SImCity 2000 Diorama

SimCity 2000 is a 30 years old, genre-defining, critically and user acclaimed video game where you are in control of the development of a city and the wellbeing of its inhabitants. As a kid, I spent countless hours in the simulation building towns and cities to my liking...as I did with my LEGO sets, an experience I am sure will resonate for many other fans in the world!

For my first Ideas submission, I wanted to use LEGO to represent something I care about - that list included either video games, maps or architecture. Then I realised, why choose only one topic when I have the perfect idea to bring them all together? SimCity was the answer, so building a LEGO model to celebrate this iconic video game seemed like a perfect choice!

The model is meant as a display piece and is made of two separate builds - the main one is a diorama representing a section of a city as close as possible to its video game counterparts. Due to size constraints, I chose to recreate an early-game scenario (which is in fact heavily inspired by the Dullsville one) where the player only has lower-density zoning and limited infrastructure available.

Buildings, roads and natural features are carefully recreated in microscale - with 2x2 stud modules representing one grid element in the game - on a 36x36 base with additional side elements to recreate the cross-section at the end of the map. The base is then mounted on a stand that reproduces just the perfect angle to match the faux isometric view that made SimCity 2000 famous.

A second build represents the initial splash screen of the game: a brick-built billboard with the titular name, hosting the infamous alien monster that could ravage your city as one of the randomly generated disasters...unless you summoned it yourself!

I also wanted to incorporate as much as possible some of the original gameplay elements in the building experience - therefore the model is conceived to let the "player" design its own city layout and even shape differently the surrounding landscape!

Natural features can be reconfigured using the same grid-based system of SimCity 2000, with its characteristic blocky terrain. Have you ever wondered what "reticulating splines" entailed? Now you can do it yourself, by arranging the different 2x2 modules (available in multiple copies) to recreate endless configurations of hills, woods and water.

Then it's time to start planning your city! With the same logic, you can lay down the road network using three different module types (straight, diagonal and junction) and then start zoning using the color-coded jumper plates in their low-density (1x1) and high-density (2x2) variants, but don't forget to carefully place also some specialised lots (3x3)!

The set will let you build 15 residential, 10 commercial and 7 industrial blocks (in two copies each), plus 4 unique public buildings (police and fire station, hospital and school) - which can then be easily placed on the diorama. The model comes with a default configuration of my choice but not all the available blocks and modules are used, so swapping some of them or even changing completely the layout at any time is entirely up to you, in the true spirit of Sim City!

The completed model as you can see it in the main submission render is made of 2811 pieces. The extra buildings and modules account for additional 175 pieces, for a grand total of 2986. As you can imagine most of the parts are quite small and the main diorama on the stand measures 44x44x28cm while the billboard is 10x28x21cm.

I tried to use as much as possible current LEGO parts and colors (including the brand new Reddish Orange which was a perfect fit for this retro style palette!), but some combinations are not available at the moment, including many dark tan parts used for the terrain.

While I wanted to avoid using too many printed parts, I decided to include selected Minecraft plates and tiles in multiple new colors and additional prints to provide just the right level of detail in my micro-builds. I also designed three custom printed tiles specifically for the road pieces, as the original look was impossible to replicate otherwise.

Throughout the set, I used all my ingenuity (and several SNOT and stud inversion techniques) to make sure the building experience is fun and varied while keeping the model faithful to the pixelated beauty of the original. Just remember, these buildings represent computer sprites that were meant to be seen only from a single point of view, so don't be surprised to find some tricks hidden in the back!

I really believe that this model will be appreciated by LEGO and Sim City fans alike, but also across all ages, backgrounds and regions. Whether it's gamer nostalgia, the intricate building techniques, or the timeless pleasure in shaping a city, I hope everybody will find something to like in this set. Thanks in advance for your support!