document_title: King Kong (2005 film)

question_text: who played the natives in king kong 2005

text: King Kong (2005 film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: In 1933, during the Great Depression, New York City vaudeville actress Ann Darrow is hired by financially troubled filmmaker Carl Denham to star in a film with Herb, Carl's cameraman, Mike, Carl's soundman, Preston, Carl's assistant, and actor Bruce Baxter. Ann learns her favorite playwright, Jack Driscoll, is the screenwriter. As their tramp steamer, the SS Venture, journeys to the mysterious Skull Island, Ann and Jack fall in love. The people on the ship consist of Englehorn the captain and his crew, including Hayes, a World War One veteran, Lumpy the cook, Choy the janitor, and the Venture's lookout Jimmy. Captain Englehorn has second thoughts about the voyage, prompted by Lumpy and Hayes' speculation of trouble ahead.

text: Deep in the southern waters, the Venture receives a radio message informing Englehorn that there is a warrant for Carl's arrest due to his defiance of the studio's orders to cease production. The message instructs Englehorn to divert to Rangoon, but the ship becomes lost in fog and runs aground on the rocky shore of Skull Island. Carl and his crew explore the island and are attacked by natives, who kill Mike as well as one of the sailors. Ann screams as she is captured, and a loud roar is heard beyond a wall. After this, the matriarch of the tribe targets Ann, muttering the word "Kong". Englehorn kills one of the natives and his crew break up the attack. Back on the ship, they lighten their load to float off the rocks and carry out repairs, but Jack discovers Ann has been kidnapped and another sailor has been killed. The natives offer Ann as a sacrifice to Kong, a 25 feet (7.6 m) tall gorilla. The crew returns fully armed, but is too late as Kong takes Ann and flees into the jungle. Ann wins Kong over with juggling and dancing, and begins to grasp Kong's intelligence and capacity for emotion.

text: Englehorn organizes a rescue party, led by Hayes and Jack. Carl's crew, Lumpy, Choy. Jimmy (disguised in ski cap but later discovered by Hayes), and several other sailors come along. They encounter and kill a Ferrucutus ferrus. The rescue party is then caught in the middle of a pack of Venatosaurus saevidicus and the herd of Brontosaurus baxteri they are hunting, and four people are killed, including cameraman Herb. The rest of the rescue party come across a swamp where Baxter and two others leave the group. The rest cross the swamp on rafts, only to be attacked by "Scorpio-pedes", as well by a "Piranhadon", which devours three sailors. The rescue party is making their way across a fallen log over a ravine when Kong attacks. Five crewmen, including Hayes and Choy, are killed after being thrown off the log, and the rest of the crew ride the log down the ravine and land in a pit. Preston however, doesn't fall down as he is able to cling to a vine from the falling log. Kong returns to Ann and rescues her from three Vastatosaurus rex. Kong takes her to his lair in the mountains. The remaining rescue party find the pit to be full of giant insects. Lumpy is killed by the maggot-like Carnictics sordicus while two others are killed by spider-like creatures. Englehorn, Baxter and the two crewmen return, saving Jack, Jimmy, Carl, and Preston. As Jack continues searching for Ann, Carl decides to capture Kong. Jack goes to Kong's lair, inadvertently waking him and provoking a swarm of flying Terapusmordax. As Kong fights the swarm, Ann and Jack escape. They arrive at the wall with Kong pursuing them, and Ann becomes distraught by what Carl plans to do. Kong bursts through the gate and attempts to get her back, killing several sailors, but is subdued when Carl knocks him out with chloroform.

text: In New York City, Carl presents "Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World" on Broadway, starring Baxter and an imprisoned Kong. Ann is played by an anonymous chorus girl, and Kong becomes enraged after realizing that the girl on stage is not Ann. After breaking free from his chrome-steel chains, he wrecks the theater and chases Jack and attempts to search for Ann as well. Kong knocks Jack out by stopping his car and flipping it, then encounters Ann again. Kong and Ann share a moment on a frozen pond in Central Park until the U.S. Army attacks. Kong climbs with Ann onto the top of the Empire State Building, where he fights off six F8C-5 Helldiver Navy planes, downing three. Kong is mortally wounded by the planes' gunfire, and gazes at Ann for the last time before dying and falling from the building. As Ann is reunited with Jack, civilians, policemen, and soldiers gather around Kong's corpse. Carl makes his way through the crowd, takes one last long look at Kong and says, "It wasn't the airplanes. It was Beauty killed the Beast."

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Naomi Watts as Ann Darrow, a struggling vaudeville actress who is desperate for work. Carl first meets her when she tries to steal an apple from a fruit stand. Further into the voyage, she falls in love with Jack and forms a special relationship with Kong.
Jack Black as Carl Denham, a film director who obtained the map to Skull Island. Due to his debts, Carl starts to lose his moral compass and obsesses over his film to the point that he disregards safety.
Adrien Brody as Jack Driscoll, a screenwriter who falls in love with Ann. He unwittingly becomes part of the voyage when, while delivering a script to Denham, he is deliberately delayed by the latter before he can get off of the Venture.
Thomas Kretschmann as Captain Englehorn, the German captain of the Venture. Englehorn shows a dislike for Denham, presumably because of his obsessive nature.
Colin Hanks as Preston, Denham's neurotic but honest personal assistant.
Jamie Bell as Jimmy, a naive teenager who was found on the Venture, wild and abandoned.
Andy Serkis as Kong (motion capture) a 25-foot (7.6 m) gorilla who is around 120–150 years old.[5] He is the last of his species, Megaprimatus kong.
Serkis also plays Lumpy, the ship's cook, barber, and surgeon. A brave sailor, he warns Denham about rumors he has heard about Skull Island and Kong.
Evan Parke as Benjamin "Ben" Hayes, Englehorn's first mate and a mentor to Jimmy who leads Ann's rescue mission because of his army training and combat experience gained during World War I.
Kyle Chandler as Bruce Baxter, an actor who specialises in adventure films. He abandons Ann's rescue mission but brings Englehorn to rescue the search party from the insect pit, and is given credit for rescuing Ann during the Broadway display of Kong.
John Sumner as Herb, Denham's loyal cameraman.
Lobo Chan as Choy, Lumpy's best friend and a janitor on the Venture.
Craig Hall as Mike, Denham's soundman for the journey.
William Johnson as Manny, an elderly vaudevillian actor and colleague of Darrow.
Mark Hadlow as Harry, a struggling vaudevillian actor.
Jed Brophy and Todd Rippon appeared in the film as crew members.

text: In addition, director Jackson with makeup artist Rick Baker as the pilot and gunner on the airplane that kills the title character, his children appear as New York children, The Lord of the Rings co-producer Rick Porras appears as a gunner in an airplane, and Bob Burns and his wife appear as New York bystanders. Frequent Jackson collaborator Howard Shore makes a cameo appearance as the conductor of the New York theater from where Kong escapes.

