Your chances of finding an original copy of a SimCity SNES cartridge today are slim to none. Major retailers haven’t sold Super NES games or systems in more than 10 years!
Still, thanks to the Internet and the Nintendo Wii, it’s not entirely impossible to find SimCity. Here are some places to look.
Have a Wii? – SimCity is available for download through the Wii’s “Virtual Console” feature. As I mentioned in Section 1 of this guide, the Wii version is an exact replica of the original. The download will cost you 800 Wii Points, the same as most other SNES games.
You’ll also need an additional controller, because the Wii remote doesn’t have as many buttons as the original SuperNES controller. Your Wii will not allow you to play the game without one of these options:
- Wii Classic Controller (WCC)
- Pro: Buttons are in the same places as the SNES controller.
- Con: Costs about $20. Also puts more strain on your Wii remote batteries. Shop around — you may find a “combo deal” for a WCC and a Wii Points Card for less than it would normally cost to buy them separately.
- Gamecube Controller
- Pros: Doesn’t need batteries. If you already have a Gamecube, you already have controllers, so there’s no need to buy a WCC. Even if you don’t have one, most stores sell Gamecube controllers for a few bucks cheaper than Wii Classic Controllers.
- Con: The buttons are arranged slightly differently than the SNES controller. I found it too weird to get used to, so I caved in and bought a WCC instead.
- Original Super NES Controller with “RetroPort“
- Pro: If you still have an original SNES controller around, you can use this converter to hook the SNES controller up to your Wii. For about the same price as a Wii Classic Controller, it looks like a neat option.
- Con: I can’t attest to how well these work, as I do not have one. (I’d like to try one, but I just found out about them.) They are not “officially” endorsed or approved by Nintendo. I don’t see a return/refund policy anywhere on the RetroZone website, so if it doesn’t work, you may be on your own.
Check eBay – If you want to play the original on a real Super Nintendo, check eBay. Since it’s a pretty rare title, chances are you may not find it immediately. You may have to check back often before you find someone selling it.
Look for “Old Game” stores – There are many stores out there that buy and sell used games. Most of the chains like GameStop and EB tend to specialize in current platforms, so don’t waste your time there. Instead, look for locally-owned stores or smaller chains, which tend to have a much larger selection of classic games. But keep in mind, their stock is limited to whatever other people have brought in. Just like with eBay, you may need to keep checking back many times before they finally have one for sale. (Some stores will keep your name on file and call you if/when a copy of the game comes in… just ask.)
Pawn Shops or “Comic Book” stores – Reader Jeff Sichta from Omaha, NE, writes to suggest checking with pawn shops or comic book/gaming stores. They don’t always have SNES games in stock; call ahead before you make the trip. Even if they DO have games, it can be hit or miss… most shops don’t keep a detailed inventory, so they may not be able to tell you if they definitely have a copy of SimCity… only that they have SNES games.
Jeff adds, a store called Comic City in Council Bluffs, IA has ONE copy of SimCity, shrink-wrapped, in the original box and all, for $25. (He bought the only other copy, unboxed, for $10.) This is as of December 13, 2008… so depending on when you see this, I can’t guarantee it will still be there.
Important! Remember, SuperNES games use an in-cartridge battery to save your progress. Most of these batteries had a life expectancy of 5 years or something like that. SimCity was released in 1991. Do the math. If the battery isn’t already dead when you get the game, it may not last much longer. You don’t want to lose all your work! So once you get your hands on a copy of the game, check out this page I found on how to replace the battery in an SNES cartridge. I make no guarantee it actually works — just providing the link as a courtesy.
Emulate it. – The legality of using an emulator is questionable, so I’ll let you go ahead and figure this out on your own. Do not e-mail me about it — I will not respond to questions about emulators. But if you have questions about anything else, here’s my info:
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