A Vision…
Wouldn’t it be something if you could have a home away from home where you could fish, collect items such as fruit, fossils, and many other things, and even form bonds with understanding neighbors? How great would it be if the beach, other towns, the river, and a museum were all seconds walk away in real life? How blissful would a late-night sea-side walk with a friend be, or how about stargazing with that special someone? How about the simple innocence of being together with someone, alone or with company, and enjoying each others’ company?

Is such an experience even possible in video games?

…an Accomplishment
Nintendo definitely got close to the target the last time around, with their sleeper hit Animal Crossing for the Nintendo GameCube. In this game, players rode a train to their new home, where friendly, and even comical, neighbors awaited their arrival. Memorable characters such as Tom Nook, K.K. Slider, Blabbers, and all of the animal neighbors captivated millions of gamers worldwide. There was no telling how such a game would be so big, but fans eagerly anticipated the next installment. And boy did Nintendo deliver.

Facts and Features:

• Animal Crossing returns, now on the DS.
  
• Utilizes the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for Internet play.
  
• Up to four players can live in one house.
  
• Over 600 accessories to customize your life.
  
• Can be played entirely with the Touch-Screen
  

Here we have Animal Crossing: Wild World, a hotly anticipated and passionately adored life simulation game that has taken the Nintendo DS to high new levels. Everything that made the console version so enduring and appealing, as well as fun is also included in this handheld version, excluding the classic NES titles that were found in the GameCube version. But their presence is not at all missed, as the inclusion of Internet play as well as the easier access to multi-player gaming more than make up for the loss. Many fans complained that these classic games were part of what made Animal Crossing so great, but I disagree; it is what you do with your town and neighbors that is fun, not what you do inside your home like you do in real life, which is play games.

Back to the Basics
Similar to the GameCube version, upon starting a new game, you find yourself in a cab driven by Kapp’n heading to your new home. He will ask you the typical questions, where you are moving to, what your name is, and subliminally asking whether you are a boy or a girl. Boy-Girl stereotypes live! Answer that your name is “cute” and you are automatically a girl; answer otherwise and you are automatically a boy. Nice deductive reasoning! A nice difference from the original game is a question Kapp’n asks you while on-board. He asks why you are moving into your new town, to which you have a variety of responses that determine where your house will be located upon your arrival. Being the person I am, I chose the beach, which positioned my home within steps of the shoreline. I love fishing!


A home by the sea, a dream come true!

Once you arrive, you are suggested to go visit the local shopkeeper Tom Nook, who has built your nice new “comfy” home. Here you will be informed, like the last time, that you will need to pay back the money it took to build your house, and what better way to do so than to work part-time at Nook’s Cranny? The little tasks that Nook gives you are all disguised as jobs that will allow you to get acquainted with your new home. These include delivering orders to your neighbors so you can get used to doing it many times thereafter, planting flowers so you can learn how to beautify your town, and getting accustomed to your neighbors whom you will live with for some time. Upon completing these tasks, it is time for free exploration! You can go around familiarizing yourself with your town, purchase items from Nook’s store as well as visit the museum and Town Hall. What a great first day in the world of Animal Crossing!

So you lived one day in your new town, now what? It is time to think BIGGER, and expand, of course! From now on, it is now up to you to decide what to do in your new town. You can fish, you can pick up shells on the beach, you can visit the Able Sisters and purchase great designer clothes or make your own. You can even go to the Observatory and stargaze, or even create your own constellations! This is done using the stylus and a set plot of stars in the sky which you can link up to 16 lines to create. This is where your imagination is set free, where you can create constellations that look like things you are familiar with. Yes, for all those immature kids out there, a phallic symbol can be perfectly created and seen up in the sky. What a great way to entertain your guests.