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Iwata asks Development Folk about Animal Crossing
"Iwata Asks" articles are almost as old as the Wii itself, coinciding as they do with any notable first-party release, and the latest round of questioning stars four of the Animal Crossing: City Folk team: Aya Kyougoku (who forgot to wear her regulation beige Nintendo jacket for this), Ryuji Kobayashi, Isao Moro and Kou Nogami (not pictured here).Most of the discussion focuses on fairly obscure minutiae. So Nogami discusses how WiiConnect24 allows for the exchange of village data without you knowing it, which means people can visit a friend's village while their Wii is off, as can NPCs from other villages, who may then spread rumors from their hometown. The team estimates the game's appeal becomes "two or three times" as great when played online, a statement we look forward to testing.We're also told that City Folk will let players create "trails" on the landscape. Apparently, the ground in your village consists of a top layer of grass which slowly wears thin the more you walk on it. A little grass grows back at the end of each day, but if you walk over a certain area enough (say, from your house to Tom Nook's), a trail will begin to form. Kobayashi says that it takes about a fortnight before a faint path becomes visible, and Moro adds that a clear trail will have appeared after two months, but that grass grows back more speedily if surrounded by grass and trees. Nifty![Via andriasang.com]
Animal Crossing: City Jack O' Lanterns
For those of us who missed celebrating our favorite fall holiday with fake anthropomorphic jerks, Halloween is back in Animal Crossing: City Folk. We just have to ... wait almost the whole year for it, thanks to the November release of the game.Your animal neighbors, dressed in identical pumpkinhead costumes, will accost you and demand candy. If you fail to comply, or try to pass off some junk out of your pockets as candy, as the IGN demo player has done here, you get a trick! For being stingy, the residents slapped a pumpkin head on him and changed his clothes. In the little IGN player doodad, there's another video featuring a player picking fruit in the winter. Animal Crossing winters are so lovely!%Gallery-27704%
Wii Speak Channel only available to new Wii Speak-ers
Nintendo's latest Wii peripheral, which boldly thrusts the console into the newfangled "voice over IP" era, comes with a minor catch. A redeemable "Wii Download Ticket Number," included with the Wii Speak microphone, grants access to the Wii Speak Channel. Unfortunately, the code only works once, locking secondhand purchases out of the dedicated chat-to-your-friends channel. According to MTV Multiplayer, the channel will not be available through any other means, and Nintendo will not replace lost or stolen codes.If you were keen on conversing with your Wii pals outside of supported games (i.e. Animal Crossing: City Folk), you'll either have to buy new as of Nov. 16th, or invest in one of those telephone things. On the bright side, telephone numbers are even easier to remember than friend codes.[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]
Animal Crossing: City Events
Special events form a crucial part of any Animal Crossing game, giving players dates to look forward to and a chance to gloat about owning the full set of Pascal's ship-themed furniture. Like I just did there. Last month, Nintendo Power revealed Pavé (a peacock who runs the Samba Carnival-esque Festivale), Labelle (the third Able sister), Zipper (a bunny who appears on Easter -- SORRY -- "Bunny Day"), and Phineas (a beaver who turns up randomly to give out pinwheels and balloons), and now Famitsu has shed light on a few old and returning events and their respective characters. The fishing (October to April) and bug-hunting tournaments (June to September) are back, as is the aforementioned hippy otter Pascal and (obviously) Joan the turnip-selling warthog. There's also a comeback for one of the rarer characters in the first Animal Crossing: Wisp the Ghost, a spook that occasionally appeared at night who could be caught in your net, and forced to do your weeding and paint your roof! %Gallery-27704% KK says: buy Animal Crossing: City Folk to visit the city, reach out to friends, and make Iwata cry!
