Animal crossing
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Animal Crossing: Wild, Racist FILTH [update]
Update: Nintendo has issued an official statement. Head past the break to read it. Nintendo is, famously, very politically correct where Animal Crossing is concerned. In the games, any festivals or holidays with even a hint of religious overtones are quietly repackaged: Easter becomes "Bunny Day," Christmas is "The Night that Jingle Comes to Town," and so forth. This keenness to be inclusive and totally inoffensive means Animal Crossing: Wild World was the last game we expected to spew racist terminology. Because that's what it's done ... albeit accidentally. If you've played an Animal Crossing title before, you'll know that you can teach your fellow villagers words, which they'll then use to greet you. Naturally, this is open to player abuse, as you can enter cuss words and other rude terms -- something that not even Nintendo is above doing. MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo recently received a copy of Wild World from Nintendo, so he could test the Wii/DS transfer feature in City Folk. The copy had been played before, because it was full of rare, unlocked items, but those weren't the only secrets the cart held. As he started chatting to his village's animals, Totilo suddenly found himself being racially abused by a sheep called Baabara. "How are you, N---a?" is just one greeting he received from the woolly fascist. Whoops! Maybe triple-check the next batch of press-only carts you send out, Nintendo? Now if you'll excuse us, we're off to phone the Daily Mail. %Gallery-20387%
Press-only Animal Crossing features N-word [update]
A pre-played version of 2005's Animal Crossing: Wild World for DS, sent out to media outlets to encourage connectivity with the recent Animal Crossing release for Wii, contains at least one shocking addition, reports MTV Multiplayer. Importing the saved data from the DS cartridge sent by Nintendo into Animal Crossing: City Folk introduces a host of changes into the game, including one, suddenly no longer E-rated character, Baabara, who now greets players with: "How are you, Ñ---á?" [edited; original creator added diacritics] To clarify, this generally offensive slang term (preceded by another potentially offensive phrase above it) is not included in the retail release of the game. Rather, whomever Nintendo employed to play the version of Wild World sent to press with all of the game's items unlocked, purposely "trained" the Baabara character to use the term. Further, introducing this kind of offensive content into a new copy of the game, from a stranger via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, is nearly impossible. To import content from another game cartridge over the internet requires two users to first exchange their unique 16-digit codes before they are able to share data. In other words, your kids are safe -- unless they or their "friends" are the creators of such content. What MTV Multiplayer and other outlets have discovered is an isolated matter. Still, since the media serves as a filter through which you receive your news about Nintendo products, Nintendo clearly needs to work harder to prevent the kind of incident highlighted here from happening again. Also, an apology would be nice ... Update: And here's that apology ... "We regret that an offensive phrase was included without our knowledge via a wireless function that allows user-generated catchphrases to spread virally from one game to the next," said Nintendo in a statement sent to us. The company is asking that the 14 affected copies it mailed out to the media be returned. The full statement is posted after the break. [Note: As this post contains sensitive material, this is just a friendly reminder to keep the comments clean -- or face the perma-banhammer. Thank you.]
Amazon's Black Friday deals are worth staying home for
The Black Friday game deals that Amazon has revealed so far are among the most compelling anywhere -- and that's not even taking into account the fact that you don't have to face the teeming masses of retail zombies to get your hands on them. All you need is a finger hovering over the F5 key and a credit card nearby.Amazon sent a partial list to Kotaku, with the promise that there will be lots more cheap games to buy come Black Friday. The standout among the Wii offers is the Animal Crossing/WiiSpeak bundle for $40, but we'd feel like victorious Black Friday navigators if we managed to score a $26 copy of de Blob or a $30 Wario Land: Shake It.Oh, and they'll have Wii systems and copies of Wii Fit starting midnight (we assume PST, since that's when Amazon usually updates their deals).
DS Daily: Tamed World
The release of Animal Crossing: City Folk on the Wii has probably thrown some old-school Animal Crossing devotees back into the daily routine of pulling weeds, digging up fossils, and fishing until Nookington's closes. But while we had to be reindoctrinated by City Folk, it occurs to us that there may be some model citizens out there still doing their civic duty in Wild World -- or even the original.If you've been keeping up with a previous Animal Crossing, how long has your stay been? And how often do you check in?%Gallery-20387%[Wallpaper found on the official website]
DS Fanboy presents: Game Night [update 2]
Update: The staff is no longer in the Game Night chat. Thanks to everyone that showed up and if we missed you, see you next week!With the release of Animal Crossing: City Folk this week, we're anxious to visit your towns and hang out! Of course, we're not just playing that, as there's a large catalog of online-compatible games on the DS and Wii to choose from. Won't you join us? It's very simple and you can find all of the info you need past the break.Hope to see you there tonight!
