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HipSoft's real estate tycoon game Build-a-lot has been given a new home on the Nintendo DS courtesy of MumboJumbo. It's basically the same game as the PC version aside from slightly different appearance and controls, which is bad news if you were hoping for something new, but good news if you want portable version of Build-a-lot in portable form to kill time on a train or bus.
In Career mode you assume the role of a contractor who works with the mayors of eight different towns to improve property value and curb appeal. In each level the mayor gives you a specific set of goals to complete in a set time limit such as build a post office, build four Tudor-style homes, earn a rental income of $60,000 per month, or earn a total of $250,000 cash.
Achieving these goals requires balancing various resources and managing your all-important cash flow. You'll start each level owning a certain number of vacant lots, which can be developed any way you choose. You can build a variety of different houses, from modest one-level ramblers to ostentatious estates, mansions and even castles. You can also build other structures like banks, workhouses, sawmills, museums and skating rinks.
Build-a-lot's is navigated by tapping the stylus on the DS's lower touch-sensitive screen. To construct a building, for example, all you have to do is tap an empty lot, select the type of building you want, then tap "Ok" and your construction crew will get to work – provided, of course, you have the required blueprint, enough workers to do the job, and enough building materials, all of which cost money.
Ordering these items is as simple as tapping on a tab from the menu at the bottom of the screen and selecting the appropriate icon. The green "Money & Goals" tab from the PC version is missing from this menu, and all the information in it, including daily income, goals, career earnings, and rent income, has been moved to the DS's upper screen, where it is always displayed.
To increase a house's value you can upgrade it with amenities like hardwood floors, French doors, indoor tennis courts and a wireless intercom system. An upgraded house will yield more rent per month and can also be sold at a higher profit. However, beware of property taxes and repairs, which will sap up money and materials.
In addition to houses, you can construct various buildings that grant unique advantages. Building a workhouse, for example, lets you hire new workers at half price and also gives you the ability to inspect houses so that they never have to be repaired. A bank lets you collect interest on your money, and with a post office you can receive letters at any of the houses you own that typically contain some kind of check or refund that gives you a little boost of extra cash.
The best part about Build-a-lot is that you don't have to know a lot about real estate, or be a serious number-cruncher, to succeed and have fun. The game has a wonderful tutorial that walks you through the basics, and through exquisite pacing introduces new challenges and gameplay concepts in a manageable and logical progression.
It also adds to the experience greatly that each mayor has a distinct personality that influences what he or she asks you to do. One mayor, for example, is partial to Tudor-style homes and will ask you to build a lot of them; another wants to attract wealthy retirees by building estates on premium lakefront land, while another is concerned about safety in her hillside town and makes a fire station the first priority. When you've completed each town, the mayor will give you a valued and unique personal possession as a memento.
Aside from Career mode there's also a Casual mode where you can play each of the eight towns separately and start from scratch (with no blueprints) with the goal of raising a certain amount of money in as fast a time as possible. You can post and compare your best times online with other players, and your record also shows the number of workers and materials used.
If I had to criticize something about Build-a-lot for the Nintendo DS, it's that the towns and menus seem a little small – a symptom of having to squish them into a handheld format. Other than that, though, there's not a whole lot to complain about. Tapping with the stylus works just as well as mouse-clicking, and the game is still as fun and accessible as ever.
