Metareview - Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)
by Blake Snow 
{ Dec 6th 2005 at 9:29AM }
It's a very good time to be a DS owner these days. Nintendo has been releasing stellar
first-party hits left and right with Animal Crossing: Wild World being no different. Here's
some early scores and commentary:
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1UP 9.0 - "Despite a near-total lack of things to do here in sleepy forest, despite a lack of concrete goals in anyone's life, my time here with the animals has been wholly enjoyable."
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IGN 88 - "The online component was something that the original GameCube design screamed for, and Nintendo delivered for the Nintendo DS version. Mostly. It's still a bit on the limited side, with restrictions showing their faces every time you try to explore the design in the online environment."
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Print media scores: GamePro 70%, EGM 78%, Game Informer 88%, Nintendo Power 95%.
At the time of writing, the title had a Game Rankings composit of 85% pending 4 more reviews. Can anyone stop this game-train that is the Nintendo DS?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
bluetrane @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
i loves my DS
*does fanboy dance for all psp owners*
Killian @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
Can't wait to pick that up!
Fantus @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
Animal Crossing is indeed one of the better games ever designed. I just can't believe that a game where you are doing close to nothing can be so good.
Jody Anthony @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
The game has been great fun so far, it took me over an hour of going to stores to find it yesterday, but I'm happy with the purchase.
If anyone has it and wants to visit my town, email me your friend code
jodyanthony@gmail.com
student @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
I like how gamepro gives Dead or Alive 4 a 100% and then Animal Crossing a 70? Seems rather bizarre
DG @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
70%? 78%? I have Animal Crossing for Gamecube, and while I don't much play it anymore (if I ever did), I certainly wouldn't give it a poor rating. It seems like there's nothing more or less that one could do in the game. If the DS version has touch screen (some sort of mouse function that would have been much appreciated on the GC), all the better. Why such poor ratings?
Jody Anthony @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
Let me tell you what makes the DS version better than the GC version:
Internet play is nice, portability is good as well. But being able to type things in with the stylus instead of just the control pad..that is what makes this version 100x better. Having to type a letter for Tom Nook in the beginning, so so so much quicker than it was on the GC.
Tesla @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
I tried calling EB and Gamestop yesterday to see if they maybe got it in early and was quickly told not until tomorrow. So on a whim I called Walmart and they said they already had it. Glorious Walmart breaking street dates.
If you ever played the Gamecube version, this one is very much like the original and that is a good thing. The new camera angle helps out viewing the area especially when playing with other people. Smacking your buddies with a net or digging holes around them so they can't move is hilarious (they can kick the dirt back in if they don't have a shovel btw). Not just shirts now but apparel and hats as well.
When fishing you don't see the same fish in the water but you do see what they catch when they pull them out of the water. That and the lack of the NES are the only gripes so far.
Just a side note to all the people complaining that PSP is just a bunch of rehashed PS2 games and that the DS is only new games. This is a prime example (albeit it one with a few things taken out and others added) of a DS game that was a Cube game that was a N64 game. I personally don't mind it since I'll be playing it extensively. Enjoy!
Matthew @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
I definitely plan on picking up this game. But damn, my budget is pretty low right now. At the moment I'm playing Mario Kart DS and having a blast. I don't even play my consoles anymore because of my DS! It's taking up all my game time. Whatever your doing Nintendo, keep doing it!
Brandon @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
Took back my PSP and got a DS. Haven't been happier. The PSP is a completely superior device with a completely inferior support software wise.
Stop fighting it, give in and be happy. I am.
Peace
ZaBlanc @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
"I tried calling EB and Gamestop yesterday to see if they maybe got it in early and was quickly told not until tomorrow. So on a whim I called Walmart and they said they already had it. Glorious Walmart breaking street dates."
Sorry to put a damper on things, but you're a Wal-Mart whore that's helping to drive out locally run gaming shops. Thanks for that.
/waiting until today to pick up my ACWW.
Justin Celani @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
ohhh booo hoooo. He is getting a game one day early. He isnt driving out locally run gaming shops. If you think that then you need to get with the times. I worked at a game store and stuff like that had almost no effect.
gjd @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
What advantage does a locally run game shop give me over Wal-Mart if Wal-Mart has good selection and cheap prices? I don't like keeping businesses around just for the sake of having them around. If they're doing something special, then I think they'll manage to survive just fine.
