An extremely addictive escapist experience. Better not tell your friends though...
However, with my addiction now out of the closet, it's time to look at the latest in the Animal Forest/Animal Crossing series, Animal Crossing: Wild World for the Nintendo DS.
Gameplay: 9
Let's get one thing straight: Animal Crossing's gameplay is not for everyone. If you hated the original, then you're probably going to hate this handheld iteration. The core mechanics still involve creating an avatar, purchasing a house, meeting the unique townsfolk, and then working like a fiend to pay off that loan shark (raccoon?) known as Nook. You'll spend lots of time reading text, running errands, fishing, digging, gardening, digging through the trash, and redecorating. The game is rated "E" for a reason. The game world occurs in real time, meaning that special holidays happen only on certain days, stores open and close at certain times, and townsfolk adopt daily schedules. You may find yourself basing your real life around the game.
That said, however, Animal Crossing:WW manages to turn such a dull sounding ordeal into something almost sublimely simple. The game has a wonderful sense of humor (some of the conversations are priceless), and the whole thing gives off an air of tranquility. Ever better is the fact that this new handheld version lends itself to the shorter gaming sessions that make up this game. Are you going to play AC for multi-hour sessions? I doubt. Are you going to boot it up for maybe 15 minutes a day or so just to see how things are going in town? Probably, which is why the DS version is far superior to the console one in that regard.
For those that remember the game, a few other gameplay tweaks have been made. You no longer have to send off fossils to be appraised (Blathers can finally do it himself, thank goodness). Everyone lives in the same house, which means you all chip in towards paying off Nook, but that you also all share the same living space (roommate conflict, anyone?). The whole system just seems smoother than before. One noticabele omission, however, is the removal of NES games. While it doesn't hurt the game in the long run, it is one less incentive to keep going.
And of course, there's wireless and WiFi multiplayer. Honestly, while it makes trading items and getting rare fruits easier, its not all that big of a deal. Only two people can be in a building at once. No one is outside when friends are over. The interaction between players is fairly limited. Still though, it lets you barter for goods the world over (provided you have Friend Codes at least) or let your friends envy at your decorating sense.
Overall, if you loved the original or are into games like The Sims, Animal Crossing: WW is well worth your hard earned bells... er, dollars.
Graphics: 8
The game looks a lot like the GC version, which is a huge compliment. The art style is clean and bright, with lots of colors, especially in the warmer seasons. Characters animate well and textures are all high enough res as not to distract. Add in a huge amount of clothes, hair styles, and furniture, and the overall presentation is very nice indeed. There's not all that much detail, though, and while the 3D is nice, it's really not all that impressive. Still, the fact that its Animal Crossing on a handheld is a beautiful thing.
Sound: 7
The sound is also a near exact copy of its Gamecube older brother. A lot of the tunes bring to mind the glory days of the SNES and NES. Several are catchy enough that you'll find yourself humming them well after the system has powered down. On top of that, you can compose your own (simple) town tune. It's no Beethoven, but it's a nice touch. The sound effects are workable. There's rain sounds for rain, water sounds for water, door sounds for the doors... you get the point. It's nothing above and beyond the call of duty. The animal speech can be cute at first, and varies for each character's personality, but you may find it to be annoying after a while. Thankfully, you can shut it off.
Value: 10
If you like this game, you'll be playing for months to come, if not a whole year or more. There's so much to collect, so many animals to meet, so many holidays, fish, bugs, fossils... Even if you never get on WiFi, this game will give you your money's worth and then some. WiFi adds a whole other dimension of community to this already community-based game. Expect to see this one in your DS cartridge slot often.
Verdict:
I am not going to lie to you. Animal Crossing: Wild World is not for everyone. It has no plot, no extended action sequences, no licensed tracks, and no superstars on the cover. That said, if you are an open-minded gamer (and if you bought a DS and still enjoy yours, I'm guessing you are) and can take a little ribbing for owning such a "kiddie" game, Animal Crossing may prove to be one of your new best friends on road trips.