I am a very big Maxis Sim fan, having collected them over the years. I thoroughly enjoyed the past SimCities (Classic, 2K, 3K), so SC 4 Deluxe was an instant buy for me at the time. After playing through it, though, I came to the conclusion that it's good, but just doesn't have the same spark that the earlier games did. Firstly, that they give you an entire world to add cities to is a bit overkill -- I added two, maybe three cities before I got bored building new ones and keeping track of the older. Secondly, the Rush Hour expansion is fun for about an hour, then just keeps recycling the same exact missions over and over to the point where it's no longer much fun. Lastly, the other games in the series were just more fun to play because each one had a particular identity to them -- Classic is Cartoony, 2K is Sci-Fi / Sandbox, and 3K was a more "real" city-building experience. SC 4 is a bit more "Sims" oriented, but The Sims already did it, and better. Overall, this is not the SimCity you want to start with. Between the Sci-Fi feel and the SCURK opening up "sandbox" building options, SimCity 2000 SE is still the most fun you will have with any SimCity version. Get this one only if you need to complete your Sim collection.
While you should definitely play the first three games first, after you do, don't hesitate to buy this follow-up collection of adventure gaming fun! The best of the series is where this 3-pack begins: Space Quest IV. With an excellent lost-in-space time-travel storyline, a fun mini-game experience (Ms. Astro Chicken), and interesting puzzles to solve, it's got everything that makes the journey worthwhile. This was Space Quest's highest point, which goes down a bit when you play Space Quest V and VI--but not by much. By the time Space Quest V came out, the Two Guys From Andromeda split apart, and you can tell this from the two games that follow. Under the creative control of Dynamix, Space Quest V ends up being a fun, more cartoonish romp that provides fun gameplay and a story that sees Roger Wilco's dream come true -- command of a starship (well, okay, garbage scow, but still a starship!). Space Quest VI, on the other hand, returns to the old ways of Sierra-esque adventure gaming and is very pun-full -- too much, at times, but still fun. In the end, the series reaches its greatest height, but then a schism between the developers brings the series to its eventual finale. If there is another Space Quest, it won't be like this. (Side Note: For those who haven't yet, it's worth searching for the Space Quest VI Demo, as it's actually a prequel to the game with a mini-story not seen in the main game.)
Waking up in a broom closet is one thing. The sudden realization once you leave the closet that you're a defenseless janitor surrounded by invading parties on a starship about to blow up is quite another. Welcome to the wonderfully wacky world of Roger Wilco. Space Quest has stood as one of Sierra's most endearing and popular series from start to finish. Starting off in the shoes of your ordinary space janitor and ending up as savior of the universe (well, okay, not always) would require excellent storytelling and compelling gameplay. Fortunately, the first three games have all of these in spades, and then some. Also of note are the nice (if slightly frustrating) mini-games, the in-joke references to various science fiction works, and ending with the feeling that being a space janitor is actually quite a risky business. These games are a good foundation for what comes after (namely, the brilliantly-done Space Quest IV), and deserve every bit of your gaming buckazoid.
Sierra had a great run of adventure games in the '80s and early '90s. Police Quest stands as a series that built itself from the beginning as a more serious take on police procedure and having the player step into the shoes of a cop. In the first three games, you'll follow the life of honest cop Sonny Bonds as he travels from rookie street cop to homicide detective, and finally as a ranking sergeant in command of other cops. The tight storytelling in the first three games keeps you involved from start to finish. So, why did I give this great collection 4 stars instead of 5? For one reason: Police Quest IV. Gone is our familiar friend Sonny Bonds in the familiar fictitious outskirts of Lytton, now replaced with a generic brown-suit detective in real-world Los Angeles. I was willing to go along with this despite the radical change, but some of the puzzles in this game ended with some really out-of-the-box solutions that you would never really think of in a million years. I needed a walkthrough to complete this one -- the only one of the four I had to use it. In summary, get this collection for the excellent first three games -- just don't expect number four to be anything like them.
