So, I'm pretty sure...

[{DSG}DarkRaven]

...that I just sold my soul to Nintendo.

By this, I mean that I bought Animal Crossing the other day. I had made some extra bucks helping this lady I know setup and run an e-bay account, and I was already out christmas shopping, so I figured that getting a game and a memory card for twenty bucks wasn't a half-bad deal. Especially considering that the DS version cost more, and I've got nobody local to play with and no broadband access to go online with.

The downside is, the game sort of takes up the whole memory card from the get go. It's essential to selling the game, in the way that Duck Hunt requires the NES Zapper. Still, if I ever choose to wipe the game from existence in my life, I'll have an extra fifty-nine blocks to use for other stuff. Woo.

Anyone else here have the game, or worse, still play it? It's fun and charming, in an unusual way. It takes up your time just as easily as any RPG or MMO these days, save for one unique feature: the time system. Now, it's entirely possible to play at night without cheating (i.e. messing with the GC system clock). That being said, since everything functions in real time, when the animals in your town go to bed, there's not a whole lot to be done. Selling things, for instance, one of the most important aspects of the game, is impossible after ten PM and before nine AM. Like the resting system that Blizzard temporarily implemented back in the WoW betas, the game almost forces you to stop playing after a while.

I'm rambling, because as I said at the beginning of this post, Nintendo now owns my immortal essence. Don't cry for me.

[Tygore]

Animal Crossing is great. I agree though that playing at night doesn't leave a lot to do- the DS version is MUCH better when it comes to letting you stay up late.

And if you have a 1019 memory card, then the 57-block town actually isn't that bad. Back when AC first came out, though, the 59 pack-in was essential. Also, does the memory card still come with a couple of NES games sent to you from the git-go?

[AtmaWeapon]

I go through the phases of Animal Crossing frequently. I work/go to school so most playtime is at night when there is not much to do so I've had to resort to changing the clock to have fun. The trick with that is to remember to never travel back in time because the rumor is this causes a drastic "luck" penalty that is applied when you load the game, so loading then resetting won't fix it.

Actually my AC play experience is not so much phases as it is a few goals I try to achieve as rapidly as possible. Some of these may be spoilers for a new player so don't highlight then complain:

Spoiler: show

1. Finish the annoying Nook quest
2. Buy a fishing rod as soon as possible and catch Red Snapper on the GBA Island for mad bells
3. Print the checklist of all items out and buy every item I haven't previously purchased in Nook's store daily
4. Keep "set" and "theme" items I like for eventually wowing the HRA
5. Play the stalk market
6. Upgrade house completely
7. Upgrade Nook's store completely
8. Complete bug collection
9. Complete fish collection
10. Complete fossil collection

Usually by the time the fifth item in the list has paid off the second time I have so many bells I literally have to store money bags in my house because my wallet overflows. I have actually never completed the last few items because I tend to get bored with the game after about 2 months, and I think only on one occasion have I ever played the game in not winter.

It's a really fun game but it's sad how old it gets once you've seen all the dialog trees .

[{DSG}DarkRaven]

Animal Crossing is great. I agree though that playing at night doesn't leave a lot to do- the DS version is MUCH better when it comes to letting you stay up late.

And if you have a 1019 memory card, then the 57-block town actually isn't that bad. Back when AC first came out, though, the 59 pack-in was essential. Also, does the memory card still come with a couple of NES games sent to you from the git-go?

Like I said, the Cube version just seemed to make more sense all around. I bought a 251 card back when I got my cube in 2003, and I've never yet filled it up, nor would I if I stored my AC file on it. Maybe I just need more games?

And yes, it did come with a letter that contained two games: Balloon Fight and Clu Clu Land.