MySims comes to DS

For a game famously inspired by the dollhouse decorating habits of creator Will Wright's daughter, it's amazing how many different situations the concept of The Sims has been applied to. There's been everything from pets, to hot dates, university, celebrities and business. Oh, and ants – really!

Now, with its latest version for Nintendo consoles (in this case Wii and DS), in MySims Electronic Arts appears to have decided to drop in elements from a couple of other simulation type games too, notably Sim City and Theme Park.

Of course, you'll start off creating your own highly customisable little fella (or gal). Everything from body shape to clothes and hairstyle – pig-tails, baseball caps, dreadlocks and mohawks – will be optional and, in contrast to previously games, presented in a highly manga-esque art style. You'll also be able to unlock extra clothing, hairstyles, accessories and expressions throughout the game.

But the main focus of MySims is customising the rundown leisure resort in which your MySim finds itself. In this respect, the game seems to be a bit like the DS version of The Sims 2, a game we were suprised to enjoy as much as we did, in which you had to take over a tired hotel and build it up into a successful operation.

In MySims, however, the game's scope appears to be much bigger, as you get a selection of basic building templates and object creation tools to shape the total look and feel of your resort – everything from new homes and businesses to leisure pursuits and even furniture, as well as the ability to landscape the environment with flowers and plants.

That said, as a single-player-only experience (again, like The Sims 2), it seems you'll have to follow a fairly linear plot, as the residents of the resort provide you with their requests and missions to satisfy. Less sandbox then, more join the dots.

MySims should be ready for release in the autumn. Click 'Track It!' to receive any updates.