DESCRIPTION

Anyone who played the original SimTower knows that the focus of gameplay was the building of the tower itself with little interactive bonding of the tenants, stores and structure. In Yoot Tower, the sequel, the emphasis is on the synergy between all the factors and factions contained within the game. You won't be constructing your dream building in a cold and impersonal vacuum but rather with an eye to developing a game story through the residents themselves.

The scope of Yoot Tower transcends that of the original in several important areas. The "living" tower you create will feed off the tenants by upgrading the number and quality of stores, facilities and services. In this way, your structure gains recognition and builds to a star rating system much like the world's greatest hotels, resorts and shopping districts do in the late 1990s.

As the owner and Chief Executive Officer, your objectives and goals are clearly defined. First, you must provide for the needs of both commercial and residential tenants. To this end you are invited into the actual lives of your tenants and must work to ensure profitability on an individual basis. The population is rife for explosion and can number in the tens of thousands if your tower is a success. Secondly, you'll need to entice and invite residents and businesses to reside in your building through any number of means such as promotions, advertising, quality commitments and more.

Your final objective is to keep the population you gain through any means possible, such as expansion, upgrades, quality of life increases and the like. Fail to renovate and your customers will stampede the elevators and leave in droves. Neglect your priorities and increase your tenants' stress levels and they'll forget you like yesterday's bad lunch. Manage the noise levels, traffic flow and create balance throughout the structure and you'll be rewarded.

Yoot Tower expands gameplay over the original by allowing construction in three very diverse locations: Tokyo, Waikiki and the natural splendor of Kegon Falls with its changing seasons and exotic locale. Control issues, internal and external events, crises, critical management and juggling exigencies co-mingle with equal impact as you try to build your tower to the culminating "final item" that triggers a small event, hopefully leading to designation as The Great Tower.

As an added bonus to gameplay, you can log on the Internet at www.yoottower.com for free additional Yoot Tower Location Modules and more. Think you're the next Donald Trump with a vision to build the most glorious high rise wonder in the world? If so, don your hardhat and get your best business clothes pressed — you'll need both to mold Yoot Tower into a stratospheric success story. ~ Michael L. House, All Game Guide