One of the small things I enjoy with new levels is when a permanent character task involves under-utilized buildings. The good news is that Legs and Louie’s 12-hour tasks do just that!
Legs and Louie visit the Kwik-E-Mart, but they also visit some limited-time and premium buildings, including these:
A few days ago, I wrote about the Conform-o-meter and how it works (you can read the posts here and here if you missed them). It’s an important part of the game because getting it to the maximum 5 stars will boost the cash and XP you collect from everything in the game by 5%.
You can open up your Conform-o-meter and check where you currently are with your Consumerism rating by tapping on the stars at the bottom left of your main screen.
You keep your Consumerism rating high, and help to maximize your conformity bonus, by having enough shops for your town size (or, as the game says, by buying stores for suckers to drop dough). In fact anything that has a cash register over it when you cone to collect contributes towards your Consumerism rating.
So what can you build that will help you boost your Consumerism rating? Here’s a list:
- Kwik-E-Mart
- Jake’s Unisex Hair Palace
- King Toot’s
- Aztec Theater (premium)
- Try ‘n’ Save (premium)
- Howard’s Flowers (Valentine’s event – no longer available)
- Sir Putt-a-lot’s (Valentine’s event – no longer available(
- Mapple Store (Christmas event – no longer available)
- House of Evil (Halloween event – no longer available)
I was a little surprised in putting together the list – Springfield doesn’t have as many stores as I’d thought! And that means that players who missed out on the event buildings or who don’t want to buy premium buildings may have to buy a second or third Kwik-E-Mart to take their rating to it’s maximum, particularly if the town is large.
One more thing – you’ll notice that Android’s Dungeon isn’t on the list. While you and I may think of it as a store, the game doesn’t. It has a stack of dollars above it, which makes it a public building. Apparently comics build Obedience!
Springfield’s movie theater, the Aztec Theater is a premium item that, like Springfield Observatory, is one that many people overlook. If you’re one of them, it may be worth thinking again – and here’s why:
1. It earns you a solid $200 and 20 XP every 8 hours.
2. It boosts the Obedience rating on your Conform-o-meter.
3. It’s a similar size and shape to Moe’s Tavern (although just slightly bigger), making it very easy to place anywhere in your town.
4. It gives Bart something extra to do – a 3-hour task that earns more than his 4-hour task, as you can see here:
5. It also gives Comic Book Guy what he would probably call the “Worst.Task.Ever.” – but it’s a 6-hour task that earns more than his regular 8-hour task:
6. If you have Squeaky-Voice Teen, it also gives him something else to put on his résumé:
And here are a couple of reasons why you may decide not to buy it or you may decide to put it off until later:
1. No new characters come with it, which is always a bit disappointing for a building.
2. You don’t have Bart, Comic Book Guy, or Squeaky Voice Teen yet, which would mean that it sat unused and unloved.
3. Bart really shouldn’t be allowed to see R-rated movies.
On balance, I think it’s a good purchase – and this is mainly because, like the Springfield Observatory, it helps a regular character do a task at a premium rate. I’m still waiting for the Itchy and Scratchy Movie, though.
The Squeaky Voice Teen is one of my favorite minor Simpson’s characters. Through the course of the show he has had just about every low-paying job going in Springfield, including working at Krusty Burger, the Aztec Theater, Gulp ‘n’ Blow, Lard Lad Donuts, IRS Burger, Shakespeare’s Fried Chicken, TacoMat, Eatie Gourmet’s Health Food Store, Kidstown USA, Noiseland Arcade, Springfield Barber College, Springfield Air Show, Springfield War Memorial Stadium, the Car Wash, Springfield Googolplex Theatres, Springfield Wax Museum, Springfield International Airport, Monty Burns Casino, Springfield Public Access Channel 3 and Clumsy Student Movers – the list goes on and on.
So, should you spend your hard-earned donuts on him? Here are a few reasons why:
1. He’s cheap – in fact, for a premium character, he’s a bargain at just 30 donuts.
2. He has jobs at many of the buildings in your Springfield, including Krusty Burger, the Gilded Truffle, the Java Server and Jake’s Unisex Hair Palace. If you decide to buy the Aztec Theater, he also works there.
3. As a premium character, he earns you a higher rate of cash and XP for his tasks than your regular characters do.
4. His parents would be so proud.
And here are a few reasons why you might decide to pass on him (at least for now):
1. If you don’t have the buildings you need for his tasks, he doesn’t have a lot to do. For example, if you don’t have any of the extra buildings he needs, all he will initially be able to do is advertise burgers for 24 hours. And buying him doesn’t help you build the other buildings any faster.
2. You could luck out and get him in a Mystery Box instead of spending donuts on him.
3. He doesn’t come with a building to help fill up your Springfield.
So, make your decision. Personally, I think he’s worth the 30 donuts if you buy him at the right stage of your game.
