"It's Your Life!"

When it first revealed pictures of the controversial and unfamiliar DS, Nintendo wanted to make sure everyone -- not just Game Boy fans -- would fervently desire the system. As a result, one of their press releases promised all buyers a special gift: ultimate freedom. Yes, it's true. The big N made it abundantly clear that everyone with a DS in his or her possession could take over a city and freely control it.

With this information in hand, players from all over the world started savoring the dual screen system. By owning a DS and maybe forking over a few wads of colorful paper, anyone could dominate the world and live life to the fullest. It was pure genius as far as marketing strategies go, and Nintendo unified gamers from all fronts towards a common purpose: becoming the proud parent of a little portable.

What were these offers that Nintendo tempted people with? Well, besides owning their own home, Nintendo notified consumers that they could stay at a friend's house for hours on end, run all night without any repercussion on consequences, destroy the environment in search of dead creatures, incarcerate aquatic animals for evil decorative schemes, or even head to the local bar for an intoxicating cup of coffee.

Life would be perfect; everything would be suited towards each person's individual desires. Using this selling tactic, Nintendo disbursed millions of DS units into gamer's hands as a single season rolled by. Only later did many people realize that the utopian lifestyle would only be available on a game, but at least store shelves were not forced to hold the DS for an extended period of time. Thus, Animal Crossing: Wild World was conceived. Although oblivious gamers considered the past of Animal Crossing to be a bit questionable because of the deception it entailed, the game proved to be a power seller that fulfilled all of Nintendo's promises.

While it may not a real life paradise, Animal Crossing does include a new type of freedom. As players embark on their initial journey to a wild new world, their path crosses with an old cab driver. After learning basic facts such as name, gender, and birthday, Kapp'n, the chauffeur, will permit gamers to bestow an everlasting name on the city they will soon call home.

Once the long ride ends and Kapp'n deposits players at town hall, everything shifts into a new gear. No longer is there a set storyline; all other paths will be chosen by gamers themselves. The loose story structure might be disconcerting to some; however, it fits flawlessly with the simulation genre of game play that Animal Crossing is all about.

So, freedom lies at the end of a long cab ride? Not quite. Before full independence is gained, new movers must head down to a little store in order to work for Tom Nook, a successful and manipulative business raccoon. He will force the newbies to meet the town residents, install vegetation, and even run deliveries. After the menial errands are finished, Nook will release the player from the agonizing chores. To top off the short lived treachery of enslavement, Nook will inform gamers that they owe him an insubordinate amount of bells (the town's currency) in exchange for the house he provided them. However, without so much as a glance backwards, residents will be out the door, ready to experience the liberty they have yearned for.

And they will have it. From there on out, everything that happens is up to the player. The big question is: What is there to do? Animal Crossing, following true simulation style, allows participants to casually traverse a small city and enjoy the many experiences that it offers, using either button controls or the stylus. Both methods of control have strengths and weaknesses, but most gamers will find the buttons most suited for their needs. It is all very basic, with most of the controls devoted to moving or performing an action such as picking up an object, but the controls are solid nonetheless.

When they finally are ready for some serious play, gamers will encounter the town itself. The overall layout of the city is semi-customizable according to the player -- meaning that it will vary depending on how certain questions are answered at the beginning of the game. However, what effect the answers and questions will have on the environment is questionable, so despite the dependence on responses few people can know what their town will actually look like.

Once the village map has been constructed, more customization is still available. By planting seeds or fruit, residents will be able to add flowers or trees to the mix. Since shaking regular trees can reveal cash or furniture and since fruit trees produce luscious food to sell, these trees are valuable for both moneymaking and city beautification. Along with the overall layout of the town, gamers will also be able to custom make designs. These players can place on sections of land, so they can make the terrain look exactly how they want it.

Then, there are the townsfolk. Each one has his or her own unique personality and style, and gamers can easily befriend the villagers simply by visiting them. Whether it is chatting, sending a letter, running an errand, stating an opinion, or making a transaction, players will discover many ways to connect with their computer controlled peers. As the environment becomes more and more friendly, additional people will also move into town. At other times, sadly, animal inhabitants may leave because of rejection or the desire to travel somewhere new.

With 144 programmed residents available for a town that typically holds around eight different personalized neighbors, it is always possible to meet a new friend or hang with an old one. Unfortunately, because of the vast amount of residents, often times people will notice residents of completely conflicting personalities saying the exact same phrase just seconds after each other, which is a little strange. For the most part though, the villagers have good variety in their conversations.

To top it off, even friends can get in on the action. Every game card holds enough memory for four different people to have their own profiles in a single town, so it is possible for gamers to loan their copy of Animal Crossing off to a friend who will be able to start out life anew in the owner's town. For additional benefit, the friend will also stay in the same house and will pay off the same mortgage, thereby reducing the bells owed on the house.

Now that the basics are out of the way, the remaining aspects of the game are ready to be revealed. Since Animal Crossing is a simulator in the truest sense of the word, every part of it deals with lifelike actions. Whether that is accomplished by fishing, planting flowers, growing trees, buying furniture for the house, paying off the mortgage, upgrading the home, creating friendships with neighbors, digging up fossils, donating items to the museum, customizing the character, hanging out, or developing constellations is up to the gamers. Each one of these abilities and more are present in Animal Crossing; players will have the option to do all or none of these activities on any given day.

Which brings up another point: In Animal Crossing, the days go by in real time. Thanks to the DS's embedded clock, this game will actually progress even if players are not there to get in on the action. Did a second just go by in life? That second went by in the game as well. Once gamers load up their save files to return after a short time, alterations will have been made to the town. Flowers may wither, weeds may spring up, trees may grow (at an accelerated pace, of course), and Nook's shop might restock its inventory. It is a nice touch.

