Deceptively new scans of Animal Crossing

by JC Fletcher { Sep 3rd 2008 at 1:38PM }

The problem with showing new images of Animal Crossing: City Folk is that, unless the screens happen to feature the new city environment, what you see ends up looking pretty much exactly like the original Crossing. Only subtle clues point to the newness, such as the lack of hats, the different clock, and, oh yeah, two player characters onscreen together. It's still very important, and it's still really exciting, it just -- happens to look a lot like Animal Crossing!

We wouldn't want it any other way. We're ready to start it all again -- picking fruit, paying off Tom Nook, meeting new neighbors, filling our catalog, pulling weeds, the whole thing. This time, we'll be able to enjoy the game over some friendly conversation!

Tags: animal-crossing, animal-crossing-city-folk, communication, simulation, wii-speak

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Roddie @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:59PM

Actually, I would really like it another way. The Gamecube version was fantastic, I poured countless hours into it, so I was excited about the prospect of playing the DS version only to find it was no different. A cheaper option would've been to start a new town on the Gamecube game, because that's exactly how it felt.

I had high hopes that they would bring something new with the Wii version and the potential for what they could do with it, but it seems it's going to be practically unchanged from the N64 version released many moons ago.

Josh @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:57PM

I was hoping for some new awesome-looking cel shaded graphics for City Folk, but alas...

Nintendo's not getting much of money this year...

SoshiKitai @ Sep 3rd 2008 3:59PM

Though technically the same, the feel for the town and activities felt COMPLETELY different for the DS one.
:( How much I disliked the DS version, GC version was much, much better. More relaxed. More townsy-feel. As opposed to the hyper-active non-immersive version that was Wild World.

Kia @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:02PM

Of course it will be unchanged, it's -Nintendo-. Would some kind of upgrade have really hurt that much? It still looks like a freaking N64 game for christ's sake.

Nick @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:27PM

wtf nintendo, wtf. please no one buy this game, it's the same game we've all already bought...... they havent changed anything! sure, new npc's new "quests" new waggle fishing, but come on, they can't even give it a graphical overhall, new design....something? It's just sad that we're playing a gamecube game that was just ported from an n64 game on the wii.

SoshiKitai @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:06PM

I think people are buying it for the 4-player Wiispeak. Being able to communicate better in towns.

I honestly wouldn't care if they did recreate the graphics, camera, settings, choices, etc etc...
No one's gonna' play the GC version WITH friends anymore, and I honestly despise the DS version- so this is something I'd buy.

Don't encourage "taking it to the next level" too much... or you'll see what CAN happen. (Example: what happened to Monster Rancher through the years)

ShampooPrincess @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:21PM

I can't wait! This is a title I have really been looking forward to.

Lucy @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:52PM

@Nick
"wtf nintendo, wtf. please no one buy this game, it's the same game we've all already bought...... they havent changed anything!"

oh please! gamers buy the same fucking game all the time. it's not just nintendo. (future games included)

examples: GTA 26, RE5, Resistance 2, Gears of War 2, Kill Zone 2, Madden 100, Final Fantasy 80, FPS's, Ratchet and Clank 24, Fable 2, Halo 9, Star Craft 2, Diablo 3, MMORPG's, Castlevania games, Rockman games, Street Fighter 4 equals Street Fighter 2, Mortal Kombat, Fall Out 3 equals Oblivion,etc, etc. (Just with better graphics. HD graphics.)

Nick @ Sep 3rd 2008 11:42PM

Oh come on, Most games you listed as examples are games with story! Sure, there have been a lot of GTA's and Final Fantasys, but they all have new things to offer, new gameplay elements, improvments on old game mechanics, new STORY, adding online play, better graphics, new levels, new environments. I'm the first guy in the Nintendo Fanboy line, but come on! The new Animal Crossing is going to be just like the Gamecube one, which was exactly the same as the DS one.