Wii Speak Channel hit by delay
Contrary to what we originally heard, it looks like the Wii Speak Channel won't be launching alongside Animal Crossing: City Folk on November 16th.IGN snapped a picture of the WiiSpeak box, complete with a disclaimer that the Channel (which allows chat outside of Animal Crossing) will actually appear in December. When in December isn't clear, though we know the Channel will be available in Europe from December 5th, so maybe then. Until then, you're just going to have to pick fruit and chat simultaneously. We can probably cope with that!%Gallery-27704%
Animal Crossing and WiiSpeak about 60 in UK
Nintendo has confirmed to Eurogamer that the Animal Crossing: Let's Go to the City and WiiSpeak bundle will cost "£59" in the UK when it launches there on December 5th. We guess they mean £59.99, but let's face it: only chumps will pay that sort of money when the likes of Play have it for a penny under fifty quid. If you do still live in the late-1990s and buy stuff from high street stores with real people in them, then expect to pay a premium. Separately, the game will cost £40 and WiiSpeak £25. Again: if you're a chump.As for the North American price, we're still waiting on official word, but Amazon's price hasn't budged from $69.99.%Gallery-27704%
City Folk crossing into central mainstream with new ad
It's easy to hate on the new Animal Crossing: City Folk ad. Gut reaction is that it's not for us, for the real gamers, so clearly, Animal Crossing itself isn't, either. But that isn't the case; if you liked Animal Crossing at all before, you'll probably like it now. So, no, this commercial isn't for us. It's for everyone else, everyone who thinks Animal Crossing might not be for them. And when taken that way, it seems pretty effective to us. %Gallery-27704%
Animal Crossing: Let's Go to the City (from the DS)
The latest trailer for the rapidly approaching Animal Crossing: City Folk offers a look at the process of migrating your DS Animal Crossing: Wild World character into City Folk. You may not be able to keep your house or your possessions, but migration allows you to maintain your character's appearance and Tom Nook shop catalog. If you want, you could probably recreate your DS house as soon as you got the money. Head to the link for a second, longer trailer which shows the DS-Wii move in more detail, including the specific steps for moving your character. %Gallery-27704%
Animal Crossing/WiiSpeak bundle box revealed, price worries continue
A Portuguese Nintendo fansite happened to notice the appearance on Amazon of the Animal Crossing: City Folk/WiiSpeak microphone bundle. Only just now after looking at it have we realized what Nintendo has done here: they've guaranteed City Folk's bestseller status by making it yet another first-party Wii game with a bundled peripheral. It now joins Wii Play, Mario Kart Wii, and Wii Fit. People really love big boxes!Amazon's price for the bundle is a cause for concern. Either they never bothered to update to the $59.99 price or the price is back up to $69.99. We'd like to make an official announcement at this time: Wii Fanboy endorses the lower price this November. We think it's the right decision for this county.%Gallery-27704%[Via FNintendo]
Make your pets hate you, win a Wii and Animal Crossing
If you have no interest in actually paying for a Wii and Animal Crossing: City Folk, Nintendo has your back. For the next three weeks, the company is encouraging people (North Americans only) to dress their pets in adorable outfits, and send photos of the unamused, uncomfortable animal(s) to this website. Come November 16th, the fifty best will win a Wii, a copy of Animal Crossing: City Folk, and a WiiSpeak microphone. Maybe this is the excuse you've needed to justify buying a pug?The rules encourage an Animal Crossing theme, meaning the entries featured so far on the site are fairly rubbish, with most people just putting a hat on a disgruntled labrador. We sense our own idea is a winner. Protip, though: getting a necktie on a giraffe is hell.%Gallery-27704%[Via press release] KK says: buy Animal Crossing: City Folk to visit the city, reach out to friends, and make Iwata cry!
IGN's hands-six-to-eight-feet-away-from WiiSpeak preview
IGN's Craig Harris tested out the WiiSpeak microphone and voice chat functionality inside Animal Crossing at Nintendo's San Francisco office. His experience seemed much smoother and friendlier than my own, possibly as a result of improvements in the technology, a quieter environment, or a voice that is capable of normal human volume. Treehouse staffers told him that the voice chat has improved significantly since E3.Conversations came in clearly enough from multiple positions in the room, though Harris noted a drop in quality when his interlocutors in Nintendo's Redmond office drifted far away from the mic, which seems pretty obvious. He was able to converse in a normal speaking voice from his position "six to eight feet" away. However, with no option to turn the music down or off in Animal Crossing, the game tended to drown out the voice output.There was a mysterious "Use Headphones" option available in Animal Crossing, whose function is currently unknown. Harris speculates that it sends voice and game audio through separate audio channels, but maybe it just changes some preset audio settings to optimitze performance through tiny speakers. It's not as if you can plug a headset into the Wiimote or anything.%Gallery-27704% Ever since it was revealed back at E3, WiiSpeak has been the talk (both good and bad) of the town. Check out our hands-on time with the device, as well as the details you may have missed on the WiiSpeak Channel. Plan on picking one up? Then you might want to check out Game Night, where you'll surely be able to chat with your fellow Wii lovers in the future.
