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Animal Crossing
This is an odd game, much different from the things that I'm used to (i.e. Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Dynasty Warriors). For one thing, this game seems to lack a plot. Oh sure, there's something about remodeling your house but that is something you can do if you want. There's really no reason to do so. The closest thing the game has to a "goal" is the completion of the Museum. You need to gather various insects, fish, paintings, and fossils to finish stocking the Museum. But again, there's no real reason to do this. I suppose the collecting of the various bits of furniture could be a goal, but this, like the others, is merely a side goal, something you would expect to do in between advancing the main story. The problem (Maybe a problem. Keep reading) is that there is no main story. It boggles my mind to even think about that. That's like a book with just random decided words thrown in. Sure, all the words mean anything, but there's no reason to the book. That's this game.
That being said, there is something endearing about this game. Some, almost primal, need to do the nonsense that the game offers. I actually enjoy going through the town, looking for weeds that have grown in my absence. What kind of nonsense is that? I hate lawn work.
Anyway, I'll try to approach this from an objective point of view.
Summary: You play as a new resident to the town, and as such, you'll need a house. Tom Nook, the shopkeeper, offers you one, in exchange for 19,800 Bells (the form of currency in this plot-stricken world). You don't have the funds, so you have to work for Tom Nook for awhile. (You might say now, "DarthSupero, isn't working at a shop something of a goal? Some sort of plot thing?" To which I say "Shut up. I'll explain.")
Yes, you do work for Tom Nook. For all of 10 minutes or so. Then it's onto the months (in my case) of virtual nothingness. During this period, you're welcome to plant fruit trees for cash, help some of the villagers with some errands, or fish for some...fish. Again, the question might come up about whether or not this is the game's "story". Frankly, that's as close as it ever gets to cohesive plot lines. Fishing and running errands for gorillas.
Onto the scores. They will be complicated, so I'll have to explain. Because of the unique nature of this game, it would be unfair to hold it to the same standards as some other video games I've reviewed. Here's how it breaks down:
Music: 8 (The "talking" bits are sped-up voices, which I think is cool. As for the rest of the music, beeps and boops. With the exception of Totakeke's [resident musician] masterpieces)
Settings: 5 (Because the town is randomly generated to a point, each individual town will look different, which is good, but in a bad sort of way. You dig?)
Addictiveness: 11 (Trust me. Any game that can pull me away from MGS 2/3, KOTOR 1/2 and GTA: Vice City/San Andreas is impressive in this regard.)
Social Aspect: 9 (Animal Crossing was intended to be a social game; you can take your memory card with your town data on it and bring it to a friend's house and visit his/her town on his/her memory card. I have two memory cards, so that's how I know that.)
So because of the lack of things to judge, these four categories will actually represent a point scale of 1-12.5. The score is then doubled and added together to form:
DarthSupero's Overall Score (out of 100) for Animal Crossing (Gamecube): 6.4
[Analysis: If the concept of the game appeals to you, go ahead. Start Playing. I'll see you in a few weeks. If not, I would stay far away. There's nothing here for people who have to have a story.]
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