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Animal Crossing New Leaf took over my 3DS

S

SolidChamp

Banned
This was perhaps the absolute best, and worst, digital purchase I've ever made. I had to buy it digitally because I live abroad in Asia, and I would have imported it but I figured it would be that kind of game that is always nice to go back to from time to time. Since purchasing the game on release day I have dumped close to 300 hours into the game in total, and since that day I've barely touched any other game on my 3DS. Never finished Luigi's Mansion. Never finished A Link Between Worlds. Never finished Professor Layton. Never finished DKCR.

Whenever I'd pick up my 3DS, it'd be to put 30-40 minutes into Animal Crossing. I played it compulsively for months after it's release. I never even really "accomplished" that much with it, either, when you compare my town to the towns of other hardcore hoarders and makeover enthusiasts. Those 30-40 minutes spent casually unwinding in one of the most charming gaming experiences I've ever had...and then I'd put my 3DS down and not bother with any other game.

The thing is, lately, the rare times I feel compelled to pick up my 3DS, I'm immediately telling myself I need to check in on my town because it's been a while. Then I play for 30 minutes, and that's about all the time I'm willing to devote to my 3DS on the whole. The other games collect dust.

I can't not play AC when I pick up my 3DS. It's become an "Animal Crossing machine". I don't know that I'll ever get around to finishing those other games.

AC ruined my 3DS. In a way.
 
My copy is not in my 3DS. I'm pretty sure my town is overrun with weeds and my house full of roaches and half the neighbors have moved out.
 
I played for 8-9 months, couldn't take it anymore after that. My main problem is that some of the villagers I liked left, couldn't keep up my interest.
 
I suggest turning on beautiful town ordinance and then wait till a villager pings you that they are moving and stopping them from moving, afterwhich if you don't play the game for a while no villagers will have left whilst you weren't playing. Kind of the best way to take a break from the game and have no changes to your village when you return.
 
Woah, 300 hours? I think I put in over 100 or 150 and then got bored as I was just filling out my catalogue and waiting for seasons to change to catch different bugs and fish. I had about 60%-75% of the museum filled up and had my house paid off completely.

Actually, reading this makes me want to go back. I haven't played since a few months after the game came out.
 
I was addicted to it for a week, and it's a great game, but I am really getting sick of all of these simulation kind of games putting you in charge of running entire towns and shit. New Leaf, Rune Factory 4, Harvest Moon: A New Beginning, etc.

I just wanna run my life, not the lives of others and an entire town, just gimme my house and farm and lemme gooooooooo, thanks.
 
Samurai_Heart said:
I suggest turning on beautiful town ordinance and then wait till a villager pings you that they are moving and stopping them from moving, afterwhich if you don't play the game for a while no villagers will have left whilst you weren't playing. Kind of the best way to take a break from the game and have no changes to your village when you return.
Click to expand...

I honestly haven't made it that far with the unlocking stuff to get it lol

One day I'll go back and try to get it. One day.
 
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I still play it occasionally with my girlfriend from time to time. Always surprised to see new neighbors since every single one moves away by me not playing anymore, lol.
 
This is a nice problem to have with handhelds. For ages there my 3DS was essentially the same; I'd boot it up just to play Animal Crossing even if I was originally going to play something else! Before that, it was Tetris Party via DSiWare of all things.

My Vita is currently nothing but a Spelunky machine.
 
Since the time I played due to work made it impossible to do the Beautiful Town ordinance, it made me have to play the game for 1-1.5 hour stretches to get anything done due to the idiotic "don't trigger my I'm leaving speech that has a 10% chance of happening and I'm gone" mechanic.

Got turned off to the game after that.
 
Buying AC digital is the best. Since I just pop into my town every day or so for 5 minutes it's made the game a much better experience for me.
 
Just put the Beauty Ordinance, that will help alleviate the urge to check on your town.

I pretty much ended my mission of making a Shark-Themed bathroom, once that was done I only check my town every few days.
 