text: Watts, Black, and Brody were the first choices for their respective roles with no other actors considered.[6] In preparation for her role, Watts met with the original Ann Darrow, Fay Wray.[7] Jackson wanted Wray to make a cameo appearance and say the final line of dialogue, but she died during pre-production at 96 years old.[8] Black was cast as Carl Denham based on his performance in the 2000 film High Fidelity, which had impressed Jackson.[9] For inspiration, Black studied P. T. Barnum[10] and Orson Welles. "I didn't study [Welles] move for move. It was just to capture the spirit. Very reckless guy. I had tapes of him drunk off his ass."[11] The native extras on Skull Island were portrayed by a mix of Asian, African, Maori and Polynesian actors sprayed with dark makeup to achieve a consistent pigmentation.[11]

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: Peter Jackson was nine years old when he first saw the 1933 film, and was in tears in front of the TV when Kong slipped off the Empire State Building. At age 12, he attempted to recreate the film using his parents' Super 8 mm film camera and a model of Kong made of wire and rubber with his mother's fur coat for the hair, but eventually gave up on the project.[12] King Kong eventually became his favorite film and was the primary inspiration for his decision to become a filmmaker as a teenager.[13] He read books about the making of King Kong and collected memorabilia, as well as articles from Famous Monsters of Filmland.[14] Jackson paid tribute to the 1933 film by including Skull Island as the origin of the zombie plague in his 1992 film Braindead.[8]

text: During the filming of Jackson's 1996 film The Frighteners, Universal Pictures was impressed with Jackson's dailies and early visual effects footage. The studio was adamant to work with Jackson on his next project[13] and, in late 1995,[14] offered him the chance to direct a remake of the 1954 film Creature from the Black Lagoon. He turned down the offer, but Universal became aware of Jackson's obsession with King Kong and subsequently offered him the opportunity to direct that remake.[13] The studio did not have to worry of lawsuits concerning the film rights from RKO Pictures (the studio behind the 1933 film) because the King Kong character is held in the public domain.[15] Jackson initially turned down the King Kong offer, but he "quickly became disturbed by the fact that someone else would take it over," Jackson continued, "and make it into a terrible film; that haunted me and I eventually said yes to Universal."[12]

text: At the same time, Jackson was working with Harvey Weinstein and Miramax Films to purchase the film rights of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, while 20th Century Fox was trying to hire him for the 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes. Jackson turned down Planet of the Apes and because Weinstein was taking longer than expected to buy The Lord of the Rings rights, Jackson decided to move forward on King Kong. Weinstein was furious, and, as a result, Jackson proposed a deal between Universal and Miramax that the two studios would equally finance King Kong with Jackson's production company Wingnut Films. Universal would receive distribution rights in the United States, while Miramax would cover foreign territories. Jackson was also warranted the right of final cut privilege, a percentage of the gross profits,[14] as well as artistic control; Universal allowed all filming and visual effects to be handled entirely in New Zealand.[13] The deal was settled in April 1996, and Jackson, along with wife Fran Walsh, began working on the King Kong script.[14] In the original draft, Ann was the daughter of famed English archaeologist Lord Linwood Darrow exploring ancient ruins in Sumatra. They would come into conflict with Denham during his filming, and they would uncover a hidden Kong statue and the map of Skull Island. This would indicate that the island natives were the last remnants of a cult religion that had once thrived on Asia's mainland. Instead of a playwright, Jack was the first mate and an ex-World War I fighter pilot still struggling with the loss of his best friend, who had been killed in battle during a World War I prologue. The camera-man Herb is the only supporting character in the original draft who made it to the final version. The fight between Kong and the three V. rex also changed from the original draft. In the draft, Ann is actually caught in the V. rex's jaws, where she becomes wedged, and slashed by the teeth; after the fight, Kong gets her out but she is suffering from a fever, from which she then recovers.[13]

text: Universal approved of the script with Robert Zemeckis as executive producer, and pre-production for King Kong started. The plan was to begin filming sometime in 1997 for a summer 1998 release date. Weta Digital and Weta Workshop, under the supervision of Richard Taylor and Christian Rivers, began work on early visual effects tests,[13] specifically the complex task of building a CGI version of New York City circa 1933. Jackson and Walsh progressed with a second draft script, sets were being designed and location scouting commenced in Sumatra and New Zealand.[14] In late 1996, Jackson flew to production of the 1997 film Titanic in Mexico to discuss the part of Ann Darrow with Kate Winslet, with whom he previously worked with on his 1994 film Heavenly Creatures. Minnie Driver was also being reportedly considered.[12] Jackson's choices for Jack Driscoll and Carl Denham included George Clooney and Robert De Niro.[8] However, development for King Kong was stalled in January 1997 when Universal became concerned over the upcoming release of the 1998 film Godzilla, as well as other ape-related remakes with the 1998 film Mighty Joe Young[16] and the 2001 film Planet of the Apes. Universal abandoned King Kong in February 1997[12] after Weta Workshop and Weta Digital had already designed six months worth pre-production.[8] Jackson then decided to start work on The Lord of the Rings film series.[12]

text: With the financial and critical success of the 2001 film The Fellowship of the Ring and the 2002 film The Two Towers,[16] Universal approached Jackson in early 2003,[6] during the post-production of The Return of the King, concerning his interest in restarting development on King Kong. In March 2003, Universal set a target December 2005 release date and Jackson and Walsh brought The Lord of the Rings co-writer Philippa Boyens on to help rewrite their 1996 script.[16] Jackson offered New Line Cinema the opportunity to co-finance with Universal, but they declined.[6] Universal and Jackson originally projected a $150 million budget,[17] which eventually rose to $175 million.[18] Jackson made a deal with Universal whereby he would be paid a $20 million salary against 20% of the box office gross for directing, producing and co-writing. He shared that fee with co-writers Walsh (which also covered her producing credit) and Boyens.[19] However, if King Kong were to go over its $175 million budget, the penalties would be covered by Jackson.[20]