Scott_D @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
EB and GameStop are locally owned and operated, wow, i thought they were part of a huge corporation. I had no idea, i will have to ask which one is ma and which one is pa when i go in next time.
Jody Anthony @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
I got mine at wal-mart yesterday as well.
I'm a wal-mart whore too, huh? Oh well. I spent money that I earned at a place I chose to spend it at. How dare I?
EB and Gamestop are nation-wide corporations too, but it's ok to give them money?
You sir/madam, are an idiot.
I bet you're one of the people that refueses to shop somewhere that say happy holidays instead of merry christmas.
Take your soapbox somewhere else. Nobody here cares.
It's not my fault wal-mart was the only place around here that had the game. I went to all the EBs and Gamestops in the area, and none of them had it. Wal-mart was my only choice. I just wanted to treat myself, its the only time I've ever bought a game on release day. I'm damn happy with Walmart having my $33
Jody Anthony @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
another thing, if it's so bad giving big companies money and driving out the smaller companies, you better not buy the next EA or Sony or Nintendo game, they are big companies getting your money, driving the independant game developers down. Fight the man! right?
ZaBlanc @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
"I'm a wal-mart whore too, huh?"
Yep.
"Oh well. I spent money that I earned at a place I chose to spend it at. How dare I?"
Oh, you are free to spend it wherever -- even if it hurts your own community. You'll figure it out someday.
"EB and Gamestop are nation-wide corporations too, but it's ok to give them money?"
No, they're franchises. And while I'd prefer to go to a true mom-and-pop shop, there are none anywhere near here. So I'll go one step up the ladder instead of 10.
It's not black and white, madam.
"You sir/madam, are an idiot."
Sir. And no, I'm not.
"I bet you're one of the people that refueses to shop somewhere that say happy holidays instead of merry christmas."
No -- I'm actually the opposite, thank you very much. Get your stereotypes straight.
"Take your soapbox somewhere else. Nobody here cares."
Obviously. But if you can shop anywhere you please, then I can post anywhere I please, madam.
"It's not my fault wal-mart was the only place around here that had the game."
Agreed.
"I went to all the EBs and Gamestops in the area, and none of them had it."
Agreed.
"Wal-mart was my only choice."
No. You could have waited a day. You had more than one choice -- as did I.
"I just wanted to treat myself, its the only time I've ever bought a game on release day."
Good for you.
"I'm damn happy with Walmart having my $33."
Then you're uneducated.
ZaBlanc @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
"another thing, if it's so bad giving big companies money and driving out the smaller companies, you better not buy the next EA or Sony or Nintendo game, they are big companies getting your money, driving the independant game developers down. Fight the man! right?"
I *am* an independent game developer, madam.
mat @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
It sould be noted that there have been some extremely shitty games released on the DS lately. King Kong being one of them...
Sense @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
Calling someone uneducated for shopping at Wal-Mart is a little harsh.
Jay @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
No it shouldn't be noted. 100% of the world knows that film license games are shit. if you're not in that 100% then your a fool.
The same game is out on every console. should we state that? should we also state that ALL consoles have some form of loading time? or that they are all made out of materials.
dont be a pleb.
ZaBlanc @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
"Calling someone uneducated for shopping at Wal-Mart is a little harsh.'
I only said that cause he was "damn happy" to have done it. :-)
Seriously, Wal-Mart is a drain on your local community. It puts hard-working parents out of business, and doesn't give anything back. There's a lot to be said on the topic, and it's not partisan bickering, it's real...all parties agree.
These corporations pay their employees crap, and give them little to no benefits -- and as a result, these employees are forced to go on welfare and seek state aid for health insurance.
Our state taxes go to pay the health care of Wal-Mart employees because this multi-billion dollar behemoth is too cheap to.
If that doesn't rile you, nothing will.
Scott_D @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
dear sir your shocked a remade movie being remade into a video game is shitty, i tip my hat to you good sir.
gameclu @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
I buy my games either at Wal-mart, Best Buy, Game Stop, or Amazon. So no matter what, I'm not supporting the local game stores. And I don't feel bad it, either. Why? Because the local game stores in this town royally suck.
