Memorable Gaming Moment 2002: Animal Crossing

You may be asking yourself this: Why is Kush sharing another memory of 2002? The simple answer is that I am God and I can do anything I want, such as punching infants and baby animals in the face. Now that I got that out of the way, it’s time to move on to memorable moment numero duo. You may have already read my Morrowind moment, but that was not the only game that grabbed me in 2002. 2002 was also the year I finally bought a Gamecube; the first Nintendo system I bought (excluding handhelds) since the NES. I bought the system solely for Metroid Prime, but to my surprise, the game that really sucked me in was Animal Crossing.

Animal Crossing grabbed me in the same way The Sims did two years before; a game that somehow makes mundane actions enjoyable. You don’t have to worry about your character’s wellbeing in Animal Crossing, but you are a slave to the countless Bells (Animal Crossing’s form of money) of debt you owe that little furry bastard, Tom Nook. Why I find these games enjoyable is beyond my comprehension. Why on earth would I enjoy shaking trees for fruit, fishing for money, picking up shells, and plenty more just to pay off a debt that never ends? “You just paid off your debt! How about a fancy-schmancy new basement? It will only cost you 69 gazillion Bells.” I’m either a closet masochist or a filthy whore; either way it’s not something I’m proud of.

I would spend hours at a time fishing for those few rare fish. What the hell was wrong with me?!

I truly adored Animal Crossing and still think it’s done some amazing things that I wish other games would steal, especially a similar game like The Sims. My favorite aspect, which may not seem like that big of a deal, is that the game takes place entirely in real-time. Most people would probably hate a game that only allowed you to get a certain item at two in the morning, but there’s just something about a game being somewhat grounded in reality that really interests me. I would love to see a GTA-esque game that uses a time system like the system found in Animal Crossing.

There was just something magical about playing Animal Crossing when it first came out (in the States). There were plenty of things to collect and it was the perfect game to play for fifteen minutes every day. The sad thing is that the Animal Crossing series has suffered from the same thing that inflicts basically every single Nintendo franchise; a lack of change, leaving you with the same exact game over and over and over again. It was nice to take Animal Crossing on the go with Wild World, but it was still the same exact game; and don’t get me started on the pathetic excuse of a sequel called City Folk. Animal Crossing was a delightful game, but sadly Nintendo has never been able to deliver that initial feeling from playing the game for the first time.

P.S. How many games give you a present on your Birthday?

P.P.S. Fuck you Resseti! I swear the system turned off by accident.