text: Immediately after the completion of The Return of the King, Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, supervised by Taylor, Rivers, and Joe Lettieri, started pre-production on King Kong.[8] Jackson brought back most of the crew he had on The Lord of the Rings series, including cinematographer Andrew Lesnie, production designer Grant Major, art directors Simon Bright and Dan Hennah, conceptual designer Alan Lee, and editor Jamie Selkirk.[13] Jackson, Walsh and Boyens began to write a new script in late October 2003.[16] Jackson acknowledged that he was highly unsatisfied with the original 1996 script.[6] "That was actually just Fran and Peter very hurriedly getting something down on paper", Boyens explained. "It was more one of many possible ways the story could go."[8] The writers chose to base the new screenplay on the 1933 film rather than the 1996 script.[8] They also included scenes from James Ashmore Creelman's screenplay that were either abandoned or omitted during production of the original film.[13] In the scene where Kong shakes the surviving sailors pursuing Ann and himself from a log into the ravine, for example, directors Merian Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack originally intended to depict giant spiders emerging from the rock to devour their bodies. This was cut from the original release print, and remains known to Kong fans only via a rare still that appeared in Famous Monsters of Filmland. Jackson included this scene and elaborated upon it.[8] Jackson, Walsh and Boyens also cited Delos W. Lovelace's 1932 novelization of King Kong as inspiration,[14] which included the character Lumpy (Andy Serkis).[6] To make the relationship between Ann Darrow and Kong plausible, the writers studied hours of gorilla footage.[21] Jackson also optioned Early Havoc, a memoir written by vaudeville performer June Havoc[6] to help Walsh and Boyens flesh out Ann Darrow's characterization.[11] Carl Denham was intentionally modeled after and inspired by Orson Welles.[6] Their new draft was finished in February 2004.[8]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Principal photography started on September 6, 2004 at Camperdown Studios in Miramar, New Zealand. Camperdown housed the native village and the Great Wall, while the streets of New York City were constructed on its backlot and at Gracefield in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. The majority of the SS Venture scenes were shot aboard a full-scale deck constructed in the parking lot at Camperdown Studio and then were backed with a green screen, with the ocean digitally added in post. Scenes set in the Broadway theater from which King Kong makes his escape were filmed in Wellington's Opera House and at the Auckland Civic Theatre.[13] Filming also took place at Stone Street Studios, where a new sound stage was constructed to accommodate one of the sets.[22] Over the course of filming the budget went from $175 million to $273 million over additional visual effects work needed, and Jackson extending the film's running time by thirty minutes. Jackson covered the $32 million surplus himself[20] and finished filming in March 2005.[13]

text: The film's budget climbed from an initial US$150 million to a then-record-breaking $273 million and received a subsidy of $34 million from New Zealand[23],[24] making it at one point the most expensive film yet made. Universal only agreed to such an outlay after seeing a screening of the unfinished film, to which executives responded enthusiastically. Marketing and promotion costs were an estimated $60 million. The film's length also grew; originally set to be 135 minutes, it soon grew to 200, prompting Universal executives to fly to New Zealand to view a rough cut, but they liked it so their concerns were addressed.[25]

text: Other difficulties included Peter Jackson's decision to change composers from Howard Shore to James Newton Howard seven weeks before the film opened.[26]

text: Visual effects[edit]

text: Jackson saw King Kong as opportunity for technical innovations in motion capture, commissioning Christian Rivers of Weta Digital to supervise all aspects of Kong's performance.[27] Jackson decided early on that he did not want Kong to behave like a human, and so he and his team studied hours of gorilla footage.[28] Serkis was cast in the title role in April 2003[6] and prepared himself by working with gorillas at the London Zoo. He then traveled to Rwanda, observing the actions and behaviors of gorillas in the wild.[7] Rivers explained that the detailed facial performance capture with Serkis was accomplished because of the similarities between human and gorilla faces. "Gorillas have such a similar looking set of eyes and brows, you can look at those expressions and transpose your own interpretation onto them."[27] Photos of silverback gorillas were also superimposed on Kong's image in the early stages of animation.[29] Serkis had to go through two hours of motion capture makeup every day, having 135 small markers attached to different spots on his face.[27] Following principal photography, Serkis had to spend an additional two months on a motion capture stage, miming Kong's movements for the film's digital animators.[30]

text: Apart from Kong, Skull Island is inhabited by dinosaurs and other large fauna. Inspired by Dougal Dixon's works, the designers imagined what 65 million years or more of isolated evolution might have done to dinosaurs.[31]

text: Release[edit]

text: The marketing campaign started in full swing on June 27, 2005, when the teaser trailer made its debut, first online at the official Volkswagen website at 8:45 p.m. EDT, then 8:55 p.m. EDT across media outlets owned by NBC Universal (the parent of Universal Studios), including NBC, Bravo!, CNBC, and MSNBC. That trailer appeared in theatres attached to War of the Worlds, which opened on June 29.[5]

text: Jackson also regularly published a series of 'Production Diaries', which chronicled the film's production. The diaries started shortly after the DVD release of The Return of the King as a way to give Jackson's The Lord of the Rings fans a glimpse of his next project. These diaries are edited into broadband-friendly installments of three or four minutes each. They consist of features that would normally be seen in a making-of documentary: a tour of the set, a roving camera introducing key players behind the scene, a peek inside the sound booth during last-minute dubbing, or Andy Serkis doing his ape movements in a motion capture studio.[32]

text: A novelization of the film and a prequel novel entitled King Kong: The Island of the Skull were also written. A multi-platform video game, entitled Peter Jackson's King Kong, was released, which featured an alternate ending. There was also a hardback book entitled The World of Kong: A Natural History of Skull Island, featuring artwork from Weta Workshop to describe the film's fictional wildlife.

text: Jackson has expressed his desire to remaster the film in 3-D at some point in the future.[33] Jackson was also seen shooting with a 3-D camera at times during the shoot of King Kong.[34]

text: Reception[edit]

text: In North America, King Kong grossed $9,755,745 during its Wednesday opening and $50,130,145 over its first weekend for a five-day total of $66.1 million.[35] Some analysts considered these initial numbers disappointing, saying that studio executives had been expecting more.[36][37] The film went on to gross $218,080,025 in the domestic market and ended up in the top five highest-grossing films of the year there.[38] The film grossed an additional $332,437,332 in the international box office for a worldwide total of $550,517,357, which not only ranked it in the top five highest-grossing films of 2005 worldwide,[39] but also helped the film bring back more than two and a half times its production budget.

text: During its home video release, King Kong sold over $100 million worth of DVDs in the largest six-day performance in Universal Studios history.[40] King Kong sold more than 7.6 million DVDs, accumulating nearly $194 million worth of sales numbers in the domestic market alone.[41] As of June 25, 2006, King Kong has generated almost $38 million from DVD rental gross.[42] In February 2006, TNT/TBS and ABC paid Universal Studios $26.5 million for the television rights to the film.[43]

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: King Kong received positive reviews from critics. On aggregate review site Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 84% based on 261 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Featuring state-of-the-art special effects, terrific performances, and a majestic sense of spectacle, Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong is a potent epic that's faithful to the spirit of the 1933 original."[44] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 81 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[45] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+-to-F scale.[46]

text:
It was placed on the Top Ten lists of several critics,[47] with Roger Ebert giving it four stars, and listed it as 2005's eighth best film.[48] The film received four Academy Award nominations, for Visual Effects, Sound Mixing (Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges, Hammond Peek), Sound Editing, and Production Design, winning all but the last.[49][50] Entertainment Weekly called the depiction of Kong the most convincing computer-generated character in film in 2005.[51] Some criticized the film for retaining racist stereotypes that had been present in the 1933 film, though it was not suggested that Jackson had done this intentionally.[52]
King Kong ranks 450th on Empire magazine's 2008 list of the 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.[53] The Guardian reviewer Peter Bradshaw said that it "certainly equals, and even exceeds, anything Jackson did in Lord of the Rings."[54] However, Charlie Brooker, also of The Guardian, gave a negative review in which he describes the film as "sixteen times more overblown and histrionic than necessary".[55]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
Award

