The release of Animal Crossing: New Leaf is slowly creeping towards us and I started thinking; The Animal Crossing series is so simple but it has such a large fan base. From the point of view of a person who has never touched one of these games I can understand being slightly confused when reading the description of the game and looking at the box art.
“Animal Crossing is a social simulation video game series developed and published by Nintendo, in which the player lives in a village inhabited by anthropomorphic animals, carrying out various activities. The series is notable for its open-ended gameplay and extensive use of the game systems’ internal clock and calendar to simulate real passage of time.”
…it just looks and sounds so simple yet Animal Crossing: New Leaf is one of the most anticipated games for the Nintendo 3DS system. To clear up some confusion, I decided to make a list of things in Animal Crossing that I am looking forward to when New Leaf is released this coming Sunday.
10. Fishing
Now fishing is pretty common amongst most games. If you’re bored with the storyline then you just go around and start fishing. I tend to do this quite a bit especially in World of Warcraft, Torchlight, and almost every single Legend of Zelda game. Fishing is just so… relaxing! However, Animal Crossing takes it up a notch where fishing becomes an obsession. Not only are you fishing to make money but you are fishing to donate fish to your museum. Animal Crossing uses a real passage of time system so seasons are integrated in the game. Need an Arowana to complete your fish collection? It needs to be in summer between the months of June through September and during the times of 4am to 9am. Collecting all of the fish and even anticipating the discovery of a new fish because winter just started is a fantastic feeling.
9. Customization
Animal Crossing features a pretty in-depth customization system. You can design the look of your character, design your clothes, and even design your home. Almost everything in Animal Crossing is customizable. The world in Animal Crossing is yours to the point where you can even name your town and give your townsfolk certain “sayings”. The sky is the limit in Animal Crossing and designing, editing, and planting are all features that make the game unique and fun.
8. Pitfall seeds
Those that are familiar with the Animal Crossing series probably saw this one and are wondering what in the world is wrong with me. Honestly, pitfall seeds are fun! If a certain towns person has moved in that I do not particularly like, I take advantage of pitfall seeds. Pitfall seeds are seeds just like flower or tree seeds, however, when they are planted they look like a normal plot of soil. If you or one of your townsfolk steps on this plot of land, they fall in. For players, it’s a little annoying but you just spam the B button and you get out just fine; with townsfolk, they get really upset! I found it funny to leave pitfall seeds around certain annoying townsfolk’s front door and their favorite fishing spots. I also liked pretending that the neighbor I was pranking was someone I really disliked in real life. It was very therapeutic if I do say so myself.
7. Furniture
Collecting furniture in Animal Crossing is very satisfying. Never would I thought I would be so excited about obtaining an ugly, pink dresser. Well hey, regardless of it being hideous, I needed that dresser to complete my furniture series. Obtain dozens of different furniture pieces like TVs, beds, chairs, sofas, and stereos. Use these furniture pieces to design the inside of your home the way you like and if you find something that you don’t particularly need or like, add it to your collection, sell it, or give it to one of your villagers as a gift. Who wouldn’t want a green dingloid to place in their living room?
6. Bugs
The bug catching system in Animal Crossing is pretty similar to the fishing system. Different bugs will appear at different times of the day, different months, and different seasons. The difference between the fish and bugs is location, obviously. Whenever I tried to catch a grasshopper, they would always “suicide” and jump in the river, thus evading my net and me missing a grasshopper for the rest of the day. Hey, there’s a cicada on that tree there! *SWOOSH* too slow and it’s already flown off. Catching an elusive bug gives you a great sense of accomplishment, actually, catching bugs in general gives you a great sense of accomplishment because most of the bugs in Animal Crossing are difficult to catch unless it’s a pill bug. Those are pretty easy.
5. Cheesy Jokes
Whenever you catch a bug or a fish with a clever name, your character gleefully spouts out some silly joke that relates to the name of the bug or fish. These jokes are incredibly cheesy but they truly make the game fun. I’m especially looking forward to some new jokes that Nintendo has come up with. The cheesy sayings and jokes help quite a bit when you are having a bad day, just so you know.
4. Villagers
The townsfolk in Animal Crossing consist of… well… animals! They are anthropomorphic so they walk on two legs, talk, and some even have a fantastic sense of fashion. Each villager has a different and completely unique personality, likes, and dislikes. Get to know each villager and make sure to not forget their birthday or they get REALLY mad!
3. K.K. Slider
This funky, fresh dog is what I look forward to every Saturday night. K.K. Slider is a musician that shows up on Saturday nights at your town’s cafe or club. K.K. always has something cool to say and he is an amazing singer! You can request songs from him and when he plays them you instantly obtain them on your stereo at your home. Collect all of his songs and even change your home’s music to one of this songs.
2. Holidays
Animal Crossing utilizes a unique real passage of time system in the game so almost all popular holidays are integrated in game play. After you finish opening presents on Christmas morning in real life, hop on Animal Crossing and celebrate Christmas in your town. All of your villagers will be aware of the holiday and celebrate with you. Tired of playing board games with your family while you wait for the ball to drop on New Years Eve? Turn on Animal Crossing and your villagers will be partaking in New Years festivities right in your town. It’s almost like you are celebrating the holiday twice! Don’t forget the most important holiday of all… your birthday! Your villagers will not forget your birthday so prepare to be bombarded with “happy birthdays!”, presents, and cake from your friendly townsfolk in Animal Crossing.
1. Multi-player
One of my favorite aspects of Animal Crossing is the multi-player. Multi-player was integrated in Animal Crossing: Wild World but even before that, I played Animal Crossing with my friends in my living room. One of us had the controller and the rest of us yelled to hit a villager in the head with a shovel just for fun or to catch a ladybug or to shake that tree because there is always an item hidden in most trees. In Animal Crossing: Wild World, I had the most fun inviting my friends to my town and swapping fruits, fishing together, or hanging out in the cafe listening to K.K. Slider. But the best part of multi-player? Having a friend come to my town to help pick all my weeds after months of not playing.
The Animal Crossing series may look and even sound incredibly simple but there is something about the simplicity that keep fans like myself wanting more and enjoying the quirky game play.