The Sims: Superstar Expansion Pack (PC CD)

Again requiring the original game in order to play, this add-on pack adds the function to watch your Sims at work, in this case attempting to make themselves famous. This naturally opens up numerous new pads for your characters to inhabit, laden with copious luxuries. Specialised staff can be introduced too, just to give your virtual stars a bit of extra pampering, and new career paths can see them become over-the-top rock stars, supermodels or movie idols. They also enjoy levels of success--successful Sims will attract groupies and win awards. Less successful ones may have to live without the sushi chef.

Certainly one of the more imaginative add-on packs for The Sims to date, Superstar is naturally enough a must for the completist. For the pickier player though, despite some reservations, this is also one of the more entertaining additions to the original game. The broadening out of the Sims' lifestyle is a welcome facet, and liberal lashings of humour do things no harm either.

Countering that, there clearly is a law of diminishing returns at work here. This is the sixth expansion pack for the original The Sims game, and anyone who's forked out for at least two of them will appreciate that there's nothing here to change things dramatically. That said, what's here is fun, and Superstar compares favourably with the expansions that have gone before. --Simon Brew