 |
 |
 |
| Animal Crossing Reviewed by Pirate Yoshi Over-view: Previously known in Japan as Animal Forest, this bizarre title somehow made its way to U.S. shores...and stole the hearts of Americans. Quickly becoming not only a cult-hit, but also a fan-favorite, Animal Crossing jumped through the charts as a Player's Choice and a personal favorite of this reviewer. With so much depth, a charming sort of quaint visual and audio style, and characters and dialogue that really made it stand out from any other game to date, Animal Crossing did beyond "well" when it came to sales. But how did it size up to other heavy-weight YS titles? Graphics: 3/10 Oooooog.... A sharp blow to start a sharp review! In short, Animal Crossing has some extrodinarily bad graphics. The kind that would have looked better on a SNES. Definately rivaling N64 titles for "good graphics" awards. But GCN games? Or, better still, XBox and PS2 games? No way! This is hardly a contest, it's very blantly obvious that Animal Crossing was not designed to boast good visuals, and to give it anything higher than a three-out-of-ten would seem illogical and fraudulent. As many great things about AC as there are, graphics are not one of them. Charming, but out-and-out bad at the same time. Still, graphics don't make the game.... Sound: 9.8/10 ....and neither does sound. But I can come up with a dozen nice things to say about the soundtrack and sound effects of AC over its graphics. With a huge score that stretches from every possible genre, and an extensive array of sound effects, AC's sound is superior to that of many other games I've ever played. This is simply a job well done, and to let slide all the great things about it would be a crime. While the radio songs seem hollow as they play on the computer, they're all very clever, and the original versions--sung by K. K. Slider--are even better than some elaborate game soundtracks. While most of the voices are similar to each other, they're very stylish, and even have different tones to reflect different moods. And to list all the perfect sound effects added into the game's audio would be virtually impossible. Nintendo has done a fabulous job with AC's sound catagory, and hopefully Animal Crossing 2 will only improve on it. Controls: 9.2/10 A complaint? With controls? Yes! First of all, partially because of the perspective, it can be difficult to maneuver your character around town--specifically, around rocks and holes while digging for treasure. Another annoyance is the moving system inside your home, while remodeling; sometimes, furniture seems all too easy to place in the wrong spot, often in a bad position or difficult spot to twist and turn it in. Finally, more uses for buttons may have been nice, since many buttons have repeated effects, such as L and R both causing your Crosser to break into a run--perhaps other functions for such buttons would be nice? My complaints, however, are few, and my praises are huge in number. Such minor flaws are easily over-looked, if even noticed to begin with. Gameplay: 9.9/10 It is physically impossible for any game to be perfect in design, and I will prove it by giving Animal Crossing, perhaps the supreme king of Gameplay, a 9.9 out of ten. NO game, not Smash Brothers Melee, not The Legend of Zelda, not even Super Mario RPG, can beat Animal Crossing at Gameplay; it is the reigning champion, period, end. With infinite time to do infinite things--honestly, you'll never find a time where you don't have something new to do--and a sense of fun that cannot be matched by any other experience in the world, Animal Crossing is simply too much fun to resist, too entertaining to put down, and too amazing to ignore. Could improvements be made? Of course, that's what ANIMAL CROSSING 2 is being made for! However, so far as being able to complain about the existing Gameplay, there really are no such things. Animal Crossing simply contains very flaw-free fun, no strings attatched! Replay: 9.6/10 Unfortunately, it seems like I could give this catagory no lower than a 9.9, like Gameplay. Because Animal Crossing allows for the date to be changed all the way to the year 2030 (and, presumably, will continue to increase upwards in date in 2031, etc.), there is virtually no way to end the game, nor is there any way to start over once you begin. The game will continue forever, and until you delete the data, you'll still be playing a new game every day from the day you start to the day you die. Hundreds of villagers, a random landscape, completely spontaneous and un-predictable events, and a catalogue of items that you could die trying to obtain ensure that you'll never completely do everything you want to do, meet everyone you want to meet, and visit every other town available to you. And yet, the reason .4 has been docked is because after one year of playing (that is, from the day you buy it until the first anniversary, having lived through every season in the game and lived 365.25 days in your town), the game lacks some of the fun it started with. You start to feel old. You have collected a good number of the "toys" and accessories you always wanted. You've picked out a handful of shirts that you switch between rather rarely. You've grown every fruit available, visited a number of villages, met and said goodbye to countless villagers (friends, enemies, and random townies who left shortly after arriving). Your house is all paid off, you've obtained numerous trophies, and--in general--you own the town. You may have even visited your island (available through the use of your GBA and a GCN-GBA Game Link Cable!). It's not that you don't have more to do, it's that you've done so much that you've burned yourself out of Animal Crossing. It's a sad fact, but a fact none the less. Don't fret, though; you'll always be able to return and find more to do, and you'll always enjoy your time. It's just that you won't ever enjoy it as much as your first week in Animal Crossing. **Story: .1/1 Can you call this a life-story? You have no history of your character, but you do, in a sense, "write" a story as you live life and play the game, with the simple premises of a character moving into a village and progressing through the social order and making a name for himself. Boring, unamusing, and simple, but worth noting in this review. **Multiplayer: 1/1 This is the oddest multiplayer ever. Let me start by saying that no more than one player can play this game at a time. How can it possibly be multiplayer, then, you ask? With four empty houses, you can have four different characters living in the same town--that is, four friends controlling a Crosser--and live together in harmony with not only each other and the environment, but your villagers as well. The catch? As each player plays and saves his game, the world changes accordingly for the next players; apples picked off trees will be gone for the next player to play, and villagers will tell you all about their experiences with your friends only half an hour ago! Items at the shop that your buddy bought will be gone, so it pays to be the first up and about in the morning! This is a perfect game for college roommates and next-door neighbors, although the multiplayer isn't worth so much when you live alone or too far to greet friends across the lawn from you. Graphics: 3/10 Sound: 9.8/10 Controls: 9.2/10 Gameplay: 9.9/10 Replay: 9.4/10 **Story: .1/1 **Multiplayer: 1/1 Total Calculated Score: 8.48 Total Assigned Score: 9.8 Final Score: 9.14 Last Words: Without a doubt, the catagory that most hurt AC's score was graphics. However, Animal Crossing is a lot of fun, and it continues for a long time, making it an instant favorite among many gamers, and an obsession for several. The population's still growing... Rent, Buy, or Pass: I suggest using your best judgement and either BUYING or PASSING, based on whether it appeals to you. Rents aren't needed here. Pros: Infinite replay, item sending/receiving from other players, and the unbelieveable amount of fun obtained from such a simple concept. Cons: Begins to grow old after months in town, not enough extra tasks and goals, makes you feel VERY guilty when you stop playing for too long. Needs: TO BE ON-LINE!!! (Animal Crossing DS or Animal Crossing 2 will REQUIRE this, or fans will BURN DOWN Nintendo's headquarters) |
 |