Animal Crossing review

Keeping your neighborhood happy, the town tidy and the museum stocked with fossil specimens is the closest thing you have to a goal. If only accomplishing your aims was simpler; there's no way to quickly switch between usable items. Changing from butterfly net to fishing pole involves too many menus, and storing spare items requires tricking the post office.

If you don't have friends who're down with Crossing, its inventive nature only goes so far. How long do you want be a shut-in packrat without showing it all off to someone? On top of that you have to juggle real world hours while playing. Crossing uses the GameCube's internal clock, so if it's 4:30pm on July 17th in your living room, that's what time it is in your town. Stores have regular business hours and your furry pals hit the sack, too, so night owls may be forced to cheat the clock to see everything.