Video Game Review: Animal Crossing

Animal Crossing

Graphics:	5
Sound:	7
Story:	5
Fun:	10
Controls:	10
Overall:	7.5

The game Animal Crossing is a life simulator, where you move into a town and start a new life. You meet with your neighbors, do favors for them, and get a temporary job to pay off mortgages on your house. If there is a goal in this game, it is to get money. You have to earn money by selling furniture you recieve from neighbors or the lost and found, or by selling bugs, fish, etc. The thing that makes this game so addictive is the clever development of changing seasons, holidays, special sales, and the fact that this game uses the Gamecube's clock to moniter time. For this game, you should look at my ratings on the specifics instead of the overall. Taking common real life hobbies and putting them into a video game is one of the games strong points. This game is specifically programed to seem realistic. It gives you so much choice on how you want to decorate your house; if you like music, buy guitars and boom boxes, create your own wall paper, and you have your dream room. If this stuff seems pointless and you think it is a waste of time, then you are wrong. Nothing in this game is there for no reason. Your village has contests that test your interior design and creativity skill. Even though your neighbors have their own personality, their personality never changes about you. You could make someone hate you by refusing to do them a favor, and one minute later they are back to normal as if nothing ever happened. Although the dialogue is well thought out, detailed, and new every day, the villagers lack the change of emotions, which makes it really hard to get attached to your neighbors. And just like other life simulators, this one has it's limits. You can't make a best friend (even if you write a letter every day), and you can't toilet paper someones house. However, even if you don't have so much freedom, it is still addictive. Writing letters allows you to be nasty and rude, or friendly, and the longer your letter is, the more your neighbors like it. However, don't be fooled. I wrote letters to all of my neighbors, except all I wrote was a bunch of letters. My neighbors mailed me back saying how they couldn't understand my letter. I was scared, because the drone-like A.I. seemed to be able to read! The graphics don't make it up to par with their blocky graghics and no 3-D facail animations. I was amused, though, with the solid structure and realistic color contrast help bring the seasons to life. Sound makes it through with catchy backround music and cartoony sound effects, that also greatly set in with the mood of your town at day or night. The simple and annoying sounds when the animals talk falls short. If there was voice acting it would bring the A.I. more to life and would make their emotions more understandable. Now, is it fun for all people. How could it not be. I had my doubts about this game even when I saw it get good raitings, because I didn't think a video game could accomplish so much. But this game has, and it is one of the most innovative and satisfying games out for the Gamecube. It is brought to life by realistic elements (you get sick if you go outside in the rain without an umbrella) and unbeleivable fun. It depends on how you play that will make it fun. If you buy it now, you will be able to celebrate Halloween with your virtual buddies. "Not quite the perfect life sim., but it is way worth the time" -Niloc

Archive note: The original publication day is unknown; this review existed by March 30, 2003.