For those that don't know, the Animal Crossing series fits right into the life simulation genre with a focus on collecting things. It doesn't feature an elaborate career mechanic, but it does have hundreds of different things to seek out. These collectible items are closely tethered to a time system that ties in directly with the system clock. When it's winter in real life, there's snow on the ground in the game. In April, more bugs come out for catching. During Halloween, a special event involving pumpkins occurs in your town. When you haven't played in a while, weeds grow all over and the locals bug you, wondering where you have been. This creates the great illusion that the game plays itself when you aren't around.
Animal Crossing also takes this concept a step further in the way it offers multiplayer. While two people in the same room can't each pick up a controller and play together, both players can create characters that live in the same town. Therefore, if your brother plays the game early in the morning, he will get the first shot at any fresh fruit on the trees. If he picks it all, there won't be any for you until it grows back again, which can take a few days. This same-house, same-town mechanic is why most people's opinions of the series are directly related to whether or not they are the only one playing it in their house. The game can get quite boring without at least some level of competition and community.
Another great mechanic that really adds value to the experience is the ability to visit other players' towns. This means you can meet new characters, find fruit that is most likely rare in your town, see what a different shop is currently selling, and enjoy a general change of scenery. On top of all of that, animals you meet in your friend's town may move to yours and vice-versa. Knowledge of all past interactions with other characters comes with them when they move. It’s not unheard of to have them show you a silly note your friend wrote to them some months prior. This is another example of what makes this simulation game so successful; it does a great job of making a virtual world seem a bit more real.
Here's the wrinkle though. Anyone who has read this review up to this point may have glanced at the top of the screen, double checking that they were in fact reading a review of the brand new Animal Crossing: City Folk, and not the original GameCube game. Don't worry though. City Folk includes most of the great new features added to the DS version, including online connections to your friends' towns. However, this is also the main problem. City Folk is little more than an enhanced port of the DS hit. Ignoring the addition of the City area, which we'll get to later, it's nearly impossible to quantify the changes or additions the Wii game introduces to the series. The only immediately obvious tweak is actually a reversion to an original GameCube feature, that being that multiple players in the same town each have their own house again (instead of living in the same house like in the DS game).
This is why - if you are a long time fan of the series - it's hard to play City Folk without it leaving a bad taste in your mouth. You’ve probably done everything before. A brand new city area has been added to the game, which is accessed by quickly hopping on a bus at a stop near your gate. Here you can do several things, none of which are that exciting. Firstly, Redd's Emporium and Katrina's Fortune Telling booth have each received a permanent location here, as opposed to the temporary visits they used to make in previous games. While the easy access is nice, it's another case of the developers filling out the game using old material. They also gave the Happy Room Academy (previously only heard of through in-game mail) a headquarters. While interesting on the first visit, it's mostly pointless as the only reason to return is to see the current model room, which does little more than show off a specific item set. Besides that, there is also a new high-end boutique, a nice touch since it's another way of collecting all of the items. Unfortunately, it does not change its inventory frequently enough.
Arguably the two most exciting features of the City are the inclusion of an Auction House and Hair Salon. The hair salon brings Mii support to the title by allowing you to give your on-screen character a makeover based on your Mii. This would be outstanding if it didn't come with so many side effects. Basically, any accessory that goes on your character's head can not be worn at the same time as a Mii mask. This means that glasses, masks, and hats are all pointless if you want your character to look like your Mii. If you choose not to wear a Mii mask, the salon can also be used to change your hair style, which is a nice touch, as previous Animal Crossing games picked a random look for your character and you were stuck with it.
On the surface, the auction house appears to be a great means of completing your collection, as it tone would assume that it would be at least feature items from gamers nationwide. Sadly, this is not the case at all. Items can be placed on auction during the appropriate span of time and a reserve price can be decided on, but you can only auction off one item per auction, which looks to amount to around one item per real-life week. When the bidding phase of the auction begins, you will have the ability to bid on items offered only by people on your Animal Crossing friend list and your Wii system friend list. In a bizarre twist, Animal Crossing actually utilizes the system list. Regardless, the end result is both a very limited audience for your item, and a very limited library of items to bid on. This flies in the face of what an auction house in a game of this nature should be. It is impossible for a mini-economy to form in which in-game items can attain a true monetary value.
The bizarre use of the Wii system friend list doesn't stop there either. The post office in town features two cool new ways of sending letters from the game to your friends. You can either send them to your friend in-game (if you've exchanged Animal Crossing friend codes), or to your friend’s Wii message board (if you've exchanged Wii friend codes). When looking at your Wii friend list to choose a recipient, it even tells you which of them own Animal Crossing: City Folk. Even with this information, it is impossible to directly add them to your Animal Crossing list. You still have to write down your code, send it to them, wait for them to send their code back, and then add them manually before you can visit their town. So let's get this straight: this is a first-party Wii game that makes direct contact with your Wii system’s friends list, and also knows for a fact which members of that list have the same game as you. Yet, to actually play with each other online you need to add them to a separate list entirely? How exactly are per-game friend codes necessary at this point? It makes absolutely no sense at all.
