# Does Animal Crossing work better on handheld or home console?



## Klave (Aug 10, 2015)

Although Animal Crossing originated on a home console, New Leaf was overwhelmingly successful and I wonder if the Animal Crossing formula works better on handheld consoles in general.

For handheld consoles, it's easier to just pick up and play for a little bit at a time - to just check up your town. (Local) multiplayer is also a lot better and easier as you can take your console with you and your friends can talk with each other e.g. during island tours.
That portability also favours playing in short bursts at any time of day.

For a home console, those would be a bit more difficult. It would be harder to pick up and play for a bit by nature of home consoles. Also, being able to play with your friends and talk would be difficult because visiting each other's towns would have to be using online multiplayer. So you'd need to be home.

However, home console may suit Animal Crossing but in a different way we haven't seen. Maybe a higher powered console could render larger towns and villagers that look better and with more personality. Our towns could be greater.  Anyone have any other ideas how a home console could improve over handheld?

So what do you think - is Animal Crossing better on a handheld or a home console?


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## cornimer (Aug 10, 2015)

I was just thinking about this last night!  XD

I definitely like AC better on a handheld device.  Wild World was my first AC game, and then when I got City Folk I thought it just didn't work.  With a handheld device, as you said, it is much easier to check up on your town whenever you want.  You can even take it on vacation so that nobody moves out while you were away!  And for me, there's just something about having your town in your hands at the flip of a D.S. switch. I always feel more connected to my towns on handheld devices.

I find home consoles inconvenient.  I can't take it with me when I am out, and even when I am home, is my mom going to let me sit in front of the Wii for two hours?  Nope.  I never feel like going on because I don't want to load up the Wii, and when I do go on it's only for about 20 minutes.  I just can't get into the game on home consoles and end up not caring about my town or villagers at all.


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## creamyy (Aug 10, 2015)

I've only played the game on handheld consoles. It was so much easier with the portability and the ability to be able to play the game without having to get out of bed. My 3ds lives under my pillow because it's the last thing I touch before bed and the first thing when I get up in the morning.
Also, home consoles aren't that great unless you have a TV to yourself, which is something I don't have. My family is not going to let me use the TV to talk to needy villagers, catch fish and bugs and water flowers for at least 2-3 hours. No. Plus, with all my home consoles I have to think about whether or not I would like to play, I then have to turn it on and load up the game and by the time it's done I am so done I don't even want to play or don't even end up playing for that long.


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## Jake (Aug 10, 2015)

the game works a lot better on a handheld because it runs the real time clock and you can take it anywhere but i've still always preferred it on home console


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## hedgimon (Aug 10, 2015)

For me, handheld. I've owned ACGC, ACWW, Let's Go to the City and ACNL and just haven't been able to get as into the home console games as much as the handheld. Probably because I prefer to play it in small stints when convenient to me - half an hour here, ten minutes there etc - but the home console games felt like too much hassle. 
So, yeah. For me it isn't a portability issue (don't really take my DS out with me) but it's still a convenience issue.


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## disneydorky (Aug 10, 2015)

It works far better on a handheld console. My first game was City Folk, and I loved it dearly, I went to my sister's town often. I didn't talk to her much otherwise, as she's much older than me and across the country. Animal Crossing brought us closer for a while. I really enjoyed the Wii speak's use in the game. However, because there's no local multiplayer it doesn't work for a home console. My mom and I had to take turns playing, while the other just sat and watched. The music also drove my dad insane. On a handheld console, I can have my town and play whenever I want to. I still share with my mom, but it works better this way.


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## Celty (Aug 10, 2015)

I've never played Animal Crossing on a home console.  I began playing when New Leaf came out, so it's unimaginable to me that people can play on something other than a handheld console.


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## tealeaps (Aug 10, 2015)

I personally prefer playing Animal Crossing on a handheld device, because you can pick it up whenever you want, even if it's just for a few minutes, which is what I usually do. You can also take it with you, so if you are traveling, you can take your town with you!


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## Akimari (Aug 11, 2015)

Handheld device all the way. I really do want to play the other home console games (GameCube version and CityFolk) but it's hard for me to imagine myself being able to wind down and relax and play the game as I want to play it on a home console. One of the things that I love about the handheld is being able to just open up my 3DS at midnight and do whatever without disturbing anyone. Plus, it's an easy game to play when passing time on a car trip. Playing it on a home console just feels very limited.


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## GurglingT (Aug 11, 2015)

Handheld because they're always with me.


