RSS
Animal Crossing: City Folk
December 3, 2008 | 4:07 PM PST
Kombo's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.
What the Game's About
Animal Crossing: City Folk is the third game in the Animal Crossing series, fourth if one wishes to count the Japan-only Nintendo 64 and American GameCube debut as separate entities. And just as in its predecessors, you take the role of a Raggedy-Ann-inspired version of yourself, only a bit more contemporary where fashion is concerned. The game starts you off by sending you to a new town (which you get to name), where you get a house, establish yourself, make friends, and work to pay off evil raccoon overlord Tom Nook, who runs the housing and retail rackets in whatever you decide to name your town.
Ultimately, the game has no end and no purpose other than to fulfill your virtual material desires by acquiring full sets of furniture, clothes, and filling the local museum to the brim with bugs, paintings, fish, and fossils. Once that's accomplished... well, nothing says you have to stop.
What's Hot
Graphically, the game is solid. Within the given art style, this is probably as good as Animal Crossing can ever be without going into the realm of HD, or shaping more realistic humans and environments. But then, if Nintendo did that, we'd basically be playing PlayStation Home, not Animal Crossing. Models are a little smoother, and the colors might be a little sharper, but if you've played the GameCube version, you might be hard-pressed to notice much difference. One might suggest the difference is as marginal as that between Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart Wii. Someone who's picked up the Cube version once and then sits down with this probably won't notice any difference at all, leaving it to the true enthusiasts to nitpick what's been changed. If you remember Pikachu and Kirby's graphical "upgrades" from the very first trailer for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, then Animal Crossing: City Folk is very much like that.
Of course, that's speaking from a purely aesthetic standpoint; there is more done in City Folk than in either of the other versions. Gone are the scrolling Zelda-like screens from the GameCube version; it instead has a sort of "rolling" background featured in the less-powerful Wild World from the DS. However, Wild World's single level of ground is also gone, with the cliffs and ramps separating a higher ground from a lower area making its way in from the GameCube version. It is literally the best of both worlds in that respect.
There is one handy feature for those who own Wild World: You can port your AC:WW character, bare-bones but for his general basic look (hair, face, etc) and some of your catalog from the DS version, which is what my wife and I both chose to do. From there, I've gotten to see some of the items that are available, and that's good to know, though it may be awhile before I can buy some stuff back that I got before.
The biggest change in the game comes from the addition of a nameless city, which you can visit at any time... that is, except when guests are visiting your town. Which in itself is unfortunate, as I was under the impression that going to the city with your friends visiting online was supposed to be part of the experience. Nonetheless, it's worth noting that while Wild World had its share of crazy characters who would visit your town now and then, it seems most of them have been relocated to the city now; you can visit Crazy Redd, Dr. Shrunk, Lyle, and Katrina any time you want... that is, provided it's during open hours. They mostly serve the same purposes there, with Katrina telling fortunes and Redd selling black market furniture. Gracie Grace, rather than berating your wardrobe and fashion sense personally, has instead opted to let the prices in her store shame you, while newly added third Able Sister Labelle assists you in any way she can.
Other additions include an auction house run by Lloid the Gyroid, where players can put items up for bidding, a shoeshine boy, and an office for the Happy Room Academy, whose letters you can now opt out of if you wish, and who feature a display room that is usually filled with complete sets of furniture to show what a "perfect room" can be. Plus, Wild World's Shampoodle salon has relocated from Nook's store to the city, and it allows you to customize your character to some degree. Or, in one of the game's more famous additions, you can get a complete makeover which gives your character a Mii "mask" (the first one is free). It can be a little jarring, perhaps even creepy at first, but is fun to use once you get used to it. The downside is, you're unable to add anything to your head -- glasses, masks, hats, etc. -- without reverting to your original face.
Finally, the WiiSpeak microphone, included in some bundles, can be used for chatting with friends who are visiting, or when you're visiting other towns. It performs its job competently, though not superbly. Now and then, I would have trouble hearing what one of my friends was saying, and there would occasionally be background noise interfering. This is all likely the result of having to speak up across the room for the mic to pick up, and having to listen around your own environment for when people are talking back to you. It beats entering messages by text, but could use a little work. If you'd rather not visit online, there's also a "DS Suitcase" feature which lets you take your character to a friend's house and Wii by using your DS as a storage device.
What's Not
Animal Crossing: City Folk is a difficult game to rate, because it's as good as the series ever was. And to some degree, that's precisely the problem. There just isn't a whole lot going on here that wasn't in the previous two titles; the central theme seems to be built upon taking what existed in this space before, and either polishing it up, refining it, or simply adding more of it.
It seems as though the game features new villagers, new items to collect, new clothes, new bugs, etc., but unless you were a thorough completionist in the previous installments, you likely would not notice the additions. And if you did play the previous games that thoroughly, there's a good chance you might have gotten your fill enough of Animal Crossing that City Folk won't seem worth the asking price to bring you back.
