One of my favorite games and series of all time!
Nintendo is known for their innovation in their games and Animal Crossing is no acceptation. Animal Crossing, for the Nintendo Game Cube, is an update to the classic japanese game for N64. The concept of the game is that you have just moved out on your own and you move to a town inhabited by big headed talking animals. The first of the many of the animals you meet is Tom Nook the store owner. He helps you get your first home after getting off the train. You will have a choice between four homes. Even though you only have 30,000 bells (money), Nook will take most of it. For the rest you have to work for him at his town store. There at the store you will do small random little job for him. While doing these jobs the game is introduced to you showing you how the game works. One of the jobs is to drop off stuff to the towns animals. As you do this you will become friends with them. After you pay off your first debt you will be able to upgrade your home and no longer work for Nook. In order to pay off the other house payment you will now have to find other ways of earning bells. There are lots of ways of going about to do this. One way is by help your friends in town doing chores, and writing letters to them. You can also fish, collect insects, dig for fossils, sale furniture, grow fruit and even bell trees and sale that at Nook's Cranny (Nook's store). As the games goes on Nook will remodel his store. At his last remodel Nook’s sons Tommy and Timmy will lend a hand and help their old man in the store.
Animal Crossing is a real-time game using the GameCube’s clock that parallels the real 24/7 world. This also includes all four seasons, winter, spring, summer, and fall. This means that this game goes on even when you're not playing. Weeds will grow, seasons will change, and even holidays will come and go. On most of the holidays you will be able to participate in. At these events the Mayor of the town, Mr. Tortimer, will show up and give you little special presents. Some of these events are from the real world and some only in the game. Also during the different seasons there will be different type of fish and insects to collect. The weather changes too. The leaves on the tree will turn color in fall and snow falls in winter. Also in town are the Able Sisters store, a museum, and the police station.
At the Able Sisters you can go there to make your own patterns. You can use the pattern to make clothes, umbrellas, wall paper, and flooring. At the museum you can keep track on how many fish, insects, fossils, and paintings are donated. After each section is finished, like fish for example, you will receive a golden tool form Blathers, the head of the museum. There is a golden fishing rod, shovel, axe and net. At the police station you can find lost items with police dogs Booker inside and ask Copper out side what going on in town. Also one of the other cool thing that happens in the game is that everyday Saturday night form 8pm till 12am K.K. Slider will perform for you. He waits in front of the train station setting on his little box with his trusty guitar. If you know a song you can put in a request or he can just play at random. During the performance the screen goes black and the games credits roll as the camera pans around the darkness. The seasons will also change as the song goes on. After the show he will give you a copy of the song he just played that you can take back to your place in play in any of your music players.
Another cool thing about the game is that if you have a brother, sister, or a friend, they can get in on the action. Like I said in the beginning you get to pick one of four houses. Well another person or persons can be in your town with you but not at the same time. This opens up more things to do. For example, lets say you logged into the game and go hide an item somewhere. You could leave a note on the town bulletin board of the area to find the item so when the next person logs on they could go on a hunt. Also if you have a buddy that has the game you can take your memory card and put it into your cube or theirs. By doing so you can go and visit their town and they can visit yours. Another thing, when you leave to go from town to town animals in your town will leave and go to the other people's town. Animals also can leave on their own free will.
Throughout the time you spend in the game you will be able to inherit playable NES game in the game. Some of these classic you get by doing chores and some on certain holidays. Some are even rare and can only be received by Animal Crossing e-Reader cards or codes. Also by hooking your GBA to the GameCube you will be able to visit your very own . You can name it and only one Animal lives there and you have your own hut. This hut is big enough for 4 players if needed. Islands can also be traded with your friends.
Overall the game is awesome, but if I could change one thing I would have this game go online. Back when this game came out Nintendo wasn’t really doing anything with online games. I mean there are some now but Nintendo still has a long away to go. If Nintendo ever dose come up with a good online system they could really make a great Animal Crossing game. Animal Crossing is one of my favorite games and series of all time and though I would personally give it a 10, but to be far I'm going to give it a 9.5.