Subject

Nominee

Result

Academy Awards

Best Sound Editing

Mike Hopkins and Ethan Van der Ryn

Won

Best Sound Mixing

Hammond Peek, Christopher Boyes, Mike Hopkins, and Ethan Van der Ryn

Won

Best Visual Effects

Joe Letteri, Brian Van't Hul, Christian Rivers, and Richard Taylor

Won

Best Art Direction

Grant Major, Dan Hennah, and Simon Bright

Nominated

British Academy Film Awards

Best Special Visual Effects

Joe Letteri, Brian Van't Hul, Christian Rivers, and Richard Taylor

Won

Best Production Design

Grant Major

Nominated

Best Sound

Hammond Peek, Christopher Boyes, Mike Hopkins, and Ethan Van der Ryn

Nominated

Golden Globe Awards

Best Director

Peter Jackson

Nominated

Best Original Score

James Newton Howard

Nominated

Saturn Award

Best Fantasy Film

Nominated

Best Director

Peter Jackson

Won

Best Writing

Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh, and Peter Jackson

Nominated

Best Actress

Naomi Watts

Won

Best Costume

Terry Ryan

Nominated

Best Make-Up

Richard Taylor, Gino Acevedo, Dominie Till, and Peter King

Nominated

Best Special Effects

Joe Letteri, Brian Van't Hul, Christian Rivers, and Richard Taylor

Won

Visual Effects Society

Outstanding Visual Effects in an Effects Driven Motion Picture

Joe Letteri, Eileen Moran, Christian Rivers, and Eric Saindon

Won

Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in a Live Action Motion Picture

Andy Serkis, Christian Rivers, Atsushi Sato, and Guy Williams

Won

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Motion Picture

Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White, Matt Aitken, and Charles Tait

Won

Outstanding Compositing in a Motion Picture

Erik Winquist, Michaell Pangrazio, Steve Cronin, and Suzanne Jandu

Nominated

text: Cinematic and literary allusions[edit]

text:
Jack Black and critics have noted Carl Denham's similarity to Orson Welles.[56]
When Driscoll is searching for a place to sleep in the animal storage hold, a box behind him reads Sumatran Rat Monkey — Beware the bite! This is a reference to the creature that causes mayhem in Jackson's 1992 film Braindead.[57] In that film, the rat monkey is described as being found only on Skull Island.
Jimmy reads part of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness while en route to Skull Island, at one point comparing their journey to that of the novella.[58]

text: References to original 1933 King Kong[edit]

text:
Fay Wray, the original Ann Darrow, was asked by Jackson to appear in a brief cameo role in which she would utter the film's final line: "It was beauty killed the beast." At first, she flatly refused, but then seemed to consider the possibility. However, she died shortly after her meeting with Jackson.[56] As in the original film, the line ultimately went to the character of Carl Denham.
An ad for Universal is visible while Kong is tearing up Times Square. In the 1933 film, an ad for Columbia Pictures appeared in the same spot, and the production designers replicated it, but Columbia asked for a large amount of money for its use, so effects artists replaced it.[57]
When Denham is considering who to play the part before meeting Ann, he suggests "Fay", but his assistant Preston replies, "She's doing a picture with RKO."  Music from the 1933 film is heard, and Denham mutters, "Cooper, huh? I might have known." Fay Wray starred in the 1933 film, which was directed by Merian C. Cooper and released by RKO.[57] At the time she was performing in another Cooper/Schoedsack production, The Most Dangerous Game with Robert Armstrong.
In the 1933 film, Cooper made up an "Arabian proverb" about "beauty and beast". The 2005 remake repeats the fake proverb.[57]
Early in this film, Denham shoots a scene for his film in which Ann, in-character, proclaims she's never been on a ship before, and Bruce Baxter improvises lines proclaiming annoyance. The dialogue they exchange is taken verbatim from early scenes between Ann and Jack Driscoll in the 1933 film. Ironically, in this film, Jack Driscoll expresses disapproval of such words toward Ann.[57]
Kong's New York stage appearance looks very much like a re-enactment of the 1933 film's sacrifice scene, including the posts the 'beauty' is tied to and the nearly identical performance and costumes of the dancers. In addition, the music played by the orchestra during that scene is Max Steiner's original score for the 1933 film.[57]
The battle between Kong and the final V. rex is almost move-for-move like the last half of the fight between Kong and the T. rex in the 1933 film, right down to Kong playing with the dinosaur's broken jaw and then standing, beating his chest and roaring victoriously.[57]
After the crew captures Kong on the beach, Denham speaks a line from the 1933 film: "The whole world will pay to see this! We're millionaires, boys! I'll share it with all of you. In a few months, his name will be up in lights on Broadway! KONG, THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD!" [57]
In the 1933 film, directors Cooper and Schoedsack appear in cameos as the pilot and rear-gunner who shoot Kong during the film's climax atop the Empire State Building. In the 2005 film, Jackson plays one of the gunners.

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text:
King Kong: Original Motion Picture SoundtrackFilm score by James Newton HowardReleased
December 6, 2005 (2005-12-06)Recorded
2005Genre
ScoreLength
70:57Label
DeccaJames Newton Howard chronology

Batman Begins(2005)

King Kong: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack(2005)

Freedomland(2006)

text: Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingSoundtrackNet

text: King Kong: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was composed by James Newton Howard, who composed The Sixth Sense, Dinosaur, Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Treasure Planet. Originally, Howard Shore, who worked with Peter Jackson on The Lord of the Rings, was to compose the film's score. Shore completed and recorded several cues before he and Jackson parted ways. Shore's appearance as the conductor in the New York theatre from which Kong escapes remained in the film.

text: James Newton Howard's score was later nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.[59]

text: Home media[edit]

text: King Kong was released on DVD on March 28, 2006 in the United States and Canada. The three versions that came out are a single disc fullscreen, a single disc widescreen, and a two-disc Widescreen Special Edition.

text: A three-disc Deluxe Extended Edition was released on November 14, 2006 in the U.S.,[60] and on November 3 in Australia.[61] Twelve minutes were reinserted into the film, and a further forty minutes presented alongside the rest of the special features. The film was spread onto the first two discs with commentary by Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens, and some featurettes on discs one and two, whilst the main special features are on disc three. Another set was released, including a WETA figurine of a bullet-ridden Kong scaling the Empire State Building, roaring at the Navy with Ann in hand. The extended film amounts to 200 total minutes.[62]

text: A special HD DVD version of King Kong was part of a promotional pack for the release of the external HD DVD Drive for the Xbox 360. The pack contained the HD DVD drive, the Universal Media Remote and King Kong on HD DVD.[63] It was also available separately as a standard HD DVD.[64] The film's theatrical and extended cuts were released together on Blu-ray Disc on January 20, 2009.[65] A re-release of the Blu-Ray with a new bonus disc compiling the extras from all previous editions titled the "Ultimate Edition" was released on February 7, 2017.[66]  An Ultra HD Blu-ray followed in July 2017.


document_title: Corona radiata (embryology)

question_text: which follicle stage is characterized by the development of a corona radiata

root

text: Corona radiata (embryology)

text: This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. (June 2013)

tag: table

text:
Corona radiata

Human ovum examined fresh in the liquor folliculi. The zona pellucida is seen as a thick clear girdle surrounded by the cells of the corona radiata.