One aspect that bothered me was in the controls. They aren't bad, but the options are few: You can play with just the Wii remote, or add the nunchuck for analog control. That's it. The remote alone is handy if you're just popping the game in for a few minutes and don't want the hassle of adding the nunchuck. But the problem is, if you do add the nunchuck, the Wii remote's pointer controls remain as they were, so that you have to actively keep the remote pointed away from the TV and sensor bar if you're trying to perform actions. Otherwise, pressing A will divert your character's attention to wherever the pointer is, causing a small nuisance. The two buttons on the nunchuck perform the same functions as the A and B buttons on the Wii remote, but to someone used to moving with the left hand and performing major button actions with the right, it's mildly disorienting.
To the game's credit, switching tools is now more hassle-free than ever, with the control pad on the Wii remote switching from one item to the next, or just unequipping altogether. But the actual performing of actions with those tools is incredibly mundane. To swing a net, to cast a fishing line and reel it in, to blow bubbles, or to dig with a shovel, you just press A. Maybe I've just been spoiled by the "waggle," but at least the option for pulling the Wii remote back when a fish takes the bait or lashing it down to swing my net, or to swing it side-to-side to chop down a tree would have been nice.
Final Word
As I said before, Animal Crossing: City Folk is a difficult game to rate. It ultimately serves as little more than an expansion pack to what's come before it, except you pretty much have to start fresh (with the modest exception of importing your character's look and catalog of things you used to own from the DS title). "Animal Crossing Plus" might have been a more apt title.
Outside of the city and a few odds and ends, the core difference between this and WW is simply more. If Animal Crossing on the GameCube was Street Fighter II and Wild World was Street Fighter II Turbo, then this is Super Street Fighter II. If Animal Crossing were a PC game, this would be Wrath of the Nook King, basically.
Most of what was there before is there now, and now there seems to be more of it. The problem is, unless you saw every piece of merchandise, every fruit, and every neighbor in the original, you may very well not know who or what is new. And I'll be honest; I didn't, so I can't be 100% certain that anything of that sort is.
There are other factors to take into consideration, such as whatever new events or visitors come over the course of the year; without playing the game for a year straight, or doing a lot of "time traveling" (i.e. messing with the clock), it's impossible to know everything that this version offers exactly. But the addition of picking mushrooms in the Fall just isn't a revolutionary experience.
Animal Crossing: City Folk is not a bad game, and is in fact a very good game. The only problem is, it's ultimately the same game as before, and to a greater degree than any Mega Man sequel ever was. If there's someone who's never played Animal Crossing before, this is the version to recommend, hands down. Otherwise, I could really only recommend it to someone who is a serious Animal Crossing fanatic, or perhaps someone who only played Wild World and wants to experience the same thing on a bigger TV screen.
What the Game's About
Animal Crossing: City Folk is the third game in the Animal Crossing series, fourth if one wishes to count the Japan-only Nintendo 64 and American GameCube debut as separate entities. And just as in its predecessors, you take the role of a Raggedy-Ann-inspired version of yourself, only a bit more contemporary where fashion is concerned. The game starts you off by sending you to a new town (which you get to name), where you get a house, establish yourself, make friends, and work to pay off evil raccoon overlord Tom Nook, who runs the housing and retail rackets in whatever you decide to name your town.
Ultimately, the game has no end and no purpose other than to fulfill your virtual material desires by acquiring full sets of furniture, clothes, and filling the local museum to the brim with bugs, paintings, fish, and fossils. Once that's accomplished... well, nothing says you have to stop.
What's Hot
Graphically, the game is solid. Within the given art style, this is probably as good as Animal Crossing can ever be without going into the realm of HD, or shaping more realistic humans and environments. But then, if Nintendo did that, we'd basically be playing PlayStation Home, not Animal Crossing. Models are a little smoother, and the colors might be a little sharper, but if you've played the GameCube version, you might be hard-pressed to notice much difference. One might suggest the difference is as marginal as that between Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart Wii. Someone who's picked up the Cube version once and then sits down with this probably won't notice any difference at all, leaving it to the true enthusiasts to nitpick what's been changed. If you remember Pikachu and Kirby's graphical "upgrades" from the very first trailer for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, then Animal Crossing: City Folk is very much like that.
Of course, that's speaking from a purely aesthetic standpoint; there is more done in City Folk than in either of the other versions. Gone are the scrolling Zelda-like screens from the GameCube version; it instead has a sort of "rolling" background featured in the less-powerful Wild World from the DS. However, Wild World's single level of ground is also gone, with the cliffs and ramps separating a higher ground from a lower area making its way in from the GameCube version. It is literally the best of both worlds in that respect.
There is one handy feature for those who own Wild World: You can port your AC:WW character, bare-bones but for his general basic look (hair, face, etc) and some of your catalog from the DS version, which is what my wife and I both chose to do. From there, I've gotten to see some of the items that are available, and that's good to know, though it may be awhile before I can buy some stuff back that I got before.