And for the sake of staying on topic... I'm picking up my reserved copy of ACWW from Game Stop, today. Maybe I'll stop by Wal-mart on the way home and pick up a copy for my wife.
:(deriuqer) eman ruoY @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
Before I got my PSP I was really excited about this game, however I have not touched my DS since (seems antiquated).
Justin Celani @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
I know, since your a independent game developer why do you make a "hate walmart" game while your at it. Seriously now, I don't like Walmart that much but if I really want a game I don't care who has it first but whoever does you can bet your A@$ I'll be getting it from there.
Jody Anthony @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
first of all everyone, I'm a guy.
second of all, if you're allowed to complain about what you want, then I'm allowed to complain about what I want.
There are no independant stores out here in bumfuck nowhere, so how could I possibly support them? by driving 50 miles and spending money on gas (paying the oil monopolies money is ok?) to buy a game from a store that will charge me $10 more than what I paid at wal-mart?
Ok, let me spend $5 for gas and $10 more for the game, because we all know that that ONE sale is going to bring wal-mart to its knees.
If the other stores had it on the day that nintendo said it was released, then there would of been no problem, and I would of gotten it at GameStop. The problem is, they didn't have it, and I didn't want to wait.
As for being uneducated, you know nothing about me. There's a difference between being uneducated and being stupid. You just happen to be the latter.
Noone has any right to critisize me for spending my hard earned money where I want to spend it, no matter how "bad it is for [my] community". Because my buying ONE game at wal-mart is going to cause my community to crumble.
You know nothing about my normal spending habits, you just take one sale and turn it into a big deal. You don't shop at wal-mart? Who cares? If I do or if anyone else here does, oh well. It's their choice. You shouldn't be insulting them for making a choice.
(Side note: I am aware I have been insulting in the responses, no need to point that out)
The only reason I said I was happy that wal-mart had my money is because of people like you. Normally I wouldn't shop there, I just happened to stop in to see if they had the game, and they did. They were the only ones around who did, so they got my money.
HOWEVER, if I hadn't bought the game yesterday, and waited until today, I would of seen this post first, and I would of gone and bought not just animal crossing, but a couple other games at wal-mart too, just to spite you and people like you. Petty? probably. Fun to me? Hell yes.
And to the other person:
"I *am* an independent game developer, madam."
So? Who cares? what does that have to do with my argument? I wasn't saying not to buy from the bigger companies, I was making a comparison. People complain about shopping at wal-mart, but they have no problem giving money to other big companies.
Tesla @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
This ZaBlanc guy is probably just jealous he didn't get it as early. That or the fact that he's paying more for the game at whatever store he gets it.
Independent game developer? Anyone can say that. I hate when "independent" titles are used as excuses for not being successful. Leave it to some no-talent $@#$ clown to jump into a good forum discussing a good game.
Jody Anthony @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
Summary:
I was already pleased with my purchase, because I had the game I wanted. Buying it at wal-mart (normally I don't care where I would get it from) is just made even better out of spite for people like you. Just like I make it a point to try to go out of my way to shop at places that refuse to say merry christmas, out of spite. I despise people that make a huge deal out of nothing. Thats what makes people like you an idiot. You take nothing, and turn it into a big deal.
(I wasn't saying you refused to shop somewhere that didn't say merry christmas, I was comparing your asinine behavior to theirs.)
eb @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
Good grief. This is a gaming forum not a walmart forum. Who cares where you get your games, I don't particularly like walmart either but if they have a game I want I'll probably pay them for it. But dont shit down someones throat for it. It's the holidays, be nice.
Jody Anthony @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
One more thing:
"These corporations pay their employees crap, and give them little to no benefits -- and as a result, these employees are forced to go on welfare and seek state aid for health insurance."
I worked at wal-mart for a year and a half. I have never been on wellfare. People just don't go to school and work at wal-mart into their 40's instead of as a teenager like anyone with a brain would, then they live way outside their means.
Ever been to a poor/welfare house? tell me why at least 75% of them have huge screen tvs and the like.
It's not wal-marts fault that people are on welfare, its lazy system abusers fault they are the way they are.
Wal-mart keeps people from having better jobs? bullshit. If people stopped being so lazy and did things for themselves, they would have jobs.
It's just like people complaining that all of our manufacturing is going overseas. I was listening to some woman on the radio complaining about just that, but then later on said how she would never have her children stoop low enough to have a factory job.