The egg itself shows a central granular deutoplasmic area and a peripheral clear layer, and encloses the germinal vesicle, in which is seen the germinal spot.

Anatomical terminology
[edit on Wikidata]

text: The corona radiata is the innermost layer of the cells of the cumulus oophorus and is directly adjacent to the zona pellucida, the outer protective glycoprotein layer of the ovum.[1] Its main purpose in many animals is to supply vital proteins to the cell.[citation needed] It is formed by follicle cells adhering to the oocyte before it leaves the ovarian follicle, and originates from the squamous granulosa cells present at the primordial stage of follicular development. The corona radiata is formed when the granulosa cells enlarge and become cuboidal, which occurs during the transition from the primordial to primary stage. These cuboidal granulosa cells, also known as the granulosa radiata, form more layers throughout the maturation process, and remain attached to the zona pellucida after the ovulation of the Graafian follicle. For fertilization to occur, sperm cells rely on hyaluronidase (an enzyme found in the acrosome of spermatozoa) to disperse the corona radiata from the zona pellucida of the secondary (ovulated) oocyte, thus permitting entry into the perivitelline space and allowing contact between the sperm cell and the nucleus of the oocyte.

tag: p


document_title: The Sims 2

question_text: what was the name of the first sims 2 expansion pack

text: The Sims 2

text: Gameplay[edit]

text: From the neighborhood view, the player selects one lot to play, as in The Sims.[9] There are both residential and community lots, but Sims can only live in residential lots. Sims can travel to Community lots in order to purchase things like clothing and magazines, and to interact with NPCs and townies.

text: The player can choose between playing a pre-made inhabited lot, moving a household into an unoccupied pre-built lot, or constructing a building on an empty lot. One novelty from The Sims is foundations.

text: The player switches among the "live" mode (default) to control Sims, the "buy" mode to add, move or delete furniture, or the "build" mode to rebuild the house. Buy and build mode cannot be accessed when on a community lot, but can be opened by using the neighborhood view. It is also possible to import neighborhood terrains from SimCity 4.[10]

text: The game contains some time-bound social challenges that provide a reward if successful. Sims can throw parties to gain aspiration points or invite the headmaster over for dinner in order to enroll their children in private school.[9] Some expansion packs have new mini-games, like running a Greek house in University or dating in Nightlife. In Nightlife, each date is a challenge to keep both Sims as happy as possible while accumulating aspiration points. Various other expansion packs introduce supernatural characters which Sims can be turned into, such as Zombies, Vampires, Werewolves, Plantsims, and Witches.

text: Sims[edit]

text: The main part of the game is to lead a Sim from the start of life to death. A Sim will be born when a female Sim and a male Sim try for a baby. The mother will spend 3 Sim days (each day lasts 24 minutes though time can be sped-up) pregnant before giving birth to a baby.[9] During Pregnancy, the belly does not expand gradually. Instead, every day, it "pops" to a bigger size. Players can name the new Sim upon birth. The baby's appearance and personality will be based on the genetics of its parents (though the baby's appearance is hidden until it becomes a toddler). Babies can also be adopted by calling the social worker on the phone, even by single parents or same-gender couples. The baby will change into a toddler in 3 days, and 4 more days for the toddler to change into a child. After 8 days, the child grows into a teenager, and will live 15 days before changing into an adult. After 29 days, the Sim will become an elder. An elder will eventually die; the length of this final stage depends on the aspiration bar when they become an elder.

text: Babies, toddlers, children, teens, and adults can be advanced to their next life stage at any time during the 24 Sim hours before they will grow up automatically. For babies, this requires using the birthday cake. Toddlers, children, teens, and adults can use the "Grow Up" self-interaction. If the University expansion pack is installed, teens have the option to go to college, where they will be young adults for approximately 24 days. Aging can be disabled via cheats.

text: Players will need to build up talent badges, skills and relationships with other people, so that they can be successful in their career.[11] A player will also need to make sure a Sim is happy and well by fulfilling wants (including lifetime wants, avoiding fears, and fulfilling motives).

text: Pregnancy, toddlers, teens, and elders are new stages of life. Young adult is a unique age added with the University expansion. Teen Sims will become young adults once they are moved to a University, and will be adults once they leave campus, regardless of the reason.

text: Create-a-Sim[edit]

text: In The Sims 2, Create a Family is entered by clicking the "Families" button in the lower left-hand corner of the neighborhood view, then clicking the large "Create New Family" button. Clicking the button labeled "Create A Sim" will expand a tab which has the "Create a Sim" and "Make a Child" icons. "Make a Child" will be grayed out unless the family contains an adult male and adult female. Clicking the "Create a Sim" icon will generate a random adult Sim, who may be male or female which can be edited by the player.

text: As opposed to The Sims, any age besides baby or young adult (which must be made in the University Create a Student) may be created. Instead of having to choose from already finished faces which include hair, it is now possible to alter the facial structure (e.g. widening the nose, thinning the lips, elongating the chin, etc.) and choose any hairstyle to go with it. Different eye colors and an additional skin tone is available for the Sims as well. If Sims are older than a child, their aspiration and turn-ons/offs (Nightlife or later) may be determined. As in The Sims, there are five personality traits, and 25 personality points which can be assigned to those traits.[12] However, in The Sims 2, all personality points must be assigned. Additionally, there are twelve pre-set personalities, one for each of the zodiac signs. A zodiac sign will be set which matches the personality the player has selected for the Sim.

text: The Sims 2 also comes with The Sims 2 Body Shop, which enables users to create genetics, makeups, accessories, clothes, and Sims, with the help of third-party tools, such as MS Paint, Paint.NET, Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, Wings 3D, and SimPE. The Sims 2 Body Shop is normally installed in C:\Program Files\EA Games\[The Sims 2 or the most recent installed expansion pack or stuff pack here]\CSBin.

text: Social interactions[edit]

text: There are several new social interactions introduced in The Sims 2. These new social interactions can create memories and can be related to certain age groups. Social interactions can come up in the Wants and Fears panel and can be dependent on the Sim's personality and aspiration. Sims with certain personalities may not want to complete certain social interactions.

