February 26, 2002 - With no more US game releases on the horizon, it's a sad fact for N64 fans that some of the most interesting titles for the platform will never come out over here. Treasure's Sin & Punishment comes to mind -- a shooter that's not only good, but also very "US-friendly" because of its impressive graphical effects and non-stop action. Seeing sales of some of the lone N64 releases like Tony Hawk 2 and thinking back at Donkey Kong's successful romp on the late SNES, it's rather perplexing to see Nintendo drop the system like it's a hot, radioactive coal. Perhaps Nintendo needed all its marketing dollars for GameCube, or perhaps the harsh profit margins of its own cart-based console were just not appealing anymore -- whatever the reasons, don't count on ever seeing another new N64 game again. It's ironic, too, since even the 12-year-old SNES is still enjoying a relatively active install base when compared to N64.
Luckily, there are still some quality import titles for N64 that never came out over here -- and you can pick up most of them for very low prices. One such game is Animal Forest, a Japan-only communication adventure that has already seen a semi-sequel on GameCube. The latter version's future is still unsure, but it's possible that at least Animal Forest + will one day be released in the western market. But if you want to play the game that started it all, then the N64 game is the one to get.
Gameplay
Animal Forest is best described as a mixture between Harvest Moon and a classic game compilation -- an every-day life adventure set in a whimsical fantasy world. Everything starts off on a train where you are introduced to the first of many animal characters that populate the village you are about to move into. Upon hearing that you don't have a place to stay yet, your new-found friend calls a buddy of his from the train to ensure that you will have a roof over your head the moment you arrive. And sure enough, the train pulls into the station and a bipedal Tanuki (presumably to be called Tom Nook if the GameCube sequel every arrives in the US) welcomes you to... well, whatever you decided to name your own personal town on a disc. (In case you're new to Japanese fauna, a Tanuki is an animal found in Japan's forests. Although it looks like a mixture between a raccoon and a badger, it's more familiar to the Japanese in the form of its fairy tale counterpart, a hat-wearing creature that likes to drink Sake and plays tricks on people. But don't worry, Animal Forest's Tanuki is a very trustworthy fellow � not to mention helpful). The Tanuki then offers you to buy one of four houses. Since you don't have much cash but look honest and needy, he loans you the money with the understanding that you pay him back and help out in his shop.
Thus starts an open-ended adventure � or rather non-adventure � in a sleepy little forest community populated by talking animals. This game is not about exploring sprawling levels or pushing about blocks to open up doors. Animal Forest lets you become part of a quiet little community, with all its relationships, daily chores, tons of collectible stuff, and occasional excitements. As a matter of fact, some of the things you can do in Animal Forest wouldn't be considered fun at all were they to take place in real life. But that's the beauty of the game. You don't have to do them. Don't want to be nice to the talking duck and help him find his lost glasses? Fine, don't do it. Not interested in catching fish? Sell your fishing rod and never use it again. Or better yet, sell it to your little brother.
Animal Forest takes a hint from Nintendo's own Pok�mon games and stresses communication both inside and outside of the game. A family member who plays the game when you're not home enriches the gameplay experience as much as a friend who owns another copy of Animal Forest. If you haven't figured it out yet, Animal Forest offers successive multiplayer gameplay. Up to four players can share one cartridge and live in the same town. When player #1 is playing, he or she can check out the other players' houses, send them letters or gifts, or leave them messages on a bulletin board. This creates an interesting dynamic that makes it feel like you're living in a village with real people. It's really a perfect game for families as the parents can hide treasures and leave tips for their kids on how to find them. Siblings on the other hand will enjoy the rivalry of what items they have collected and how they can tease their brother or sister by setting traps and the like. But that's not all. You can also link up with players who are enjoying the game on their own cartridge. By going to a train station, you can depart your village and save to Memory Pak. Load the Memory Pak from your buddy's Animal Forest cart, and you can visit a completely different village, with different trees, animals, and items. For example, your village may be limited to apple trees. Bring back a pear from your friend's village and plant it to grow pear trees (and pears) in your own town. Any fruit not indigenous to your village will fetch a higher market value when sold. Sounds a little bit like the old "gotta catch'em all" idea behind Pokemon, doesn't it?
Well, there are more similarities to Nintendo's most popular franchise. Like Pok�mon Gold/Silver, Animal Forest is on a real-time clock. The sun sets when the sun's supposed to set. The town's convenience store closes in the evenings. Animals sleep at night. And every hour, a clocktower lets you know what time it is. But Animal Forest takes the concept of real time even further: the game also knows what date and year it is. This data is used to synch gameplay events to actual goings-on in the real world. For example, if you play Animal Forest in December, the village you live in will be all wrapped up in Holiday preparations. Play Animal Forest in Spring, and the inhabitants of the forest will gather underneath the blossoming trees for some Japanese-style Hanami (Flower Viewing) celebrations. Summer means thunder storms, fireworks, and lots of bugs, such as noisy cicadas, large buzzing beetles and beautiful butterflies. So unless you live on some tropical island (you bastard) or in Australia, the seasons and weather patterns should roughly match what's going on outside your house.
