The gaming site Games Domain has reviewed The Sims for PS2 too now. Here's what they say about the controlling of your favourite characters:

"For the most part, the transition from mouse control to gamepad works surprisingly well. Though the gamepad lacks the speed and intuitiveness of the excellent PC interface, it is more than up to the job. The only deficiency comes through in design mode, which makes building houses a serious chore for the detail oriented. For most gamers, this shortcoming can be easily overlooked, but for budding architects that spend considerable time and attention building the perfect home, the frustrating controls can become a real nuisance. Most players, though, will be satisfied moving into pre-built homes and won't find the gamepad interface the least bit limiting."

Also, one of the cons is that is misses new stuff from the latest expansion packs. They don't really recommend the game to those who have the PC game. In fact, they say it's better to have the PC version rather than the PS2 version, simply because on the PC (and Mac for that matter) you can add a lot of stuff. It's still a good game though, but for the multiplayer mode PC players should probably wait for The Sims 2, which will most likely contain similar features. The whole review is right here, and our review index is here, with a full list of all the reviews of The Sims (PS2) so far.