text: Careers[edit]

text: There are careers that come with the game that require skills and a certain number of friends in order for promotion.[16] Success in these careers unlocks career rewards and higher salaries plus bonuses. Sims also receive chance cards. Correct answers to these chance cards creates rewards for Sims while incorrect answers could cause a Sim to lose its job. Nightlife and Apartment Life allow Sims to gain promotions through social interactions with other Sims.[17]

text: Comparison to The Sims[edit]

text: Graphically, The Sims 2 is more detailed than The Sims and lets players view its world in full 3D. This is a change from earlier Sim games, such as SimCity 2000, which used dimetric projection and fixed resolutions, as the camera was in The Sims. In The Sims, Sims are 3D meshes, but The Sims 2 introduces far more detail in mesh quality, texture quality, and animation capability. A Sim's facial features are customizable and unique, and Sims can smile, frown, and blink. The player can adjust a Sim's features in the in-game Create-a-Sim tool; for example, noses can be made to be very large or very small. Texturing is achieved through use of raster images, though it appears more lifelike.

text: The Sims 2 characters pass through seven life stages — babies, toddlers, children, teenagers, young adults (only with University), adults, and elders — with eventual death of old age, while babies in The Sims only become children before ceasing to continue aging. The aspiration system (described above) is also new to The Sims 2. Sims can become pregnant and produce babies that take on genetic characteristics of their parents, such as eye color, hair color, facial structure, and personality traits as opposed to Sims, in which the baby would take on random appearance and personality. Genetics play a major role in the game, and as such, dominant and recessive genes play a larger role than they did in the original game. A player can also aspire to have a Sim abducted by aliens. Males then have the chance to become impregnated and produce after three Sim days a half-alien child.

text: Some of the other additions to gameplay are career rewards, a week cycle, the cleaning skill (which was a hidden skill in The Sims), a variety of meals (depending on time of day), exercise clothing, body shape affected by diet and exercise, and houses built on foundations.

text: Development[edit]

text: EA Games announced on May 5, 2003 that the Maxis studio had begun development on The Sims 2.[18] The game was first shown at E3 in Los Angeles, California on May 13, 2004.[18] Will Wright admits that while most of the content of The Sims 2 are original ideas, inspiration for its own expansions and constituents spawned from the successes of the first game. The community interest in the antecedent The Sims: Unleashed and The Sims: Hot Date expansions ensured the creation of The Sims 2: Pets and The Sims 2: Nightlife expansions, respectively.[19]

text: After development concluded, designers from Maxis regarded The Sims 2 as very capricious during creation. Bugs would appear, and Sims would be "tweaked", or have anomalies not present in a previous run.[20] A teaser trailer was provided on the Makin' Magic CD but was later uploaded to websites all over the Internet.

text: On December 15, 2012, Electronic Arts announced that the official website would be shut down on January 14, 2013. It is now no longer possible to download content from the official site, create exchanges, or participate in the official forum communities.[21]

text: On July 16, 2014, Electronic Arts announced the end of support for The Sims 2. As a response The Sims 2: Ultimate Collection was released at the same time as a limited time offer. The game became available for free download from Origin exclusively following an announcement by EA that they would no longer be supporting the Game.[22] This offer ended at 10:00 PDT July 31, 2014.[23][24][25] EA stated that they were planning on releasing the compilation as a retail release. However, as of now, no further information has since been released or confirmed on its planned retail release date, and the game has since been removed entirely from Origin as of the end of 2017.

text: On August 7, 2014, Aspyr Media released The Sims 2: Super Collection as digital download exclusively available at the Mac App Store; the game was updated for OS X Mavericks, 4K and Retina. This compilation only includes the first six expansion packs and the first three stuff packs. Aspyr stated they were unable to include the remaining packs for the game due to licensing conflicts with EA. Like the Ultimate Collection, no new updates on when the remaining packs will be released separately or as a single add-on to the Super Collection have emerged.

text: Music[edit]

text: The game features music performed by Paramore, Ryan Ferguson, Trivium, Chiodos and more recording artists (all songs recorded in the Sims language "Simlish").[26] The Humble Brothers contributed heavily to the game.

text: Reception and legacy[edit]

text:
Reception

Aggregate scores

Aggregator
Score

GameRankings
91%[16]

Metacritic
90[7]

Review scores

Publication
Score

1UP.com
A[12]

Eurogamer
8 of 10[27]

GamePro
[28]

Game Revolution
B+[11]

GameSpot
8.9 of 10 [29]

GameSpy
[9]

GamesRadar+
9 of 10[30]

GameZone
9.4 of 10[31]

IGN
9.4 of 10[32]

PC Gamer (US)
85% [7]

Awards

Publication
Award

Blimp Award (UK Kids' Choice Awards)
Best Video Game

Apple Design Award (Apple Design Awards)
Best Mac OS X Game

text: The Sims 2 had a successful E3.[33][34] The game also received the Editor's Choice Award from IGN and GameSpy upon final review of the finished product.[35][36] From 71 online reviews, the average score was 90 out of 100. Seven of those sources awarded the game a 100 out of 100 score.[37] X-Play gave the game a 4/5. Computer Gaming World awarded the game as their 2004 "Strategy Game of the Year (General)", beating out RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, The Political Machine, and Silent Storm.[38] However, critics noted some serious bugs in the game.[citation needed]

text: The Sims creator, Will Wright, was recognized by being nominated at the Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards for Visionary and Game Developer.[39] The game was also nominated for two international awards in 2005.[40][41] The Mac version of the game won an Apple Design Award in 2006.[42] Computer Games Magazine named The Sims 2 the sixth-best computer game of 2004. The editors wrote that it is "more of a game and less of a dollhouse [than The Sims], but it remains a celebration of the beauty of the mundane." It also won the magazine's "Best Voice Acting" award.[43]

text: The Sims 2 was an instant commercial success, selling a then-record one million copies in its first ten days.[4] The game sold 4.5 million units within its first year, and 7 million by October 2006.[44][45] It received a "Double Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[46] indicating sales of at least 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[47]

text: As of March 2012, The Sims 2 had sold 13 million across all platforms and six million on PC, making it one of the best-selling PC games of all-time.[8] During April 2008, The Sims 2 website announced that 100 million copies of The Sims series had been sold.[5]

text: Controversy[edit]

text: The Sims 2's malleable content and open-ended customization have led to controversy on the subject of pay sites. Custom content is distributed through independent websites, some of which charge for downloading materials. Charging money for custom content is a violation of the game's EULA,[48] which prohibits the commercial use of Electronic Art's intellectual property.

text: On July 22, 2005, former Florida attorney Jack Thompson alleged that Electronic Arts and The Sims 2 promoted nudity through the use of a mod or a cheat code. The claim was made that pubic hair, labia and other genital details were visible once the "blur" (the pixelation that occurs when a Sim is using the toilet or is naked in the game) was removed.[49] Electronic Arts executive Jeff Brown said in an interview with GameSpot:[50]

text: This is nonsense. We've reviewed 100 percent of the content. There is no content inappropriate for a teen audience. Players never see a nude Sim. If someone with an extreme amount of expertise and time were to remove the pixels, they would see that the sims have no genitals. They appear like Ken and Barbie.