Yeah, and "just with better graphics, HD graphics" is on the top of my complaint list. it looks the same! Give me a freaking upgrade, something, make me WANT to play it again. Those games you listed above are doing that, they want my money. Nintendo obviously does not.

SuburbGuerrilla @ Sep 3rd 2008 3:24PM

what is this halo 9 you speak of?

phenylketonurics @ Sep 3rd 2008 3:47PM

Too right.

Besides, it's more a guarantee of what you're buying than just a "rehash". Ever find it funny that DKC1-3 were excellent while the version on the 64 employed a completely different set of graphics/gameplay/orientation and was thusly CRAP compared to them. Hmmm.

No need for fancy graphics, kids. This is NINTENDO. Go watch the early sega genesis commercials and know what you've gotten into.

Metayoshi @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:58PM

I'm actually with Nick on this one. I dare you to play Final Fantasy I, then Final Fantasy IV, then Final Fantasy XI, and then Final Fantasy XII and tell me you get the same experience with all of them. Heck... I dare you to play Final Fantasy I through XII and tell me they are the same experience.

Now I want you to play Animal Crossing and then Animal Crossing: Wild World and tell me how big of a difference they are to each other. Don't get me wrong, I loved Wild World due to Nintendo WiFi Connection and even just wireless LAN play, but it was the same basic gameplay with few (not very groundbreaking) changes.

TurboFool @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:52PM

Don't forget the shift in camera perspective and world scrolling used in the DS version. They've copied that. I was never quite in love with that, but it does keep it cohesive between the two. Too bad they didn't bother to upgrade the graphics in the process, since the lessened strain on memory was why they did that for the DS. We're still dealing with sharpened N64-level graphics. No, the game's not about being pretty, but why can't it be?

Steve G @ Sep 3rd 2008 3:19PM

Yeah. Not feeling this so much. Just totally disappointed.

How could they think this is enough? I want a NEW Animal Crossing game, not a repeat! And why'd it take so long to get here??

SoshiKitai @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:03PM

SoshiKitai @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:07PM

Oh wonderful.. a double post... how I hate Internet Explorer...

Adrian @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:03PM

Anyone who was a fan of ANY Animal Crossing game did not play it for the "awesome graphics". This new game has so many new features: For one thing, it's a MMO! it's also got a city area that's totally new, really cool Wii message board integration so you can receive letters & stuff without putting in the disc, you'll be able to put your mii's head on your character too!
I, for one am very excited about this game! We probably don't even know about all of the new features, yet. all you haters need to go hang out at Xbox360 fanboy!

Adrian @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:04PM

I also forgot about the voice chat. This game'll rule! you'll see...

Mr Khan @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:12PM

A graphical overhaul is really the only thing that they should have done (hey, its Wii, you do have 2X the RAM to play with)

A fundamental overhaul to the gameplay is something that AC doesn't need

Drahken @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:48PM

Well I'm glad they're bring back real world holidays. like Christmas. The holidays in Wild World sucked. Not because they were made up, but because they were terrible. I mean, Yay Day? Come on.

Drahken @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:50PM

Jesus. I wish I'd proofread that post before submitting it. That should have been, "Well I'm glad that they're bringing back real world holidays like Christmas."
I don't even know how that got screwed up like that. Where does an extra period even come from?

Windmill @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:24PM

Yeah, I'm with most of you here- this ticks me off.

This was to be the saving grace, the one thing, that made me want to keep my Wii. Yeah, well, that failed miserably. Now I'm off to the PS3 camp O_O

TJF588 @ Sep 4th 2008 1:30AM

It'd be awesome -- and I'd imagine not too taxing to impliment -- is CGN save files could be perma-transferred (since having two copies of a two seems to be an AC no-no) into the Wii version. Problem with that is, though, that I have my town, my sister and her b/f have theirs, and my other sister, her friends, and my dad have a third (really the second of the for-realz towns (I have a puppet town that I'm semi-fond of), but whatever), so while the obvious town pick would be the sis/friends/dad one, I'dn't be too please to be muscled out of City Folkin'.