Nice Package! (Daichi-kun Crisis: Do Natural, PC Engine)

I have a bit of a roller-coaster relationship with this HuCard, a bizarre PC Engine strategy game that was made and published by a company called Salio in late 1989.



After seeing its cover imagery for the first time a number of years ago, I quickly added it to my "buy this game as soon as possible" list.

Why? I guess I'm just a sucker for game box art that features anthropomorphic cows and exploding volcanos. Also, the "Do Natural" portion of this game's title intrigued me.



Daichi-kun Crisis' spot on my aforementioned wish list came into question after I encountered a few screenshots, however. Video footage of the game in action made me feel even less certain I'd enjoy playing it.

As for what caused me to change my mind once again--to the point that I picked up the copy showcased in this post--that would be this extensive YouTube tutorial of the game.

If you don't have the interest or time to watch it, the gist is that it shows Daichi-kun Crisis: Do Natural to be an oddly compelling mix of arcade-y action, life simulation and tower defense.

Oh, and you control a cow--the eponymous Daichi-kun--during all of the above.

Those other cows shown on the front and back covers of the game's manual? They're Daichi-kun's family members and they help clean up volcanic ash (one of your tasks while playing this HuCard) as well as defeat the monsters that rise out of it.

Two other creatures aid in Daichi-kun's battle to secure "Moo Cow Island," too--a crow named Alice and a bear named Goro.

I don't know all of this because I've played the game, mind you. Some of the details were gleaned from the YouTube video I linked to earlier, while I learned others thanks to this intriguing Daichi-kun Crisis FAQ.

I hope to experience the game for myself soon enough. In the meantime, though, I thought some of you might enjoy checking out its colorful packaging.



You also might enjoy checking out the Daichi-kun Crisis: Do Natural instruction manual, the entirety of which can be seen in this "Manual Stimulation" post.

See also: previous 'Nice Package!' posts about Bikkuriman World, Dungeon Explorer, Parodius Da! and Son Son II

Nice Package! (Dōbutsu no Mori+, GameCube)

My last blog post celebrated the 15th anniversary of the first Animal Crossing game's North American release.

Of course, as any Animal Crossing fan worth their salt will tell you, although that 2002 release was the first of the series' many entries to see the light of day in the Western world, it was the second to hit store shelves in Japan.

This game's predecessor in that region was 2001's Dōbutsu no Mori (Animal Forest, basically) for the Nintendo 64. The game showcased here, Dōbutsu no Mori+, followed just eight months later.

Surprisingly, Dōbutsu no Mori+ is more than just a simple, straightforward port of the Nintendo 64 original. For starters, it bumps up the earlier title's resolution from 320-by-240 pixels to 640-by-480 pixels. It also introduces a number of new characters--including the Able Sisters, Kapp'n and Tortimer--as well as adds new locations (like the island and the museum), Famicom games, fish and bugs. And it lets players to expand their homes beyond the limits of what was allowed in the Nintendo 64 cartridge.

Further changes and enhancements were made to the game when it was localized for Western markets, and even more were made for the 2003 Japanese release known as Dōbutsu no Mori e+. (Look for a "Nice Package!" post about that GameCube import shortly.)

Anyway, as nice as the North American Animal Crossing's packaging was and is, I far prefer the Japanese counterparts--outer sleeve, disc, memory card and instruction manual--shown here to it.



I'm especially fond of the Dōbutsu no Mori+ instruction manual, I've got to say--especially its cover. The interior pages are pretty nice, too, although I wouldn't have minded if Nintendo's artists and designers had made them a tad more whimsical.

I also really like the art that's splashed across the adorably tiny Dōbutsu no Mori+ disc. The haniwa (gyroid elsewhere) that graces the label of the packed-in memory card is a nice touch, too.

Another nice touch of the Dōbutsu no Mori+ packaging: the image of Booker that sits along the bottom edge of the game's outer sleeve.

For those of you who've never seen a Japanese GameCube game in person, this cardboard sleeve slips over a small plastic case that houses the game in question's disc and manual. Also, the case is clear, so if you situate the manual properly, it almost gives the game an alternate cover.

With all of that out of the way, which part of this Japanese game's packaging appeals the most to you?

