Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS)
If you were to ask me to describe what Animal Crossing was like, I don’t think I can come up with a great explanation, because I’m not sure there is a specific category that the game fits into, in terms of what is in my gaming vocabulary. I’ve never played an Animal Crossing game in the past, or any type of game like it. There are no levels, stages or boss fights. There are no weapons, combat or platforming.
There IS interior design and fashion accessories to buy and town beautification efforts to manage. Visitors move in to your town, they sometimes build homes in your town, and sometimes they stay or suddenly move out. They complain, the have concerns, give you gifts and you give gifts in return. There is fishing, butterfly catching, and apple picking. You basically do this every day, but in a different order maybe.
I think what initially drew me into purchasing the game was the aesthetics of the world design. There are big headed people with animal faces roaming around an environment that has the perspective of a birds-eye view or fish eye lens. The ground is round and rotates like a giant ball beneath when you move around, a nice visual effect causes environmental objects to appear and disappear as the world turns.
It is a perpetual living world that, as far as I can tell, never ends until you turn your system off. Even then, an internal clock keeps the world moving ‘round synchronized with the real world outside of the game. If it’s night time when you turn the system on, it is night time in the game world and most of the inhabitants are asleep, lest you as acting Mayor of the town pass an ordinance to extend the curfew hours, which I recommend everyone do right away, unless you prefer the lifestyle of a night owl or prefer to go fishing at night.
Conclusion: I don’t know what this game is, but I couldn’t stop playing it so that must mean something?
I'd put this in the same category as Sims, Second Life, Farmville, etc. as a life simulator. Obviously, there are key differences between those franchises, but to me, they all appear to have a lot of the same core gameplay concepts and elements.
If I had a 3DS, I'd likely be addicted to this game as well. Being a fictional mayor sounds like fun. Look forward to your #1 PICK
Ive never played a Sim, so it was hard for me to compare to something else because I don't have experience with those games. I think the way Nintendo adds charm was a big factor. I wouldn't want to play other games in this genre, but this one.
Honestly, I've never really experienced any of the games I mentioned beyond renting the original Animal Crossing from Blockbuster, but not having enough space on my memory card for it and finding the voices irritating, and watching female co-workers obsess over their Sims games at the front desks of college dorms I worked at. I just think they all seem to share a similar core premise in that they are meant to be virtual life simulators of some variety. Like I said, they do have their differences, and I can agree about Nintendo's charm being a huge factor. I think Animal Crossing on a handheld would be my top choice in this genre for the same reason.
Hooray for Animal Crossing!
Of course, you read my Game of the Year blog, so you know I like it.
Well it is my #1 portable game after all. 
I put this game out of sight the other day so that I'd stop playing it. My house is as big as it's ever going to be. I have a castle exterior and I'm growing more kinds of fruit than you can shake a stick at.
My only regret is not having visited other people's towns. I could never seem to co-ordinate that. I'd open my gate and 10 minutes later do something like go to the island which shuts the gate again. Then when I wanted to go visiting, no one had their gate open.
You can get addicted to collecting and upgrading things in the world for sure.
I loved the GameCube game but hadn't played one till New Leaf. My wife got it and I moved in after she had the town for a little while. We didn't stick with it as long as I wish we would have but I really it enjoyed it while it lasted. An excellent addition to the 3DS library.
Same thing happened to me. Other games and things came along, and I put it aside. But it was fun.
I wanted to get this game, but the price is more than I want to pay for it. I'll probably get it at some point this year.