Animal Crossing: City Fashion
The video here may be a little ... YouTubed, but you can see it at the Animal Crossing: City Folk website. And it's clear enough to see that there are a ton of clothing and style options. You can make yourself look like a Power Ranger, a sumo wrestler, or pretty much any variety of ridiculous you'd like. And all it takes is months of scouring shops, the dump, the lost and found, trees, the sky, the ground, the mail, and your friends' catalogs!After the break, more life in (and around) the Animal Crossing city! Enjoy a brief serenade by Totakeke, learn about the shoe-shine skunk, who will happily change the color of your shoes with what must be really thick polish, and visit the tent of the roving fortune teller, Katrina. And at the end, presents! Well, a video about presents.%Gallery-27704%
Check out Tom Nook's price gouging
We all know how crooked Tom Nook is. He has no problem with turning new residents into indentured servants, tasking them with delivering packages and carrying out other duties throughout each Animal Crossing game. Once freed from his grip, however, you're free to give him money by checking out the only game in town, his shop. Curious as to how Tom Nook's store evolves from a shed to the big mart it becomes after you've given him many, many Bells? Check out the video above.%Gallery-27704%[Via Go Nintendo]
Animal Crossing: Emotional, Spendthrifty Folk
Animal Crossing: City Folk is sticking to the formula laid down by Wild World fairly rigidly, but it's not all a rehash. Some new outlets and characters can be found in the city section next to your village, two of which have been recently showcased in daily videos at City Folk's official Japanese site. The first of these stars Dr. Shrunk, whose dubious comedic talents have finally landed him the big one: a gig at City Folk's Theater. Here, you'll be able to watch the good doctor take to the stage, 'enjoy' his stand-up routine, and hopefully learn a brand new emotion in the process -- as you do. The second video (after the break) covers the Auction House (where you'll be able to offer items for those on your Wii's friend list to bid on), which appears to be manned by a Gyroid. Perhaps they ran out of ideas for new talking animals. %Gallery-27704%
Animal Crossing: City Folk in Creepy Mii Masks
We spent our limited Animal Crossing: City Folk time at E3 messing with the new Mii masks, reducing an effigy of a normally jovial executive to a blubbering mess. Should you want to follow our example, it's quite easy to do! And just a little bit off-putting, as this video of the new salon shows. You just go to the salon, choose the Mii you'd like the mask to resemble, and then ... a giant machine, buzzing and arcing with electricity, clamps down over you and reshapes your head! If you think about it like that, it's a bit weird that the Mii mask blinks and displays emotions. But, then again, you have to earn each emotional display by watching stand-up comedy, so maybe we're already in Weird City. %Gallery-27704%
Joystiq goes hands-on with Nintendo's Media Summit line-up
The embargo on play sessions has lifted and Joystiq has let loose some write-ups for games that were present at Nintendo's big Media Summit last week. They've spent quality time with The Conduit, Animal Crossing: City Folk and even Call of Duty: World at War, to name a few. So we suggest you hit up this link and get to reading!
Joystiq impressions: Animal Crossing: City Folk
Animal Crossing is a one-hit-wonder. You might like it and play it forever, hate it and avoid it completely, or think it was catchy and then just get tired of the tune. Animal Crossing: City Folk does little to change our perception. This is Animal Crossing, again; go fishing, pull weeds, repeat. Some love it, some hate it, and some just want something new. From what we saw at the Nintendo Media Summit, the city is just another place to go. Instead of Tom Nook's shop in your own town, you can buy from an upscale store. Instead of waiting for the fortune teller to visit, you can see her in the city. A few minor additions include a city-based auction house and theater where you see shows. The rest of the updates seem equally subtle. You can play with your Mii face. Up to four players can meet in one of their towns or the city. Gamer can talk over the WiiSpeak microphone (sold separately). You can type messages by plugging in any USB HID keyboard. Otherwise, it's Animal Crossing again. %Gallery-33749%
Animal Crossing/WiiSpeak bundle cheaper than we thought
Remember when we reported on a $69.99 price tag on the Animal Crossing/WiiSpeak bundle? Well, it turns out that price was off, by $10. Yes, the bundle will in fact retail for $59.99. That brings WiiSpeak down to $10, with the purchase of Animal Crossing: City Folk. Animal Crossing: City Folk and WiiSpeak will be out in North America on November 16th.%Gallery-27704%
Six of our favorite Media Summit videos
You've already had the chance to examine scores of wonderful screens from new Wii games announced at the Nintendo Media Summit. This new post is dedicated to displaying thousands of more screens (squashed together to create videos) of some of the bigger titles that have been shown at the event.We settled on placing Nintendo's official Punch-Out!! trailer at the top of this post, but could have easily led with some truly fantastic Sin & Punishment 2 footage, an impressive tech demo of The Conduit, or Yuji Naka's wacky-looking Let's Tap. Instead, all of those (and more) are past the break, and need to be viewed right now. Before you go, though, one final note: if any game released this year has a funkier soundtrack than Let's Tap, we'll be gobsmacked.
Nintendo conference screen mega-roundup!
Click for full-sized image Nintendo announced a lot of games last night at their Japanese conference. Many of them, like Punch-Out!! here, were brand new. Some, like Supan Smasher and Cosmic Walker, we still don't know anything about. But we've got screenshots. So many screenshots. After the break, you'll find galleries of all the new games, along with new screens of some upcoming games we've known about for a while. Of special interest to us: the previously-announced Oboro Muramasa Youtouden, coming to the US as Muramasa: The Demon Blade, because it looks super hot, Karaoke Joysound Wii, which appears to have art by Parappa creator Rodney Alan Greenblat, and Takuto of Magic (Wand of Magic), which appears to be a followup to Taito's LostMagic on the DS. %Gallery-33381%
