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Fully playable at Nintendo’s booth, Animal CrossingDS
is at the forefront of Nintendo’s online strategy for the
NintendoDS. Three units were connected via the on-site Wi-Fi to a
rather luscious lady in
New York
. Positively demonstrating both a hassle-free internet connection and
voice communication through the system’s in-built mic the title
runs at a smooth pace and allows for a world of interaction as
opposed to the small village we’ve become accustomed to with the
first title.
The area now revolves as you wander aimless about, with the
usual digging/shaking trees/designing outfits that Animal
Crossing has become famous for. Still without any real sense of
direction whilst maintaining a true feeling of achievement, Animal
CrossingDS expands on the formula in every way imaginable. Chat
options between players are now practically irrelevant as
voice-communication takes precedence, whilst the letter writing
remains pivotal  feature
for communicating with absent players. Up to four gamers can link
simultaneously over through the NintendoDS’ LAN or through the
internet and the ability to then travel to further worlds remains
as in the previous title, although of course now the need to be in
the same room is no longer relevant.
The title’s graphics are on par with the GameCube release
while the frame-rate has been improved slightly. The controls are
simple with all of the menus navigable using the Touch Screen. The
design options are now almost limitless and letter writing is a
breeze for those already accustomed to PictoChat. Due out in
Europe
in the later half of the year, Animal CrossingDS seems
almost too good to be a launch title for Nintendo’s first online
experience.
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