This originally appeared in Pixel Addict Magazine. It’s been expanded and revised for a video version. You should subscribe to Pixel Addict for more content like this!

Here in Userlandia: I dunno. I never heard ‘ah no mayah.

It’s rare when a game combines art and science in such a way that it becomes a cultural phenomenon. SimCity’s one of them, and I became a SimAddict the first time I plopped a zone. It doesn’t matter if it’s new or old, because I always enjoy a good city building experience. But you never forget your first love, which is why I always come back to the one that started it all. Poll a random gathering of gamers and chances are you’ll find many with happy memories of Will Wright’s SimCity. Whether you’re dutifully detailing a downtown district or marshaling monsters to make mayhem in midtown, there’s no wrong way to play. But maybe it’s been a while since you’ve micromanaged a microcomputer micrometropolis, and you’re ready to dive back into city planning. Thankfully, classic SimCity is the choice for you, with the right amount of charm and complexity to entertain newbies and veterans alike.

Or it would be, if it existed. What is “the original SimCity,” anyway? There's over a dozen “original SimCities,” each for a different platform, each with its own perks and quirks. Just check out this list—Commodore 64, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro and Acorn Electron, Macintosh, Atari ST, IBM PC, Super Nintendo, UNIX, Psion, Palm Pilot, Sharp X68000, FM Towns, Amiga, enhanced Amiga, Amiga CDTV, and a partridge in a pear tree. The same gamers polled earlier will probably share their fond memories of whatever system they played it on too. Before you know it, they’ll all be arguing about which SimCity is the true classic.

“The BBC Micro version did the most with the least!”

“No, the PC version had the most add-ons!“

“Oh yeah, well, the Super Nintendo version had the best graphics and sound!”

“Fools, the UNIX version had network play!”

There’s nothing gamers love more than an old-fashioned platform fight, and I’m happy to oblige. My history with SimCity started on the C64, where I treated it more like a drawing app than a city builder. I soon graduated to the SNES version, where I spent countless hours crafting copious cities. I even played my fair share on PCs and Macs at school. SimCity ignited a love of city building games that still burns in me today. I’ve played every SimCity sequel and spinoff—even that weird one on the Nintendo DS. So fear not, because as a SimCity expert who's spent years preparing for this moment, I'm here to tell you which classic SimCity is the true classic SimCity.

First to be eliminated, and first chronologically, is the Commodore 64 version. Yes, it's the first game to bear the SimCity name, but it's not the best. Its gameplay was limited, and slower than rush hour traffic when you didn't build enough roads. And its presentation was noticeably worse than the other 8-bits. Think of C64 SimCity as a historical curiosity, like Action Comics #1: something to check out to see where the series began, but not the definitive take. Speaking of the other 8-bits, the Acorn, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC versions manage to cram the complete gameplay experience into their tiny memory footprints, which is an impressive feat on its own. They have better graphics and sound than the Commodore version, but obviously they're not up to the caliber of the 16-bit platforms. The PC-98, FM Towns, and X68000 versions are nice to play for gamers fluent in Japanese—or so I assume, because that group doesn't include me. The UNIX version may have multiplayer, but it’s so hard to run that you’ll never get to try it, much less find a buddy to share it with. PDA versions are right out. These may be good SimCities, but they are not great SimCities.

This leaves the Atari ST, Commodore Amiga, Apple Macintosh, IBM PC, and Super Nintendo. Now it gets tougher. You can play the Amiga, Atari ST, or Mac versions and be confident you'll get the complete gameplay experience. There’s even a terrain editor and custom graphics packs, for those who like to customize. Of these three, the Mac supports larger, higher-res screens, but the enhanced Amiga version has better graphics. Still, actually running these versions is more challenging than using the Deluxe PC CD-ROM or emulating the SNES. They’re still not the greatest SimCities.

That leaves us with two contenders: the IBM PC and Super Nintendo. The IBM PC itself had multiple versions—MS DOS, OS/2, Windows 3.1, and Deluxe 32-bit for Windows 95. The DOS version is more like the Amiga and ST versions, but in the interest of fairness, we’ll use the Deluxe 32-bit Windows version as a point of reference. It’ll even run on modern Windows, making it the easiest way to experience classic SimCity. Playing SNES SimCity is almost as easy, thanks to ubiquitous SNES emulation.

The Super Nintendo version makes a strong opening argument thanks to its audiovisual prowess. A crack team of Nintendo pixel artists created brand new graphics, taking full advantage of the system’s capabilities. Watching the seasons change to the tune of Soyo Oka’s brilliant soundtrack is one of the most Zen experiences in gaming. Not satisfied with just updating the graphics and sound, Will Wright and Shigeru Miyamoto teamed up to tweak the gameplay too, crafting the best SimCity possible on a console. New mechanics like bank loans, special rewards, and enhanced tiers of city services are major improvements over other versions of SimCity. Computer gamers wouldn’t get these features until SimCity 2000!

The PC version’s graphics and sound might not be as good as the SNES, but it takes the lead in performance and usability. As good as the SNES version is with a controller, a PC gamer with a mouse and keyboard is a master of multitasking. Maps, tools, and charts are displayed in their own windows alongside your city view, which makes it easier to track your city’s growth without interrupting construction. Plus, the gameplay is literally faster—a 486 PC runs rings around the Super Nintendo’s 65C816. I appreciated these advantages when playing SimCity on a PC, even though I missed the SNES's changing seasons. Plus, PC gamers can create their own custom maps, which is impossible on a console.

It’s a tough call, but SimCity for Super Nintendo is the greatest SimCity. The PC version might be a better simulation, but the SNES version is a better game. It’s the definitive version of a classic that still endures because it’s the complete package. You’ll be charmed by the graphics and sound, but you’ll keep coming back to try to reach the next population milestone. Or you can just enjoy the bonsai experience of putting roads and residences wherever you like, because you’re the mayor and it’s your city. Just remember that happy citizens make for a happy mayor.