People in the USA have too much damn pride and not enough gumption. THAT is what's wrong, not Wal-Mart.
Jake @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
Screw Animal Crossing, I'm enjoying this argument.
boring game @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
what a boring game. i wish u could rob people in that game or fight or build robots to unleash them on the animals or take over the town or gather them like militia and attack other towns via memory cards and take their fossils
DG @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
It makes my head spin. Yes, if you're dumb enough to think that the "problem" is "welfare abusers" with "big screen tv's," then there is no saving you. You've resigned yourself to be a narrow-minded, personal experience-based, fool. You fail to recognize the world around you, and you will continue to fail to appreciate how bad for your community (city, state, country, etc.) Wal-Mart really is.
You are probably young and you probably don't have large medical bills. But if you are an adult from a working class family, chances are that when you were growing up, a well paying job was possible without a college education. That almost certainly is not the case (and no, I don't want to hear about your uncle/friend/mother/sister/whatever) anymore. For many older people who need to make ends meet, they are resigned to working at Wal-Mart. If their meager wages keep them from buying high quality food and seeking preventative medicine, they are often forced onto public health care. This is reality, and the costs are paid by all of us.
The kicker, however, is how many local governments fall over themselves to give Wal-Mart generous tax breaks to ruin their cities.
And yes, to some other idiot, ONE video game purchase will indeed crumble the community if everyone in it is as ignorant as yourself. Jeez.
dOOLEY @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
A few of the hundreds of links: Educate yourselves folks couJODYgh!
dOOLEY
http://fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html
http://winningargument.blogspot.com/2004/06/wal-mart-is-bad-for-america.html
http://www.ufcw.org/worker_political_agenda/worker_issues/walmart/walmartbadforworkers.cfm
John @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
Getting back to the game...I'm flat broke after just buying Mario Kart and Mario & Luigi partners in time. I may pick this up later next month. The DS is taking up all of my precious gaming time from the consoles and computer. I'm so happy I picked the DS instead of the over hyped PSP.
Thanks,
John
http://www.deliveryblog.com/
Blueman @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
My store will have it tomorrow :(
Nintendo Gal @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
http://www.walmartmovie.com
For people who want to find out more (if you care that is).
Oh and I've had my game for a week so you can't pull that "you're just jealous you didn't get it early" crap on me. :)
Doug teh H-Nut @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
"what a boring game. i wish u could rob people in that game or fight or build robots to unleash them on the animals or take over the town or gather them like militia and attack other towns via memory cards and take their fossils"
*cough* Grand Theft Auto fanboy alert.
For the record, in the Gamecube version, you can beat people on the head with your butterfly net.
I haven't gotten it yet, and I kind of stopped playing the GCN version because it got old. Portable, though? That's why I love the DS and PSP - console-quality games that are portable. Mario 64 DS especially.
Endlessnameless @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
I can't wait for the new super mario bros game for DS. The screen shots look great.
Walmart is an example of capitalism at its finest. Walmart was started in some hick town in Arkansas and now employs almost as many people as the federal government does. They offer the lowest possible prices and thats why so many people shop there. If a mom and pop store were to offer cheaper prices for the same goods, they would become more popular than walmart. Nobody forces those people to work at walmart and generally jobs like walmart are for second wage earners. Primarily students and women who are married but need just a little extra income. Thats all those types of jobs are intended for. I could see a person staying there as a manager but not as a "regular" employee. I've worked at walmart, target and circuit city. And I left all of them because, well...they suck. All retail jobs suck as far as I'm concerned. And it was this motivation that made me want to better myself and I have. There's absolutely nothing wrong with working in those places, its just not for me. For others its an opportunity to get an unskilled labor job with the potential for benefits. And as much as I hate to say, target had some decent benefits from what I remember. Its just the laws of supply and demand at work when it comes to walmart. Their business practices have enabled them to deliver the lowest possible prices to consumers. Im a cheap SOB and thats what I look for. If ma and pa's dime store can offer me the same item at a lower price I will frequent their store more often.
jscro @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
"Ever been to a poor/welfare house? tell me why at least 75% of them have huge screen tvs and the like."
Dumbest thing I've read all day, thank you!
