Iconic Simulators from Yesteryear

The simulation genre covers an incredibly broad and diverse range of games. From options that allow you to play as a terrorist goat to those that let you build empires and rule over the peasants, these games let you spread your creative wings and soar.

With their modern graphics and updated gameplay physics, today’s simulators are a far cry from the first ones that appeared on the scene. However, many older games still capture players’ attention—even if only now and then. Six of the best iconic simulators from yesteryear are listed below.

Sim Theme Park (Theme Park World)

Known under two names, Sim Theme Park was released in 1999 for Windows 95. The game, developed by Bullfrog Productions and Electronic Arts, was one of the first construction and management simulators in which players were tasked with operating a successful theme park—no easy feat.

With colorful 3D graphics that were solid for the time, Sim Theme Park offered expansive management tools and helped form the minimum control future simulators should have. These included statistical tools that showed how the park was operating, as well as management ones, like raising or lowering admission prices.

For its time, the management screens were pretty advanced and easy to use, which complemented the game’s 3D graphics. The ability to manage food and drink stalls, build the theme park in various locations, and choose the rides added to the magic of being a theme park tycoon.

Theme Hospital

Theme Hospital is another title born from the coalition of Bullfrog Productions and EA. Easily one of the most iconic simulators ever, the game expected the player to manage an entire hospital while ensuring no patient died on their watch

The game’s 2D graphics were nothing to write home about, but the gameplay was sufficiently advanced and had twists like surprise inspectors who would come to verify whether the hospital was being run well. Features like this made it popular, even today.

Running the hospital was also no walk in the park. While ensuring the hospital stayed profitable, the player needed to build new treatment rooms; hire and fire doctors, surgeons, receptionists, and housekeeping staff; and try to expand the hospital or move on to a better one.

Sim City 2000

One game that helped shape future simulators and will go down in history is Maxis’s Sim City 2000. Released in 1993, it is the sequel to 1989’s well-received Sim City.

Allowing players to design and build their own city, the simulator used 2D graphics but had incredible features. These included building on multiple elevations, placing pipe networks and subways underground, and trading with neighboring cities, all while trying to manage a growing city experiencing theft, illness, and fire.

Due to its many management aspects, Sim City 2000 was ranked among the 12 most challenging video games. However, it won numerous awards because it was so popular and set the tone for simulators to come. It even made it into the Museum of Art’s permanent video game collection in 2012. A multiplayer version was also released for online gaming. However, this version did not sell well and was ultimately scrapped.

Sid Meier’s Civilization II

Released in 1996, Sid Meier’s Civilization II is one of the earliest titles in a franchise that continues today. The game was reminiscent of Sim City in that it required building and maintaining an empire. Where it differed was that the domain was expected to stand the test of time.

Facing attacks from foes alongside the intricacies of running an entire empire, the player required serious attention to detail to keep track of everything—and failure to do so could result in the civilization’s collapse.

Although the graphics the game offered were elementary, this was easily overlooked due to its excellent features. From exploration to diplomatic relations, there was plenty to keep busy with. In fact, Sid Meier’s Civilization II was so popular that it was later adapted for online play, thereby joining a large library of games with no download or registration needed.

F-15 Strike Eagle

Also the brainchild of Sid Meier, F-15 Strike Eagle was one of the first-ever flight simulators. The game was incredibly basic, and the only screen encountered showed the inside of the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet it was based on.

Once the game was loaded, play began with a battalion of weapons on board. These included bombs, missiles, flares, and drop tanks. The game’s objective was simple: blow up and destroy first and secondary targets while avoiding being shot out of the sky by enemy fighters.

Although the gameplay was somewhat clunky and the graphics were less than impressive (even when it was released in 1984), F-15 Strike Eagle offered intuitive HUDs that showed incoming enemies and maps that clearly outlined targets. Most importantly, the game was a hoot to play and is still remembered today.

Sid Meier’s Golf

Although it did not require the technical skill some of the other simulators mentioned above needed, Sid Meier’s Golf stood out due to its gameplay and planning requirements. The game was released in 2002 by EA and offered some pretty remarkable graphics for its time.

Offering various locations worldwide, the game required the player to design and build a five-star golf course complete with all the associated amenities. These included a hotel, a clubhouse, and even an airstrip or marina.

Due to the thought that had to go into the golf course design, Sid Meier’s Golf was nominated for the Strategy Game of the Year award but was narrowly beaten by another title. Despite this, the game amassed millions of players and became a simulation favorite in the early 2000s.