Oh... Animal Crossing: Wild World.....
Now, I enjoy it, although I do find it as pointless as The Sims and other games of its kind.
But for about an hour the other night we all played for about an hour, sitting on the floor, DS to DS connecting and playing in each other’s towns.
In Animal Crossing, the best of all the capitalism simulations, you buy houses, collect furniture, make friends with woodland creatures, and watch the small business in your town turn into wal*mart proportions. While running around shaking my friends’ fruit trees and seeing what new clothes they had at the clothes store, I am reminded of my childhood.
I am reminded of playing house with my friends. Dressing up in aprons, talking about our imaginary animal friends, generally doing similar things that this little virtual world has laid out for us.
And I smile because my actions haven’t changed, only the medium I am doing them thru. I smile because maybe I’m not as grown up as I thought. Maybe I can live in that world where I can play with my friends a little longer. Thru Animal Crossing, going to dinner, or just sitting and talking into all hours of the night.
I used to play with my Dad too, but that 's not really something that so much supports my thesis, as much as it tells how addictive the little game could be.
Well, I’m off to shake trees. Nookingtons’ is closing soon.
