As with all of the recent updates, and especially the HUGE major updates (including the one in which we now find ourselves deeply immersed), there are LOADS of opportunities to purchase buildings, decorations, and characters from updates past. Some call ’em “Retreads,” others call ’em “A Second Chance to Get What I Missed,” and still others call them nothing at all…but still pull the Donut Trigger when they are offered.
In this installment of “Should I Buy?” I cover the Shinning Hotel and Maze combo. Is my DTF (Donut Trigger Finger) itchy? Or will I keep the safety locked firmly in position?
Let’s take a look….
I’m going to start with the fact that sometimes EA offers something that tweaks the “Gotta Have It” (GHI) segment of my brain pan, for reasons that at first don’t make a lot of sense on the surface, but then, as the memory tumblers drop, and the bolts of inspiration connect (sometimes you can hear it from across the room), I remember why the GHI neurons are firing. This was one of those.
First…I LOVE the movie “The Shining.” It is one of those horror films that has the “this could actually happen!” vibe to it. I think it is one of Stephen King’s best stories, as it was written in an actual haunted hotel (the Overlook, in Colorado), and has a main character with whom I can relate. I mean, especially in an election year like this, who doesn’t want to take an axe to the bathroom door with a little “Here’s Johnny!” to make the point that you can’t take the pressure anymore? But, I digress…
To add to the “GHI” syndrome, is the fact that I also LOVE the parody spoof that the Simpsons did on “The Shining,” which was part of the THOH from Season 6 (S6E6). It is hilarious. Spot on…and loaded with inside humor.
My favorite scenes from “The Shinning” (Willie won’t let Bart say “Shining” for copyright purposes).
And if that isn’t enough…the exterior scenes of the hotel in the movie version, were actually shot at Timberline Lodge, on Mt. Hood, here in Oregon.
The opening scene of “The Shinning” looks much like the road that approaches Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. I think the design of the building from the show, is pretty much a direct lift.
So…for me…it was a No Brainer! “Must Pull Donut Trigger.”
HOWEVER…………………………………….
As has been pointed out to me in past SIBs, by some of the more arduous “TSTOAddicts Traditionalists,” if I just give you my opinion, without doing the SIB the way it has been presented for eons (three years is eons in blog time), then people get upset, and start calling me names, and before you know it…we are ALL picking up axes to chop down doors, which should be open to conversation and communication! PHEW!!!
So…Here is the “traditional” SIB.
Combo: Shinning Hotel and Maze (Limited Time, Leaves Nov. 1st)
Cost: 11o Donuts
OR…
Shinning Maze by itself- (leaves Oct. 25th)
Cost: 55 Donuts Can Be bought Separately, in addition to Bundle, to create larger maze, or second maze
Details/Earning/XP
Maze- Vanity + 100, Earns 2.25% bonus on all cash and XP, Size: 9×9
Hotel- Indolence +20 (no bonus %, instead earns game income), Size: 16×6
NOTE- Combo Awards 605 MAG points for THOH 2016 Update (when placed/built)
Pros
- Building is an accurate representation of “National Monument”
- Combo Earns Mag Point
- Maze adds 2.25% Bonus
- Comes with a Quest Line
- Permanent task for Willie (4 hour get axe in back) with subtle hotel animation
Cons
- Relatively Expensive for a Building/Decoration
- Doesn’t Earn Update Currency (after initial Mag Points)
- Is Considered “Non Canon” by Simpsons Purists
- No animation for tasks
Final Thoughts
If I am honest, this combo is one of the few things in this update that I really wanted. It will “remind me of home” no matter where I play, and I’m just not that jazzed about a lot of the other offerings for this update, as I have TONS of the stuff being offered from previous THOH updates.
As the MAG points put me into the next level, and awarded me another Trick or Treater, it was a definite bonus. Plus, the Quest Line starts right off with a task that uses all of the extra kids in your Springfield, which is rare these days.
So…as a PREMIUM PLAYER, If you have the Bonuts to Burn…I say Pull the DT trigger.
If you are a Freemium Player, with scant Bonuts, you may want to pass, and get one of the other bundles.
In the end, it’s really up to you. What do YOU think about this combo? Did you already have a maze? Did you buy a second one? Is Homer really going to kill his family???