Tobidase: Dôbutsu no mori

I have no idea why this game is rated 3.9. The game had some issues, but so does every game. Animal Crossing: New Leaf is the kind of game I play when I have a bad day. Seeing the happy animals, making friends, collecting items, and fishing was quite enjoyable. Relaxing on Tortimer's island just made me downright happy. I know I use the word "happy" quite a bit, but that's what this game is about.

Animal Crossing New Leaf is the only Animal Crossing game I have played and it was my favorite game I had played on the Nintendo 3DS. I haven't played it in a couple of years but I had fond memories of it. It really impacted my life. It inspired my stories that I started in an assignment in class and inspired me to write more besides in class assignments and that eventually turned into reviews on IMDb. 270 and counting and it hasn't been a year since I finished my first review. I had two DS systems I played New Leaf on and both I no longer have and now the 3DS servers had closed down, of which gotten rid of the online features in New Leaf. New Leaf was an amazing game when I had played it and sad that the servers had been shutdown where nobody could play the online features. I enjoyed being the Mayor of my town and had finished my main street before my 2nd system had quit. I wasn't finished with the badges or my house though. Now I might be unable to get another DS system and be unable to get all badges with 2 or 3 needing internet features.

This is the first game I ever played in the Animal Crossing series, and I used to play it everyday. A life simulator, the game starts with your character moving into a town where the villagers are waiting for the new mayor. Thankfully,, Isabelle, the cute secretary who makes her debut in this game, helps you though this sudden change, and soon, you begin your new life in whatever you named the town.

The major change with this game is that the player character becomes the mayor of the city. What this results in is the ability to change town ordinances (like have stores open and close earlier or later, or even have it where flowers cannot die and weeds are reduced, with villagers watering them). Each ordinance is for players who play at different times. Also, when certain conditions are met, the player can start Public Works Projects, which allows you to build objects outside your house like fountains, benches, and other things. The one catch: the funds to build them have to be collected via donating Bells to Lloid, a Gyroid used to collect the amount needed to build said works. The Public Works Project is also the only way to get the infamous Mr. Resetti to appear (as in this game, the Resetti Surveillance Center is defunded, and after the first reset, he will not appear unless you choose to rebuild it, causing Isabelle to be the one to remind you to save).

Another new feature is Tortimer Island, an island where you can visit once Kapp'n appears. There, you can catch bugs and fish that you would otherwise not see and even take part in tours where you can win medals to spend on furniture sold there only. Also, the game uses the 3DS's wireless connection, which, when connected to the internet, allows other players to visit your village (that is, if you and the other player have registered each others' friend code).

Other than that, the game plays like Animal Crossing: the events use the 3DS' internal clock to reflect the time in-game, and the game has plenty to do (like fishing, bug catching, and chatting with the NPC villagers and helping them with doing stuff, like delivering items to other villagers, or getting them a certain bug or fish, to name a few of the tasks present). This is a great game for any 3DS collector.

Don't let these other nonsense reviews fool you. If you like Animal Crossing, this game is more of EVERYTHING you loved about Wild World or City Folk. New Leaf is one of my favorite titles on the Nintendo 3DS platform.

4 years after release and I am still playing it daily. Still catching bugs and fish. Still collecting fossils and art. Still loving interacting with my villagers.

Being able to share in playing a family-friendly game with my wife and young boys is wonderful.

With a special content drop and function upgrade coming Dec 2nd, 2016 it is a perfect time to get back into playing if you have taken a break or to jump in if you haven't tried it yet. The new functionality will add Amiibo and Amiibo card compatibility.