See also: photos of the Dōbutsu no Mori Nintendo 64 packaging

I'm really liking the looks of SWERY's The Good Life, too--despite its rather rough first trailer

You may have heard elsewhere that the incomparable Japanese game designer known as both SWERY and Swery65 is working on another title.

The unveiling of that game caused a bit of a stir thanks to the fact that it seems a world away from SWERY's best-known work, the cult favorite Deadly Premonition.

Actually, calling it a "world away" from Deadly Premonition may be a bit hyperbolic, as the two games share a couple of similarities. I'll get to those in a minute. For now, let's chat about SWERY's new joint, The Good Life. According to the description of the game on its Fig campaign page, it's going to be a "debt-repayment life-simulation RPG."

Sounds kind of like Animal Crossing, don't you think? That's the first thing that popped into my mind, at least--especially after I read that The Good Life's protagonist, Naomi, can take on part-time jobs--like bartending at a pub, delivering milk and shearing sheep--to help her accomplish the above-mentioned task.

That's just the tip of the iceberg as far as The Good Life's content is concerned, though. In addition to its Animal Crossing-inspired side jobs, the game will allow players to snap photos for cash, task them with solving a Professor Layton-ish murder mystery and require them to keep tabs on Naomi's stamina (which she can replenish by eating food, drinking beverages and even sleeping).



Another aspect of The Good Life that calls to mind Nintendo's world-conquering life sim is how customizable it's aiming to be. Not only will you be able to alter Naomi's appearance in the finished product, but you'll be able to change the look of her feline form, too.

Oh, wait, I forgot to tell you Naomi turns into a cat at night, as do Rainy Woods' quirky, Deadly Premonition-esque residents? Well, she does, and they do. Apparently this can help Naomi get to know, and develop relationships with, her fellow townspeople.

All of the above has me keenly interested in The Good Life's just-launched fundraising campaign. That's not to say I've chipped in myself. The trailer above is more than a little rough (although I love the game's low-poly aesthetic) and I can't say I'm a fan of its current reward tiers.

Add in the fact that it's currently only being made for PC and PS4--a Switch stretch goal has been promised, but no one seems to know how much money has to be raised before that version gets the green light--and it should be easy to understand why I've yet to back this intriguing title.

Are any of you also keeping an eye on The Good Life's Fig campaign? If so, why is that--and what would prompt you to contribute to it (if you haven't done so already)?

Who else is excited about Miitopia after this weekend's Japanese Nintendo Direct?

What kind of "gamer" am I these days? The kind who wakes up early with butterflies in his stomach because he knows he's finally going to see some footage of an upcoming game he's been clamoring for since it was announced a couple of months back.

At least that's the kind of gamer I was over the weekend thanks to the Japanese Miitopia-focused Nintendo Direct that hit the Internet on Saturday morning.

What did I think of what I saw during that 16-minute broadcast? I thought it looked pretty great--although don't take that to mean I understood what was going on during this Direct's many gameplay segments.

I mean, I get that Miitopia is going to be one part Tomodachi Collection (Tomodachi Life in my neck of the woods) and one part Final Fantasy-esque JRPG, but even after watching Saturday's "Miitopia Direct" a few times I'm still not sure how much of the latter aspect I'll be able to control while playing through it.

Specifically, I'm wondering if I'll be able to freely move my party of adorably outfitted Miis around the game's towns and overworld areas (if what was shown in the above-mentioned broadcast can be described as such) or if it'll be done for me?

A similar question is bouncing around in my head in regard to the hilarious battles highlighted in last weekend's footage: will I direct them in Miitopia as I would in your typical Dragon Quest game, or will the title's artificial intelligence handle it?

I'd be lying if I said I'd be perfectly happy if most or all of these activities happen on their own without my input. That said, I thought I would dislike the similarly hands-off Tomodachi Life before I played it; in the end, I put nearly 130 hours into that curiosity and loved every second of it.

In other words, who's to say Miitopia won't out-and-out charm me even if it's not as involved than I'd like it to be?

Of course, that's less likely to happen if most of this game's text goes over my head due to my still-developing Japanese skills. Or maybe I should look at Miitopia as an opportunity to further expand those skills--while also having a bit of fun?

While I work through my own feelings about Miitopia, please share yours with me (and others) in the comments section below.

I'd especially love to hear from those of you who are planning to purchase the game on or around its Japanese release date of Dec. 8, although I'd also like to hear from anyone who thinks they'll buy the title if it's translated into a language they can understand at some point down the road.

