I'm going to get this out of the way: Animal Crossing is a game about nothing. Some people have compared it to Seinfeld, and I think that's a good comparison. In Animal Crossing, you lead a digital life. You can do many things like the following: - play NES games - go fishing - collect fossils, art pieces, etc. to sell, keep, or donate to the museum - help your neighbors with any jobs they might have - connect your Game Boy Advance to your GameCube to access Animal Island - connect your e-Reader to the game to upload items from e-cards to your game Graphics The graphics have not been enhanced in a big way; the resolution has improved, but aside from that the game looks the same as its Nintendo 64 counterpart. They obviously look like crap compared to other games released for the GameCube, but for this game they fit perfectly. Gameplay In terms of controls, they are pretty simple: you use the control stick to move your character around, you push the 'A' button to open doors, shake the trees for anything that is in them and talk to people, the 'X' and 'Start' buttons open the menu to see how much bells you have, which items you are carrying, etc., and the 'Y' button opens the map. Sound The music in this game has the usual Nintendo sound to it, like music you would probably expect to find in a Saturday morning cartoon. The sound doesn't sound like it's been enhanced to utilize the GameCube's more powerful processor and it sounds like a Nintendo 64 game. Replay Value Animal Crossing is one game you will be playing for a long time (or at least until Animal Crossing 2 comes out). You can collect NES games to play, decorate your house with items you obtain, or search for fossils; you will probably never get bored with this game. The Final Word Animal Crossing is one of the best games for the GameCube and is proof that you don't need great graphics to be a great game. For only $29.99 (and a free memory card), Animal Crossing is a game that you should definitely pick up. -- MajorLocke