Sometimes we don't want to pick a fight. Sometimes we don't want to run away, or we don't like the idea of hurting others. Instead, we wish for a peaceful, serene setting where we can just enjoy every moment to its fullest. There are many games that don't involve the smashing of bones, the cracking of skulls, the spurting of blood, and so on. Instead, the world is filled with joy and friends, our aspirations aren't suffocated by heaping piles of flesh or demons trying to drag us into the depths of hell. These games have been renowned for their cheery, happy-go-lucky atmosphere and are just genuinely fun to play for all ages.

Now, there are many series' that achieve exactly this. Be it the Sims series, Harvest Moon, spinoffs such as Rune Factory, or just simple puzzle games. However, there is one game series unlike any other in its execution of this.. and that series is known as Animal Crossing. Its debut on the GameCube was absolutely stellar in the USA, people sinking hours upon hours into such a simple game. Naturally a game like this absolutely must have a sequel, right? Well, you'd be correct. Two, actually. Though they're pretty much just the same game, but on a different platform. You have City Folk on the Wii, and then you have this: Animal Crossing Wild World, for the Nintendo DS.

Graphics: 7/10. Now at first glance it isn't necessarily a very pretty game, and that the graphics differ in quality from it's GameCube prequel, but this is actually caused by the Nintendo DS's rendering. If you upscale it, it might as well be the Wii version at that point. Either way, it was incredibly good for the DS system considering it was an early 3D DS game. While the model detail seems iffy, the textures are fairly decent as well. I've yet to play the Wii version myself, but nevertheless the graphics are still good in comparison to other DS games.

Sound: 9/10. So, personally I didn't think the soundtrack in the GameCube version was very good, but this version is so beautiful. In particular my favorite is probably 1 AM since that's what I heard most of the time for playing it at 1 AM, and the music at The Roost, mostly because the coffee shop scenery mixed with the piano music was something magical. I even used to start my morning off by drinking coffee while listening to the song. Other tunes are usually unlockable ones from K.K. Slider who still does some wonderful performances such as Go K.K. Rider! and K.K. Bossa. Even if it doesn't have a wide variety, the hourly soundtrack is something I listen to using a website that automatically plays them at the right time. How cool is that? It's like Animal Crossing but real life!

Addictiveness: 10/10. Come on, all of you guys know why. All of you know the sheer replayability of this game. And if not, you at least understand how much time you can sink into Harvest Moon. Just translate that to this, and there you go. You can walk around and talk to all the villagers, deliver things for them, bring them over to your house, go digging for fossils, run around shaking trees and accidentally get stung by bees, hit villagers you don't like in the head with a net, hang out at the cafe, decorate your home, fish for.. uh, fish, and things along the lines of that. It may not sound like much, but once you do it you'll understand. This is actually a step ahead of the original Animal Crossing as it includes more features than the original, too.

Story: Blank. SORRY NOTHING

Depth: 8/10. All the stuff I listed above should give you a good idea of it, but what's more is that there's also multiplayer. Yes, if you have any friends with a DS and this game, you can play the game simultaneously and do everything you can above. But you know what they say: Fun is twice as fun with someone to share.

Difficulty: Blank. There's not anything to trouble you here. It's just a simple game about life.

Overall: 9/10. Better than the original Animal Crossing, Animal Crossing Wild World gives you a good idea of how life would be if everything lived in harmony, no dangers (other than bees) or anything to harm you. I often dream of a life like this, even though I know it'll never happen. All in all you can have a wonderful time with this game every day as it is real-time based. Every villager has a schedule and they all want to talk to you, so have fun!