Animal Crossing

"Different is good!"

As soon as you start playing this game you will notice some differences and things tht this game is missing. There are no levels or bosses or anything you see in most games. This is sort of like Harvest Moon, but with out the farming. Harvest Moon fans should check this out. Do not fear however, this is a great game with out those things. It is different. It provides a gaming experience like few other games do. There is no blood in this game either, so that might turn off some gamers, but this is unquestionably fun.

Game History: This was originally a N64 game, which was released in Japan and later ported to Gamecube. It was released three times in Japan. (twice on GCN and once on N64) In Japan, it was first released as Animal Forest, then it was re-released on GCN with special features, most of which are in our version of the game. I guess it sold pretty well, even on the N64, which was a dead system in Japan at that time.

I think that this is a great game, and now it is Players Choice, so there is another reason to buy this game--its cheap. This game offers many things for you to do, you make friends in the game itself, you buy a house, fish, collect insects and you can even play NES games like Balloon Fight and Excitebike.

This game even plays when you aren't. Things still happen in the town, like fruit growing or trees growing or weeds sprout up. Animals come and go when you are gone, things change. How do they change? Well, the GCN's internal clock (which you set at the beginning of this game) controls time and all of the events in the game. Holidays as well as your birthday are all events that occur in this game.So, this game lasts a long, long time.

A note for GBA owners: This game supports connectivity, allowing you to do special things like play NES games on your GBA or travel to a special island. There are things on the island, such as NES games and fruit that is not found anywhere else. This game also supports E-Reader, which unlocks hidden content. E-Reader content includes different clothes designs and NES games. I do not have a GBA, so I do not use these features. If connectivity is something you live, then great, if not, then it is just not for you. If you are interested in the connectivity features, then read the FAQ that is about it.

Plot:
Well, I guess there isn't really a plot--this isn't a RPG or text heavy game. The only plot to speak of would be your character moves to a new town, but does not have the money to buy a house. So, your character then works for Tom Nook to pay him off, and eventually, he lets you go and you continue to pay (or not) your debt off. After you buy the house, you can expand it in different ways. You also function as the town caretaker. During your time in this town, you write letters to different characters (animals) that are in your town, you become friends with them, do missions for them and go to different town events. Your town can have a maximum of 15 characters on it and a minimum of 5. This is not including the possible 4 human players than can live near you. You can also visit the towns of others with your memory card. In my opinion, I would have to say that the best part of this game is doing favors for others. This game offers a lot of freedom.

Graphics:
This was a N64 game, so don't expect something like Resident Evil 4. I am not crazy when it comes to graphics, and besides, the fun of this game makes up for it. However, there is some detail in the game, like when you walk along the beach, you leave footprints. Your fishing pole makes a splash when it hits the water. The colors in this game seem bright (in summer at least) and as you would expect from an older game, there are jaggies. Some things in the game are 2-D also, and the NES games look just like they did when they came out.

Sound:
You can hear the water splash and the bug's noises as well as different noises from the animals, who speak their own language. Your town has a theme, or background music, which you can change into what ever you want, so that is not an issue. Different items make noises as well. You can also get songs every Saturday from a musician that visits your town. These songs can be played in your house with your radio. The animals that live in your town have their own language. Some will get tired of it, but I don't mind it. It is called Animalese, which is like English spoken very fast. When listening to it, you will hear that Animalese words sound like their English counter parts.

Replay Value:
There are many things in this game that you can do. I would say that this has great replay value, because the game is always playing--with or with out you. You can do many different things. For your house, you can collect new furniture or style it in different ways. You can also make the town suit your tastes. For instance, you can cut down all the trees or put of signs that have different pictures or messages on them, and you can do this to your house and clothing as well. There is great Replay Value in this because there are many things you can collect and do.

Ratings:

Plot: 8/10
Graphics: 8/10
Sound: 9/10
Replay Value: 10/10
Overall: 9/10

Why is this an addictive game? It offers many things to do and has a excellent replay value. Other than that, this game is very fun. The look of it might not be your thing, but I suggest you at least rent this.

To sum up different things you can do: Fish, collect insects, collect fossils, expand your house, create a perfect town, donate things to the museum, play NES, design different things, do missions, collect furniture, pay off Nook completely, and get a high house rating.

What is this game? It is sort of a blending of the Sims, and Harvest Moon. I guess you could look at it that way. This is a simulator game, where you are in control of your town. You can do many things in it.

Why did I write this review? I wanted to share my opinion on this great game. It is one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences I have had in a long time. This is one of my favorite GCN games, and a must have in a GCN player's library. It is a change from the different genres that are experiencing many sequels and clones now. If you want to try something different, that is certainly not a clone, get this.

To learn more about this game: Read the FAQ's and reviews and go to the message board. You might see something that could interest you. I read reviews and articles about games before I buy them, it is an easy way to tell if a game in good or if it is junk.

Rent or Buy:
At first I rented this game, then I returned it because I did not have a memory card to save it on (mine did not have enough space). But, when I played it, I loved it. I eventually went to Gamestop, where I bought it after seeing that it was Player's Choice, meaning that it has a lower price. Saving is not an issue because it comes with a memory card (if you buy it new) that has 59 blocks on it. 57 blocks are used for the Animal Crossing file, 1 is used for the NES games and 1 is used for your special letter. (which contains two NES games and one K.K. song) If you buy this used, you will not get the special letter. I suggest buying this game new.

There is one draw back to this game, and it is the fact that this game could have been so much more. What I mean is if they made another one, instead of porting this from the N64 to the GCN, we could have better graphics and a larger town, as well as more events, items, and all kinds of different add ins that the larger media would allow. I am sure the next game (if this becomes a series) will add all kinds of new features.

I suggest this game to people that are bored with all of today's sequels, rehashes and clones as well as the people that like Harvest Moon and the Sims. You might not like the graphics, but you can get past them, they aren't a big deal.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/06/04