Up to four people can participate in any one village (each person occupies one of the four available houses), so your friends and family can get in on the action as well. 'We wanted to make a game that was accessible to all players, even those who weren't hardcore gamers.' 'The gaming industry has a trend of creating really big action games that are too difficult for a lot of people,' says AC producer Takashi Tezuka. The point with Animal Crossing was to keep things simple and fun. But don't expect any puzzles to master or huge bosses to slay, 'cause you won't find 'em here. With literally dozens of things to do at any given time, you'll never find yourself feeling bored or restless. This is what makes Animal Crossing so unique-the only real objective in the game is to live life as you see fit. Once you arrive and get settled in your new digs, you're free to do pretty much whatever you want, whenever you want.

But amidst these massively anticipated games-which include the likes of Super Mario Sunshine and Metroid Prime-lies a relative unknown that could easily turn out to be one of the surprise hits of the year: Nintendo's quirky new life sim, Animal Crossing.Īs the game begins, you find yourself on a train headed for a small forest village that you'll soon be calling home. Nintendo's second-half lineup for 2002 reads like a laundry list of gaming's biggest and most beloved franchises. Every element of the game simply works without a prop from the developers. The winning feat is how adaptable it is to any player's style - whether it's an intensive task management interest or something to sit and listen to the waters for hours on end. And the tasks are diverse enough to always find something different to do.Īnimal Crossing is packaged perfectly into one of the most relaxing, immersive social simulators ever developed. There's an essence of competitiveness about building the best town.

The graphics are beautiful enough to enjoy alone. But the confidence that Animal Crossing is delivered in sets the game apart from most simulators. On the surface, the whole concept seems mundane. You'll spend time doing menial tasks in the local, collecting in-game currency to create your dream home, and further develop your fantasy town. The aura of the game is zen-like, allowing players to purchase their initial house from local shyster Tom Nook - and build-up their livelihood at their own pace. The issue with games like Animal Crossing: Wild World asks if it is intuitive enough for those who really enjoy their time spent building towns - and basically, living life.īut yes, Animal Crossing has set the standard for the genre - and really, there's nothing quite like it today. Basically, something telling you what to do and how to do it even though the mechanics are bent towards open-ended gameplay. It would be a strange idea to involve a thick plot around a life simulator.

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