Xbox 360Animal Crossing -- Wild World
by Stacy Kidd | 11-04-08
Animal Crossing is as cute as a pink cupcake topped with rainbow sprinkles and an edible Hello Kitty caricature, though thankfully lasts infinitely longer.
The introduction is bright and interactive, in the form of a taxi ride given by a character named Kapp’n. You will be offered simple multiple choice queries which will shape, amongst other things, your character’s gender and appearance. Most of the controls are simple to grasp, though some occasional clumsiness may cause frustrated screen-stabbing. Luckily the Wild World inhabitants are fantastically amusing, reducing even the most testosterone fuelled of males to a soppy gloop.
Finding your way around your named town upon arrival really is a piece of (cup)cake. The DS stylus provides effortless character navigation for the lazy gamer, though the D-pad can indeed be used as an alternative. There are also a good number of characters to meet and greet, each with their own distinct personalities.
Your main tasks within the game involve collecting fruit, catching bugs, fishing and running the odd errand for one of your new-found friends. Tom Nook, an entrepreneurial Raccoon, will be all too happy to buy your odds and ends in exchange for Bells (the chosen currency of Wild World). A great proportion of your time will be spent relaying back and forth to his shop, scrimping and saving to pay off your house mortgage loaned kindly by – yes, you guessed it – Mr. Nook.
Thankfully there is no immediate push to complete errands. In fact you are highly encouraged to spend time adventuring rather than rush. Most of the challenges you do face are pretty straightforward, easily achievable but fun nonetheless.
The best and perhaps most ingenious feature of Wild World is the sheer freedom gained by the relaxed non-linear game play. The environment is charming to explore and filled with nature. The stars come out at night, the weather is prone to mood-swings (much like the sodding Scottish forecast) and your surroundings will echo reality, requiring regular maintenance such as weed-pulling and tree-felling. Ever-changing surroundings guarantee fresh excitement; content changes daily providing healthy dynamic content that never gets boring.
Of course, if you are after some hardcore handheld action then Animal Crossing may not be your cup of tea. Although the title benefits from such extensive dialogue, events and real-time visual patterns, there is understandably not much in the way of frantic heart-stopping action. Those looking for something more will undoubtedly turn to the WiFi capabilities, only to be met with limitation; accessing a friend’s town is easy enough should you register their unique identity number, however this is as far as multiplayer capabilities will allow. On the other hand, parents of younger gamers will no doubt treasure the safety net of privacy created by such a feature.
It goes without saying; you can become rather attached to this delightful little title. Both sexes will find appeal in escaping to a world where the harsh realities of life cease to exist…even if it is for a mere thirty minutes a day.
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