I have about 300 hours in the game too and its by far my most played game. Made the right decision to get it digitally because it makes it so easy to check in your town real quick without the hassle of getting the cartridge. For the first time ever I have managed to pay off my home, completed my bug and fish encyclopedias, collected all the golden tools, and I am about three art pieces away from finishing my museum. I still need to put in time to customizing my town. I have about 1/3 of the town fixed up and looking nice, just need to finish the rest!
 
Looking at your avatar and then your post, I suppose it's a good thing there was no Animal Crossing game made for the Virtual Boy. Your eyes would never be the same.
 
I get in moods where I play it everyday for about a month then I move on. The game is great for relaxing and unwinding but I only get addicted to it in short bursts.
 
Yes. Yes! I'm with you, OP. I kicked it about a month ago after almost 750 hours. I played it on a Pikachu XL that has since become so creaky and its circle pad is at the point of breaking that I had to move on to another XL.

But you know why I kicked it? Because the longer I go without AC, the more enjoyable it'll be to play the next one. I will be ready.
 
SolidChamp said:
It's become an "Animal Crossing machine".
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I call my 3DS, haha.

I love New Leaf and I still play it occasionally. The Beautiful Town ordinance was an excellent addition to the game since my town isn't completely destroyed every time I get the urge to go back.
 
SolidChamp said:
This was perhaps the absolute best, and worst, digital purchase I've ever made. I had to buy it digitally because I live abroad in Asia, and I would have imported it but I figured it would be that kind of game that is always nice to go back to from time to time. Since purchasing the game on release day I have dumped close to 300 hours into the game in total, and since that day I've barely touched any other game on my 3DS. Never finished Luigi's Mansion. Never finished A Link Between Worlds. Never finished Professor Layton. Never finished DKCR.

Whenever I'd pick up my 3DS, it'd be to put 30-40 minutes into Animal Crossing. I played it compulsively for months after it's release. I never even really "accomplished" that much with it, either, when you compare my town to the towns of other hardcore hoarders and makeover enthusiasts. Those 30-40 minutes spent casually unwinding in one of the most charming gaming experiences I've ever had...and then I'd put my 3DS down and not bother with any other game.

The thing is, lately, the rare times I feel compelled to pick up my 3DS, I'm immediately telling myself I need to check in on my town because it's been a while. Then I play for 30 minutes, and that's about all the time I'm willing to devote to my 3DS on the whole. The other games collect dust.

I can't not play AC when I pick up my 3DS. It's become an "Animal Crossing machine". I don't know that I'll ever get around to finishing those other games.

AC ruined my 3DS. In a way.
Click to expand...

I am in pretty much the same situation. Not the same amount of hours or anything, but definitely similar pattern. I have been chipping away at Pokemon X and LoZ Albw, but no where near as much as AC.

Actually, this habit probably limits my play time with my PS Vita as well (that platform lacks the same "must play each day" title).
 
I spent an unspeakable amount of time with New Leaf. I played it for a little more than a year straight. I couldn't take it anymore and retired my copy. Loved every second of it, but I went over board on it. I'm too afaird of opening it up again, since it's been so long. I just know one of my animals have moved out by now. I love them all so much too , so whatever one it is would break my heart.It's the best Animal Crossing game that is for sure.
 
lol, I know that feeling. I've gotten to the point that I have to play the game every single day, I'd quit, but I can't deal with the idea of either Marshal or Pecan moving away. D:
 
Wow, reading these comments I'm glad I never got to play AC. Do villagers really emotionally blackmail you into checking into the game all the time? D:

That reminds me of that AC blog I once read, written as if he was being held capture.
 
I love the game but I recently quit it and got super bitter because all my favorite villagers move out and never tell me.

I honestly don't miss it. It was fun but 16 months of playing every day and almost 400 hours put in, it's time for a change.
 
