Original TV image courtesy of blkrussianz200 on Flickr.com

Family Friendly is a  feature here at Aeropause Games highlighting a video game that I have enjoyed with my children. As a father of three kids aged 4, 3, and a newborn of 7 months, finding time to play games can be few and far between. Since part of this time coincides with playing with my kids, moderation is essential in choosing what I play. Come cozy up on the couch as I present some ideas for enjoying your favorite pastime with your tykes.

This title was purchased as a gift to my wife who has an insatiable appetite for never-ending, crack-laced Flash games commonly found on Facebook. Knowing full well that I was only feeding the beast, I had high hopes that the kids would enjoy the simple game play and the cartooned animal characters. As per usual with almost any Nintendo first-party outing, family appeal is all over this title.

For those unfamiliar with the Animal Crossing franchise, the game consist of planting trees or flowers; picking weeds; capturing bugs; fishing; collecting sea shells; making friends; decorating your house; and, buying things. Almost all of these are controlled via simple game play mechanics that my 4-year old has no problem grasping. The fishing alludes her, but that’s because it requires patience; and, let’s be honest: what 4-year old has the patience for fishing. While the 3-year old does not play the game directly, she does have a character that is controlled by my wife and commanded by my daughter. While the game does feature pretty, bright palette, it does not keep the attention of the newborn for extended periods of time. This is probably compounded by the fact that there’s not much on-screen constant action.

One area of concern is one of the primary reasons I purchased it. As a gotta-collect’em-all game, there is the draw to keep playing and trying to gather items, specifically the rare ones. Luckily, it seems that Nintendo planned this into the game and added some built-in speed bumps to keep it from showing up as the next Korean video game cafe filler. The in-game shop has store hours that coincide with real world time, which is based on the Wii’s clock. So this helps puts limits on when the game can be played. If a player decides to test their skills as Doc Brown and change the time in the game, AC:CF will detect it and cause “bad things” to happen in the game world like crops being destroyed. There are also events that only happen at certain times and/or dates. This can put a cramp on plans if you have a “Bug Off” that you want to compete in, or want to find that rare bug that only appears at the wee hours in the morning.

Another item of note, is the customization of the in-game world. Periodically the characters in the game will ask for new sayings or greetings. These sayings hold over between all of the players in the game world. So, if you’re sharing a world with kids of varied ages, you may not want to have a greeting of “Wassup Asshat”. Also, the game features online ‘multiplayer’ uses the highly convoluted Wii friend code system which is further compounded by having a separate code for each player in the game. So worries of having pedophiles showing up and offering your kids popsicles from their basement will be few and far between.

All in all, Animal Crossing: City Folk comes well approved for a family atmosphere. Remember to put forth any restrictions on length, or play times before letting your kids, spouse, or self start playing to ensure that it does not negatively impact other Real Life events. This game will keep the attention of young children from ages 2+ and by 3-4, they, too, can even play.

ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

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