Nintendo fans are no strangers to the world of Animal Crossing. The popular console game has sold over 30 million units since its release in 2001.
If you are unfamiliar with the concept, here is a summary:
Although the premise may sound like a children’s game, it is very popular among adult players. The player takes the form of a human character that lives in a village with anthropomorphic animals. You spend your time in the village doing various activities, like fishing, collecting insects and looking for discarded items. You can sell some of the items you find, donate them to places like the village museum, and buy new items you like. You can help to develop your village, use items to decorate your house and interact with the animals (characters) living in your town.
The game has grown to include various versions. In Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer you get to design the homes of your fellow residents, while in the Pocket Camp app you are the managers of a camp. As the campsite manager you can build the camp, create activities and attract visitors to your camp.
One of the major appeals of the game is the passage of time. The game uses an internal clock, equal to real-time, to ensure that when you are playing, your village is experiencing the same time of the day and season as you are. Certain things also depend on the laps of time. For example, a tree needs a certain period of time to pass for it to grow.
After Nintendo’s success with the app for Super Mario Run, it makes sense that they would be bringing out more mobile versions for their most popular games.
So far, the Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp app seems to be proving successful. In its first 6 days on Android and iOS, it already had 15 million downloads. The app features the same well-known animal characters from the traditional games and has a very familiar feel. The game is very easy to play on your smartphone, and if you switch off the in-app purchases, it is also suitable for kids.
Similar to the console games, the Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp app also allows you to interact with fellow gamers. You might meet them in your camp where you can befriend them and even go to visit their camps.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is available for free on Android and iOS.
