Celebrate events like Halloween,mwhahahaha
Like previous games in the series, in Let’s Go To The City you hitch a ride into town in a taxi having given yourself a name and a gender and then you visit the town hall to receive a warm welcome by the major. You then get given your first two-storey home, which is owned by Animal Crossing regular, the shrewd racoon/tycoon Tom Nook, who takes periodic mortgage payments from you for the privilege. It’s then a case of forging a never-ending life in the community, making friends in the neighbourhood, collecting fossils, fish and insects for the museum or to sell on; cutting down trees and planting flowers to make the area look pretty, buying and designing your own clothes, picking up furniture for your home, and trading with the town’s people.All of this and much more need to be done to earn a decent living, but there’s also plenty of time to attend real-time events, such as the Harvest Festival, as well as interacting with many of the game’s charming characters, including Crazy Redda fox , K.K. Slider, the singing dog and Gracie the camel. In essence, it could be said that Let’s Go To The City is all about earning money (bells) to be able to afford the finer things in life, but it’s also about making acquaintances and forging yourself a happy life by tailoring this surreal experience in whichever way you wish. Essentially, it’s a bit like having a parallel life that you have control over and will probably end up caring about.
Aside from having the colourful town from Wild World to explore, the new location, called the City, is actually a very small area which you can get to by hopping on the bus. There are a few new shops, such as Gracie Gracie’s designer boutique and there’s also the chance to visit the theatre and watch a bizarre stand-up comedy routine, but if you’ve played any game in the series thus far you’ll soon realise that it’s simply the same game with a few extras and some familiar locations simply moved around.
Whilst I’m annoyed that Nintendo hasn’t catered for the huge Animal Crossing audience by offering something different in terms of gameplay, my opinion won’t apply to new players as the real-time day and night cycle, in which shops open at certain times and events happen according to the calendar, will soon suck you in and have you checking your watch at regular intervals. There’s something extremely addictive about earning a big wad of bells (the in-game currency) and then buying yourself or your friends something lavish as a reward for your efforts. There’s also something intrinsically relaxing about getting your hair shampooed by Harriet, or leisurely searching the beach for shells. Even scouring the beach in search of a particular fish that you’ve been hunting for days and finally catching it can be extremely satisfying.
Part of the appeal of Animal Crossing is seeing your stature in the village grow and the way the game makes you care and feel like you’re part of the community. It’s also quite addictive watching your life progressing nicely and seeing the rewards of money, friendships and material goods come your way courtesy of all your hard work. Yes, it’s Animal Crossing as we know it and love it, nothing more, nothing less. It’s a safe bet by Nintendo to dish out more of the same, but it’s still charming enough to attract a new audience of Wii gamers.
