Product Information 
Published by: SEGA
Web: <http://www.yoottower.com>
Street Price: $35

System Requirements
PowerMac with Mac OS 7.5 or greater
32 MB of RAM, 100 MB free hard disk space

As we had purchased Sim Tower a month before, I anxiously awaited receiving Yoot Tower, the pulse pounding sequel. Ok, it’s an upgrade, but I’m the Hollywood Guy, so what the heck. I received the software via express delivery, and it even included a nifty t-shirt, with their logo and slogan, “You build it. You maintain it.” So, I put on the t-shirt, loaded up the software, and went to work.

For those of you not familiar with Sim Tower, let me walk you through this game from the beginning. Yoot Tower offers three different scenarios: Hawaii, Kegon Falls, and Tokyo. All have their advantages and disadvantages. I chose Hawaii, because, well, who wouldn’t wanna own a luxury tower in Hawaii?

If you’ve played any of the SIM line of games, you know what’s next. You get a basic layout, on which to build. In this case, the first thing you have to put down, is a lobby for your tower. Add an elevator, followed by a couple of floors, and you’re set. Now, the fun really begins, as you choose what to put on each floor. I’ve put up a couple of condos, two coffee shops, and an ice cream parlor. I’ve also added a restroom facility. These guys thought of everything! This isn’t a very good design, as the game seems to want you to put like developments on the same floor. I think I did pretty good to start out, as I’m merely trying to illustrate the game on a 14” screen.

Later, as it grows, you get more options. You arrange for security, to deal with the occasional bomb threat, housekeeping staff, and garbage detail. All these things cost money, so, you’ll need to attract tenants, with office space, movie theatres, malls, and more shops. Also, a good four star restaurant wouldn’t hurt. Make sure you put in a freight elevator. The new feature of this game that my wife really liked was the ability to build multiple towers, and you can even put a skyway between them! 

Well, the object of this game, is to build until you get to put the specialty item on top of your tower, while keeping down your tenant’s stress levels. For Hawaii, it’s a Cathedral. And even then, you’re not done. The “finished product,” looks like this:

However, this still isn’t a four star building. Some problems that I noticed, the maintenance fee seems a bit high. Just as you’re about to earn enough money to buy something, the maintenance fee kicks in, and you have to start saving all over again. This gets frustrating after awhile, but I think this happened because I built too fast. 

You can earn extra income buy selling billboard space. Also, keep a constant eye on the feature playing in your movie theatre. They don’t change automatically, and the moviegoers stop showing up after about a month. So, you’ve got a money pit on your hands.

All of the above aside, I liked Yoot Tower. I mean, where else can you be a building owner, hotel manager, and movie theatre owner all in one?

Copyright © 1999 Mike Shields, <mshields@atpm.com>. Reviewing in ATPM 
is open to anyone. If you’re interested, write to us at <reviews@atpm.com>.