New Leaf is amazing at never leaving my system. Even with Smash Bros. out, I still have to play my hour or so otherwise my day feels incomplete. Also, last time I took a break I lost one of my villagers, so I don't want to risk it again.

The only regret was not buying it digital. Having to carry my New Leaf case on my bag is kinda annoying since I always switch to Smash when I'm down with it for the day.
 
I'd love to see the Wii U version borrow some ideas from other games like Fantasy Life, so that after a while there's some more gamey things to work toward, rather than just relying on collectionism and perfectionism.
 
There was a period of time between November and December of last year where my computer died and no good TV was on. So I picked up New Leaf on a Black Friday sale for around $25. I came in for an occasional time waster and the game basically took over my life for a good month during and slightly after my Christmas break. To say I got emotionally attached to my village would be an understatement. I couldn't sleep, or eat because I was worried that one of my villagers would move out or if there was a rare bug I needed to catch. Moral of the story is make sure you go to the tropical island after 7 because that's where the most valuable bugs are at.
 
I love the game, but villagers moving out (and new ones moving in wherever they damn well please, including where I was planning to build nice projects) made the game more of a chore than fun to me near the end, once I had gotten most of the stuff I wanted for my house and had villagers I liked. Once the game becomes about maintenance, not progress, it's a little less enjoyable for me....going to the island to catch bugs every night was pretty tiring. I love the game though and will defiantly buy a Wii U version. I hope they let you choose where houses can be built though....especially now you're the mayor.
 
It's sort of pathetic, but I found it really disheartening when I lost Flurry. Just flicked through the villager list a bit and there are an INSANE amount of animals/species I didn't even know were in the game.

I think cycling through villagers keeps the game fresh, but losing that one special one you're so fond of really is a downer. I like trying to keep a few "OG" villagers around and then allowing others to move in and out.

I'm also really miffed/baffled by the fact that they never released any substantial add-on content that expands upon the town. I would have happily paid $15 for some meaty content.

I also have a Vita and 30 games for it (compliments of PS+ and the insane number of discounted titles I was interested in), which I got after my XL. Having two handhelds is a bad idea for me. I always end up focusing on one or neither. It's almost like they cancel each other out.

The next time I pick up my XL, you can be sure it'll be with total disregard for all of the other games I have. Until I got AC I was doing just fine. Plowed through Paper Mario Sticker Star (which I kind of liked), Mario Kart, SM 3D Land and NSMB2, got about halfway through Luigi's mansion, 1/3 of the way through Layton...I was playing those games, damnit.

Then AC happened. I remember it dropped just before my 2 week trip to NYC (first time there, too). I didn't even mess with the in-game clock when I passed through a multitude of time zones, I didn't want to change anything. My daily AC routine was part of my NYC experience.

I do not own a 3DS XL...Animal Crossing New Leaf owns my 3DS XL.
 
I stopped playing for so long that I'm afraid what my townspeople will say.

And the roaches.

And the weeds.

Yeah, I'm just going to keep playing Smash Bros.
 
I was hooked on this for such a long time. I still play it, but not everyday now. I'm nearing the 2500 hour mark. Such a great game.
When I play now, I don't really do much in the game itself. The only animals I will talk to anymore are the ones I don't want to move and if I have time I will write some of them a quick letter, but at this point I think I have seen every kind of response they all send back. The main reason I play anymore is to keep up with people I've met through it (the few who still play) since we can't stay in touch through Swapnote anymore. I've had so much fun with the game and have over 3gb worth of screenshots.
 
colon said:
I was hooked on this for such a long time. I still play it, but not everyday now. I'm nearing the 2500 hour mark. Such a great game.
When I play now, I don't really do much in the game itself. The only animals I will talk to anymore are the ones I don't want to move and if I have time I will write some of them a quick letter, but at this point I think I have seen every kind of response they all send back. The main reason I play anymore is to keep up with people I've met through it (the few who still play) since we can't stay in touch through Swapnote anymore. I've had so much fun with the game and have over 3gb worth of screenshots.
Click to expand...

what....

please explain how there is so much content in the game?

