Mark walks on the Wild side... sort of
It's a little like The Sims, but infinitely more
happy.
There's not a lot of point to Animal Crossing: Wild World. And, though that hardly
sounds like a selling point, it is, in fact, one of the game's most endearing
qualities.
There's also not any given way to describe it, but we'll have a go: It's a little like
The Sims, but infinitely more happy. That is, a Sims where you play as one single
character… and move in a town that's already in existence. You can name it anything you
want, and decorate it to a degree… but it's more about the experience of living within the
world itself that's so unique.
Oh, and it's a place populated by walking, talking animals. Did we forget to mention
that?
The DS Difference
All of the above was, of course, true also of the GameCube original Animal Crossing. And
Wild World is more a reworking of that idiosyncratic cult hit than a full-on official
sequel.
Only the truly heartless could fail to fall in love with
it.
There's been a heady degree of chopping and changing to fit it onto handheld, with
certain factors, like the season-specific special events, sadly absent. But then the
magical online Wi-Fi play makes it all worth the sacrifice. It uses the Nintendo Friend
Code system, so you'll never find strangers spoiling your experience, but does let up to
three of your friends into your village at the same time.
Of course, a virtual visit from people potentially thousands of miles away isn't
anything new to online gaming - online RPG's like Final Fantasy XI have been doing that for
years - but Animal Crossing boasts such an extraordinary amount of charm, only the truly
heartless could fail to fall in love with it. Be it fishing, foraging or venturing out on
an item hunt, managing your inventory or creating new designs with a stylus on the touch
screen, or playing with those around the globe in a real-time online world, Animal
Crossing: Wild World is a different kind of experience to truly lose yourself in.
If you want to spend some time spirited away by your DS, Animal Crossing: Wild World is
the perfect game to do just that. It will take you to another, happier, more colourful
place, and drop you back into the real world after many fun-filled hours with a smile on
your face.
Review by: Mark Scott
Review Published: 05.04.06