Thank you for playing: 15 years of Dōbutsu no Mori (Animal Crossing)

April 14th, 2001. That's the day Dōbutsu no Mori (Animal Forest in English) for the Nintendo 64 was released in Japan.

I haven't been playing the series since then, of course. Not that I can remember exactly when I started playing it. All I know is that the North American version of Japan's Dōbutsu no Mori+, a GameCube title that first hit store shelves in late 2001, is what pushed me to finally pick up a GC console.

The thing is, I distinctly remember waiting until the GameCube dropped to $99 in price before I bought one. Also, I'm pretty sure the copy of Animal Crossing I purchased alongside that system (a silver one, in case anyone's curious) was a "Player's Choice" release.

GameFAQs is telling me the "Player's Choice" iteration of Animal Crossing didn't drop until late 2003, so I guess that's around when I was introduced to the achingly lovely world of this long-running series.



I share all of that because I've been an Animal Crossing devotee ever since. I own every sequel that's seen the light of day between the first localized effort and today--well, except for Amiibo Festival. Hell, I own multiple copies of some of these titles.

Because of that, the video above, published via Nintendo of Japan's YouTube channel yesterday to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the series' launch, prompts a giant, teeth-baring smile to spread across my face each time I watch it. (And believe me, I've watched it a number of times in the last 12 or so hours.)

How about you? Are any of you huge Dōbutsu no Mori or Animal Crossing fans? Or do you have any particularly strong memories of your first Animal Crossing or Dōbutsu no Mori experience? If so, please feel free to share the love with me and others in the comments section below.

See also: an old post full of photos of Dōbutsu no Mori's splendid Nintendo 64 packaging and my review of Animal Crossing for the GameCube

I don't usually 'do' Nendoroids, but that isn't keeping me from drooling over this Himouto! Umaru-chan-inspired one

Making all of this drooling even stranger is that I'd never even heard of Himouto! Umaru-chan before a couple of days ago.

Assuming some of you are in the same boat, here's the gist: it began life in 2013 as a Japanese manga series (written by Sankaku Head) and an anime adaptation of it is going to start airing in just a couple of days.

Oh, and its titular character is a teen who appears perfect at school, while at home she wears an animal hoodie and spends her time eating junk food, playing video games, reading manga and watching anime.

All of those interests are depicted in Umaru-chan's Nendoroid form (and related accessories), as you hopefully can see in the photo below. 

I especially like her little Vita-like game system. 

Speaking of the Vita, the folks at FuRyu (makers of The Legend of Legacy, among other titles) recently announced that they'll be releasing a Vita game based on Himouto! Umaru-chan this winter.

Apparently it'll be a "sister-raising simulation," which admittedly doesn't sound as appealing as, say, an RPG, or a rhythm game or even a Game Center CX ripoff based on the property would, but I'll take what I can get. 

Anyway, enough about that. Back to the Nendoroid. It'll hit Japanese store shelves this August. (You can pre-order one now via amiami.com.) Will any of you be buying one?

What kind of idiot buys a Wii Virtual Console title in 2015? This kind!

Which Virtual Console game did I buy via my too-long-ignored Wii, you ask? The SNES version of Harvest Moon.

I bought it because I've had the Harvest Moon series on the brain ever since I received a copy of The Lost Valley for Christmas. Specifically, I've been thinking about the trio of Harvest Moon titles I've wanted to play for some time now: the aforementioned original, Harvest Moon 64 and Harvest Moon: Magical Melody for GameCube.

I pulled the trigger on this long-running franchise's first game yesterday because, well, it was a lot easier to trade in $8 worth of "Wii Points" and then download the digital version of that title in a matter of seconds than hunt for physical copies of the Nintendo 64 or GameCube sequels on eBay and then wait a week or two for them to arrive on my doorstep.

(That's not to say I haven't also done some of the latter over the last few days, but let's save that discussion for another day.)

Sadly, but hardly shockingly, I've yet to put more than a few minutes into this delightful-looking farming sim. I'm planning to devote an adequate amount of time to it this weekend, though, so look for a few thoughts on it in the "Shall We Do It?" post that'll be published late next week.

In the meantime, do any of you have any experience with the SNES version of Harvest Moon--or Harvest Moon 64 or Magical Melody? If so, I'd love it if you'd share your opinions of them in the comments section below.

