Downloaded it. Didn't expect to see the DOS/4GW extender starting up! EA uses DOSBox to run the original Sim City 2000 SE game. Unfortunately it's quite bloated with a few megs of executables that go along with the Origin 'game-provider'/application.

I don't see why they can't use their Win32 version.

Probably because of a problem when loading cities under Win7 which is fixed by an unofficial patch.

DOS may be old, but using DOSBox they can (sort of) guarantee that Sim City 2000 will run on virtually any platform without reprogramming/porting the original game.

Origin does non-Windows platforms?

I just replace replace the Origin's bloated dosbox version with porper vanilla or SVN dosbox version.

Why even download it from EA. It's not like it's a rare game or anything. 😒

I still have a boxed copy here..

I was disappointed when WillTV did not have the footage featuring his mullet on the cover. He reminds me of Weird Al (in more ways than one)

I think those that still have their old games probably have a copy. I certainly do.

Yeah, I still have my old beat up CD copy from the 90's and I've also found the later Special Edition that was released by EA with WillTV and all that although that version can't be played on Windows Vista / 7 or 8 iirc because the loader errors out by saying that the OS isn't 16bit.

Mine is an old Maxis copy that has a DOS, Win3x and Win9x versions. The 9x version seems to work fine on my Win7 x64. The installer is 16bit, but installing it in XP Mode and copying the files and Registry entries seems to be enough. It would be pretty easy for me to do a replacement installer for it, if anyone would be interested in one.

The Win9x version crashes when loading cities under Win7, but is fixed with an unofficial patch. Win3x version works fine.

They are loading fine for me without the patch on my Win7 x64. I just mimicked the install I tracked in XP Mode. I just tracked down the "patch" you mentioned on the Gaming Wiki and it seems to be more of a crack than a patch. It includes a Reg file that is nearly identical to the entry made by the original installer except it changes the "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Maxis\SimCity 2000\Registration" values to "Mayor Name"="MRC" and "Company Name"="Patchers Inc." These are inconsequential. These values are originally set from a dialog during the install. The defaults are "Mayor Name"="Mayor McSim" and "Company Name"="Maxis, Inc."

The Wiki entry gives information for manually installing the game, but it looks like it misses some registry entries. The original installer makes a few class entries and a couple path entries in the HKLM hive. Without exploring further I cannot say if these entries are why it works for me while it is not for others. I have not yet tried to try to get it to run completely from the hard drive, but it still loads cities for me without the CD, but obviously without the smacker videos on the CD.

I don't know what that crack does, but it may not be necessary if the game is properly installed. As I said, I can do a replacement installer if anyone is interested. It would be one way to test that it working for me without the crack/patch is not a fluke.

collector wrote:

I don't know what that crack does, but it may not be necessary if the game is properly installed. As I said, I can do a replacement installer if anyone is interested. It would be one way to test that it working for me without the crack/patch is not a fluke.

I wasn't able to replicate your results on Windows 7 64-bit.

I compared the registry keys from the original installer (in a 32-bit XP virtual machine) with an install done using the 32-bit InstallShield replacement EXE (on 64-bit Windows 7). The resulting keys and their locations are identical to XP apart from the usual Wow6432Node redirection for some HKLM keys storing the version number. Loading saves from the file system works perfectly, but loading or saving from within the game causes the crash.

Did you get the class entries, too?

collector wrote:

Did you get the class entries, too?

Yes, even the class entries are present and identical.

I started to wonder if there might have been a couple of different Win32 releases, but Moby only shows one US Win32 release. You don't possibly have the German release, do you?

Besides the HKLM "SOFTWARE\Maxis\SimCity 2000® Special Edition" entries, there should be five HKLM "SOFTWARE\Classes" keys -- .mif, .scn, SimCity2000.Document.City, SimCity2000.Document.Scenario, SimCity2000.Document.TileSet. There should also be two app path keys, one for SimCity.exe and another for WinScurk.exe. I will assume that you got the HKCU "Software\Maxis\SimCity 2000" key as the game would not even run at all with out that.

If this is not the problem, I wonder if the problem might not be the InstallShield replacement you used. Perhaps it did not copy all of the files required.

I just loaded Amazing City and saved a new one in W32 US special edition in 7 x64 unpatched. No crash. 1996/03/06 EXE

"Installed" via VirtualPC 2007 to Win98, then copying the folder over, and then exporting/adjustingabsolutepaths HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Maxis\SimCity 2000. No "crack" needed.