Animal Crossing Wild World

The gaming world has been flooded with titles that are generically all similar, fitting into specific genres that seem to struggle to deviate from a particular structure. So when I come across a game that tries to break itself from the masses of FPS’s and RTS’s it seems like a breath of fresh air. There is only really one place you will find these types of games and that is on the DS. Animal Crossing Wild World provides a player with a game, just that. There isn’t an attempt to bring cinematic qualities or huge graphical special effects, but simply a fantastic example of escapism.

A game that opens in a taxi while it’s raining with a dog driving it asking you what’s your name and where you are going immediately catches your attention. It’s quirky, unusual but seems to make total sense. You then arrive in the village that you named in the taxi and are left to do what you want. You can meet the residents, fish, look for fossils, browse the museum or just relax in front the sea. There really is no aim, or end to the game and as a result it means that it never really grows old. You can do a day’s play in about an hour, and then there isn’t anything new until the next, therefore it keeps you coming back over and over again.

It’s a nice looking game, with clear, crisp 3D graphics. The animals are dare I say, cute, and they have great little sounds when they talk. It really adds to the charm of the title and makes it a really complete game to play. The touch screen is used to navigate all menus, and to move about. It is the main screen used, with the top being the sky. The touch screen is easy to use and after a couple minutes is a fluid system of movement.

Finally, the multiplayer facilities are brilliant. If you have a friend’s code, and someone with the game then you can visit or invite them to your village to hang out, chat, and have coffee or whatever you want, no matter where in the world they are. It is like the cherry on the top of a game that shouldn’t really be that fun that keeps you coming back for more and more, and I know I will be for a long time indeed. It earns a very respectable 8/10 from me