I've just started, I've walked around town a bit, I'm supposed to save up for a house or something like that, so I got a shovel and a net... that's about all I've done so far :p will get back to it at some point.
 
What the heck I just checked my 3DS' activity log and apparently I already logged in 107+ hours in AC New Leaf. Derrrrrrr I did not expect that. Time just flies !
 
SolidChamp said:
It's sort of pathetic, but I found it really disheartening when I lost Flurry. Just flicked through the villager list a bit and there are an INSANE amount of animals/species I didn't even know were in the game.

I think cycling through villagers keeps the game fresh, but losing that one special one you're so fond of really is a downer. I like trying to keep a few "OG" villagers around and then allowing others to move in and out.

I'm also really miffed/baffled by the fact that they never released any substantial add-on content that expands upon the town. I would have happily paid $15 for some meaty content.

I also have a Vita and 30 games for it (compliments of PS+ and the insane number of discounted titles I was interested in), which I got after my XL. Having two handhelds is a bad idea for me. I always end up focusing on one or neither. It's almost like they cancel each other out.

The next time I pick up my XL, you can be sure it'll be with total disregard for all of the other games I have. Until I got AC I was doing just fine. Plowed through Paper Mario Sticker Star (which I kind of liked), Mario Kart, SM 3D Land and NSMB2, got about halfway through Luigi's mansion, 1/3 of the way through Layton...I was playing those games, damnit.

Then AC happened. I remember it dropped just before my 2 week trip to NYC (first time there, too). I didn't even mess with the in-game clock when I passed through a multitude of time zones, I didn't want to change anything. My daily AC routine was part of my NYC experience.

I do not own a 3DS XL...Animal Crossing New Leaf owns my 3DS XL.
Click to expand...

actually having two or more consoles of any kind is probably overkill... (I have all but the xbone)... I work 6 days so im always busy, right now im playing driveclub so fire emblem and animal crossing is collecting dust... I mean I've already limited myself to buying one new game a month at the most so I don't know how much more I can do.

I think the best thing is to have a PC + 1 home console + 1 handheld at the most.
 
I'm around 90 hours into it. I think when I hit 100 hours I'll move on to something else, like Tomadachi Life. I only have one original villager left anyways.

I can't believe Kid Cat left me while I was away : (
 
If I wanted to grind out gold badges in all the things you can do pretty much solo it would take me hundreds more hours. Grinding fish, bugs, and deep sea catches to gold alone is probably another few hundred hours. Doing minigames on the island over and over for medals for that badge is dozens more hours. Going through dream towns and refurbing enough items etc. If you want to spend the time to make your badge page pretty and gold you could easily spend a few thousand hours doing it. I'm at about 380 and I've only got maybe 6 or 8 gold badges. I am one fish catch away from a 100% museum though. Then I will be truly done I think.

Plus there is doing all this fun stuff with friends, decorating your town, growing flowers and fruit, etc. It took me months but I got two of every hybrid flower in the game. It was fun checking my town every morning to see what had grown.
 
I played it for review back when it came out, then continued playing for about two weeks past that and haven't really played since.

I kept trying to pop it open to do a little this or that, but every time I was stricken with complete boredom within minutes. Animal Crossing is just a compulsive obsession for a few weeks, after which it just seems to have nothing to continue offering me.
 
You know kids this is actually a real problem. I remember I had lot of neat 3DS games I wanted to play and when I got New Leaf I played none of 'em. By the time I slowed down with New Leaf Smash came out.
 
I love Animal Crossing but certain things about New Leaf keep putting me off, like when someone moves into town and puts his house RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOURS. The other thing that bothers me is when villagers you like and pay attention to move out, whereas villagers you have been ignoring and beating over the head with the bug net everyday continue to stay.
 
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