"Such A Wild World We Live In! - Animal Crossing: Wild World"

Do games really have to have an epic storyline with huge plot twists, a love story and a battle between good and evil? What if there was a game where you can enjoy the simple things in life and take them for what they are? How about a title where you have more freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want and however you want? Well, finally, someone came up with such a great idea back in the very early years of this century. Released on the GameCube, Animal Crossing was a new installment to the popular Japanese series, Animal Forest. However, Animal Crossing lacked the comfort of being portable…that is, until the series and its fans were graced with Animal Crossing: Wild World for the Nintendo DS. Packed with more interactivity than ever before, this title raises the bar in simulation games by a long shot and pushes the dual-screened device to its limits, both in gameplay and in graphics.

The story in this game is no different than the story of your life. The player is given the responsibility of being able to live by him or herself in a new town bustling with welcoming animals that inhabit the village. Making a living, doing errands and interacting with your neighbors all reflect real life experiences and can be tons of fun. Due to such a degree of similarity, the game relates to the player in a huge way. However, with such freedom comes responsibility. Having fun isn't the only part of this title. You'll have to take care of your property and the rest of the town to keep it in tip-top shape. Residents frown on lack of care.

Wild World has many options for daily activities and there are never any schedules that you don't put upon yourself. Maybe you don't feel like working today, so why not kick back and go fishing? Freedom is a key element in the gameplay of AC:WW and that could be why it is so addicting. The numerous buildings and houses also pave the road for more interactivity. The town museum, for example, offers the chance to donate all sorts of animals for the empty exhibits found in it. Also, the museum houses a café where the famous KK Slider appears at a certain time and an upstairs with a telescope that allows you to make your own constellation. Just imagine, seeing your own creativity at work in the night's sky! Other buildings have even more to offer. The notable Tom Nook runs the town store, where buying and selling is a must. He'll give you an arrangement of wares to buy and will buy practically anything you have from you, from bugs to shells on the beach. You'll also find a clothing store run by two quirky sisters that allow you to buy, sell and create shirt designs, as well as purchase accessories and other items. Thus, it is simple to see how doing such simple tasks can be quite rewarding and joyful.

Just like in real life, Animal Crossing: Wild World is full of fun events to keep even the laziest of people out of bed. From fireworks shows to bug catching competitions, the fun never stops! Holidays also play a big role in this title. The residents of your town will gather like a pack of birds to celebrate Christmas or New Year's Eve or whatever may be the case. Luckily for you, you can enjoy it all from the calmness of your Nintendo DS. However, most holidays don't bring enough to the table to make your visit to the bash worth it. While contests give you a motive to stick around, holidays are basically just all of your neighbors conveniently in one space. Sure, there may be food, but you can't eat it. What a waste! But, if you are for the basic fundamentals of the holidays; being together with your friends, then you'll enjoy them more than anything!

Animal Crossing: Wild World is all about interacting with the other animals that live in your town. Never does chatting with a neighbor get boring or dull! These people love to chat, but they adore receiving letters in the mail. Each character you find has different personalities. They also have different moods depending on what has happened recently, whether it was a conversation with you or even another animal! Such artificial intelligence makes the game very realistic and adds variety to the experiences as a whole.

Animal Crossing for the DS takes it to the next level by bringing in animals that don't necessarily live in your town. You'll be visited by a number of odd animals that take refuge in your town for a short period of time. There will always be something for you to accomplish because of these new people, so it is something to look forward to. Sometimes you may find rare items not sold in your own town! These people are very eccentric and may even cause a laugh or two. They certainly spice up what could be a boring day for a gamer.

One man's trash is another man's treasure, I always say, and that is never more true than in Animal Crossing: Wild World. Take advantage of people throwing out their trash by taking it for your own! The Lost and Found, run by an odd dog with a social problem, will always have something in store for you, mostly furniture. The Town Hall recycling bin has also been spotted to be sporting worthy items that can be used in your home or sold for profit. Believe it or not, but you may even stumble upon some interesting pieces of property in trees! That's right! Give 'em a shake and you may find your next couch or even a bag full of cash...or a bee hive...that happens sometimes. Regardless, there is nothing to lose in this game and taking advantage of your neighbors' garbage will certainly help you advance through the game.

Overall, the game plays very smoothly. Traveling throughout the town is a breeze with the D-Pad, though at some points, it may seem like an analog stick would pull off the job better. Button controls are a snap and very easy to grasp. AC:WW also gives you the ability to work with two types of control: button or touch screen. Whether it is chatting with a neighbor or tryng to reel in your latest catch, Wild World makes it very simple to achieve.

However, the downfall of the game is repetition. Due to the lack of major events and plot twists, there isn't too much to keep the gamer playing. Everything is very exciting and fun at first, but after while, it becomes very monotonous. Fishing and doing errands isn't all that it's cracked up to be after doing it several times. Only people that truly understand and respect the simple concept of this game will be motivated to keep playing the title for long periods of time.

Wild World continues to amaze the gamer when it boils right down to its graphical wonder. WW raises the bar in 3-D looks and animations on the Nintendo DS by a longs shot. Each wave of the river and each leaf of a tree is portrayed in a simply spectacular way. AC:WW also uses the concept of “being on your own little planet”, as seen on the boxart, by showing the rising and falling land behind the character as you travel up and down your town. Flowers slowly move behind the horizon and out of sight while the character travels south. Additionally, even minor animations like the small movements of bugs are captured in glorifying 3-D graphics that please the eye.

Though, while Wild World is successful in gameplay, graphics and the like, it falls short of what could have been amazing audio. The background theme that plays in almost every inch of the town, while isn't horrible, lacks anything worth noting. Shorter tracks, like the town tune that is played at the beginning of a conversation with a fellow resident, are good to an extent, but due to their decimal lengths, aren't given the chance to show their true form.

Animal Crossing for the GameCube lacked a major aspect of today's video games: a good multiplayer. Wild World makes up for that with it's own multiplayer system and takes it a step further with Nintendo Wifi Connection. Players can have their friend's characters move into their town and live in his or her home. Also, the character can visit a friend's town over an online connection. With Wild World's many options, friends can have all sorts of fun with what they have. Thanks to the addition of online play, the interactivity of Wild World is spread further throughout.

Simulation games have come a long way from back in the old days of gaming. Having such a large amount of interactivity was unthinkable. Other simulation games scratch the surface of good gameplay, but Wild World cuts it right open. With it's relation to real life that helps the player connect to the game and all of the interesting characters to live out your simulated life, Animal Crossing: Wild World for the Nintendo DS is a game packed with tons of options to keep any dedicated gamer happy!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/13/07