Fan Patch Makes Streets Of SimCity Playable On Modern PCs

Have you ever wanted to revisit the 1997 PC gaming oddity Streets of SimCity? You're not alone. Reddit user alekasm has created a patch for the game that allows it to work on modern PCs.

The post comes courtesy of the subreddit for YouTuber Lazy Game Reviewer or LGR. Some time ago, alekasm created a post on the same subreddit regarding a patcher for 1996 flight sim SimCopter (you can get that patcher here). The user said they'd work on Streets of SimCity next, and that's exactly what they've done. You can check out the SimStreetsX code via GitHub right here. You will need a copy of the game to run it, but here's what it contains:

• CD check bypass
• A method for "installing" the game
• Game speed adjustment
• Software renderer patch

The patch's creator says Streets of SimCity is very similar to SimCopter, making work on the game fairly straightforward. According to alekasm, the games don't so much share an engine as simply reuse code. Disassembling Streets of SimCity's code took alekasm about a week. No improvements or tweaks have been made to the core gameplay or feel of Streets of SimCity, so if you didn't love it the first time around it's unlikely you'll discover a newfound appreciation for it now.

Creator alekasm also shared some interesting facts about the game. Apparently, both SimCopter and Streets of SimCity should have supported resolutions besides the standard 640x480, but this feature never made it into the games. In addition, Streets of SimCity only has one version. In its re-release as a 1998 Classics title, the game doesn't appear to differ at all from its original 1997 release. Alekasm is buying multiple copies of the game and trying to find one that differs in some way. You can check out the user's Reddit page here if you want to follow their progress.

Are you a big fan of Streets of SimCity? Will you be revisiting the game with alekasm's patch? Let us know in the comments below!