The third game in the series, one year after release... and it certainly holds up to its predecessors.
If you've read some of my earlier reviews, you'll see that I'm an Animal Crossing fan, and have been since the first game. Numerous changes and additions have been added to the series over time, such as Wild World's Wi-fi component. City Folk successfully takes everything that made Wild World and the original fantastic and merges it all into one satisfying package.
The game starts off simple, like the other games; you're a human moving out into a new village to begin a new life among many animal villagers. However, this time around you don't have to have a completely clean slate, as you can import your character from the Wild World game if you have it, and keep your face, hairstyle, and catalog.
Right away you begin to see the charm and style of the game: the cartoony graphics, the colorful landscapes, the character design... the list could go on. And there's never a shortage of things to do in the village; you could fish, catch bugs, plant orchards, talk to villagers, and run around town aimlessly, just to name a few things. But the fun really begins when you start up Wi-Fi and play with your friends. Unlike Wild World's slightly limited Wi-fi, almost every holiday in the game is accessible when your friends are over, so you can celebrate one of the many in-game holidays together.
Speaking of holidays, that's one of the best things that returned from the original; there are now real-world holidays to partake in, like Easter (Bunny Day) and Halloween. Add in the unique made-up holidays and you've got a game that will keep you entertained for the whole year.
Besides all of what I've mentioned above, there's also your house. You can choose out of a randomly determined 4 at the beginning of the game (Don't worry, they're all the same), and you can build up the house from there, customizing it with your own furniture, carpeting and wallpaper. There is an incredible amount of furniture to obtain in the game, and even more is added via DLC that Nintendo sends out every so often.
Now, onto the finale... the titular City. If you ever want to get out of your village and experience what the city has to offer, all you need to do is go to the town's gate and catch a bus- it's as simple as that. The bus will take you to the city, which has lots to do. You can buy incredibly expensive items that make great things to show off to friends, you can learn emotions to use online, you can get your fortune read... there's lots more, too. However, even though it's the titular aspect of the game, the city feels very lacking and tiny compared to your huge village, and, quite honestly, you won't be spending much time here.
Well, with all that being said, what do I think of this game? I think it's brilliant, and definitely the best game in the series. With all the great additions, DLC, and Wi-Fi play, anyone who plays will be hooked for months on this game. Definitely recommended to anyone looking for an all-around fun experience, especially if you haven't tried an Animal Crossing game before.
~THE BREAKDOWN~
Graphics: 9/10. Perfect for this game.
Sound: 7/10. Rehashed from Wild World, but they'll still get into your head.
Gameplay: 10/10. No limits to what you can do.
Replay Value: Extremely High.
Overall: 9/10