(Animal) Crossing Over Again

So, what have I been playing as of late? I’ve actually found myself drawn back in to Animal Crossing: City Folk again. I find I’m enjoying myself more with the Springtime weather there than I had with the Winter. I still think this is probably the definitive version of the game, provided you can get over the loss of NES games. And really, if that’s all you really want, you’re probably better off just buying them from the Virtual Console. It would probably be cheaper that way, too.

As I said in my review of the game, it really takes the best of both previous versions, and then adds a few things on top of that, with a new coat of polish in some areas. Nonetheless, there are some things I miss from previous versions. Perhaps the time has simply not come in this one, but I liked that things like new bridges would be built, and you could pick where they would go. Or that during the fishing contest, you’d actually have little docks around and would see the other characters actually fishing, rather than just walking around with fishing poles.

Anyway, it really is a good game, and I think it benefits from starting in the warmer weather, rather than the cold, and may warrant another look from those who passed on it. If you enjoy Animal Crossing in either of its previous forms, you’ll likely enjoy this; however, if you’re downright sick of the previous games and really want something different… well, that would be too bad, but I do have a solution: Give Konami’s Magician’s Quest Mysterious Times a look when it comes out in May. It seems to have the same sort of underlying fundamentals, but a completely different context. Sort of like how Super Mario World and Sonic the Hedgehog share similarities, but chiefly at the core.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

David Oxford

David Oxford, or “LBD ‘Nytetrayn’,” as he is sometimes also known, is a freelance writer of many varied interests who resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. If you’re interested in hiring him, please drop him a line at david.oxford (at) nyteworks.net.

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