Children's Video Game Review:

In Animal Crossing: Wild World, kids play as a young boy or girl who just moved into a new village, inhabited by colorful neighbors who love to chit chat and give players errands to run. Tom Nook, the local shopkeeper, will give players a small house to help them get their life in this playful world started. For the rest of the experience, kids get to decide what to do in the game.

Concerning the controls, kids can use the touch screen to do all the important things in the game-- moving their player, selecting items, writing letters, and doing other activities. The DS touch controls will be appealing for new players to Animal Crossing, but in the long run, the convenient way to play is by using the D-pad and buttons. The traditional controls respond better and are ultimately less strenuous on little hands.

Kids' neighbors in the game are cute animals that walk and talk just like humans. The hippos, monkeys, cats, dogs, and other animals they meet would like to be friends with them. If they decide to be a good neighbor, then kids can listen to their needs, exchange letters, and give each other presents.

Animal Crossing: Wild World has numerous games and events for children to enjoy. At the same time, there are more than enough characters to spend time with.

Kids can go shopping for new shirts, pants, hats, and other accessories. Nook frequently updates his store with new carpets, chairs, refrigerators, beds, and other items to decorate a player's house with. Cool items that kids can put into their homes include an aquarium, wrestling ring, mermaid statue, and arcade machine. If players want to impress their friends when they swing by for a visit, then they can build a stylish wardrobe and house.

The village also has its own special holidays for players, online players, and kids' animal friends to enjoy together, such as the Fireworks Show, Flea Market, and New Year's Day.

The game features a robust online community where up to three players can visit a player's village, so that kids can go catch bugs, grow flowers, play dress up, relax at home, create fishing tournaments, and cut down trees together. When they need money, kids can call on their buddies to come over and help out by giving them some of their items and cash. When kids' friends need some companionship, players can visit their villages as well.

Money plays a big role in this game since house upgrades and items are expensive. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to fill up the wallet. The many playful activities in the village can either be enjoyed for pleasure or used as means to earn cash. If children especially enjoy working outside, then they might consider growing fruit trees so they can sell them to Tom Nook. If they like treasure hunting, then they can always dig up holes for artifacts and fossils; they can either donate them to the museum or trade them in for money. If children particularly enjoy spending time at the beach, they can find shells and catch fish and sell them to Nook.

The game has no ending or important mission for children to accomplish. Players are technically given the choice to do what they want, but it's wise to pay off mortgages to Tom Nook if they want to fully experience what the game offers.

The days spent in the world of Animal Crossing should be refreshing since children have the opportunity to be an artist, naturalist, therapist, home designer, and anthropologist. As long as they invite friends over, this game should be appealing for a long time.



 

Pros:

• Good longevity with virtually unlimited activities as long as kids keep an interest in the game.
• Multidimensional.

Cons:

• Not as appealing to children who prefer assigned missions.

Our Rating:

A

more information:

For more information, user reviews, or to buy: Animal Crossing: Wild World for the Nintendo DS

Reviewed: July 2009

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