text: Prior to Thompson's statement, there was an enterable code which allowed to modify the size (including to zero) of pixelation accessible from the console menu. Shortly after the statement, subsequent patches and expansion packs removed the "intProp censorGridSize" code; this code had been left over from the beta testing stage of the original game and had not been intended for a public audience.

text: Editions, compilations, and add-ons[edit]

text: Many Sims games have been ported to OS X by Aspyr. The Sims 2 has also been released for a number of video game consoles including the PlayStation 2, the Xbox, Nintendo DS and the Nintendo GameCube.

text: OS X version[edit]

text: OS X ports of the base game, six expansion packs, and three Stuff Packs have been released by Aspyr Media. The port for the base game was announced on October 19, 2004.[51] The Sims 2 had reached beta status on March 1, 2005, and was released on June 17 the same year.[52] It was, at release, compatible with Mac OS X Panther and above. The Sims 2 Bodyshop was also available for OS X. The game is now available for purchase with all ported expansions and Stuff Packs on the Mac App Store for OS X Mavericks.

text: Console versions[edit]

text: The console versions of The Sims 2 featured local splitscreen multiplayer, a story mode and an option to control game characters directly, as opposed to queuing options as is traditional Sims gameplay.

text: Handheld versions[edit]

text: Game Boy Advance version[edit]

text: The Game Boy Advance version of The Sims 2 takes place in Strangetown, and shares a similar GUI to its predecessors (The Sims Bustin' Out and The Urbz). Players are guided through a goal-oriented game based on the reality television concept in which partitions of the game are divided into "episodes". Characters from the previous handheld sims games also appeared.

text: Nintendo DS version[edit]

text: The Nintendo DS version of The Sims 2 (commonly referred to as "The Sims 2 Hotel") begins with the player's car breaking down in Strangetown. Upon arriving, an anonymous donor grants the player the deed to a hotel which can be operated and customized at the player's discretion. The player's job is to bring life back into Strangetown by encouraging people to come to the hotel, which players can do by upgrading it and making the guests happy. There are several ways in which a player can make Strangetown a nicer place, but is up to the player to find them. Unlike most games in the Sim series, this one takes place in real-time.

text: PlayStation Portable version[edit]

text: The PlayStation Portable version of the game is played in first person. There is more of a solid storyline the player is required to navigate through in order to unlock most of the things available in the other versions. The option to build your own home is replaced by a pre-built home where you can customize the furniture and decor. Conversation is carried out via a mini-game function. The player'a character does not age, nor are they able to marry or have children. Relationships are mainly used for the point of solving goals, though a close friend may "move in" with the player after progressing in the game.

text: The game begins with the player's character driving through the Strangetown desert, presumably 'Road to Nowhere' in their car, when suddenly a flying green diamond (Also known as the Plumbob, the marker and logo of the Sims game) flies towards the player and causes them to lose control of, and damage, their car. Fortunately, the player finds a gas station. The player takes their car into the garage. At that point the player takes control. The player is introduced to a vehicle mechanic named Oscar who, after a brief tutorial in teaching the player how to talk to NPC Sims, informs the player their car will only take a short while to fix.

text: The player is then free to roam around the gas station, and after being introduced to some more NPCs, including Bella Goth, who claims to be abducted by aliens, completing tasks and being taught the basic objective of the game which is 'Secret Hunting' for the store clerk. The player then exits the shop only to find the garage around the back has completely disappeared along with Oscar and their car, with only the foundation of the garage remaining. The only thing left from the disappearance is a cell phone, which the player answers and a man named Doctor Dominic Newlow offers the player a job, requiring him or her to get a ride into town and find a place to stay.

text: The player informs Police Deputy Duncan about the situation who replies that he can do nothing about it and suggests the player find a place to stay. After having bought Bella's house for pocket change and getting donuts for Deputy Duncan (which happen to have been found in the trash), the player finally gets a lift into Strangetown's Paradise Place, only to find more tasks and mysteries.

text: Expansion packs[edit]

text: The Sims 2 expansion packs provide additional game features and items. Eight expansion packs were released throughout the game's lifecycle. The Sims 2: Apartment Life is the final expansion pack for The Sims 2.

text:
Name
Release date
Major Additions
Neighborhoods
New NPCs
New Lifestate/Creature
New Careers

University
Windows:

NA: March 1, 2005

EU: March 2, 2005

Mac OS X:
December 12, 2005
Universities, Young Adult age group, Influence system
Campus:
La Fiesta Tech,
Sim State University,
Académie Le Tour
Barista, Bartender,
Cafeteria Worker,
Cheerleader,
Coach, Evil Mascot, Mascot,
Professors, Streaker
Zombies (Also in FreeTime and Apartment Life)
Natural Scientist,
Paranormal,
Show Business,
Artist

Nightlife
Windows:

NA: September 13, 2005

EU: September 13, 2005

Mac OS X:
March 27, 2006
Dates, Groups system, Outings, Pleasure and Grilled Cheese aspiration, New relationship states, ownable cars, Attraction system
Downtown:
Downtown
Gypsy Matchmaker,
Waiter, Chef,
Bartender, DJ,
Mrs. Crumplebottom,
Vampires (Counts/Countesses)
Vampires
None

Open for Business
Windows:

NA: March 2, 2006

EU: March 2, 2006

Mac OS X:
September 4, 2006
Businesses, talent badges
Shopping District:
Bluewater Village
Reporters,
Barbers
Servos (Robots)
Shop Employees

Pets
Windows:

NA: October 17, 2006

EU: October 20, 2006

Mac OS X:
November 6, 2006
Ownable Pets
None
Animal Control Officers,
Obedience Trainer,
Wolves, Skunks
Werewolves
Pet careers:
Security,
Showbiz,
Service

Seasons
Windows:

NA: March 1, 2007

EU: March 2, 2007

Mac OS X:
June 11, 2007
Weather system, Seasons, fishing, new talent badges,
gardening
Main:
Riverblossom Hills
Garden Club Members,
Penguins
PlantSims
Adventurer,
Education,
Gamer,
Journalism,
Law, Music

Bon Voyage
Windows:

NA: September 4, 2007

EU: September 7, 2007

Mac OS X:
December 17, 2007
Vacations in different cultural areas
Vacation:
Twikkii Island,
Three Lakes,
Takemizu Village
Fire Dancers,
Hotel Maids,
Bellboys, Masseurs,
Wise Old Man,
Pirate, Tour Guides,
Unsavory charlatan,
Witch Doctor, Ninjas
Bigfoot
None

FreeTime
Windows:

NA: February 26, 2008

EU: February 22, 2008

Hobby system, lifetime aspiration system, new talent badges.
Main:
Desiderata Valley

Secret:
Hobby
Hobby Members,
Rod Humble,
Hobby Leaders,
Food Judge,
Genie
Genie (Only NPC)
Oceanography,
Intelligence,
Entertainment,
Dance,
Architecture

Apartment Life
Windows:

