Day 2: Note in a Bottle

I started out my day by collecting a bunch of oranges (my town fruit) and selling them at Nook’s Cranny. I quickly discovered that I’m not a fan of how you sell items in this game. Instead of just clicking on an item, you drag each item to a separate area on-screen. It may not be a huge deal, but it is more time-consuming than it should be. Update: Sir Clud has informed me that I can press Y to select multiple items. I’ll give it a try tomorrow.

Selling items at Nook's Cranny.

Anyway, I used my newfound money to buy a fishing rod and a curious thing called a note in a bottle.

Tom Nook: Why, yes, that would be a note in a bottle. It sells for 200 bells.

It allows me to write a letter, put it into the bottle, and send it out into the ocean. Tom Nook says the letter might wash up on the shores of someone else’s town! I imagine this feature is no longer active since this Virtual Console version has no wireless/online connectivity, but the note in a bottle sounds like an interesting feature regardless!

I spotted Crazy Redd’s tent in town, but he wouldn’t let me enter because I didn’t know the password. Fortunately, it didn’t take me long to find it, since Chevre was so eager to help me out! She said the password was “shop here again.” She’s becoming a very goat friend of mine.

Chevre, telling me Redd's password: "Shop here again"... Got all that, la baa? Good. Keep it to yourself!
Sure thing! It’s not like I’ll post it on the internet or anything!

Armed with the password, Crazy Redd let me in. But he wouldn’t let me buy anything! I later found out it’s because I didn’t have enough money to purchase a membership. But more on that later.

I used my fishing rod to do some fishing in the river. I caught a carp and a barbel steed, which I donated to the museum. An old tire also ended up in my hands, and I gave it to Tom Nook when I was selling stuff. I should have mailed it to Yuka, but I didn’t think of it at the time!

I caught a tire! Is this from Gracie's car!?

When I did meet up with Yuka, she gave me a quiz. She asked how I would greet a lovely rose. The options were “Hi there,” “you smell good?,” and “lost weight?” I picked “hi there,” and that was apparently wrong somehow. Despite the fact that she previously said there were no right and wrong answers. Wow, what a rude blue koala.

Yuka: Interesting... There are no right or wrong answers in the path to self-discoYuka: You should spend less time yapping and more time listening!

I spotted a new house in town, and it belonged to Pate the duck! She is Forest’s 4th animal villager. Welcome to town, Pate!

Pate: Jeff? Aha! I knew it! I knew you'd have a cool name! I'm Pate!

It was time for me to try out my note in a bottle. I wrote a letter and released it into the sea. I hope they send help soon.

Dear Some Stranger, Any koala exterminators out there? I have a Yuka problem here in forest. Please send help. -From Jeff

After Yuka had an argument with Alfonso, I spoke with the koala to try to cheer her up (ha, yeah right). She took out her frustrations out on me. As always. I can’t wait to get a shovel and some pitfall seeds for this horrible creature.

Yuka: You know what your problem is? You're so stuffy! You're like my grandma's basement!

While in Able Sisters, I was surprised by something Mabel said. She gave me the option to sell clothes! That option isn’t in the other games. I’m not sure how useful it is, especially since Able Sisters is right next to Nook’s shop, but it is interesting.

Mabel has an option to sell things in Animal Crossing: Wild World.

I continued selling oranges, eventually earning enough money to buy a Crazy Redd membership for 3,000 bells. After that, I scrounged up enough money to buy Redd’s dainty painting for 3,920 additional bells.

Redd: Ah! I see you've noticed the dainty painting! That's a very nice item!

I took it up to the museum to donate it, but Blathers quickly shattered my dreams. The painting was a counterfeit! All that fruit-picking for nothing! I should burn Redd’s tent to the ground. Maybe after throwing Yuka inside.

Blathers: Hoo now? This painting... Upon closer inspection, it is a COUNTERFEIT!After that, I was done playing for the day. I’ll be back with more soon! In the meantime, here is a video showing many of today’s events:

If you’re interested, please check out my brand new Disney Magical World 2 Blog! And have a good weekend! 🙂

Day 1: Getting Started

Hello, and welcome to my new Animal Crossing: Wild World Blog! I’m Jeff, and you may know me as jvgsjeff on Youtube. I also run blogs for New Leaf, Happy Home Designer, and other games.

