Producer of Electronic Arts Japan Takahiro Murakami revealed quite a lot about the highly-anticipated SimCity title headed for the Nintendo DS, as well as his thoughts about the Wii and the possibility of the number-crunching, fund-cutting City Simulator coming over to the Big N's white console. We're here to give you the facts and just the facts.

Takahiro Murakami began the interview with a little backstory on SimCity DS. Taking a little over a year of development with a team that consisted of 15 highly-dedicated individuals (expanding to 20 when crunch time came), the DS title is actually based on SimCity 3000 that came out on the PC. In fact, 30% of the elements in SimCity 3000 were used in SimCity DS, along with a simplified code tailored to fit the Dual Screen's capabilities.

It's not just another rehash, though. Takahiro Murakami makes it clear that while both games are essentially the same, SimCity DS offers a more on-the-go experience, providing fun gameplay in a short period of time - whereas the original home title was made to be played in leisure and at long intervals. The controls and maps have been simplified to augment this 'pick-up-and-play' orientation - and the development team went so far as to include a very detailed tutorial that even the newest of newbies to the series could learn the basics and start playing.

When asked about the game's Wi-Fi possibilities, Murakami revealed that the game does not have any Wi-Fi capabilities - it does, however, have a Wireless Communication Feature where players can trade landmarks with each other. He explained that he wanted to develop a good single-player experience first, before moving onto multiplayer - but he's certainly thinking about it, as he plans to assess players' interest in Wi-Fi play with the landmark-trading function.

Finally, when asked about a potential SimCity for the Wii, Murakami replied with a very positive-sounding note:

"We are always open to all available platforms. I would be very interested in hearing consumer feedback on the platform going forward."

SimCity for the Wii would definitely be a treat - and with the console's online capabilities, perhaps a SimCity game where you can actually see other cities (or maybe countries) of other players competing with your own isn't that far-fetched of a dream. We can only hope, can we?

The full interview can be perused at the read link we've provided below.

  

We've got 13 new SimCity DS Screens for you, and despite being a serious game of city management and society building, you have to admit that the DS version looks SOOOOO cute. Electronic Arts did a good job of making everything accessible for handhelds, and we're pleased to see the results of the International Version.

For instance, your city itself is in caricature, looking a lot like an Advance Wars sort of city filled with people and automobiles, bustling and growing. Even more importantly, your city advisor is a cute businesslike lady who wants you to be the best mayor you can be. Isn't she sweet?

The international release of SimCity DS probably won't have the good old Japanese castles they had in the Japanese version, but you can bet that if there's an unlockable, there's a way. Till then, enjoy these screenshots, and rejoice in being able to have an entire city in the palm of your hand. Enjoy!

   

More screenshots after the jump!

Designed by Will Wright and released in 1989, SimCity is truly one of the biggest gaming masterpieces of all time. This game has spawned four sequels and is considered by some to be the granddaddy of Sim games. When it was first released, we found that leaving the computer on while you went to school and coming home to find you can purchase a new suspension bridge was perfectly normal. However, if you were crazy enough to leave disasters on, there were times you would come home to see the ruins of your smouldering/ waterlogged/ radioactive city.

This problem shall plague us no more. Electronic Arts has given word that the SimCity franchise will be released internationally for the DS. It will not be a port but a SimCity game designed around the console. Certain features such as putting out the fires by blowing into the microphone and signing off Mayoral decrees with your stylus will definitely add a sense of you running the city. Famous landmarks will also be included in the game. As an added bonus, players will be able to communicate with each other via the “wireless data exchange” feature.

SimCity DS is set to be out this summer. If you plan on picking up a copy we have to warn you: It can be addicting.

Reticulating splines... Ah the joys of playing games from Maxis Software. Let us hope that Maxis, though it's only a private division of Electronic Arts, never loses that "Maxis touch".

Sim City was announced for the DS back in August of 2006 (and we went oooh and aaah over the Famitsu scan). A few screenshots followed a month after that. Now there's more news from Famitsu: the game features Japanese castles.

The ones we are familiar with are:

• venerable Himeji castle, one of the oldest structures from medieval Japan
• Nagoya castle, which was burned down in WWII but rebuilt in 1959
• beautiful Osaka castle, this author's personal favorite
• impressive Edo castle, of Chiyoda, Tokyo (formerly Edo of Musashi Province)

There are two more castles. According to different translated sources like Go Nintendo, they are:

• Azuchi castle (if this is true, then the Sim City version is a reconstruction: to the best of our knowledge, the real Azuchi castle burned down during the lifetime of Tokugawa, and all you can visit now is the stairsteps)
• Morioka castle

So cool. It'd be nice if there were options for castles from other nations, too. Still, we hope they keep the Japanese castles if this game comes to the US (oh very well, we'll also tie omikuji in the trees and hope the gods release this game for North America, Europe, and Australia, and the rest of the Sim-City-loving world too).

February 22, 2007, is the release date for Sim City DS. In Japan. For now?

More images after the jump.

Sim City addicts can now take their whole cities wherever they go as Sim City DS is expected to be available in Japan by winter. Based on the highly successful Sim City PC games, the version that has been made for the DS aims to maintain the same feeling of authority that players of the PC version have grown addicted to.

As usual, the player will be the mayor of his or her own city and there will be the set of quirky advisors who will give advice from time to time. As the leader of the population, it's up to the player to balance the budget and make sure that his or her sims have enough water, electricity, housing, education, security and jobs. Other things to mind would be taxes, the maintenance of facilities such as the your prison and your dumpsites or power plants, and the occasional appeal to lift or enforce new laws.

And the news ticker. "Tree stuck in cat. Firemen baffled." Who could forget the news ticker? You gotta love the people over at Electronic Arts as they've even incorporated that into the DS version of the game, and we're hoping that it maintains its humor. So until the game gets released, here's some screenies to enjoy!