SimCity Supreme (Color)

[olePigeon]

Just won this on eBay for $20. Pictured below is the eBay picture. I didn't even notice the box. When it arrived, it was in mint condition. Looked almost new. It's the original Godzilla SimCity box, but with a metallic sticker stuck on it that says "SUPREME."

It comes with two disks with color graphics and a terrain editor, with v1.3c of the game. It says it's System 7 friendly, but it crashes on my System 7.1 IIfx. F-line exception. I see that it's on Macintosh Garden, so I'm going to try out version 1.4c and see if that fixes the crash.

Chalk this one up as another game that requires 16 colors and won't auto-switch.

 

[MrFahrenheit]

Very nice! I’m missing an original SimCity from my collection.

 

[Dude.JediKnight]

I have a later version on floppies (one disk for B&W, one disk for color) that ran fine back in the day on System 7.5, though I’d have to find it to check the exact version of the app on there. Going from memory, I believe the disks look very similar to the ones shown as SimCity Classic on The Repository.

I also have a Mac CD-ROM version that I picked up at one point, (I believe) also labeled SimCity Classic. I assume it’s a re-release, when CD-ROMs became standard hardware on Macs. I think it has more extras beyond the earlier floppy versions, but I’d have to check to make sure. Seems a waste to not take advantage of all that extra space that a CD-ROM provides, must have extra maps and/or scenarios at the very least, right? I’ll have to find that one too and check what version of the app it has.

Apparently The Cutting Room Floor lists SimCity Supreme and SimCity Classic as other names for the original SimCity for Mac, though I had never heard of SimCity Supreme before today. To me, Supreme makes it sound like it should be the ultimate version of the original SimCity.

Maybe they decided later on that Classic better differentiated the original once a newer SimCity came out, or at least started development? SimCity 2000 released in Nov. of 1993, so it seems at least the time frame would be right to make such a change. Just not sure why you would change the name twice in just a couple years.

 

[Phipli]

I don't have any floppy versions, but I enjoy how Maxis often released Mac and PC versions together, making it much easier to find a copy.

Photo isn't loading, so linked here
https://elephantandchicken.co.uk/misc/20230810_171151_1.jpg

 

[Iesca]

There is, understandably, a bit of confusion surrounding the "Supreme" edition of the original SimCity for Macintosh. The box itself is rather unspecific, with only an added sticker on the front declaring it to be "Supreme", as well a round sticker on the side saying what it includes (Mac II Color version, Terrain Editor, and extra cities), but it's unclear just from that if those are the only differences (spoiler: they are).

I recently acquired a copy of the Monochrome version of 1.2 for my collection, and it includes an ad for "SimCity Supreme" on the back of the System Card, which explains precisely what "Supreme" actually is (and, of course, how to get it):



From this we can glean that SimCity "Supreme" was the "Mac II" (color) version of SimCity plus the Terrain Editor (which was originally offered as a separate purchase). I also own a copy of "SimCity Supreme" (version 1.2c) and it indeed came with both the Mac II Color disk and the Terrain Editor disk.

I also have a copy of 1.1, and interestingly, in addition to an ad for the Terrain Editor, it also contains an ad for a Mac II Color edition, but there's no mention of SimCity Supreme. So I think it's safe to say that the "Supreme" edition was introduced later and has to include both. Does this mean there was a version "1.1c" (without the Terrain Editor)?

As an aside, SimCity Classic refers to a later re-release (post-SimCity 2000) of the original SimCity, in color, with a new title screen and I believe additional music. It is fundamentally the same game though.

 

[olePigeon]

@Iesca My disks specifically advertise "No Copy Protection!" Are your earlier versions copy protected? Just curious.

 

[Dude.JediKnight]

@Iesca My disks specifically advertise "No Copy Protection!" Are your earlier versions copy protected? Just curious.

For the Mac version, According to The Cutting Room Floor:

Versions 1.0 and 1.1 required inserting the disk at every launch.

Versions 1.11, 1.2, and 1.3 had the player enter one of hundreds of population figures, printed on four hard-to-photocopy red sheets, into the box at right. After three wrong answers, the game would begin but the area would immediately be racked by explosions and earthquakes that never let up.

Both of the above protection schemes only applied to the black and white editions; the color equivalents were unprotected.

Versions 1.4 and 1.4c required the program to be personalized with the owner's name. Whatever you entered would be added to the credits under "Licensed To".

Version 1.5 was not protected in any way.

Did find my SimCity CD-ROM, and it was later than I remembered… it’s got both Windows 3.1 and Mac versions on it, with a 1996 copyright on the back of the case, and 1995/1996 copyright dates on the actual CD. Looks like it’s version 1.4c for color and 1.4 for b&w.

Mac requirements listed on the back are System 6.0.2 or higher and a CD drive, with the color version needing 2MB of RAM and a hard disk (2.5MB RAM under System 7).

 

[Iesca]

@olePigeon - @Dude.JediKnight has the thrust of it. I have to insert my 1.1 disk after launching before it will allow me to proceed, while 1.2 Monochrome uses the aforemention population chart (printed in black ink on dark red paper, to combat photocopying I assume...). Because of this, you may freely make backup copies of 1.2 Monochrome, while 1.1 would probably require something more sophisticated to copy correctly (whereby the program recognizes the disk as genuine at launch). For the curious, a version of 1.1 with the copy protection removed was provided by user 4am and is available on the Garden, based on an upload of 1.1 that I provided awhile back.

I don't believe my copy of 1.2c "Supreme" has any copy protection, but I'll double check it on my Mac II.

 

[Dude.JediKnight]

Was having issues attaching these photos to my last post yesterday… this is the SimCity CD-ROM I was talking about, from 1996.

 

[LaPorta]

I don't have any floppy versions, but I enjoy how Maxis often released Mac and PC versions together, making it much easier to find a copy.

Never knew EA made later boxed, CD copies of the originals…interesting.

 

[Phipli]

Never knew EA made later boxed, CD copies of the originals…interesting.

They're common over here, so perhaps it is a US / Europe difference? Are there a load on your eBay?

Vintage Sim City Classic PC CD-ROM for Windows & Macintosh Computers - MAXIS EA | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vintage Sim City Classic PC CD-ROM for Windows & Macintosh Computers - MAXIS EA at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[joshc]

It was SimCity’s inclusion as part of a MacPlay CD set of 4 games called iPlay (Capitalism, Flight Unlimited, Descent and SimCity) which is how I got it as a kid.

 

[LaPorta]

They're common over here, so perhaps it is a US / Europe difference? Are there a load on your eBay?

Vintage Sim City Classic PC CD-ROM for Windows & Macintosh Computers - MAXIS EA | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vintage Sim City Classic PC CD-ROM for Windows & Macintosh Computers - MAXIS EA at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

).

I’ll check, and there may well be. It could be due to bias on my part: I always look for the specific, Maxis copies (Mac-only

 

[olePigeon]

Do any of you have the floppy version of 1.4c? Or was that only ever sold on CD-ROM?