Wii Fanboy presents: Game Night [update 2]
Update: The staff is no longer in the Game Night chat. Thanks to everyone that showed up and if we missed you, see you next week!With the release of Animal Crossing: City Folk this week, we're anxious to visit your towns and hang out! Of course, we're not just playing that, as there's a large catalog of online-compatible games on the DS and Wii to choose from. Won't you join us? It's very simple and you can find all of the info you need past the break.Hope to see you there tonight! Oh, and seeing as how next week is Thanksgiving, you should know that we won't be holding Game Night then.
Metareview -- Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii)
Paradoxically, it's the cause of the absolute saddest thing on the internet, but Animal Crossing has also been a source of joy for millions. Judging from the tepid reviews, Animal Crossing: City Folk's biggest problem appears to be not that it's more of the same joy-inducing escapism, but rather that it is the same joy-inducing escapism. 1UP (C): "Somehow, despite two previous time-sucking outings into the open world of Animal Crossing -- each fully preparing me for what to expect in a sequel -- City Folk still rouses some excitement at the prospect of collecting more rare furniture, fossils, and that one elusive bug or fish. But all of this quickly subsides upon your introduction to Tom Nook, everyone's favorite predatory lender. That's when the realization quickly sets in: This is all just the same old routine with extra goodies that do little to change things in any meaningful way." GameDaily (70/100): "Sadly, local co-op isn't an option, the graphics look last generation and we had little fun using the WiiSpeak microphone. If you're a fan of the series, you'll want to move into this City right away. Otherwise, pay a casual visit before you settle down." Games Master UK (80/100): "It's still a great game but fans of the DS version are going to feel short-changed by the lack of imagination in this Wii retread. For everyone who missed out last time, or if you're keen to start such an epic afresh on the TV, this may well be the family game that sends Wii Sports into permanent retirement."
More Club Nintendo goodies announced for Japan
While it prepares to wheel out Club Nintendo in North America later this year, Nintendo has decided to torture us one last time with stuff we can't have.Every year in Japan, Platinum and Gold members in the Japanese program get a free gift. This year, Platinum members have three to choose from, including the snazzy golden Wii Wheel you see above. This takes us back to GoldenEye's multiplayer, and us petulantly refusing to play unless we could steer Oddjob with the only gold-colored N64 controller in the house. Also up for grabs is a Super Mario Cap, which Nintendo reports is too big for girls and schoolkids (but not adult male bloggers), and a Club Nintendo Calendar 2009, which will be the only option for Gold members. That's better than our only option, which is to own nothing.All very lovely then, and all very out of our reach ... but for how long? Go past the break for a look at the cap and calendar.
Wii Warm Up: Your thoughts on Animal Crossing?
We know we've kind of been focused on Animal Crossing a bit in the last week or so, but with the game having been available to you all, we're wondering how you're finding it so far. Have you been going crazy in the game, buying up tons of stuff for your house and running errands for Tom Nook? Have you paid off your house yet? Have you and some friends gotten together and fished or enjoyed some other communal activity? How has your time with Animal Crossing: City Folk been?
Wii Fanboy Review: Animal Crossing: City Folk
Before we dive right into the review, there are a few things you should know. First of all, I was unable to test the game with the WiiSpeak peripheral. With Nintendo only sending us one bundle of the game, it was impossible for me to utilize the peripheral during my time with the game. With that in mind, also understand that our single press review copy meant that I was without individuals to enjoy the multiplayer side of the game. This is purely a review of my time with the single-player portion of the game Animal Crossing: City Folk.So, head past the break and read about Nintendo's latest game in the Animal Crossing franchise.%Gallery-27704%
Retail and download releases for the week of November 17th
Just as we all found out last week, today marks the release of the fourth episode of Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People. Oh, and we're also getting a bunch of other games. This week, seriously, has a lot of games. Head on past the break for the full list. Also, our apologies. There likely won't be a VC Monday Madness video today, but we'll try to get it up as soon as we can. Sorry! %Gallery-27704%
Wii Warm Up: Wii Plan to Speak
The WiiSpeak microphone is ten bucks cheaper when purchased with Animal Crossing: City Folk. Obviously, it works with Animal Crossing, but it will also work with The Conduit, with the new version of the Opera browser, and on its own via the Wii Speak Channel. Of course, more compatible games will follow. We hope.It occurs to us that even people who like Animal Crossing, but don't necessarily care about catching up with their friends while fishing or shaking trees may have interest in the WiiSpeak mic for other stuff. Are you in that group? Did you pick up the Animal Crossing WiiSpeak bundle with no intention of using the two items together?%Gallery-27704%
Wii Warm Up: Animal Songwriting
Okay, this one's for all the Animal Crossing nerds -- the people who dutifully changed their system's date played every Saturday night just for a new performance by an anthropomorphic dog with a MIDI voice. Of all the K.K. Slider jams you've caught at the train station or the coffee shop, which is your favorite?We've embedded our pick, "K.K. Song", not because it's a great song, but because it's a weird piece of Nintendo history from K.K. Slider inspiration, Animal Crossing composer, and Wii Music director Kazumi Totaka. It's Saturday, so why not listen to some K.K. tunes?%Gallery-27704%
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%
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%