Animal Crossing: Wild World just became available on the American Wii U eShop today. Even though I have briefly played Wild World before, I never owned the game myself. So I’ll be starting up my own town for the very first time! Let’s get going!

The game starts up with me in Kapp’n’s taxi, on my way to my town of Forest.

Kapp'n, driving a taxi: Yar... Jeff, is it?

After answering a few of his questions, I arrive in Forest and automatically head into town hall. Pelly greets me and tells me about where I’ll be living. She gives me a map, which I used to find my house. After checking out my house, Tom Nook appears to tell me that I owe him 19,800 bells for the house. Putting me deep into debt makes him proud of himself; he’s so gleeful that he’s got flowers coming out of his nose.

Tom Nook: Well, the total comes to... a mere 19,800 bells!

He lets me work off some of my debt by becoming his slave employee at Nook’s Cranny. So I put on my new work uniform and planted some trees and flowers like he asked me. He then told me to take a break and introduce myself to the town residents. Even though the map lists the villagers, I hadn’t even paid attention to it. But there’s no avoiding it now. Just a few feet away, I saw it. Yes, it.

Yuka: Your name is Jeff? OK, noted, Jeff! Bring me a present!
I don’t feel so good.

It was Yuka! This is not a good sign. I’ve always hated Yuka. She annoyed me for many years in the GameCube game, and then she was one of my starting villagers in New Leaf too! I am now determined to make her life as miserable as possible until I can kick her blue butt out of town.

My other two villagers aren’t as bad. Chevre is nice and Alfonso is okay. Not exactly my favorites, but they’ll do. By the way, here is a look at Forest’s map. My house is on the side of the river opposite…everything else, really. I’m not a big fan of the town layout, but it’s home.

Forest town map. Animal Crossing: Wild World.

I continued with Tom Nook’s chores, delivering items and even writing a letter to my most-hated blue koala.

Dear Yucky Yuka, Come shop at Nook's sale, you horrible blue creature. -From Jeff

Yuka wasn’t very fond of that letter, as you might imagine. She called it terrible, though she did admit she could feel the passion in my words. Darn right. Yuka: The writing was so terrible that I had a hard time reading your letter!

Yuka: Still...I could feel the passion in your words, so it wasn't all bad.

As for the deliveries, Chevre and Alfonso rewarded me with gifts. Chevre gave me an ornate rug, and Alfonso forked over a Mrs. Flamingo.

Chevre: If you don't have any carpet, you can have this ornate rug.

Alfonso: I hope you need a Mrs. Flamingo.
What is that supposed to mean?

Eventually, I finished all my tasks and I was done working for Tom Nook. Free at last!

I'm done with work! Now, I'm FREE!

I then went home to take a look at the items I got from Chevre and Alfonso. This isn’t the most exciting house, but it’s a start. At least my fine-feathered friend here didn’t complain.

My house in Animal Crossing: Wild World.My first day with Wild World was about what I expected. The graphics are very pixelated compared to other Animal Crossing games (including the GameCube game), and it may take a bit to get used to it completely. But other than that, it feels much like the other early Animal Crossing games (particularly City Folk). I’m looking forward to growing my town in the months and years to come.

The Wii U provides several options for how to display both screens of the DS, whether on the TV or on the GamePad. I’m using the “touch screen focus” option, which makes the touch screen large and the top screen small (both are displayed on the TV and the GamePad). You’ll see an example of the following video, which shows my first half hour in Forest.

I did have a tendency to press the ZR button accidentally, just by setting the GamePad on my lap or whatever. That button brings up the Virtual Console menu, but I’ll probably break the habit as I get used to it. It reminds me of starting out City Folk in 2008: Initially, I had trouble moving around because having the pointer on-screen would alter my movement when I would press the A button. But I learned to face the Wii remote away from the TV as I played, and I’m sure I’ll adjust to this as well.

I’ll be back with another entry tomorrow. I hope you’ll follow along with my adventures! 🙂