRICE: $34.95

REQUIREMENTS: 1.4GHz G4 or Intel processor or faster, Mac OS 10.3.9 or later, 256MB RAM, 2GB free disk space, 64MB ATI Radeon 9600 or nVidia GeForce FX5200 video card or later or Intel GMA 950, full version of The Sims 2

Seasons add weather patterns and engaging activities. New gardening capabilities. Universal binary.

Not truly innovative.