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## RLinksoul (Aug 11, 2015)

Handheld for one particular reason. Where I live the power occasionally goes out for just a second at completely random. I do not want Resetti yelling at me for something completely beyond my control. 

In general I think handheld works better for this game since it's kind of relaxing. You can lie down while playing it.


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## Astro Cake (Aug 11, 2015)

Handheld. Animal Crossing on a console sounds tedious and cumbersome.


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## ams (Aug 11, 2015)

Definitely handheld. It's the kind of game you want to take with you wherever you go. I'd be really disappointed if the next main series game was on a home console.


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## cocobells (Aug 11, 2015)

Handheld. The first Animal Crossing game I've played was Animal Crossing: New Leaf. I am hoping I can get Wild World or Happy Home Designer!


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## PeggyCarter (Aug 12, 2015)

I've played City Folk and New Leaf so far and based on that I have to say handheld. I just find it much more convenient, since you can take the console with you if you're going somewhere and you don't have to worry about ditching your town. In addition, I found making designs on Wii really tedious, it was driving me mad at a point. I've just always been more dedicated to handheld consoles.


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## Scarlette (Aug 12, 2015)

Handheld! AC is just one of those casual games perfect for lazy days or whenever you're on a break. I especially like to lie down on my bed whenever I'm playing.


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## visibleghost (Aug 12, 2015)

it gets really annoying to play on console imo. in my family we only have one tv so when i sitll played city folk i couldnt play in the evenings because my family wanted to use the tv then.
also it's a great game to play while traveling or while doing something else like watching a tv show. it's not that easy to multitask when you're playing it on the tv imo....


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## stinaj68 (Aug 12, 2015)

I think the handheld version is the better way to go. The only animal crossing game that I had on a home console was animal crossing city folk. For some reason I didn't really get into that game that much. I loved animal crossing wild world because that was my first video game ever let alone for animal crossing. New leaf is my favorite so far and that is also on a hand held system. I think the handheld just works better for animal crossing because that way you can take it with you wherever you go and a home console can't do that. I find the home console to be lonely because I don't have people to play it with.


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## SoraSmiles (Aug 14, 2015)

From my own experience I have to say handheld. The controls just seem better to me on a 3DS. I've played since the gamecube so I'll also say, if they made an actual animal crossing game for home console the graphics would look amazing (plus bigger screen  )


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## jiny (Aug 14, 2015)

Handheld is way better. I don't wanna get tired holding a control for so many minutes.
My first experience was with a handheld


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## JCnator (Aug 14, 2015)

At this point, given the game's tendency to encourage you playing on a constant daily basis, it would be very foolish to release a mainline Animal Crossing game on a console where the gameplay is always tethered to the already non-portable TV. Even if the vast majority of American gamers would rather play games in their home rather than in the public, portable gaming is not only the most inexpensive way to play video games, but it also let you play literally anywhere you are without much restriction, including the bathrooms.

Had the technology hit its ceiling for home consoles, portable technical specs might eventually catch up with it and render pretty much every home console obsolete, especially if a console merges the portable and home console aspects into one. And Animal Crossing would benefit a lot from its increased exposure.

It's worth noting that Animal Crossing: City Folk for the Wii is already an underwhelming game to begin with, especially that the new features weren't adding much to the overall gaming experience and felt tacked-on a port of the wildly popular technologically limited Wild World. These issues aren't helping players to be compelled playing it for long and is already completely outshined by the 3DS installment. 

The only Animal Crossing for GameCube released in North America might be worth playing to see how far the franchise has come up to the latest along with its increased emphasis on the single-player content, but it stills ultimately pales in comparison to New Leaf. The lack of proper multiplayer function, clunky keyboard usage, dated N64 graphics, limited customization and being a home console game in first place are noticeable enough to proved that it hasn't aged well. Nor will Wild World, City Folk and eventually New Leaf when a new entry comes out.


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## coderp (Aug 14, 2015)

To date, there have only been 2 console versions of Animal Crossing. As far as I have seen, the consoles were slightly updated versions of the previous game. 

The handheld games have consistently brought many new features and updates, while the console versions tweaked them. Unfortunately, City Folk brought a bad reputation to the consoles altogether. With the frustratingly difficult controls, it became widely known as the least popular game in the series. However, this has little to do with the gameplay itself, but the control mechanisms. 

I believe that if Nintendo developed a game for a console with updated gameplay as well as with understandable controls, it would be just as popular as the rest of the games, excluding City Folk.


