The Goods

Finally, a portable version of Nintendo's insanely addictive mini-life simulator! Now I can bring my habit with me and maybe lose my job!

The Down and Dirty

Originally conceived as a "social game" for families, the original Animal Crossing placed a great deal of emphasis on making and maintaining relationships. Players wrote letters to NPCs, attended social events, and even exchanged gifts. Though fun, the AI was pretty shallow, so the interaction was never that satisfying. Up to four family members could "live" in the same town, but couldn't actually interact with each other in a live way. Animal Crossing DS takes that "A for effort, C for execution" idea and takes the social aspect of the game out of the living room and into the world.

The basic gameplay of Animal Crossing DS seems to be largely the same as its big brother on the GameCube. Players start off by buying a small house, working to pay it off, then decorating it and making friends with other inhabitants of their town. Days pass in real time and seasons change appropriately as players amuse themselves by designing clothing, collecting furniture, planting flowers and trees, or catching insects. That's what's old. What's new is the worldwide connectivity. Players can visit other Animal Crossing villages via wireless LAN or WiFi connection, and can interact with up to three other players in real time. This is a huge improvement over the previous Animal Crossing, in which only one player could be in-game at a time, and leaving town was a major hassle involving long loading times and memory card swapping.

Chat and IM features have been added to make socialization even easier, and the touch screen keyboard makes rattling off text an absolute cinch. The touch screen can also be used to manage inventory and change clothes, another vast improvement over the clunky interface of the GameCube version. New items and events have been added, as well.

The Verdict


The perfect portable game, Animal Crossing DS looks to be every bit as addictive as its predecessor, and the added ability to interact with other humans makes it all the more appealing. I know I can't wait to see it when it finally arrives in the fourth quarter of this year.