I'm having way too much fun taking screenshots while playing Tomodachi Life

Would you believe me if I told you I've snapped more screenshots while playing Tomodachi Life than I have while playing any other 3DS title?

Well, it's true. Or at least I think it is.

As for why that is, the only worthwhile response is that this portable "life sim" throws players into so many weird, wacky and funny situations that you can't help but try to capture them in a snapshot.

Cases in point: the following photos of the babies that have been born to Rainbow Island's residents thus far.

The above portrait is of one of my Internet pals, Hayden Scott-Baron (aka docky), his wife, Cher, and their newborn girl, Chloe.

The shot above is of Nikki (of Swapnote fame), her husband, Bill Trinen, and their baby girl, the controversially named Genesis.

And here (above) we see Link keeping a watchful eye on his (and wife Zelda's) adorable baby boy.

Sadly, "adorable" isn't the first word I'd use to describe the first child--a girl, Claire--born to me and Ganondorf.

Both of us are hoping she'll eventually grow into her face. And learn to smile once in a while. Anyway, she's now traveling the world--or waiting to travel the world, at least.

Rainbow Island's kids aren't the only things worth capturing in photographs. Other photo-worthy sights include the tropical locale's many fights--with the one above being between former Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi and Metroid's Samus Aran.

Shall We Do It? (THE 'DENPA' MEN 3, Pokémon Battle Trozei and Tomodachi Life)

A little warning for those of you who clicked on this link in order to learn more about my on-and-off experiences with THE "DENPA" MEN 3 or Pokémon Battle Trozei: I barely played either 3DS eShop title in the week since I published my last "Shall We Do It?" post.

So, the impressions I share in regard to those two titles are sure to be on the short side. The impressions I share in regard to Tomodachi Life, on the other hand, will be far more extensive. Given that, maybe I should start with my thoughts on THE "DENPA" MEN 3 or Pokémon Battle Trozei?

THE "DENPA" MEN 3--The sad fact about my playthrough of this digital title is that it probably passed the six hour mark a month or two ago (if the game's even been out that long), and all I've put in since is maybe an hour and a half at most.

Why? Because I'm quite literally lost at the moment--which, in the end, may say more about my own intellect than it does about this game's difficulty, but right now it sure doesn't feel that way. And, really, my being lost has very little, if anything, to do with the game being tough; rather, it has to do with the overworld often being surprisingly obtuse. Which is weird, because I've played a lot of RPGs over the years and I generally find traversing an overworld to be a confusion-free affair.

That definitely was the case during my first five or six hours with THE "DENPA" MEN 3, but not any more. I literally don't know where I'm supposed to go at the moment--even though the game has gone to some lengths to point out the location (a volcano)--and so for the last hour-plus of my playthrough I've just been running here, there and everywhere searching for the damn "crust rupture" while doing my best to avoid as many battles as possible (something that's far easier said than done in this game, let me tell you).

Sadly, all this particular experience has done is remind me of my ill-fated attempt at playing through THE "DENPA" MEN 2 last year. After putting about 17 hours into that game, I basically walked away from it without a second thought due to being tired of having to fight a bunch of enemies every few steps.

So, I'm not sure where this leaves me and THE "DENPA" MEN 3, to be honest. I think what I'll do is see if someone else has addressed my issue on line. (No one had done so last I looked, but that was a couple of weeks ago.) If someone has, I'll soldier on a while longer, but even then I certainly wouldn't put any money on me finishing this one, folks--a crying shame when you consider how much I loved the original game.

Pokémon Battle Trozei--Here's another 3DS eShop title that I initially found pretty darn appealing but have all but ignored for the last few weeks.

In the case of Pokémon Battle Trozei, I think that's mainly because I simply don't find its tile-matching gameplay to be all that strategic--or at least not strategic in the ways I'm used to when it comes to such puzzlers.

In fact, I often get the feeling there's no strategy to it at all, as a lot of levels seem to begin with me shifting around tiles in a capable-enough manner (that's a good thing) before ending with little to no input from me. And even when my actions do seem to bring about the end of a level, I just don't feel all that engaged or interested in the action.

Am I just not "getting" this game? Am I doing something wrong? If so, please tell me, because I honestly want to like the otherwise-adorable Pokémon Battle Trozei--but at the moment I can't.

