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Platform Filters:   All Platforms  Xbox   GameCube   PlayStation 2   PC   Game Boy Advance   Site Sections:   Updates  News   Games   Publishers   Developers   Reviews   Previews   Release Dates   Editorials   Glossary   Contact Us		Review:       12th October 2004: Animal Crossing  Nintendo's unique, innovative title finally reaches Europe - but how does it play? Posted by John Grothier - GameCube,Game Boy Advance - UK and Europe Animal Crossing is one of those titles that can only come from the originality of Nintendo. Linking a few game genres together, Animal Crossing almost comes up a totally new style of game, as players will get to live a virtual life in a town populated by colourful characters with room for three of your friends to live as well. Starting off on a train journey, players get to begin their new life by creating their characters name and also the name of the town you are travelling to. When you start a game the town is randomly generated, but will always have sea to the south, a huge rock-face to the east and west, and railway tracks to the north. Upon entering your new town you are offered a modest sized pad to call your home - but you will have to find ways of making money, or bells, as the currency in your town is known. To earn money to pay off your new landlord - Tom Nook, he suggests you come and work for him on a part-time basis in his store. It's here you will learn the basics behind the game, and explore the world and its many colourful inhabitants. There are a handful of characters to start with in your town, with more arriving as the game world progresses. Animal Crossing uses the real-time clock in your GameCube to work out things like what season you are in, weather and of course, the date and time of day. So if you want to play the game after 10pm, your options of currying favours for the locals will be limited as most of them will be fast asleep. However, if you tamper with your GameCube's clock - it can be any date or time you wish it to be. Personally I think it spoils the game and the overall effect of this title by cheating in this way. To earn money in the game you can carry out favours for your new friends, sell items they may give you or you receive in the mail. Other methods are catching fish and selling them, digging for precious items and selling fossils or agreeing to donate them to the museum. Catch insects with your net, and again either then sell them or donate them to the local museum - the choice is yours. This title is incredibly open-ended. As well as Tom Nook's Store, there is a Post Office where you can mail letters off to any of the characters you meet, attach presents for them and compose letters. This is also the way to send money to your landlord and also to send off any fossils that you have found to be analysed. Outside your house rarely a day will go by without you receiving some mail, but this is determined by how many letters you write to others. Other buildings in the game include the Tailors Shop where you can design outfits for your character to wear, and the Police Station where lost and found items are on show. Animal Crossing also allows you to furnish your home with furniture bought from the store, or any that's been left in the town's dump - or given to you by the other characters in the game. Once you have found the money to pay off your landlord he will improve your house, making it larger so you can fit more furnishings into your virtual home. This game has almost endless hours of playing time, if you want to try and find all the fossils, insects, fish and art for the museum it will take many a month. You can even connect your Game Boy Advance and travel to a new island... The graphics in Animal Crossing are fairly basic, with a top-down perspective of your character and their world. Everything is colourful and bright and well animated. The many different types of animals in the game all have their own distinct look and character traits. Sound too is fairly basic with some fairly forgettable tunes and basic spot effects. Animals in the game each have their own jumbled-up way of sounding, which at least matches the game style perfectly. Overall Animal Crossing is another unique, unusual yet truly innovative title from Nintendo. Simply put, the more you and your friends put in to this title, the more you will get out of it. John Grothier             Latest Images:		Review Scores:    Graphics:   Sound:   Gameplay:   Length:   Overall: Click here for our Review Score Guidelines.  Review Summary:  Another refreshingly fun and unique title from Nintendo. Journey to a virtual town and live a virtual life with you and up to three of your friends. Life ticks away in real time, and different things will happen at different times of the day, with seasons changing as they do in the real world. Write letters, collect rare insects, plant trees, go shopping, run errands or just go fishing - the choice is yours.  Related Games:  Animal Crossing for GameCube  15  Screenshots  1  Review Click here for All Game Information.
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