Tropico takes the city/country simulation to the next level. It requires you to do all the regular stuff, build houses, build industries, monitor your island's health etc. But Tropico doesn't take place in a void. Rather than run some random city, you're running a banana republic in the Caribbean in the midst of a Cold War. Thus you have to deal with a multitude of political pressures. Will you side with the Soviets and incur a possible American "intervention?" Will you side with the Americans and turn your nation into a tourist destination, thus angering the socialists? Will you clamp down with the military or risk revolution? All this you have to keep track off, plus remembering to skim a little of the top for El Presidente's retirement fund. This makes for an extremely busy but fun game. Tropico 2 is the same basic idea, but moved back into the Wars of Empire, where you must set up a prosperous pirate paradise without incuring so much animosity that the powers that be decide to shut you down.
The Tropico series is not for everyone. It rarely affords you a break, and keeps you on your toes. But turning your island of shanties into a bustling metropolis is a rewarding task, and there are great spots of humor throughout. My favorite are the radio and t.v. stations you can establish, everything from Calypso, to All Presidente All the Time. If you're not afraid of the game's steep learning curve, give it a shot.