That's not the only aspect of the online system that is frustrating. When the WiiConnect 24 service was first announced, many people immediately equated the functionality with the Animal Crossing universe. What better way to give the impression that your town is active even when you aren't playing than to allow your friends to visit your town even when your system is off? Sadly, this is not the case with City Folk. Connecting to friends works just like it does in Wild World. You have to go to the gate guard and tell him to open your gate up before anyone can come see you. Like most Wii games, this means that you will most likely need some form of external communication in order to play together.
When you do get to play with someone else online, the addition of the Wii Speak microphone really adds to the fun. Assuming both people have voice chat enabled, a full conversation can be carried out regardless of where the characters are in the town. The placement of the microphone and lack of headphone requirement led many to wonder about the potential for echoes and feedback; while the noise cancellation in the title isn't perfect, it seems to work flawlessly about half the time. The other half of the time, conversations are still very easy to have but you will most likely hear an echo of your own voice. On a few rare occasions I was a victim of some intense feedback loops that had all parties involved lunging for the mute button on their TV. Overall, the voice chat worked great and should be a great addition to Nintendo's future online offerings. Here's to hoping for either a rerelease or patch for Mario Kart Wii that adds support for the device.
There are several extremely frustrating issues with this incarnation of Animal Crossing. That said, what was written in the beginning of this review still holds true: the core game is still extremely charming. If you have never played an Animal Crossing game before and the calendar and collecting features of this simulation intrigue you, don't hesitate to pick it up. It can be extremely engrossing and amount to months, if not years, of enjoyment for a player. If you have played or are still playing Animal Crossing: Wild World for DS, ask yourself, are you really interested in doing the same things all over again?
Pros:
Lastability: 10.0
One thing you can't argue with in an Animal Crossing game is lastability. There are hundreds of items to find, bugs to hunt, and fish to catch. The great calendar system keeps you coming back all year.
Final: 7.0
It's an outstanding game for newcomers to the series, but veterans will find themselves wanting a lot more.
nintendo games get 7s? thisproves they aren't trying hard anymore
Nintendo games get 7s since Wii Sports and Twilight Princess. The casual approach is destroying console gaming.
Only one question: If two players share the same town do they each have their own house or do they share a room like in Wild World?
I really hope it isn't room sharing again that was so lame and pretty much gave ownership more to the player who played more often.
The only immediately obvious tweak is actually a reversion to an original GameCube feature, that being that multiple players in the same town each have their own house again (instead of living in the same house like in the DS game).
So Mario got temp banned once, so he comes back and pretends to be totally anti-nintendo for a drawn out period of time? Is anyone on this forum actually a real person? =P
There's just one problem: Reggie said this was a core game. Well core gamers will likely already own the Cube or DS versions.
Only one question: If two players share the same town do they each have their own house or do they share a room like in Wild World?
I really hope it isn't room sharing again that was so lame and pretty much gave ownership more to the player who played more often.QuoteThe only immediately obvious tweak is actually a reversion to an original GameCube feature, that being that multiple players in the same town each have their own house again (instead of living in the same house like in the DS game).
;)
The problem is that this isn't even an EVOLUTION of the DS game. It's practically the same game ported to the Wii. At least all of those other games (Halo, Soul Calibur, Advance Wars, Guitar Hero, etc.) have obvious iterative changes.
What disappoints me the most is that Nintendo didn't even do anything with Wii24. And the Friend Codes stuff? Terrible. I hate it when Nintendo doesn't even try. They sell tons of everything regardless, the least they could do is try.
lol Soul Calibur
I hope for DLC too, but the fact that the package doesn't have that pay and play emblem makes me doubtful... if they were even considering it they would have put that badge on there don't you think? Unless of course they plan on giving it away for free, which would be fine by me.
lol online multiplayer in the same town. Microphone support. Slightly better visuals. Plus... obvious additions.
lol online multiplayer in the same town. Microphone support. Slightly better visuals. Plus... obvious additions.
Apparently so significant are these additions that every single review out there slams City Folk for being an only marginally-enhanced version of Wild World. Right.
I hope for DLC too, but the fact that the package doesn't have that pay and play emblem makes me doubtful... if they were even considering it they would have put that badge on there don't you think? Unless of course they plan on giving it away for free, which would be fine by me.
I do think there is a chance Nintendo may use AC to tinker with downloadable content and could expand with time as they try to give it legs.
So Mario got temp banned once, so he comes back and pretends to be totally anti-nintendo for a drawn out period of time? Is anyone on this forum actually a real person? =P
I am. I'm also going to blackmail you. If you do not give AC a 8/10 you can't have any of my peaches
I do think there is a chance Nintendo may use AC to tinker with downloadable content and could expand with time as they try to give it legs.
I heard rumors with Wii Connect 24 you will recieve random downloadable items via online from Nintendo.
However the lack of Wii internal memory really hampers what Nintendo can do. If Nintendo was this lazy with the main game, I wouldn't be to optimistic in downloadable content.
It's really a shame what Nintendo did.
I really would of liked if the Virtual Console games you own are games in your house. You can play them multiplayer online, now that would of BEEN AWESOME. i don't think it would of been that hard to do either.
