If you can find a better SimCity game for the DS, I will eat my laptop.
The game's main focus is building a city "through the ages". You start of in the Paleolithic age with a few hundred Sims, and as tasks are accomplished, mainly raising population to 5K, 35K, 90K etc. you get to move along to a different time period. This way, you can choose the landmarks that are built in your city, like a Pagoda from the Japanese Isolation age, or Notre Dame Cathedral from the Renaissance. These stages introduce you to zoning, whilst the later stages (Industrial Revolution, America in the 30s etc.) introduce electricity and water. It's a great way to introduce the concepts to any new players while keeping the game fresh for more experienced players.
I especially love the fact that you can build cities in different time periods, whether it be from the Renaissance to America in the 30s to the modern day, there's always something you can do to make the city personal and professional. Not only that, but there is also a not-so-secret stage set in a Post Global-Warming future, which is extremely fun to play, with it's combination of buildings which save space and max out population. Good luck trying to unlock it.
Anyway, my verdict is simple. I would buy the game - some of the music is really classy and if you liked SimCity DS, you will LOVE this game.