E308: Animal Crossing: City Folk confirmed [Update 2: First screens and date!]

by Chris Greenhough { Jul 15th 2008 at 12:35PM }

Katsuya Eguchi's happy face just popped up on the giant screens at Nintendo's E3 2008 press conference to tell us that -- quelle surprise! -- Animal Crossing will be heading to the Wii this year, along with WiFi connectivity and voice chat.

Animal Crossing: City Folk's WiFi capabilities will allow players to exchange letters and pictures, bid on (and sell) items at a special in-game auction site, and check out the status of other players at the Happy Room Academy. There's also an option to slap a mask of your Mii on your avatar, and a bigger city area to scope around. But it's the "community microphone" feature -- known as "WiiSpeak" -- that will really grab headlines.

[Update 1: First screens in our gallery below]
[Update 2: Nintendo reckons we can expect this in the U.S. on November 16th! (thanks, Alvin)]

Gallery: Animal Crossing: City Folk

Tags: animal-crossing, e3-2008, e308, katsuya-eguchi, life-sim

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

MD85 @ Jul 19th 2008 5:28PM

Yes!!!! Finally!!

El hombre arana @ Jul 15th 2008 1:23PM

The single game I am looking forward too :(

RUTHLOOSE @ Jul 15th 2008 2:48PM

I kinda feel like we are in the same boat...

Mike @ Jul 15th 2008 1:30PM

I had the sinking suspicion there would be voice chat. After all, if you're going to make Animal Crossing Wii work, there had to be the possibility of being able to talk to people.

I'm excited! Genuinely excited!

Sean jdahsdka @ Jul 15th 2008 1:33PM

Uh, I missed the conference (work! :/) so did they say when this year? Just wondering.

Mike @ Jul 15th 2008 1:42PM

They just said "in 2008." If I were a betting man, I'd place it late fall, holiday season-ish.

Zak Canard @ Jul 15th 2008 1:48PM

Which will put it holidays 2009 for Europe *bashes head*

Mike @ Jul 15th 2008 2:21PM

Ugh. I feel your pain, Zak.

Hughesmar @ Jul 15th 2008 1:44PM

That's all well and good, but AC:CF looks like dodoo graphics-wise. It looks just like the Gamecube version which was just a slightly prettied up version of the N64 version. I was hoping CF would at least be slightly improved.

Taco_Hell @ Jul 15th 2008 3:08PM

You do realize that the gamecube version was the first one right? So basically, you're saying the gamecube version is prettied up version of a game that doesn't exist.

Hughesmar @ Jul 15th 2008 3:35PM

Wrong. Animal Crossing is a remake of a Japan only N64 game called Animal Forest.

Buntaro @ Jul 15th 2008 4:01PM

For any non believer, please look up the N64 game "Dobutsu no Mori". This was the first Animal Crossing game, though it never was released outside of Japan.

On topic:
Nintendo is going the safe route again. Same visuals, same features (screenshots hint this). I'm fully aware of the various justifications for this (buisiness etc.), but as a gamer, I can't say I'm happy with this decision.

Josh @ Jul 15th 2008 4:07PM

Seriously. The only thing they changed was they gave the game the same camera angle as the DS version. Honestly, the graphics are 100% the same as the GameCube/N64 version.

Astrid @ Jul 15th 2008 3:21PM

There was a N64 Version, but it was only released in Japan.

Ng0zT @ Jul 15th 2008 4:05PM

did they say if anything is coming with it??? sd card, wii speak, etc.?

Alvin @ Jul 15th 2008 5:01PM

this game will be released on Nov. 16th!!!

http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/ocz--Co1ctoYQiDXSdIMe5sNloaAk0O8

Windmill @ Jul 15th 2008 5:21PM

Wow, its like, OK.

When we all first played it on the Gamecube, it was awesome, and those of us that liked it played it to death.

So we grew tired of it after 2 years of continuously playing it.

So Nintendo releases it AGAIN for the Wii. OK, great, we play it for a bit, get bored as since its no different, then go about on our merry way praying for an awesome Wii release.

So the Wii's version is announced. Its pretty much exactly the same again, except this time SOME SHOPS ARE IN A SMALL CITY LIKE PLACE, AND THEY'RE ALL SHOPS/CHARACTERS WE'VE MET BEFORE!!!

WOW!!! Wow, just WOW. I am SO disappointed. The interaction with the animals didn't seem to have improved at all. Its just as bland as it was, and I finally got tired of it years ago, and NOTHING has changed.

How much times can you play the same game again? Oh wait, YOU USE THE WIIMOTE TO DO STUFF LIKE CHOP DOWN A TREE! Joy! THAT makes EVERYTHING better.

;_; *tear*

Windmill @ Jul 15th 2008 5:22PM

Whoops, sorry, I meant after the Gamecube version the *DS* version.

John B. @ Jul 15th 2008 7:41PM

Coming Holiday 2008: Another Nintendo title where the online play doesn't work!

Justin @ Jul 16th 2008 1:06PM

"How much times can you play the same game again? Oh wait, YOU USE THE WIIMOTE TO DO STUFF LIKE CHOP DOWN A TREE! Joy! THAT makes EVERYTHING better."

According to IGN's hands-on preview, you can't even do that! Why even make it for the Wii if you aren't going to include motion control? I was really stoked for this game, but it's just becoming a HUGE letdown!

Justin @ Jul 16th 2008 1:08PM

"Oh wait, YOU USE THE WIIMOTE TO DO STUFF LIKE CHOP DOWN A TREE! Joy! THAT makes EVERYTHING better."

Can't even do that according to IGN's Hands-on preview. Why even bother making another version for the Wii? I can already play the GCN version so what does this do for me? I was really stoked for this game, but it's turning out to be a HUGE letdown!

Amanda @ Jul 29th 2008 8:12PM

I agree with some posters on here. I mean I thought at first it was going to be cool having a new animal crossing game but the screen shots look exactly like the other 2. And I don't think I will be buying this sadly. I might just rent it first to make sure.
this game could have been so much more.