The Sims 2 is, you guessed it, the sequel to The Sims. It was released in September 2004, a year after I was born. I started playing in 2011 when I was 7 years old. I remember HATING the needs as a kid, so I would always use the maxmotives cheat. When I was 9 I discovered The Sims Wiki and became obsessed! I loved the premade neighborhoods, but my favorite has always been Strangetown.

History of The Sims 2

TS2 introduced many core features of the series, like genetics, wants, aging, and even pregnancy! Sims' appearances also became more customizable, and features like Buy Mode and Build Mode were greatly improved. Surprisingly, The Cutting Room Floor states that development on TS2 began as early as 2000, right after TS1 was released! The game went through several visual styles before ending up with the iconic blue UI.

"Sims Mango", obviously built from TS1

Another old UI, featuring a nightmarish eye floor (and possibly an early version of the Goth family)

This one is interesting too. Note the cut Family and Friends needs and also the child with no body.

I LOVE talking about Sims 2 development but going through the entire thing would make this page way too long. Even though it's already going to be one of the longest pages on the entire site lmao

My Beta Discoveries

I know this makes me sound like a huge loser, but I like to look through TS2's game files. I have found a lot of interesting stuff and posted them here! Most of the stuff in the Unused Models section was added by me.

These parties were over before they ever happened. The bear is a scrapped memory of sleepovers Sims would have been able to throw, while the cake is likely an alternative icon for aging up.

Sims would have originally remembered telling good and bad jokes!

I was really excited to find these old versions of the affair memories. They looked so different!

Teen sims can run away from home if they have bad relationships with the household. This model proves that they were originally meant to carry a bindle with them when they left.

These memories are a lot darker than other unused things. I kind of wish the death of a spouse one made it in, it would have allowed for deeper stories.

The Sims 2's Iconic Characters

Every neighborhood in TS2 came populated with pre-made Sims. All households had a story, and some were even connected to others. Each individual sim had their own memories, biography, and relationships. The developers even made entire family trees for them! You just don't see that kind of stuff in the later Sims games.

The characters of Strangetown were always my favorite, especially when I became obsessed with making alien sims. I still play them today!

The Best Features

TS2 stands out so much to me because of all the small details the devs took time to include.

• The flowers and bushes aren't just for decoration, they actually have to be trimmed and watered.
• Sims actually open the door and step inside cars instead of teleporting inside like Sims 3.
• If a Sim drinks coffee, they'll start to shake from too much caffeine!
• If a burglar gets arrested by the police, some Sims can open the police car and free them!
• When Sims are cooking, they'll actually open the drawers on the kitchen counters to get utensils out.
• The wall-mounted TV can fall off and break!
• There are unique actions for Sims with specific personalities. Extremely neat sims can wash the windows, and playful kids and teens can slide down staircases and play around with the fridge door.