The biggest change in the game comes from the addition of a nameless city, which you can visit at any time... that is, except when guests are visiting your town. Which in itself is unfortunate, as I was under the impression that going to the city with your friends visiting online was supposed to be part of the experience. Nonetheless, it's worth noting that while Wild World had its share of crazy characters who would visit your town now and then, it seems most of them have been relocated to the city now; you can visit Crazy Redd, Dr. Shrunk, Lyle, and Katrina any time you want... that is, provided it's during open hours. They mostly serve the same purposes there, with Katrina telling fortunes and Redd selling black market furniture. Gracie Grace, rather than berating your wardrobe and fashion sense personally, has instead opted to let the prices in her store shame you, while newly added third Able Sister Labelle assists you in any way she can.
Other additions include an auction house run by Lloid the Gyroid, where players can put items up for bidding, a shoeshine boy, and an office for the Happy Room Academy, whose letters you can now opt out of if you wish, and who feature a display room that is usually filled with complete sets of furniture to show what a "perfect room" can be. Plus, Wild World's Shampoodle salon has relocated from Nook's store to the city, and it allows you to customize your character to some degree. Or, in one of the game's more famous additions, you can get a complete makeover which gives your character a Mii "mask" (the first one is free). It can be a little jarring, perhaps even creepy at first, but is fun to use once you get used to it. The downside is, you're unable to add anything to your head -- glasses, masks, hats, etc. -- without reverting to your original face.
Finally, the WiiSpeak microphone, included in some bundles, can be used for chatting with friends who are visiting, or when you're visiting other towns. It performs its job competently, though not superbly. Now and then, I would have trouble hearing what one of my friends was saying, and there would occasionally be background noise interfering. This is all likely the result of having to speak up across the room for the mic to pick up, and having to listen around your own environment for when people are talking back to you. It beats entering messages by text, but could use a little work. If you'd rather not visit online, there's also a "DS Suitcase" feature which lets you take your character to a friend's house and Wii by using your DS as a storage device.
What's Not
Animal Crossing: City Folk is a difficult game to rate, because it's as good as the series ever was. And to some degree, that's precisely the problem. There just isn't a whole lot going on here that wasn't in the previous two titles; the central theme seems to be built upon taking what existed in this space before, and either polishing it up, refining it, or simply adding more of it.
It seems as though the game features new villagers, new items to collect, new clothes, new bugs, etc., but unless you were a thorough completionist in the previous installments, you likely would not notice the additions. And if you did play the previous games that thoroughly, there's a good chance you might have gotten your fill enough of Animal Crossing that City Folk won't seem worth the asking price to bring you back.
One aspect that bothered me was in the controls. They aren't bad, but the options are few: You can play with just the Wii remote, or add the nunchuck for analog control. That's it. The remote alone is handy if you're just popping the game in for a few minutes and don't want the hassle of adding the nunchuck. But the problem is, if you do add the nunchuck, the Wii remote's pointer controls remain as they were, so that you have to actively keep the remote pointed away from the TV and sensor bar if you're trying to perform actions. Otherwise, pressing A will divert your character's attention to wherever the pointer is, causing a small nuisance. The two buttons on the nunchuck perform the same functions as the A and B buttons on the Wii remote, but to someone used to moving with the left hand and performing major button actions with the right, it's mildly disorienting.
To the game's credit, switching tools is now more hassle-free than ever, with the control pad on the Wii remote switching from one item to the next, or just unequipping altogether. But the actual performing of actions with those tools is incredibly mundane. To swing a net, to cast a fishing line and reel it in, to blow bubbles, or to dig with a shovel, you just press A. Maybe I've just been spoiled by the "waggle," but at least the option for pulling the Wii remote back when a fish takes the bait or lashing it down to swing my net, or to swing it side-to-side to chop down a tree would have been nice.
Final Word
As I said before, Animal Crossing: City Folk is a difficult game to rate. It ultimately serves as little more than an expansion pack to what's come before it, except you pretty much have to start fresh (with the modest exception of importing your character's look and catalog of things you used to own from the DS title). "Animal Crossing Plus" might have been a more apt title.
Outside of the city and a few odds and ends, the core difference between this and WW is simply more. If Animal Crossing on the GameCube was Street Fighter II and Wild World was Street Fighter II Turbo, then this is Super Street Fighter II. If Animal Crossing were a PC game, this would be Wrath of the Nook King, basically.
Most of what was there before is there now, and now there seems to be more of it. The problem is, unless you saw every piece of merchandise, every fruit, and every neighbor in the original, you may very well not know who or what is new. And I'll be honest; I didn't, so I can't be 100% certain that anything of that sort is.
There are other factors to take into consideration, such as whatever new events or visitors come over the course of the year; without playing the game for a year straight, or doing a lot of "time traveling" (i.e. messing with the clock), it's impossible to know everything that this version offers exactly. But the addition of picking mushrooms in the Fall just isn't a revolutionary experience.
Animal Crossing: City Folk is not a bad game, and is in fact a very good game. The only problem is, it's ultimately the same game as before, and to a greater degree than any Mega Man sequel ever was. If there's someone who's never played Animal Crossing before, this is the version to recommend, hands down. Otherwise, I could really only recommend it to someone who is a serious Animal Crossing fanatic, or perhaps someone who only played Wild World and wants to experience the same thing on a bigger TV screen.
February 8, 2010
