The Urbz: Sims in the City may keep you occupied on your Gamecube for a bit but it seems quite out of place in The Sims
The graphics aren't stunning but they are quite cool, you will probably be able to work out the basic shape of the mesh on the characters but the lighting, detail and textures aren't bad. Many of the objects and buildings in the game are deliberately done in slightly wonky shapes and of course using the zoom we start to see a lower a lower level of detail in the objects, clothes and people but overall the graphics aren't badly done.
The game is now less centred around controlling a household and more on earning a single Urb street Cred out and about. You are almost constantly away from your flat/apartment/penthouse (which can unfortunately not be altered by build mode) and out in one of the several districts. Work takes place whenever you want, it will involve a minigame and usually a couple of other tasks and maybe it is just my game or gamecube but I found that during these work sessions, occasionally or in the case of Bike Stripping constantly the game starts to lag. There are also special missions in the game and phoning people has also been made easier through your XAM (a small gadget all Urbz carry with them). The new Reputation Score is a big part of the game, it can be built up through interaction with other Urbz and when built up can unlock you new areas and allow you (along with the right clothes) to get into VIP Rooms. Because of the new style of this game the motives have been broken down into Bladder, Hygiene, Hunger, Fun and Energy and the skills have now been broken down to Mental, Physical and Creativity, advancing theses kills will let you unlock the next (yet strangely familiar) levels of jobs. When advancing these skills you will need to buy special machines and hammer the A Button to fill up a meter. Furthermore you can have pets in this game but you will find you don't have time to spend trying to train a bulldog or a mangy cat, however you will find time to get hit over the head with a baseball bat by a monkey. Power Socials are another interesting aspect of the game, for these you will need special items that can be picked up at night clubs and will usually raise your star power to no end when used and they can also be used to get rid of bullies mugging the district-goers. Some characters will also have favourite social interactions and to be socially accepted you will need to wear clothes your district considers "fashionable".
As for music there is some by Black Eyed Peas and the rest music suiting the district you are in.
With its slow loading, limited purchasables, lack of buy mode and small number of motives and skills this is not your standard Sims game however for those who are looking for a fairly accurate simulation of street culture and looking to be in a game where fashion and popularity feature highly this is the game for them.