Welcome to NAdventures, if we feel that you as an adventures fan will be interested in a game or peripheral, we will give it coverage right here on NAdventures. If you enjoy other genres of games in addition to adventures, then be sure to visit NShooters and NSports in order to get your fill of gaming content. Check out http://hub.ngenres.com for the highlight stories from each genre.

Preview  Animal Crossing DS
- By Lander Clinton


If you've played Animal Crossing for GameCube (or N64 in Japan), you'll be happy to know that it's finally reached its potential.

With Animal Crossing DS, Nintendo is taking your village online. Since Nintendo's WiFi program will connect you only with friends or people of the same skill, you won't have to worry about strangers coming in and trampling your flowers. If that happens, you'll know who to blame.

The game is moved between either screen. Just like Nintendogs, when you need to access your menu screens, to put different items on your character, or type a message to someone you're talking to, the main game switches to the top screen. When you're just walking around or going fishing or talking to NPCs, you play on the bottom screen.

Movement is controlled either with the D-pad or with the touch screen. Place the stylus on the screen and your character will walk towards it. A cool graphical addition is the spherical world you now inhabit. Instead of a flat, top-down view, your view is closer to the ground and your town rolls under your character's feet. Walk towards the screen and the house you just visited will roll over the close horizon in the background.

When Animal Crossing goes online, I don't expect it to be a sleeper hit. It will define the DS. You have been warned.

- 5.20.2005