So What’s New?
The latest Animal Crossing edition combines elements from the previous two games, creating a world familiar to fans while offering the most bang for players new to the series. Like the original GameCube classic, AC: City Folk offers a console game world on the big screen along with the additions and improvements of the DS version. Now widescreen-capable with added visual details to your favorite flowers, fish and furry friends.
The curvature of the world is similar to the DS game, hypercylindrical but limited. View the horizon as you travel up and down in multiple levels. You get your rivers, your waterfalls and your strip of beach for all your fishing needs! Your town comes with a native fruit and your basic flowers. New bugs, fossils and fish have been added for your collecting enjoyment.
AC:CF puts your Wii remote to good use: cast your line to fish, swing your net to catch bugs, use your shovel to dig holes and entertain yourself with other items in the game. Although possible to play solely with the Wii remote, you can use the nunchuck for improved navigation. Swapping through your tools using the + Control pad is also a great addition, since pointing the remote at the screen & selecting the icon for your pockets can become tedious.
Truly Real-Time
One of the more novel features of the Animal Crossing series (and City Folk is no different) is the use of real time – even when you aren’t around. Your neighbors continue their daily routines and get on well enough without you; go away for long enough and you return to a town full of weeds. Miss a Sunday of playing and you could miss the monthly flea market. Spend time with your family on Thanksgiving Day and you lose out on obtaining the entire Harvest set from Franklin the main dish -er, guest- at the Harvest Festival. However, for those that don’t mind doing the Time Warp again, you can set your AC clock at any time before you begin playing.
Moving in From DS
You have the option of starting from scratch or move in from your DS Wild World game. It’s a quick and simple procedure and you don’t lose your game on your DS. You don’t get any of your STUFF but you do bring over your item catalog, so you can build up your house with some nice furnishings once you have the bells. More details below on using your DS to travel from one Wii to another.
All in all, AC:CF is hardly revolutionary. The gameplay is exactly the same with a few additions and details that should appeal to current fans as well as newbies unfamiliar with the series. However, the addition of connecting with multiple friends and using WiiSpeak makes this game one worth picking up.
Below are some of the City Folk highlights.
Be your Mii!
Now your character can wear your face: your Mii-self anyway. Think of it as a mask you can wear and swap out at any time. You’ll have to visit Shampoodle in the City to get the right Mii makeover.
Take Photos
Pressing th 1 button on the Wii remote lets you take a picture! Save to your SD card if you want to keep them; otherwise your photos get over-written each time you press the button.
Townsfolk
Your townsfolk are as bright and boisterous (or as drab and depressing) as in previous games. They still offer you their handmedowns, cajole you to take your treasured items, send you on endless errands and gossip about you, your friends, and the latest goings on in town. Visit the City and meet some new faces; they may just move in! And if you visit your friend’s town, you may see their townsfolk popping up. If your friend comes over, you risk losing your best buddies to the appeal of a fresh start in their town. Your animal neighbors in City Folk are interactive. They get sick, miffed, jubilant, and somber. You can talk to them and even show off your latest catch and let them applaud in admiration. Every so often, traveling animals appear to sell you stuff or eat something of yours. Be wary.
Let’s not forget Tom Nook, your enslaver via debt. If you want the good things in life – bigger house and STUFF to fill it – you’ll need to buddy up with this guy. Visit him at your company store. The best prices in town. The ONLY prices in town.
The City
Ah, the City. That’s just what you’ll think – at first. The City offers a few unique features that distinguish it from your hometown. Just catch the bus at the station in your town Right in front of the gate, can’t miss it!
Remember your buddy Redd, who ripped you off at least a dozen times in games past? Now he’s got his own shop, available by invitation only. You’ll also have an opportunity to rip off your own customers – get your friends to play and you can swindle them in the Auction House. Disappointingly, you can only sell to those you’ve exchanged Friend Codes with, so you have a limited ability to gouge the Wii masses.
The theater is a great place to see an awful comedy act and get an emotion you can show off to friends. There’s even an ATM and boy, you’ll need it if you plan on buying from GracieGrace, a ritzy overpriced boutique. Remember Gracie, the obnoxious Giraffe? This appears to be her retail shop, with clothing, accessories and furniture.
If you’re familiar with the previous Animal Crossing games, you’ll remember how infuriating and snooty the Happy Room Academy can be when they critique your interior design. Now you can meet them face to face and give them a piece of your mind. Except, it’s former insurance salesman Lyle, who’s been fired from his previous employer and is now working for the HRA. Makes you feel sorry for the poor weasel.
deface their store!
Get the cool shoeshine from a skunk named Kicks. He’ll shine up your shoes and even match their color to your outfit or personality. He hangs out on a stoop near Shampoodle, the best place for hair in the City, or anywhere. Check here to update your character to your Mii – first one’s free, totally on the house.
Finally, we have Katrina the fortuneteller spewing her flim-flam in a permanent location. It’s amazing that she and Redd are even licensed… or are they? If only Resetti paid more attention to commerce and less to your comings and goings.
Wii Speak chat
If you have the Wii Speak microphone accessory for your Nintendo Wii, then you’ve got the option to verbally communicate to your friends (who also must have the microphone, natch).
DS Suitcase
It allows you to download a character into DS memory, visit someone else, upload to their WII, redownload when done playing in that town and then when you get back home, upload the character back to your own town.
Letters & Chat
One of the clever features of Animal Crossing has been the ability to send letters to fellow townsfolk. Sending letters to your own friends from different towns was introduced in the DS version, and it’s available still in City Folk. But first you must buy stationary from Tom Nook and the company store. When typing out your letters, you can use keyboard style or cell phone style. Additionally, you have an option of using a Nintendo Wii compatible USB keyboard, as using the wiimote can be somewhat awkward… tiresome… tedious.
You can also chat with visiting friends, a new feature in the Wii version. Show off your emotions and shake some trees with your pals. Glorious.
Feng Shui
The ancient mojo of Feng Shui is alive in City Folk. Get lucky by lining up the correctly color-coded items with the right spot in your house. The Left/West Wall is for Yellow items, the Right/East Wall is for Red and the South Wall is for Green. Unlike the original AC, neither Wild World nor City Folk seem to use the North wall for Orange items, so you are free to line up any non-Feng Shui items here to show them off.
Quick Tips
- Cycle through tools using the left & right arrows on the + control pad. Pressing down puts them away
- Talk to the townsfolk often; they’ll give you information on Feng Shui, invite you to Redd’s store, let you know about local events or who’s in town (Booker at the Town Gate generally knows who’s been by)
- Play every day to quickly fill out your catalog and collections
- Send fruit to your townsfolk; you may get some rare fruit in exchange
- Store tools and other items in your letters: drag and drop to make an attached “present”
- Check out the Lost & Found (Booker) and the Recycle Bin (Town hall)
- Stroll along the beach for a rare coconut, and plant it near the shoreline – the new tree grows fruit and attracts bugs
- Two words: Stalk Market
Buy Animal Crossing: City Folk in our web store!
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