Because of the real time aspect, Animal Crossing is not a game that people can play for hours on end. Certain tasks might require gamers to wait, such as the growth of new fruit on trees or the arrival of a special letter. Since players will only encounter so many operations in a given period of time, Animal Crossing typically lasts for about an hour a day maximum. While that may not seem like a lengthy period of time in itself, it works well as the game can last for several months without growing dull.

Also involved with the real time are festivals and special days. Festivals are rare occasions that come only a few times per year, and they include the fishing tournament, flea market days, and the bright nights festival. The fishing tournament puts gamers against their neighbors for some head-to-head fishing competition, the flea market allows players to head over to a friend's house for some hard furniture bargaining, and the bright nights are filled with colorful house decorations. While this is only a sampling of all the unique festivals that Animal Crossing, it does provide an idea of how exciting the town can become.

On the other side are special days. Like tournaments, these contain unordinary opportunities for gamers to acquire rare items or other valuables. For instance, Redd comes to town one day a week, and he sells scarce items at shady prices. Or there is K.K. Slider, a talented musician who hits the cafe on Saturdays to play one of his own hot tunes. Since these once-a-week specials come just once a week (go figure), gamers will want to make sure they are on at the appropriate times in order to gain benefits from the events. If that means forgoing a Saturday night date to hear K.K. Slider, so be it. (Just kidding! Never let simulation games interfere with real life!)

Accompanying these activities is a multitude of graphical art. Most games do not need good graphics, but -- because it is a simulation game where the graphics play a major role -- Animal Crossing: Wild World does. Fortunately, it delivers soundly. With highly realistic, colorful graphics that rival those of the GameCube version, Wild World is a beauty to look at.

All of the character models were done in brilliant 3-d, looking as bright and detailed as ever. Furniture and other items also have all of the physical dimensions, but they do lack some potential quality. For the variety and amusement the hundreds of different furnishings do offer, however, it is only a minor complaint.

Throughout the town, players will also encounter buildings such as houses, the museum, Nook's shop, or the town hall. Every building is fittingly sized, and with 3-d rendering they look stunning. Some buildings are adorned with regrettable 2-d illustrations; though the overall quality makes up for that.

By combining all of the elements that make up Animal Crossing, it is easy to see how brilliant this game's graphics are. Despite a few shortcomings of lacking detail, the graphics are perhaps some of the best on the DS to date. Most of the depictions involved in the game are superb; the developers truly did a wonderful job with the technology they had.

And the same goes for the sound. With a bounty of peppy, elevator style tunes, delight is certain to accompany town travelers as they leisurely stroll through the village. None of the city's songs are overbearing; instead, they provide just enough background noise to keep lengthy walks interesting. Peaceful yet pleasurable is a great way to describe the main sound in this game.

In contrast, K.K. Slider's hits are usually anything but peaceful. The journeying musician, who stops in at your town every week, will serenade onlookers with spicy music that they will later be able to play on their own sound systems in their simulated abodes. Having the ability to choose from among available songs will permit musical bliss in resident's houses, as the dozens of tasty mixes add plenty of flavor to this game's sound. Nothing beats chilling to Jazz (or another title from the assortment of K.K. tunes) in the comfort that home provides.

Finally, sweet sound effects top off Animal Crossing's musical package. It has realistic sounds to accompany every single action, taking it close to perfection. There is the sound of feet skidding as a character slides across the ground in order to make a quick one-eighty directional change, the rustling of leaves as trees shake, the blowing of wind, the sound of pinball machines clanging -- it is all so wonderful and so appropriately placed. Combine both the music and sound effects of Animal Crossing, and the result is a container of magnificence.

Wrapped altogether, the game play, graphics, and sound are stupendous. But, the elements involved in this game are even better when shared with a friend. Using DS wireless communication, two DS's within wireless range can hook up for multiplayer. It is not spectacular or anything -- it only allows a gamer to head to a friend's town and hang for a while. But nonetheless, the experience is enjoyable. Nearly all of the regular activities are available in multiplayer, so it is just like playing normally except a friend is in the town that can talk using the built in keyboard chat. Other benefits also stem from inviting friends over, such as the ability to unlock the final upgrade in Tom Nook's shop.

To further enhance multiplayer, Animal Crossing uses Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. That permits players from all across the unruly globe to connect, provided each person has the other's friend code. Organizing a multiplayer session might have slight drawbacks since both gamers will have to utilize Wi-Fi at about the same time, but overall it works well. Nintendo even threw in a few downloads that people can procure simply by logging in, including mail and bulletin board messages straight from Nintendo itself.

As far as simulation games go, Animal Crossing: Wild World is top notch. It clusters quality and variety together for astounding game play; this review failed to even go deep with the insurmountable amount of replay value that gamers can tap into. At times the diversity may suffer in conversation; however, that is of little concern to most players, and it is only a complaint on a single area of the game. Overall, the splendor of all the other eligible options far outweighs any minor negative aspects.

Keep in mind that this is a simulation game, though. It does not excel at action, its puzzle selection is at best nonexistent, and the characters will not be leveling up anytime in the near future. If a simulation game where you can kick back and relax is not what you are after, Animal Crossing: Wild World will prove to be an all-out disappointment. Should a sim game suit your basic needs, though, Animal Crossing deserves to hold a place in your collection. Take a step away, evaluate your gaming desires, and decide whether it is right for you. It has potential; but the ability to access Animal Crossing's potentials all depends on you.

Controls: 7.5
Game Play: 8.4
Graphics: 9.2
Sound: 9.0
Replay Value: 9.5
Multiplayer: 8.2
Overall: 9.1

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/23/06