The Fun Factor 04.09.07: Animal Crossing
Posted by Cory Moore on 04.09.2007
Animal Crossing is a community where everyone is welcome! Just ask your neighbors.
Dodgeball, tee ball, and basketball. Ahh…what a wonderful childhood.
As a kid, I was blessed to have one of the best neighborhoods you could ask for. On our block alone, we had about 12 different youngsters that came out for a dose of fun nightly. We played the typical outdoor sports, enjoyed many laughs, and had an all-around good time.
Now…it's a different story. Everyone has moved away, replaced by strangers that rarely venture from their living rooms. Nobody calls my dad "Mr. Bob" anymore. The basketball goal has been taken down and the dodgeballs are deflated. The memories, though, will be there forever.
What does this have to do with video games, you ask? Well…the encouragement of community. I love the growing trend. Online gaming, I feel, is the future of the industry. Online features aren't required just yet, but just wait. It'll come. Just a few years ago, though, gamers received a game that was community oriented, even though it lacked online capabilities. In the same vein as SimCity and The Sims, it was game that was quirky, fun, and encouraged communication all the same…
Animal Crossing
Gamecube
2002
The Controlled Substance
Animal Crossing is an open-ended life simulation game that is absolutely cutesy by nature. Don't let that discourage you, though, because there are a ton of things to do with this game if games like The Sims peak your interest. As you first boot up the game, you are greeted by Tom Nook, the residential advisor of sorts. He sets you up with your first house and a mortgage, which you pay off by interacting with townspeople and performing services for them. You eventually expand your house to a bigger main room and an ultra-cool basement.
The housing objective is the only true goal in the game, however. Your main goal is to build – or destroy, whichever you prefer –communication with your neighbors. Like any ‘hood, you have your grumpy grouches, friendly frolickers, and needy naggers. Some residents are in it for the long haul, some resemble nomads. They're all a part of your community, though, so it's best to keep a steady relationship with them all.
If you decide to settle into the game for an extended time, you will find seasons change (thanks to the Gamecube's internal clock), holidays are celebrated, and new discoveries are made every day. There are many activities to explore, like fishing and digging for fossils, but they are also accompanied by the tedious weed whacking and tree trimming. So much for escaping reality, huh?
The Fun Factor
The first attraction, obviously, with Animal Crossing is the ability to interact with the townspeople in your virtual community. Some of them are mean and grumpy; some of them are cheerful and happy all the time. You're guaranteed a variety, though, and you can talk to them however you want. If you're feeling lazy for the day, write them a letter telling them you're going to be sitting on your butt all day. If you feel like adventuring, pay them a visit…as long as it isn't at 1:00 a.m. I tried that before, and you wouldn't believe how many residents fall asleep on their porch. Isn't that kinda dangerous? Well, it is a kid-friendly town, so I digress. You quickly make friends and enemies, too. If you're fond of one of the cool cats, do him some favors and chat with him often. More often than not, you'll be handsomely rewarded with presents. If you find one of your residents really annoying, send them a few nasty notes and they just may scoot out of town. Don't bother with Peaches, though. I've been busting her chops for years and she is a glutton for punishment. Sigh.
Like another popular Nintendo game (cough*Pokemon*cough), one of the fun elements to Animal Crossing is the ability to collect items. There really is something to collect for everyone is this game. If you want your home to represent your favorite sports team's color, go hunt for that color wallpaper at Tom Nook's store. Do you want a little mini-game fun? Try and obtain the punching bag or the weight bench to fictitiously bulk up your alter ego. And did I mention the classic Nintendo games you receive during your birthdays? Yeah, you can actually play them. How awesome is that?
Animal Crossing isn't all fun and games, though. Well, okay, it is, but there are some chores to keep you busy if you would like. The museum is always looking for fossils that you dig from the ground, so if you find one, go donate it. When your friends visit your town, they'll be mightily impressed. Planting flowers to maintain your town's happy appearance is not especially exciting, but it sure beats the weeds that sprout up if you don't visit the game for a few days. And if you have found you've accomplished everything else, whip out your fishing rod and head over to the pond to catch some cod.
If you've got a friend or a GBA Link Cable, the exploration is kicked up a notch. If you have an elusive GBA link cable, you can travel to your community's own private island, complete with your own beach house. You can knock down the coconut tree and plant the seeds back in town, which will make a lot more money than your usual orange and apple fruit plants. After that, get your friend's memory card and plug it in to visit their town. Since each town is different, you'll find yourself mingling with new neighbors, collecting new objects, and maybe taking a few residents of the new land with you.
The 411
Okay, so Animal Crossing's appearance is admittedly a little childish. The characters are hardly convincing, you can't so much as burn a tree, and when you send mail filled with expletives, the only response you get is, "What did you say? I didn't quite understand that."
But Animal Crossing is great because it has something for everyone who is a kid at heart. If you're the accomplished outdoorsman, you can go digging for pitfalls, buried money, and other treasures. If designing clothes is your thing, head over to the Able Sisters' shop and create your own fabrics in a Mario Paint sort of way. If you're an old-school gamer, you're bound to love the handful of NES classics – like Punch-Out!! – included within in the experience.
If you're a fan of open ended or life simulation games, give Animal Crossing a try. You may not be replicating real life as you would in The Sims, but you're bound to get a good chuckle out of the game's colorful and creative style.
Speaking of style, check out the polka-dotted shirt often found at Tom Nook's store. That thing is so tacky…to the point of awesomeness.
