Animal Crossing: Wild World is a social simulation game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld console. It first launched in Japan on November 23, 2005, followed by releases in North America on December 5, 2005, Australia on December 8, 2005, and Europe on March 31, 2006.
In the game, players take on the role of a new resident in a village inhabited by anthropomorphic animals. They can engage in various activities such as collecting items, gardening, fishing, and bug catching. The game uses a real-time system synced with the console’s clock and calendar, so in-game events shift based on real-world time and seasons—for example, different seasons bring unique festivals and activities, letting players enjoy gameplay aligned with real life.
As the first entry in the series with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection support, it let players visit others’ villages online to interact and socialize, though this service was discontinued in May 2014.
Upon release, the game earned widespread critical acclaim, scoring 86/100 on both Metacritic and GameRankings. As of March 31, 2016, it had sold 11.75 million copies worldwide, making it the ninth best-selling Nintendo DS game.
In October 2016, it was re-released on the Wii U Virtual Console, letting players revisit this classic title.