Animal Forest is not a game you are supposed to play and finish in one sitting. You're not even supposed to play it for a long time every day. This game is designed from the ground up to sit next to your console for months to come, enticing you to pop it into your Nintendo 64 and check out what's new in the forest. The more you play Animal Forest, the more you realize that this game is deeper than you may have thought. There are different layers of gameplay, some of which may be forever hidden from the player. At the very heart of the game is a sense that adventure can be found in your very own backyard. You don't need to travel to far-away lands and rescue a princess. The game definitely seeks to teach players that doing everyday things can be fun and interesting, too. And nature and communication are at the center of it all. You make friends with the animals in your village, help them run chores, send them letters, collect fish, bugs, and fruit and sell them for money, pay off and upgrade your house, fill it with furniture, take part in a monthly raffle, celebrate Japanese holidays, buy clothes, cut down and plant trees, and so on. Then there are the hidden Famicom (NES) classics. If you manage to get your hands on Famicom consoles, you can play emulated NES games like Donkey Kong or Baseball within Animal Forest. And the game even keeps track and saves your records.
Gameplay
Animal Forest is best described as a mixture between Harvest Moon and a classic game compilation -- an every-day life adventure set in a whimsical fantasy world. Everything starts off on a train where you are introduced to the first of many animal characters that populate the village you are about to move into. Upon hearing that you don't have a place to stay yet, your new-found friend calls a buddy of his from the train to ensure that you will have a roof over your head the moment you arrive. And sure enough, the train pulls into the station and a bipedal Tanuki (presumably to be called Tom Nook if the GameCube sequel every arrives in the US) welcomes you to... well, whatever you decided to name your own personal town on a disc. (In case you're new to Japanese fauna, a Tanuki is an animal found in Japan's forests. Although it looks like a mixture between a raccoon and a badger, it's more familiar to the Japanese in the form of its fairy tale counterpart, a hat-wearing creature that likes to drink Sake and plays tricks on people. But don't worry, Animal Forest's Tanuki is a very trustworthy fellow � not to mention helpful). The Tanuki then offers you to buy one of four houses. Since you don't have much cash but look honest and needy, he loans you the money with the understanding that you pay him back and help out in his shop.
Thus starts an open-ended adventure � or rather non-adventure � in a sleepy little forest community populated by talking animals. This game is not about exploring sprawling levels or pushing about blocks to open up doors. Animal Forest lets you become part of a quiet little community, with all its relationships, daily chores, tons of collectible stuff, and occasional excitements. As a matter of fact, some of the things you can do in Animal Forest wouldn't be considered fun at all were they to take place in real life. But that's the beauty of the game. You don't have to do them. Don't want to be nice to the talking duck and help him find his lost glasses? Fine, don't do it. Not interested in catching fish? Sell your fishing rod and never use it again. Or better yet, sell it to your little brother.
Animal Forest takes a hint from Nintendo's own Pok�mon games and stresses communication both inside and outside of the game. A family member who plays the game when you're not home enriches the gameplay experience as much as a friend who owns another copy of Animal Forest. If you haven't figured it out yet, Animal Forest offers successive multiplayer gameplay. Up to four players can share one cartridge and live in the same town. When player #1 is playing, he or she can check out the other players' houses, send them letters or gifts, or leave them messages on a bulletin board. This creates an interesting dynamic that makes it feel like you're living in a village with real people. It's really a perfect game for families as the parents can hide treasures and leave tips for their kids on how to find them. Siblings on the other hand will enjoy the rivalry of what items they have collected and how they can tease their brother or sister by setting traps and the like. But that's not all. You can also link up with players who are enjoying the game on their own cartridge. By going to a train station, you can depart your village and save to Memory Pak. Load the Memory Pak from your buddy's Animal Forest cart, and you can visit a completely different village, with different trees, animals, and items. For example, your village may be limited to apple trees. Bring back a pear from your friend's village and plant it to grow pear trees (and pears) in your own town. Any fruit not indigenous to your village will fetch a higher market value when sold. Sounds a little bit like the old "gotta catch'em all" idea behind Pokemon, doesn't it?
Well, there are more similarities to Nintendo's most popular franchise. Like Pok�mon Gold/Silver, Animal Forest is on a real-time clock. The sun sets when the sun's supposed to set. The town's convenience store closes in the evenings. Animals sleep at night. And every hour, a clocktower lets you know what time it is. But Animal Forest takes the concept of real time even further: the game also knows what date and year it is. This data is used to synch gameplay events to actual goings-on in the real world. For example, if you play Animal Forest in December, the village you live in will be all wrapped up in Holiday preparations. Play Animal Forest in Spring, and the inhabitants of the forest will gather underneath the blossoming trees for some Japanese-style Hanami (Flower Viewing) celebrations. Summer means thunder storms, fireworks, and lots of bugs, such as noisy cicadas, large buzzing beetles and beautiful butterflies. So unless you live on some tropical island (you bastard) or in Australia, the seasons and weather patterns should roughly match what's going on outside your house.
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Animal Forest is not a game you are supposed to play and finish in one sitting. You're not even supposed to play it for a long time every day. This game is designed from the ground up to sit next to your console for months to come, enticing you to pop it into your Nintendo 64 and check out what's new in the forest. The more you play Animal Forest, the more you realize that this game is deeper than you may have thought. There are different layers of gameplay, some of which may be forever hidden from the player. At the very heart of the game is a sense that adventure can be found in your very own backyard. You don't need to travel to far-away lands and rescue a princess. The game definitely seeks to teach players that doing everyday things can be fun and interesting, too. And nature and communication are at the center of it all. You make friends with the animals in your village, help them run chores, send them letters, collect fish, bugs, and fruit and sell them for money, pay off and upgrade your house, fill it with furniture, take part in a monthly raffle, celebrate Japanese holidays, buy clothes, cut down and plant trees, and so on. Then there are the hidden Famicom (NES) classics. If you manage to get your hands on Famicom consoles, you can play emulated NES games like Donkey Kong or Baseball within Animal Forest. And the game even keeps track and saves your records.
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