18 years later, The Sims 2 fandom is thriving on TikTok

polygon.com:

For a game that’s going on 18 years old this September, The Sims 2 is surprisingly popular on TikTok. A small, but passionate collection of fans has been making videos using the old game, drawing on nostalgia for the classic. While SimsTok primarily focuses on gameplay and tips for the latest game in the series, there is a cult following for the older titles. The #sims2 and #thesim2 tags on TikTok have nearly 200 million views, even as the game becomes harder and harder to play on modern consoles.

#thesims2 #sims2 #thesims #sims #simstok #simtok #daniellebuilds

Nostalgic SimsTok isn’t just focused on Sims 2: Comparisons among the four games are common, and hardcore Sims fans usually have their preferred game, the one that they will bat for and swear is the best. Danielle, the user behind daniellebuilds, primarily makesSims 4 videos, but on a lark decided to post a comparison between various Sims game generations — and was completely surprised by the fervor of the reactions.

“In my own personal time I would play [The Sims 2] but I would never post about it, because I didn’t know if people would care,” she said. “Because I didn’t know people grew up playing it like I did. So I posted a couple videos, and they blew up and I was like, oh. That’s why I kept posting them.”

Danielle said she now regularly sees people come out to defend their Sims game of choice in the comments of her videos. Others post their own TikToks defending their favorites. The division is usually based on what game they grew up playing. The first Sims came out in 2000, the Sims 2 in 2004, and the Sims 3 in 2009, so there are some pretty clear generational markers. To Danielle, whose first Sims game was The Sims 2, there’s just something about that