Adding animals you can find and train and do tricks with. Maybe random animals that you can trade and learn how to take care of. Sort of like adding Nintendogs into the game.
Having the ability to date and eventually marry people would be great too.
Having your own garden too that you can grow and water.
Have an arcade in the city where you can demo virtual console or wiiware games.
having an election for major of the city once a year and slight differences to the city like items and closes opening / closing depending who wins the election. The major is voted for online and you have debates you go and watch in game.
Fleshing out the fishing to be just like Twilight Princess fishing.
having the ability to go to beach and surf and swim and maybe later find scuba equipment and it becomes sort of a limited 'Endless ocean'.
SO MANY IDEAS AND YET NINTENDO DID NOT BOTHER TO AT LEAST EXPAND THE FRANCHISE.
I wouldn't mind if F-zero GX 2 only had online and new maps, but Animal Crossing is something that could be fleshed out and made into something seriously cool. In my eyes Nintendo is coasting and becoming arrogant again and that will come back to haunt them.
That's too bad.......I could eat a peach for hours. lol. Guess the movie?
So Mario got temp banned once, so he comes back and pretends to be totally anti-nintendo for a drawn out period of time? Is anyone on this forum actually a real person? =P
I am. I'm also going to blackmail you. If you do not give AC a 8/10 you can't have any of my peaches
Wiggles, where are you? This was perfectly set up for one of your infamous quips! Oh well, I guess I'll have to do it.
That's too bad.......I could eat a peach for hours. lol. Guess the movie?
Adding animals you can find and train and do tricks with. Maybe random animals that you can trade and learn how to take care of. Sort of like adding Nintendogs into the game.You do realise the villagers are animals right? That'd be just... weird.
This review makes this sound like the ultimate version of Animal Crossing. So if you don't own any AC games this is absolutely the one you should buy.
There's just one problem: Reggie said this was a core game. Well core gamers will likely already own the Cube or DS versions. This is pretty much only of use for newcomers. Our supposed "core game" for Christmas is really a Wii-make of a game that most of those who b!tched at Nintendo about their crappy E3 already own. I didn't believe Reggie at the time and don't really blame him for this. He was just handed a lame-o non-gamer focused line-up from NCL and had to scramble to deal with legitimate complaints from core gamers. He could either bullsh!t about this port or admit Nintendo had zilch on the Wii from Warioland's release until whenever the hell Punch-Out or Sin & Punishment 2 come out. He did the only thing he could.
Though it looks like we might get over six months of no Wii core games from Nintendo. Obviously all those accusactions the Nintendo is neglecting the core in favour of non-gamers are totally unfounded.
I just wanted to say that the chance of "secret" DLC, as Vega brought up, is next to nothing.... as he correctly brings up the size constraints of the Wii.
For example, the game has a screenshot option, but it can only ever store ONE shot at a time, and that only lasts for as long as you have the game running. Therefore, if you want to keep your screenshots you have to make sure you remember to take the time and go in and tell it to transfer it to the SD card between each shot....
This is proof that even the developers of the first party games are feeling the memory crunch. In my opinion, it's one of Nintendo's biggest blunders ever.
Isn't that the basis of Neopets? At least that's what the Capcom guy told me.QuoteAdding animals you can find and train and do tricks with. Maybe random animals that you can trade and learn how to take care of. Sort of like adding Nintendogs into the game.You do realise the villagers are animals right? That'd be just... weird.
QuoteAdding animals you can find and train and do tricks with. Maybe random animals that you can trade and learn how to take care of. Sort of like adding Nintendogs into the game.You do realise the villagers are animals right? That'd be just... weird.
I really would of liked if the Virtual Console games you own are games in your house. You can play them multiplayer online, now that would of BEEN AWESOME. i don't think it would of been that hard to do either.
I really would of liked if the Virtual Console games you own are games in your house. You can play them multiplayer online, now that would of BEEN AWESOME. i don't think it would of been that hard to do either.
It's very hard, you got a game that's designed to have controller lag that's way less than one frame and you try to play it over the internet with latencies in the double or triple digit milliseconds? Online games use prediction to avoid lag and some are client-server so that one system runs the simulation and sends the results to the other systems, with a VC game none of that would work. You have a gamestate that's affected by button presses and you have no idea how it'll behave next frame, you have to make sure both systems' gamestates remain in sync so they must both receive the exact same inputs on the exact same frames which just doesn't work well when you got latencies involved. A way to do it is to designate a "server" system that has no lag and a client system that continuously sends its controller state but doesn't apply its own input to its simulation immediately, the server applies the inputs as they arrive and sends back the frame number and controller state, the client game will only progress a frame when the matching controller state arrives so the client's simulation lags behind the server's and the button presses on the client system would be delayed as much as one roundtrip takes. Would you want to play Contra where any button you press doesn't register until a few moments later and the same goes for releasing the buttons?
And that's when you assume the emulation is completely deterministic, on TASVideos there are many cases where an emulation desyncs on playback (they record the controller state for each frame and then play it back) which means the game doesn't behave the same when given the same input, in online play that would be catastrophic.
