If this sounds depressingly like real life, well it is. Bells are the currency of Animal Crossing, and bells you must have in abundance to get things done.īells can be spent on clothes, items, or furnishings, donated to a city project (like a new bridge), saved in the bank, or used to pay off your home loan. Selling stuff you've collected, from bugs to bananas, is generally the aim, because if one thing matters in New Leaf it's money. All of Animal Crossing's interactions are one-button affairs, with depth in particular items like the bug net or fishing rod – which are still easy to use, but depend on subtle wielding for the rare specimens. There's plenty to do: bug-hunting, fishing, fossil-hunting, fruit-collecting, swimming, popping balloons with a slingshot. You can donate bugs, fish and fossils to the museum for display, and build up an outstanding collection – as well as hear great truths spoken It makes the world feel like a small globe, and the springy weight of New Leaf's landmarks against this is just gorgeous. This surreal proposition is realised with character design that resembles papercraft, set against a rolling horizon of 3D popups. The game is so named because of its residents in my town I've a few vain sheep, a weightlifting sparrow, a self-doubting crocodile, a trendy fox, and that's not even the half of it. This is a special kind of online game, a communal happiness devoid of cynicism, and one only possible within Animal Crossing's disarming style. Even later you can join Club Tortimer and begin visiting the Island alongside players worldwide, waving and showing off costumes across the language barrier. Many features don't come to the fore until you've been playing for a while, such as the Island – a remote vacation spot with rare tropical species and challenges.

The seasons are tracked, as are public holidays, and special events commemorate big days with a party. Very few games pace themselves like this, but Animal Crossing goes even further – its unit of composition is weeks rather than days, as your town slowly grows from bare grass and a few scattered houses into a bustling and character-packed world.

Animal crossing new leaf