Post by Pilgrim John on Jan 18, 2006 22:55:25 GMT -5
ANIMAL CROSSING: WILD WORLD
for the Nintendo DS
***review by Pilgrim John***
Once upon a time, some Japanese guy named Takashi Tezuka had made a decision that would capture the hearts of many a gamer. He would create a game whose theme was never around violence. He would create a game that would never end. He would create a game where the main point was to live your live in his imaginative world filled with talking animals, furniture, fishing tournaments, and Nintendo references. That game was Animal Crossing.
Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Animal Crossing's concept sounds retarded on paper, but one hour in your DS, and all worries and doubts will die a million deaths.
GRAPHICS:
If you've played the first one on the Cube, then you already know what the graphics look like: crap. Actually, for a DS game, the graphics are pretty solid--like Parappa the Rapper meets Ribbit King. What? Never heard of those games? Didn't think so. Let me reiterate: The graphics aren't that great, but for what they are (That is, they are lighthearted and cartoonish) they accomplish what they are supposed to do.
SOUND/MUSIC:
Rather plinky, the music. The "Animalese" will probably make you irritated, so you ought to switch it using the phone in your attic.
However, that's most of the music. K. K. Slider and his musical talent returns in Wild World, and after listening to his music, you'll wish there were an option to shut off all other music in the game besides the KK themes.
GAMEPLAY:
Where the game truly shines. Collecting might be considered a cliche born in the more evil regions of hell in some circles, but you'd be surprised just how it affects this game. As a matter of fact, the game actually makes collecting fun instead of a chore. You ought to invest in a dresser; they can hold up to 90 different items if your pockets need space. How about something you can sit on? Wait, how about buying a miniature pyramid or reconstructing a dinosaur to sdisplay in your living room? Setting out to find the perfect piece of furniture is surprisingly addictive, and in Wild World, they have many, many more pieces of furniture than in the Cube version.
Of course, at the same time, they had to trade off a few things people loved about the first game: the NES games and the Nintendo Easter eggs (ie, the Arwing, the Master Sword, Pikmin carpet, etc.). But oh well, there are more collectibles in this game, so you may or may not care.
Also, there are other activities you can do in the Wild World of Animal Crossing. The town is fully customizable; you can change the Town tune, the Town flag, name the town (At the beginnning only, so make it cool), and others. Fishing and paleontology are also pretty high on the fun list: sometimes, you can land some pretty awesome stuff (I have a pet octopus. His name is Eight. Say hi, Eight!). The Able Sisters, my favorite stop in the last game, are back, and this time, they have a few other sales options for you. They can sell you hats, helmets, glasses, wigs, and other headgear and accessories. Right now, I'm trying to collect all the hats in the game (So far, my favorite helmet is the Knight's Helmet. If you equip the Fairy Tale Shirt/ Captain's Shirt and the axe, you'll look like something out of Dragon Quest!).
The animals are back, and this time, they actually seem to have their own personalities. You can listen in ontheir conversations between each other; I can't count as to how many times I've laughed at their retarded dialogue.
The tools you recieve in the game are the net, axe, and fishing rod, although now you have a few other choices: watering can (To revive dying flowers) and the slingshot (Which can knock down floating gifts). Golden versions of these, which have mostly better results, are attainable by certain various means.
One other thing, your house can now get bigger than in the first game. And I mean huge. You can turn it into a veritable mansion if you know all the tricks to making money fast (look it up online, folks).
MULTIPLAYER:
The newest section to my review (after deleting the "Production" section, of course), Multiplayer tells the truth about this game's multiplayer. And the truth is, you can have a lot of fun with your buddies, whether nearby or by WiFi. Unfortunately, after you just trade with them, there seems like not a whole lot else to do. Sad, considering the possibilities...
OVERALL:
Animal Crossing is the Napolean Dynamite of video games. It has none of that razzle-dazzle of other games, nothing remotely adult-rated in any way, and you don't understand why you like it... but you love it.
GOOD:
*The gameplay. All of it is simplistic fun
*K.K. Slider's songs
*The graphics are actually decent on the DS
*The WiFi connection
*Being able to design and customize
*Two words: Mr. Resetti, who is quite possily the best supporting cast member since Luigi and Zero (Mega Man X)
BAD:
*The overworld music
*Short-lived WiFi
*Getting shafted and ripped off is no fun
*No NES games or Easter eggs this time
SCORE: 8.5/10
Animal Crossing is just as much fun as it was three years ago. Why can't GTA live up to that?
for the Nintendo DS
***review by Pilgrim John***
Once upon a time, some Japanese guy named Takashi Tezuka had made a decision that would capture the hearts of many a gamer. He would create a game whose theme was never around violence. He would create a game that would never end. He would create a game where the main point was to live your live in his imaginative world filled with talking animals, furniture, fishing tournaments, and Nintendo references. That game was Animal Crossing.
Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Animal Crossing's concept sounds retarded on paper, but one hour in your DS, and all worries and doubts will die a million deaths.
GRAPHICS:
If you've played the first one on the Cube, then you already know what the graphics look like: crap. Actually, for a DS game, the graphics are pretty solid--like Parappa the Rapper meets Ribbit King. What? Never heard of those games? Didn't think so. Let me reiterate: The graphics aren't that great, but for what they are (That is, they are lighthearted and cartoonish) they accomplish what they are supposed to do.
SOUND/MUSIC:
Rather plinky, the music. The "Animalese" will probably make you irritated, so you ought to switch it using the phone in your attic.
However, that's most of the music. K. K. Slider and his musical talent returns in Wild World, and after listening to his music, you'll wish there were an option to shut off all other music in the game besides the KK themes.
GAMEPLAY:
Where the game truly shines. Collecting might be considered a cliche born in the more evil regions of hell in some circles, but you'd be surprised just how it affects this game. As a matter of fact, the game actually makes collecting fun instead of a chore. You ought to invest in a dresser; they can hold up to 90 different items if your pockets need space. How about something you can sit on? Wait, how about buying a miniature pyramid or reconstructing a dinosaur to sdisplay in your living room? Setting out to find the perfect piece of furniture is surprisingly addictive, and in Wild World, they have many, many more pieces of furniture than in the Cube version.
Of course, at the same time, they had to trade off a few things people loved about the first game: the NES games and the Nintendo Easter eggs (ie, the Arwing, the Master Sword, Pikmin carpet, etc.). But oh well, there are more collectibles in this game, so you may or may not care.
Also, there are other activities you can do in the Wild World of Animal Crossing. The town is fully customizable; you can change the Town tune, the Town flag, name the town (At the beginnning only, so make it cool), and others. Fishing and paleontology are also pretty high on the fun list: sometimes, you can land some pretty awesome stuff (I have a pet octopus. His name is Eight. Say hi, Eight!). The Able Sisters, my favorite stop in the last game, are back, and this time, they have a few other sales options for you. They can sell you hats, helmets, glasses, wigs, and other headgear and accessories. Right now, I'm trying to collect all the hats in the game (So far, my favorite helmet is the Knight's Helmet. If you equip the Fairy Tale Shirt/ Captain's Shirt and the axe, you'll look like something out of Dragon Quest!).
The animals are back, and this time, they actually seem to have their own personalities. You can listen in ontheir conversations between each other; I can't count as to how many times I've laughed at their retarded dialogue.
The tools you recieve in the game are the net, axe, and fishing rod, although now you have a few other choices: watering can (To revive dying flowers) and the slingshot (Which can knock down floating gifts). Golden versions of these, which have mostly better results, are attainable by certain various means.
One other thing, your house can now get bigger than in the first game. And I mean huge. You can turn it into a veritable mansion if you know all the tricks to making money fast (look it up online, folks).
MULTIPLAYER:
The newest section to my review (after deleting the "Production" section, of course), Multiplayer tells the truth about this game's multiplayer. And the truth is, you can have a lot of fun with your buddies, whether nearby or by WiFi. Unfortunately, after you just trade with them, there seems like not a whole lot else to do. Sad, considering the possibilities...
OVERALL:
Animal Crossing is the Napolean Dynamite of video games. It has none of that razzle-dazzle of other games, nothing remotely adult-rated in any way, and you don't understand why you like it... but you love it.
GOOD:
*The gameplay. All of it is simplistic fun
*K.K. Slider's songs
*The graphics are actually decent on the DS
*The WiFi connection
*Being able to design and customize
*Two words: Mr. Resetti, who is quite possily the best supporting cast member since Luigi and Zero (Mega Man X)
BAD:
*The overworld music
*Short-lived WiFi
*Getting shafted and ripped off is no fun
*No NES games or Easter eggs this time
SCORE: 8.5/10
Animal Crossing is just as much fun as it was three years ago. Why can't GTA live up to that?