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## LOLUMAD? (Aug 14, 2015)

handheld of course! I love play AC on road trips and etc.


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## TheGreatBrain (Aug 15, 2015)

I liked wild world but I hated that everything was so small. I much prefered playing ac on my wii  I was thrilled when they came out with a ds xl. It's obviously not as big as playing on the t.v. but it's not so bad with the xl. I love the convenience of using a hand held. I can take it anywhere.


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## jvgsjeff (Aug 16, 2015)

Definitely home consoles. They can support things like USB keyboards so you don't have to use an awful on-screen keyboard, you get better graphics and sound, play on a much larger screen, you can use a regular controller, etc. If there's a problem with one of your buttons, you can get a new controller without having to replace your whole system. So far, the portable versions haven't supported voice chat or multi-level towns either. And if you want to record videos for Youtube, it's much easier and cheaper to get a capture device that works with any home system than it is to modify your 3DS (and even then, it would only work on one specific system).


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## Zandy (Aug 16, 2015)

I have always felt that Animal Crossing is better on handheld devices since the release of Animal Crossing: City Folk.

When the first Gamecube AC games came out - handheld consoles weren't that good in terms of the beautiful aesthetics and quality that home consoles had an advantage with (at the time).  When ACWW game out, it was a huge success because of Nintendo DS had much better graphics and capabilities than the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance.  What Nintendo did was set the bar way too high for the release of AC:CF in my opinion, because that seems to be one of the least favoured AC game because people were so much more inclined to handheld consoles and AC:CF didn't offer enough to succeed the expectations of loyal AC players.

Overall, I'd much rather see a new handheld AC game than a home console AC game.


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## tui (Aug 16, 2015)

I've never played the GC game, but the sole reason alone that I could never get anywhere with playing City Folk is because of the fact that it is on console. I bought it pretty soon after it came out in the UK and could never really play it because by the time I got home from school, other people in my family wanted to watch the television at that time which always held priority over the Wii, and to be honest I've only really touched it a couple of times since I initially brought it because of how inconvenient it was, and how the controls were so awkward and unsuited to the game mechanics.

So yes, I believe it does work better on handhelds, although in that respect I've only and now only play Wild World since I never got a 3DS since at the time they came out I was really too old to ask for one as a present, and now I buy all my own clothes and are getting ready to pay for a car, insurance, driving lessons etc. I'm never going to have the cash to buy one, but if I ever did, I'd much prefer the next game to be on handheld.


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## PrincessSara (Aug 17, 2015)

personally, I would prefer them to always be on home consoles.... I was infinitely disappointed City Folk used only motion controls though because it made it so I can't play - I *HATE* motion controls.
that said now that Nintendo is in the era of motion controls and silly giant tablet sized controllers, I probably won't be buying a Wii U/the next animal crossing unless it's on 3DS (and no I have zero desire to get HHD, its far from what an animal crossing game is and is just Nintendo trying to make money not please the fans.)


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## radioloves (Dec 28, 2015)

I chose handheld because, you can bring it anywhere you would like and if the screen isn't big enough you could sync it to your computer screen or so. Though the console isn't bad at all, I find that it's kind of strictly in the same area to play and it seems less flexible sometimes, I've played with both handheld and console all not bad, but prefer handheld xD


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## Belle of Pripyat (Dec 28, 2015)

I won't play Animal Crossing (or anything else, to be honest) unless it's a handheld game.


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## mayortash (Dec 28, 2015)

I much prefer a handheld game. I feel like AC didn't translate as well to the Wii. The graphics were great though.


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## broadwaythecat (Dec 28, 2015)

From my experience, handheld, playing City Life on the Wii was a disaster. Playing on handheld is a lot simpler and fun


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## thecheese103 (Dec 29, 2015)

I think handheld, New Leaf specifically, is preferable. However, when we eventually do get an Animal Crossing U, I feel that the gamepad's design is perfectly suited for Animal Crossing. It'd be perfect for having an inventory/the other current menus and more, and you could even have your inventory open at all times, although personally I think that's something we should already be able to have.

I guess the best way of putting it is that, my answer is handheld, but I fully expect console to take over when we get our next console-bound installment!


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## Sweetley (Dec 29, 2015)

I prefer more the handheld. It's just more relaxed for me to play Animal Crossing on a handheld then on a
Wii for example. I remember, that I have some problems with the control in City Folk, which was for a long 
time just irritating. Also I realized, that I spent more time in the handheld games (so Wild World and New 
Leaf), as in the GC and Wii games.


