Animal Crossing: New Leaf First Impressions

So last Sunday, June 9th, 2013 was the release of the new Animal Crossing game for the 3DS! I admit I've been waiting for the new game for a couple years since it was first announced. I was so excited when it finally came overseas!

I admit I'm a bit of a noob, my first game was City Folk, but it got me so hooked! It's the same kind of addicting as Harvest Moon was for me...

The premise is mostly the same though now you've got the added benefits of being the actual mayor of your town! While I miss Tortimer, being able to really customize my town with projects like fountains and extra bridges is really nice! You can also decorate the exterior of your home too which personalizes it even more. I really like these changes!

Another aspect of the game that I really enjoy now is the online multiplayer experience they've set up. You can connect locally and through wifi to other players on the 3DS! With the additions of Re-tail, the island and the HH Academy, there are more ways for me to interact with my fellow players. The only annoyance I experienced through wifi play is that when someone loses connection, both players are reverted back to before the multiplayer session. So for long sessions, it's really annoying when everything is reverted to before! Oh well...

There are a lot more townspeople you can meet too, which is nice. Molly (a cute brown duckie) is by far my favourite! SHE'S SO CUTE!!

I also really like the pacing of this game. It forces you to go through a couple of days before you have access to most of the features! Most shops will be unlocked over time.. I only just got an axe today (a week after release)! While I like it because it means I won't rush through the game, it's also a little frustrating because I have little patience for these things!

One thing that perhaps is nice.. but also a little exploitative... is how easy it is to get money via exotic fruits. If you have a friend with a fruit different than yours, through the online mutliplayer it's super easy to pay off loans, etc. I have yet to really decide if this takes away from the game or not, as there are WAY more things to spend your money on now than in past games. Saving up isn't as much of a pain though.. which is nice!

Overall I'm thoroughly enjoying my experience so far and I would totally recommend this game if you're a casual gamer who enjoys games like Harvest Moon. I think both kids and adults can enjoy this game too, as well as both men and women.