Reviewed on:
Nintendo DSThe Good:
It's an easy game to pick up and put down from time to time. Connect wirelessly to visit friends' towns.The Bad:
The characters make you feel bad, move away, etc., if you do not play for a couple of days or more. You may be required to purchase the Wi-Fi connector to play on-line.The Verdict:
If you were a fan of the Gamecube version, this one is a lot of fun plus you play on the go.
REVIEW:
The first Animal Crossing game on the Nintendo Gamecube was a hit, bringing players into an alternative world filed with animals as your neighbours. Some were annoying while others were quite cute. Plus, where else could you pay off a debt in fish?
The new edition for the DS is similar to the first but, there have been a number of enhancements to the game, such as the ability to choose where your house will be placed. Who doesn't want a house by the shopping centres or in the middle of town?
When beginning the game, you are being driven to the town by Kapp'n (who was in the original game, but then he was a sea captain) and asked a bunch of questions which will determine your gender, model type and town name. Again, like in the old edition, you start out with no cash and no place to live. But, there is no need to fear as Tom Nook, the enterprising raccoon, can get you a house — for a fee of course.
After arriving in the town, you start off with a part time job with Nook to get acquainted with the various options in game and to meet the residents. After that, you're on your own to pay back the debt. Even after the initial debt is repaid, though, the house is expanded and then you are required to pay the fee for that back as well.
Earning money is quite simple in the game. Too bad the same cannot be said for the real world. To earn cash (or bells as it is called), you can fish and sell the catch to Tom Nook, sell fossils once they've been identified, and help out the various townsfolk by running deliveries or by selling fruit.
The game itself is quite easy to pick up and play for short spurts, as it does not require any specific task to be completed each day. With the debt, players can simply pay it off when they like — there is no due date. However, the in-game time is similar to the real world, so if one plays at night, some of the stores or villagers may have shut their doors for the night.
A couple of options available on the DS are sadly underused. For example, the top screen of the DS displays the sky which, although beautiful, does not really serve a purpose beyond showing the odd present floating down or a shooting star. The stylus is required for certain actions although the D-pad, plus the A button can be used in a pinch. The former is quicker in performing certain actions (such as moving items from your own person to Tom Nook when selling items). The microphone has not been utilized in the game at all.
One element which is different within this version of Animal Crossing is that if you have a friend sharing your DS, you can both live within the same house. Although the living space maybe a little cramped, there is an extra bonus — two (up to four people in one residence) can work together in paying off Tom Nook! Plus, with the Wi-Fi connection, you can allow friends to visit your village (or visit theirs). You can give them the grand tour of the town or kick back and relax inside the house.
Animal Crossing: Wild World is suited to both old and young players. but adults may have a greater attention span to complete some of tasks involved. However, like other simulation games such as Nintendogs, the game does not really "end," nor can the village be completely destroyed or all the villagers leave. Some do leave from time to time, but may return at a later point, saying that they have missed the town (or maybe you) and they had to come back.
Overall, it's a good pickup and great to play when you only have a little bit of time per day. However, the game is addictive, and since it passes in real time, you may miss out on things if you can't play regularly. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.
