Computer game: Sims "Hot Date"

[Pam]

My 11 1/2 year old daughter loves the Sims -- and has been buying all
the expansion packs like Superstar, Unleashed, and Vacation. Now she
wants Hot Date. She's not particularly interested in the romantic
stuff -- mostly in the other features it will give her Sims. She wants
Downtown and wants them to be able to get married more easily.

Still, if she does get into the romance, it doesn't look particularly
explicit (though what is that "Love Tub"? And what about the "Fiery
kisses"??)

This is a kid who closes her eyes and goes "ewww" during a kissing
scene in a movie. I don't want her to be embarrassed by the game. (And
I don't want to be diving for the Escape key either!)

Has anyone played Hot Date -- and would you or wouldn't you recommend
it for a tweenager?

Thanks,

Pam

[UberMinx]

Hi


I have all the Sims expansion packs.

The Love Tub, and the Vibromatic Heart Shaped Bed are pretty much what you
would expect them to be. If two Sims get into the Love Tub that like each
other a lot, an option becomes available to "play" and they giggle,
disappear under the water, there's lots of splashing and giggling noises,
and they resurface all chilled out (and only missing the post coital
cigarette,
really...)

Same applies to the bed. It charges $20 to vibrate, and if your sim is in
the bed with it vibrating, a sim that they like a lot can be asked to "play
in bed" which involves them getting naked (behind a blurring mask so you
don't see any bits and pieces) and getting into bed. The two Sims embrace
and disappear under the sheets, and then you see animation of what would
appear to be them both scooting around under the sheets, barking like a dog
(?) and giggling.

Also to note is that on occasion, one or other of the Sims can then get out
of bed and make some sort of disparaging comment to the other sim (which I
assume is meant to imply a "poor" performance in bed) which then upsets the
other sim and makes them cry...

Either the bed or the tub (or a "passionate kiss"- not very educational!!)
can result in your sim asking their partner if they want to have a baby. If
they agree, the baby appears and they have to spend three full days and
nights taking care of it as well as their usual responsibilities, or the
social worker comes and takes it away. (They get one warning first).

It then becomes a child, and has to be sent off to school every day and keep
its grades high, or it gets sent to military school. It never grows to
adulthood.

As for whether your teenager should play it, that's for you as a parent to
decide given the information.

I personally don't think its too bad. There's no nudity (although be aware
that it is possible to download a nude patch for the game which removes the
blur from the adults when they use the bath, get changed etc...), the "sex"
is implied, and the consequences of the actions are clear. Other than the
"being able to have a baby after only a kiss" miseducation, its pretty good
at pointing out the disadvantages of having a baby, and is realistic in the
demands and time the baby takes to care for.

Hope this helps!

UberMinx
"Pam" > wrote in message
om...
> My 11 1/2 year old daughter loves the Sims -- and has been buying all
> the expansion packs like Superstar, Unleashed, and Vacation. Now she
> wants Hot Date. She's not particularly interested in the romantic
> stuff -- mostly in the other features it will give her Sims. She wants
> Downtown and wants them to be able to get married more easily.
>
> Still, if she does get into the romance, it doesn't look particularly
> explicit (though what is that "Love Tub"? And what about the "Fiery
> kisses"??)
>
> This is a kid who closes her eyes and goes "ewww" during a kissing
> scene in a movie. I don't want her to be embarrassed by the game. (And
> I don't want to be diving for the Escape key either!)
>
> Has anyone played Hot Date -- and would you or wouldn't you recommend
> it for a tweenager?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Pam
>