Animal Crossing: City Folk

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Nov. 16, 2008
System: Wii
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Every step you take, every move you make, I'll be watching you.

0:00 The sum total of my experience with Animal Crossing is watching a college friend play the GameCube original for five minutes or so, and playing Animal Crossing: City Folk for the same period at E3. I never really saw the appeal, frankly.

0:01 The game needs to install a system update before starting? What is this, a PS3 game?

0:02 That was an incredibly fast update. A quick system reset and we're ready to play.

0:03 The title pops up over a bear standing in front of an autumnal house. The bear walks around in the background to some pastoral guitar music. Reminds me of NPR on a Sunday.

0:04 "All righty! Sorry to keep you waiting," says Rover, a cat in a black room and spotlight. "I heard you were moving in, so I came to get you! Nice, huh?" Indeed!

0:05 Rover sells me on the benefits of a fresh start ... a new house, new neighbors, an escape from state troopers. OK, he didn't mention that last one. If I had ever played the DS version, I could transfer my game at this point.

Read the full review at Crispy Gamer