NA: August 27, 2008

EU: August 29, 2008

Rentable apartments, reputation system, witchcraft system
Main:
Belladonna Cove[53]

Secret:
The Magical World
Butler, Landlord,
Roomies,
Breakdancers,
Street Performers,
Social Group Sims,
High Witch of Light/Darkness,
Spectral assistant (played by cats), Human statues[53]
Witches, Warlocks
None

text: Stuff packs[edit]

text: Stuff packs are add-ons that intend to add only new items (usually in the amount of 60) to the base game. However, some releases include certain gameplay elements introduced in previous expansion packs. There are ten total stuff packs. However, The Sims 2: Holiday Party Pack served as the pilot release for this line of products, which were called "booster packs". After the success of the pilot release, EA named the releases "stuff packs" and launched the line with The Sims 2: Family Fun Stuff. The Sims 2: Mansion & Garden Stuff is the final stuff pack for The Sims 2.

text:
Name
Release date
Includes

Holiday Party Pack
Windows:

NA: November 17, 2005

Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year themed stuff, plus new NPCs: Santa Claus, Father Time, and Baby New Year

Family Fun Stuff
Windows:

NA: April 13, 2006

Mac OS X:
April 30, 2007
Family-oriented Fairy tale, outer space and nautical themed items mainly for children's bedrooms

Glamour Life Stuff
Windows:

NA: August 31, 2006

Mac OS X:
June 1, 2007
Luxury, couture and glamour themed objects, floors and walls

Happy Holiday Stuff
Windows:

NA: November 7, 2006

Mac OS X:
September 4, 2007
All items from Holiday Party Pack plus added Asian and European holiday themed stuff

Celebration! Stuff
Windows:

NA: April 3, 2007

Wedding themed hairstyles, fashions and accessories, furniture, and other party enhancers

H&M Fashion Stuff
Windows:

NA: June 5, 2007

Fashion collections from H&M and H&M branded build objects

Teen Style Stuff
Windows:

NA: November 5, 2007

Goth, Thrasher and Socialite themed stuff for teenagers' bedrooms, teenage haircuts and new teenage clothes

Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff
Windows:

NA: April 15, 2008

Kitchen and bathroom objects, floors, walls and clothing items

IKEA Home Stuff
Windows:

NA: June 24, 2008

Fashionable furniture, floors and walls from the styles of IKEA

Mansion & Garden Stuff
Windows:

NA: November 17, 2008

Items featuring three new decorative themes (Moroccan, Art Deco and Second Empire)

text: Core game editions[edit]

text:
Name
Release date
Includes

The Sims 2[54]
Windows:

NA: September 14, 2004

EU: September 16, 2004

Mac OS X:
June 13, 2005
The first release of the core game on four CDs.

The Sims 2 Special DVD Edition
Windows:

NA: September 17, 2004

The core game on one DVD, plus a bonus DVD with exclusive content.

The Sims 2 Holiday Edition (2005)
Windows:

NA: November 15, 2005

The core game and The Sims 2 Holiday Party Pack.

The Sims 2 Holiday Edition (2006)[55]
Windows:

NA: November 7, 2006

The core game and The Sims 2 Happy Holiday Stuff.

The Sims 2 Deluxe[56]
Windows:

NA: May 8, 2007

The core game and The Sims 2 Nightlife, and a new bonus DVD that is different from the one included in the Special DVD Edition.

The Sims 2 Double Deluxe[57]
Windows:

NA: April 15, 2008

The Sims 2 Deluxe and The Sims 2 Celebration! Stuff

The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection
Windows:

WW: July 16, 2014 - July 31, 2014

(exclusive to existing Origin customers that proved they owned the original Sims 2 game from July 16 until July 31, 2014, retail release not confirmed)
The Sims 2 Double Deluxe, The Sims 2 University Life Collection, The Sims 2 Best of Business Collection, The Sims 2 Fun with Pets Collection, The Sims 2 Seasons, The Sims 2 Bon Voyage, The Sims 2 FreeTime, The Sims 2 Apartment Life, The Sims 2 Glamour Life Stuff, and The Sims 2 Happy Holiday Stuff

The Sims 2 Super Collection
Mac OS X:

NA: August 7, 2014

The core game, The Sims 2 University, The Sims 2 Nightlife, The Sims 2 Open for Business, The Sims 2 Pets, The Sims 2 Seasons, The Sims 2 Bon Voyage, The Sims 2 Family Fun Stuff, The Sims 2 Glamour Life Stuff, and The Sims 2 Happy Holiday Stuff (The Sims 2 FreeTime and The Sims 2 Apartment Life along with the remaining stuff packs have not been included due to their unavailability for Mac at the time of its release)

text: Expansion-only compilations[edit]

text: Compilations of expansion packs and stuff packs without the core game have also been released.

text:
Name
Release date
Includes

University Life Collection[58]
Windows:

NA: August 24, 2009

The Sims 2: University, The Sims 2: IKEA Home Stuff, and The Sims 2 Teen Style Stuff.

Best of Business Collection[59]
Windows:

NA: October 6, 2009

The Sims 2: Open for Business, The Sims 2: H&M Fashion Stuff, and The Sims 2: Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff.

Fun with Pets Collection[60]
Windows:

NA: January 12, 2010

The Sims 2: Pets, The Sims 2: Family Fun Stuff, and The Sims 2: Mansion & Garden Stuff.

text: Downloadable content[edit]

text: Pre-order content[edit]

text: Most of expansion packs and stuff packs were released with pre-order items. This game content was redeemable at the official site using a code supplied by the retailer from which the player purchased, each retailer was often associated with an exclusive download. A total of 60 pre-order items were released.

text: The Sims 2 Store[edit]

text: The Sims 2 Store was an online store where players of The Sims 2 for PC could purchase and download content for their game online for additional fees. It offered objects, clothing, skins, and hairstyles that are both exclusive to the store and also come from earlier expansion and stuff packs.

text: It also had featured seven exclusive item collections that could only be found in the store. The store used a point system that players can purchase. It was opened from July 2008 to March 31, 2011 as a beta version limited to the United States and Canada. To download, players must install The Sims 2 Store Edition and the EA Download Manager. The exclusive collections were "Cubic", "Art Deco", "Spooky", "Castle", "Asian Fusion", "Art Nouveaulicious" and "Oh Baby", including a total of 471 items.

text: The Sims 2: Store Edition and the savegame can't be used with The Sims 2: Ultimate Collection.

text: Third-party tools[edit]

text: SimPE is an open-source utility for The Sims 2 that allows editing of Sims' characteristics, relationships and careers. It also allows the creation of objects. As the tool is intended for use by experienced modders, the SimPE interface is not considered intuitive[61] and users risk corrupting the game files.[62] TS2 Enhancer, developed by Rick Halle, is a commercial utility for editing characters and neighborhoods, but has since fallen into disuse.[63]

text: Notes[edit]

text: Jump up ^ Aspyr published the OS X version

tag: ol