Animal Crossing, A Wild World? - 8/10
Animal Crossing: Wild World is something I've never played before, it was my first experience into the series. I loved it! It was an absolute hit for me! The series all started in 2001, in Japan. But due to the decline in N64 players, the game didn't sell to well on the N64, so it was later ported to the Nintendo Game-Cube in 2003 (AUS). Known for it's addictive game-play, Animal Crossing sold very well around the globe. In 2005 the Nintendo DS got some of the Animal Crossing glory, in the form of Animal Crossing: Wild World. Like previous version of Animal Crossing, this version had a clock, based on real time, dates and fruits. However, the Animal Crossing: Wild World supports 4
player Wi-Fi Mode, so there can be up to 4 people in your town, real people. Annouced at E3 2008, was Animal Crossing: City Folk for the Nintendo Wii, it'll be like no other Animal Crossing game before it, still having the the town in the upcoming game, but new is the City. Being able to visit a city wasn't possible in past Animal Crossing games, until now. Animal Crossing: City Folk will also bring the return of Holidays, and will feature Wii Speak, an upcoming Microphone for the Wii. Seeing as Animal Crossing: Wild World is my first jump into the series and I absolutely love it, I thought I'd review the aspects of this great DS game.
The basic storyline is that you just moved away from home, and you moved to a new town with no money. You borrow "Bells"(Money) from Tom Nook, and you purchase a house. You then must pay him back, and continue doing so until you get the biggest house you can. He upgrades his Shop and is re-named each time, but always involving Nook in the title. New townspeople will come to the town, and some might even leave. Depending on a month or a certain day, something special might happen, for example, every Saturday in August, there is a Fireworks show to be watch right up until Dawn. Every Saturday, after 8:00pm, you can go and listen to K.K Slider sing and play piano, there's many events going on in the Animal Crossing World, all you have to do is check the notice board for some details. The story isn't something that I've encountered before, and I like it a lot! There's always something to do, each day in the world of Animal Crossing.
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The surprises are all new for a whole 364 days, then repeated. To obtain money in this game you can catch fish, bugs and find fossils and sell them at Tom Nook's shop, these items can also be donated to the local Museum where they will be put up for display for you and your friends to view. Overtime you will be able to buy different items from Tom Nook's store and his store will upgrade every once in a while. Items like, Fishing Rods, Shovels, Nets are needed to catch fish, find fossils or catch bugs. When you start the game, your town will have a type of fruit growing, only one though. It can be either apples, pears, oranges, peachs or cherries. Different types of fish or bugs will come out at different times of the day, making it harder to catch all the types of fish or insects. Fossils are much rarer than Fish or Bugs, and are harder to spot, but it is worth looking for them, as they look very good once put together in the Museum. By talking to townspeople you can obtain items, learn about events or schedule a visit. These townspeople have emotions, if you don't visit them on the correct time, they will get angry at you. The townspeople wander all around the town during the day, or stay at home. The realism also grows further, being able to plant trees and flowers, a tree or flower will grow if you water it, and will die if you don't care for it.
I still get surprised day in, day out wth this game. You never know what's going to happen in your town. Whether you get a letter from your parents or if there is a Fireworks Show. I've been addicted to this game for quite some time and spend too many hours playing it, one time, I stayed up playing it until 1-2am in the morning. It's insanely addictive gameplay makes it worthwhile for a buy. Even after you've done everything in the town, you can invite your friends to come and visit you, flaunt your beautiful town or to share items. Unfortunately, I haven't experienced any Wi-Fi on this game yet, but I'll be sure to add it here when I do.
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2 words. Wow. 2005. This game graphically is amazing, especially for it's age. Being nearly 3 years of age, you'd think it wouldn't be too good, right? Doesn't seem so true to me. The highly detailed environment is amazing! The water effects on the beach, or the mosquito's at night time. They all add to the realism. Being able to customize your clothing and being able to make your own designs is very cool, you are also able to buy various other colour-filled T-Shirts. Changing the flooring of the house looks good also, stone being the best in my opinion. Decorations can be detailed a lot and look really good. The town is an odd shape, like the shape of a sphere, as you walk forward, the land behind you seems to "fall" and the land in front of you seems to "rise" as you move around your town.You can watch your trees and flowers grow over the days, from a little stem to a full grown tree or flower. Using real-time, the colour of the sky and the amount of clouds changes, and at night, there are HEAPS of stars to be found, with the option of adding your own constellations.
I really liked the way they designed the game, overall. With it looking better than most of 2006-2008 games, it's so lovely to look at and play.
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Much like LoZ: PH. You walk around by sliding the Stylus across the screen, but in this game, you also have the option to use the D-Pad. Being able to bring up an entire menu with the touch of a button and being able to select items has never been so easy. From a distance, you can tap another townsperson, and you'll wave and if you are close enough and tap them, you will start a conversation. To get fruit from a tree, all you have to do it tap the tree to shake it and all the fruit will come down and you'll be able to pick it up with just a touch. To choose an item from Nook's store all you have to do is touch it. This game makes good use of both, the D-Pad and the Touch Screen, depending on which you prefer to use. Swinging the net is much the same, just get your net out and tap on the bug you'd like to try to catch, fishing is similar also, but a bit harder. To fish, you must get your Fishing Rod out, and tap on somewhere in the water, the line will be cast and when a fish appears you must wait for it to take a few nibbles and take the bait underwater, then quickly keep tapping the end of the line.
The controls work very well in this game, like I said before, much like LoZ:PH. These controls have really been thought through and make the game very easier to control and play.
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Now this is great! The town theme song is fully customizable by the player! The way the townspeople talk is customizable by the player, with 3 options. The music during the day and night is fabulous, and the sounds of the water crashing on the beach is amazing for the DS. You can hear frogs swimming at night, and you can hear all sorts of bugs. Simply amazing. And K.K Slider is in this game and makes the sound so much better! The sounds of the Fireworks Show is also amazing, they sound pretty realistic. Listening to this game just adds to the experience, leave the sound on and play. The player, can't talk, as per usual in most games, but all the other characters can talk in Animalese, which is just sounds effects played fast. So that doesn't make sense, so the game is pretty text heavy, if you think about it.
I can't say too much hear, like in most of my reviews, it's hard to explain music/sounds in words, it's something you have to experience. Well the sounds in Animal Crossing: Wild World are amazing, and realistic. If you move closer to a bug or something that makes noise, the sound gets louder, and if you move away, the sound fades away.
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Animal Crossing: Wild World is an amazing game, it's suppose to last about a year with all new surprises. Nintendo have impressed me so much with this game, I, at first had doubts about it, but upon playing the game, they all vanished. It was a good buy and is one of the
best games on DS I have ever played.
Please 
Thanks for reading,
-Azza123
Submitted by Azza123
16/08/2008
684
26
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