Tomodachi Life--Let's get the silly stuff out of the way for this one, shall we?

First, you should know that I now have about 30 residents on my island--including a slew of Nintendo characters and employees, a handful of social-media friends (Adam, Adrian, apricotsushi, Bri Bri, Kaze and Zaphod65 among them) and a bunch of celebrities (such as Cher, Madonna and Michael Jackson).

Also, my lookalike Mii finally has a sweetheart: Ganondorf, who's looking mighty spiffy with his hot-pink hair and light-pink polo these days, I have to say. The big lug has yet to propose, though, which is starting to make both me and my digital doppelganger mad--especially since Nintendo's Bill Trinen just married Nikki (of Swapnote fame) after dating for about a minute.

Other than that, my favorite aspect of this weirdo life sim is Tomodachi Quest, the mini-RPG that can be played each and every afternoon if you visit the amusement park. So far, I've waged battle against bottles of perfume, glass slippers, truffles (the pricey mushroom, not the candy) and more and I've enjoyed every single second of those scuffles.

All that said, I can't help but admitting that every once in a while I feel kind of bad that I'm enjoying Tomodachi Life as much as I am at the moment. As in, I regularly ask myself some form of the following question: "Why on earth do I keep clicking on these apartment windows, feeding their inhabitants, playing games with them and peeking into their dreams?"

The only answer I've been able to come up with so far is: "Because it's fun." I keep doing the above-mentioned things because I want to hear the next funny thing these goofy-looking Miis are going to say, or I want to watch as they go on dates with their neighbors or play their Wii Us or simply hop around their fabulously decorated (thanks to me) flats.

I'm still more than a bit miffed that the only way to make the Miis that populate your Tomodachi island gay is to use a rather lame workaround, of course, but at least it works well enough that it's not completely jarring or irritating or keeping me from getting a kick out of the overall experience.

Are any of you playing, or have any of you played, the trio of games discussed above? If so, please share your thoughts about them in the comments section below.

See also: previous 'Shall We Do It?' posts

The day we've all (or at least three or four of us have) waited for has arrived: Tomodachi Collection is coming to Europe and North America this June

Surprisingly, the bigwigs at Nintendo have decided to retain the Tomodachi part of this seemingly crazy 3DS game's Japanese title, although in the Western world the game will be known as Tomodachi Life rather than Tomodachi Collection: New Life.

Oh, and it will hit both European and North American store shelves on June 6. (It'll carry a price tag of $34.99 in the latter region; I'm not yet sure what it'll cost in the former.)

For more information on this zany life sim, check out its first trailer, below.



If you'd like a more in-depth look at Tomodachi Life, both of Nintendo's Western arms uploaded rather in-depth (and completely bananas) Nintendo Direct broadcasts devoted to the game early this morning. Watch the North American one here, and the European one here.

See also: 'We interrupt this program to inform you that Tomodachi Collection: New Life is almost assuredly heading West'

Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Hometown Story edition)

When it comes to the systems that I already own and actually play (i.e., the 3DS), there are only a few games I'm looking to pick up between now and the end of the year.

One of them is Pokémon X. Another is Hometown Story, the adorable-looking life-simulation game made by Harvest Moon creator Yasuhiro Wada.

I've had the latter pre-ordered since Amazon first allowed me to do so a month or two ago, and I absolutely can't wait for it to arrive on my doorstep sometime between Oct. 22 (when it's due to be released in North America) and the end of the month.

In the meantime, I thought it might be nice to devote a "Which Box Art is Better?" post to this title--especially since the cover art for the Japanese version (releasing on Dec. 12) finally found its way onto the Internet yesterday.

Speaking of the Japanese version's box art, here it is:

And here is its North American counterpart:

Sadly, I've yet to come across the European iteration's cover art. Of course, the game doesn't have a solid release date in that region yet (just "Q1 2014"), so maybe that's why.

Anyway, which piece of box art do you like best?

Me, I like both of them--although if I were forced to say I preferred one over the other, I'd probably go with the Japanese option. I like that it's less cluttered than the North American one (which has far too many logos and call-outs) and I also like its central illustration is softer and more focused.

Buy: Hometown Story

Animal Crossing x Disney? Consider me (surprisingly) intrigued ...