Jody Anthony @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
first of all, im 23 and ive worked for everything I have. I didnt have some rich family to buy me things. my family was a bunch of drug addicts and such, my parents were abusive, and nobody ever had faith that anyone from our family would be anything.
That being the case, I've remained completely drug free my entire life. I am paying for my own college because I couldnt get financial aid or loans. I work my ass off every day and if I want to buy a game from wal-mart, I have the right.
second, I never said walmart was a good thing, i never said walmart wasn't going to destroy any communities or whatever. I said I purchased ONE game ONE time through ONE store and people are going to treat me like I am a piece of trash for it. I work for my money and I can do with it as I will.
I just said when people are going to attack other people for shopping at walmart, I will shop at walmart out of spite for dumbasses who think just because they read a couple of articles that they are better than everyone else. Don't shop at wal-mart, I dont care. But I for one, If I knew that by shopping at wal-mart I could fuck with even ONE person that was against wal-mart, I wouln't shop anywhere else.
I hate everyone that has to act all holier-than-thou about everything. You are just making the people around you miserable. I would just want to do anything that would make you as annoyed as you make other people.
And don't get started on medical bills. I owe $13,000 in hospital bills from a heart problem I have from the stress of growing up in the abusive family I did as well as my mother doing drugs while she was pregnant with me. yet I am STILL not on welfare. I make my monthly payments and I get by. So could other people if they had the balls to do it.
Blaming the problems of society on walmart or anything else is nothing but a cop out. Sure there are people that can't help but have welfare, but for every one person that needs it, there are ten that are just taking it. But people will continue to take advantage of welfare or any other government programs because people like YOU give them an excuse.
OH, I can't take care of myself because there's a wal-mart in my town! The reporter on TV told me so!
BULLSHIT
Let welfare take care of people that NEED it, not people that are too fucking lazy to do what they have to do to survive.
Neighbors of mine when I was younger had about 7 kids. They had no jobs but they had the 7 kids, and they got benefits from the government for the 7 kids. How come the kids weren't in school or anything though? how come they didnt do anything but hang around in the back yard or on the front porch selling drugs? Because people like YOU give them the right to do nothing with your bullshit speach about it being wal-marts fault.
No, its THEIR fault. and its YOUR fault. and its people like YOU that are the burden on society, not the person that buys a SINGLE FUCKING THIRTY DOLLAR VIDEO GAME at walmart
Jody Anthony @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
jscro :
"Ever been to a poor/welfare house? tell me why at least 75% of them have huge screen tvs and the like."
Dumbest thing I've read all day, thank you!
--
Quick to judge, not to contribute.
Mark B @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
I buy most of my games at Toys R Us but that's just my own personal preference.
I do try to avoid giving Wal-Mart much business because I realize the damage they are doing as a monopoly. Given the choice, I would rather give my business to Target because at least they give back to the community.
The only time I would buy a game from Wal-Mart is when I can't find it anywhere else or when they have a certain game much cheaper than anyone else.
And regarding the original point of this thread, I plan on getting Animal Crossing asap. It's looks like it'll be a fun game. At the moment, I'm still busy with Mario Kart DS.
:-D
Jody Anthony @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
"The only time I would buy a game from Wal-Mart is when I can't find it anywhere else or when they have a certain game much cheaper than anyone else."
And thats EXACTLY what I did. But I get attacked for it.
jscro @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
"Quick to judge, not to contribute."
That would be me in a nutshell.
DG @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
Your life is so devoid of meaning you need to shop at certain stores just to spite others? Wow. No wonder you have a heart condition.
Jody Anthony @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
Im a very bitter individual.
[Jesse] @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
Wow... See, there's something you can't get at your library! Damn AR tests *grumble grumble...*
r0Be @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM
LOL. This thread was great. I vote for the I could care less about Walmart option. (Where were the poll buttons....). Maybe it's because of the area I live in. We have one of everything here in Manassas VA. The next exit....one of everything....the next exit....two to three of everything and always something new.....
Plenty of competition here. All the stores are doing fine and dandy. Walmart is a fun place to shop, dirt cheap for a lot of stuff.
Target (pronounced Tar-xay) is fun too. So is EBX, gamestop....yup....bought something from all of them. Yay for everybody....or something...
Maybe I'll go get ACWW now.
lates.