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## glow (Dec 31, 2015)

Handheld- the game is meant to be something you take with you. Hence play coins and Streetpass, and it just makes the game so much more interactive and fun IMO. as much as I want a game for the Wii U I know that it wouldn't fully replace ACNL because I can take it with me anywhere.


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## Mars Adept (Dec 31, 2015)

I know this is going to be surprising, but consoles. The gamecube version and CF always kinda seemed to provide more, for me, at least. NL never provided a great online or offline experience like CF did. With home consoles, amazing graphics, the best online experience possible, ledges, Wisp, large towns, and much more add to the AC playtime.

I never liked NL due to all the changes it made, which is one of the reasons I chose home consoles.

The reason why certain villagers aren't appearing in newer titles and AC is what it is today is all thanks to WW's limitations.

This is why we need home console AC games. Sure, inserting the disk is annoying, but the modern technology of digital copies of games can fix that.


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## Red Cat (Dec 31, 2015)

I don't see how Animal Crossing is any different than any other game when it comes to console vs. handheld. Handheld games in general have the advantage of being portable and more private, but consoles have better graphics and you get to play on a larger screen. If the Gamecube version had been released on the GBA instead, the series may have not taken off as we know it because the game likely would have been much worse due to the limitations of the GBA. City Folk wasn't bad because of the Wii (the only real problem was that you could only make one town per Wii), it was bad because it was basically a port from Wild World and it was not a very well designed game. New Leaf is the most recent version and it just happens to be on the 3DS, but Nintendo could probably make a better game for the Wii-U if they wanted to. The next game will probably be a console game (either the Wii-U or whatever Nintendo moves on to if the Wii-U goes belly-up) and a lot of people will likely change their opinions if it isn't done poorly like City Folk.

- - - Post Merge - - -



BiggestFanofACCF said:


> Sure, inserting the disk is annoying, but the modern technology of digital copies of games can fix that.


I'm extremely careful whenever I put in or take out my ACNL cartridge because I could lose my entire town if I accidentally damage it. I could smash my City Folk disk with a hammer and just buy another, so that's another reason why I like consoles.


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## Mars Adept (Dec 31, 2015)

Red Cat said:


> I'm extremely careful whenever I put in or take out my ACNL cartridge because I could lose my entire town if I accidentally damage it. I could smash my City Folk disk with a hammer and just buy another, so that's another reason why I like consoles.



I totally agree. A couple days ago, I accidentally tripped on my 2DS's charger while it was plugged into the system, the system dropped, and my WW game froze while loading the town. I was so lucky nothing bad happened to it ( save corrupted, cartridge broken, etc. ) .

This is another reason why I like the console versions better.


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## ACNLover10 (Jan 1, 2016)

I way prefer handheld, I got city folk not long ago (Christmas lol) And I don't like playing on the wii, I like the game, just not the wii as much because I don't like using the wii remote and I don't have a gamecube controller or anything like that. It's not that different, it's just I prefer handhelds more since it's portable and a console is not portable. If I had a gamecube controller I'd probably vote console, though still probably not as it's still not portable.


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## Mars Adept (Jan 1, 2016)

Actually you can't use a gamecube controller for City Folk but you can use a nunchuck accessory with the wiimote, honestly I'm ok with using the wiimote for most things in CF except for moving, making patterns, and maybe a few other minor things.

Maybe if NL was more like CF I would prefer handhelds, but I can't seem to enjoy it as much as WW or CF.


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## Solus (Jan 1, 2016)

I think Animal Crossing is meant to be played on a handheld. It feels more like my game, and I can take it on the go. I just treasure it more as well compare to playing it on a console.

In addition, I think Animal Crossing plays REALLY GOOD ON PC. I played City Folk on Dolphin Emulator, and it just felt so natural playing it on a mouse and keyboard. It's really ashamed it isn't on PC.


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## pika62221 (Jan 4, 2016)

I've been with this series from the beginning, transition to handheld, back to console and back to handheld. It's clear Nintendo now has problems getting these handheld variants readjusted back to console. People criticize City Folk for taking so much from Wild World, but why blame them for doing so, it's the highest selling game in the series. 

The biggest problem for me with consoles is that one, you can't play them anywhere, they're kind of tied to plugs, and televisions- not all Wii U games, but the majority of 1st party games require a television now. AC works on handhelds because this game is based in real-time, so not being home at a certain time means you either miss it, or you have to time travel to get it redone. I don't know about others, but I simply refuse to change my clock unless the clocks themselves changed- Daylight Saving, so I better be home to make an event! I've rushed home too many times to get that stupid lighthouse light turned on to continue that in the future. 