Although no one could ever confuse me for a Disney fanatic, I can't help but be intrigued by a Disney-themed game that'll soon be released (only in Japan, for the time being) for the 3DS.

The game in question: Namco-Bandai's Disney Magic Castle: My Happy Life, which will hit Japanese store shelves on July 11.

Based on the trailer below, Disney Magic Castle: My Happy Life appears to include elements of both Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon--with a bit of Fantasy Life's battles thrown in for good measure.



Oh, and according to tinycartridge.com, the game will feature over 80 Disney characters more than 1,000 collectible items. (Click on the link above if you'd like to catch a glimpse of the Disney Magic Castle: My Happy Life-branded 3DS LL that also will be released on July 11.)

After watching the trailer above, are any of you curious about this title, too, or am I alone this time around?

(Via NeoGAF)

The Great Gaymathon Review #63: Animal Crossing (GameCube)

Game: Animal Crossing

Genre: Life Simulation

Developer: Nintendo

Publisher: Nintendo

System: GameCube

Release date: 2002

Given how much time I've put into the first--the first to be released in North America, anyway--Animal Crossing title, you'd think I would've reviewed it by now. One of the main reasons for this inexplicable delay: I wasn't at all sure how to explain to readers why I adore this "life simulation" as much as I do. In part, that's because I probably shouldn't adore, or even enjoy, this "game"--which basically consists of having players run errands (usually in the form of fetching or delivering packages) for their anthropomorphic animal neighbors and otherwise busy themselves.

Sounds boring, right? Well, it isn't--or at least most of it isn't. Yes, the fetching and delivering of packages can be trying, but even that aspect has some appeal thanks to the game's brilliantly witty (and snarky!) dialogue. Where Animal Crossing really shines, though, is in those "other" activities that are made available to players. Among them: catching insects and fish, digging up fossils, decorating your house, designing clothes, planting flowers and even playing classic NES games.

(All of these endeavors are accomplished in real time, by the way, thanks to the fact that the game is synched with the GameCube's internal clock and calendar. In practice, that means that if you decide to boot it up at, say, 8 am on Friday, Jan. 11, it will be the same day and time when you arrive in your Animal Crossing town. Also, the game's environment reflects the time of day and the time of year--so, it gets dark at night, it snows in winter and cherry blossoms appear on trees in the spring.)

None of the above-mentioned tasks are particularly deep or involved, nor do they take much time to complete, but all are implemented in such a way that, when tackled, feel fun rather than tedious.

That's not to say there's nothing about Animal Crossing that's, well, a bit of a chore. For instance, writing letters to your furry neighbors is OK at first--until you come to the realization that they respond negatively to 95 percent of what you write. Likewise, picking weeds in your artificial town--especially after you've spent some time away from the game--is just as thrilling (or not) as it is in real life.

Thankfully, you don't have to send letters to your neighbors, nor do you have to run errands for them or talk to them or otherwise acknowledge their existence. Sure, it may cause a few of them to move out in a huff, but that's about the worst that'll happen to you if you neglect them. You also don't have to pluck weeds or plant flowers or catch fish if you're not so inclined. In other words, it's quite literally up to you to create your own experience while playing this adorably and lovingly crafted "life sim."

Does that mean everyone can or will enjoy Animal Crossing? Of course not. Some are likely to find the lack of action and direction and goals to be completely bewildering, if not downright off-putting. Others are sure to dislike the game's aesthetics, which are bright and cute but also more than a bit rough at times. (It doesn't help that this is basically a Nintendo 64 title ported to the GameCube.) Even the soundtrack, masterfully directed (in my opinion, of course) by Kazumi Totaka, is sure to earn its share of detractors thanks to its rather subdued, subtle nature.

Oh, and then there's the fact that playing this game is a fairly solitary experience--as in, you won't be wirelessly visiting the towns of family and friends as you could if you played follow-ups Wild World (for DS), City Folk (for Wii) or New Leaf (for 3DS) instead. Personally, I'm OK with that, as for me Animal Crossing is about me interacting with my cat, dog, fox and horse buds rather than any human ones.

Should you not consider any of the above-mentioned quibbles to be deal-breakers, though, and should you be longing to escape real life and experience a second one on the proverbial small screen, you'll probably find this iteration of Animal Crossing to be a suitably entrancing diversion.

See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' reviews