That said, it really makes more sense on handheld. I'll never forget back in 2005 when I was playing Wild World, and I agreed to meet with a villager later in the day. Well, I was still out of the house when the time came, but I still made that event, and remember thinking that if this had been on the GameCube, I'd have totally missed it- I wasn't at home! From that moment on, I realized because of that clock how much better this series is on handhelds than consoles. Just like in New Leaf, I can agree to do something later, and since the thing goes with me everywhere- EVERYWHERE (toilet included), I'll never miss an event on a handheld version. 

Put it this way, I wasn't home on Thanksgiving, I traveled out of town. I still made the Harvest Festival though, I totally missed it in e+, Animal Crossing, and City Folk. Not in New Leaf though! Wild World doesn't have it, so nothing to miss there. Either way, that's why the majority loves handhelds, not because the home is the handheld version bigger, it just makes more sense to take this thing with you, you can't always be home to play, and if you are, you're either working from home, sick, an adult still living at home with your parents, home-bound, etc, and not living in the real world like 99% of us are. For us, we NEED a game we can take anywhere, handhelds allow us to do so. The portability is just perfectly suited hand-in-hand with this series.

- - - Post Merge - - -



jvgsjeff said:


> Definitely home consoles. They can support things like USB keyboards so you don't have to use an awful on-screen keyboard, you get better graphics and sound, play on a much larger screen, you can use a regular controller, etc. If there's a problem with one of your buttons, you can get a new controller without having to replace your whole system. So far, the portable versions haven't supported voice chat or multi-level towns either. And if you want to record videos for Youtube, it's much easier and cheaper to get a capture device that works with any home system than it is to modify your 3DS (and even then, it would only work on one specific system).



Try playing a console version in a public library, and take it with you to the toilet, then play on a subway, an airplane, and during a power outage? See why handhelds are superior, you CAN play it in a library, on the toilet, in a subway, on an airplane, and DURING A POWER OUTAGE- I know, I've played Wild World and New Leaf in all these places. Also as a person who NEVER changes their clocks, like you would to make up for missed events, you'll never understand the true connections handhelds have with these clocks staying in real-time like I do. I simply refuse to cheat, if a time comes and I miss it, too bad, I can't do it in real life, and these games are called LIFE SIMULATION, I'd like to see you break that 4th dimension and go back a few hours to when that store you arrived to is closed simply so YOU can shop.


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## tsukune_713 (Jan 4, 2016)

i prefer them on consoles myself, i dont play them anywhere and everywhere usually, i tend to only play games at home, so with consoles having the ability to provide much more than a handheld could with the things they can add in game and all that i prefer consoles


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## Spongebob (Jan 4, 2016)

It works better on handheld no doubt, but I still kinda prefer it on console


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## Awesomeness1230 (Jan 4, 2016)

I almost can't bear consoles. For starters, you can't take it with you anywhere. Secondly, I only have one Wii so me and my sister would have to share a town.


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## Lumira (Jan 4, 2016)

Handheld is much more convenient to play on. It's so transportable and I can play it basically any time and anywhere I want. Though Animal Crossing: City Folk was my first game and I owe my passion of ACNL now to it, I usually only got on the Wii to play it occasionally.


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## helloxcutiee (Jan 5, 2016)

Handheld is a lot more convenient. I wouldn't want to wait until I got home to play some AC.


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## Aomame (Jan 5, 2016)

It totally sucks to play Animal Crossing on the Wii. AC just works on a handheld for me!


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## starlightsong (Jan 5, 2016)

I don't think it matters. If they can make a great game with fun features, then I'm down. I know my friend really wants the next AC on a console because she thinks they could do a lot with it. I think people are saying they don't want it on consoles just based on City Folk, which is silly. City Folk is just a terrible game and would've been boring even on a DS. That's like saying "I didn't like this pokemon game so no pokemon game should ever be on a handheld"


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## Kapriznyy (Jan 7, 2016)

I'm not usually big on handheld gaming, but I think Animal Crossing games are very well suited to it. It's a matter of convenience, I think. While I do love being anchored to a console or PC for other games, the flow and "attitude" of ACNL in particular is something you can pick up and put down at your leisure, which makes it perfect for a device that can be described the same way.


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## ollivia (Jan 11, 2016)

you definitely have more control with handheld. not to mention, its portable.


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