Alolan_Apples
“Assorted” Collector
The Analyzing Animal Crossing series is over, so I'm moving onto the next chapter of the "Other AC Stuff" - The Evolution of Animal Crossing. One of the things I find fun when talking about Animal Crossing are the differences between two Animal Crossing games. Today, I'm going to begin this 5-part blog feature.
The first part is about the Box Theory. The Box Theory describes what features each AC game has and how it affects the game. A small box means that there aren't many features as you have do deal with the limited choices you have. A large box means that there are a lot of features and you have more choices to make.
No matter what game you play, there's always a virtual box that explains how much you can do. In games where you can create or customize, such as Little Big Planet, the box is larger. In iOS games and retro arcade games, the box is smaller. If there's no virtual box, you are free to do what you want, but that's developer mode. Game developers don't have any box to deal with, but they are the ones who create the box. They have to decide on the graphics, sound, gameplay, plot, replay value, and many other things.
A bigger box doesn't necessarily mean more items or choices. It means there are more features. For instance, lets say that one game has 10 hats you can wear. In the next game, there are 20 hats. Judging by the information, both games have a box with the same size. But what if you can only change your hat in the first game but you can change your hat and other clothes in the second game. In this case, that would make the second game have a bigger box.
Now, we are at the moment we all have been waiting for on this blog entry. Animal Crossing is a good example of a game franchise with different sizes of virtual boxes. The boxes in all four are already big since you have house customization, character customization, tools, museum donations, villager chat, special visitors, holidays, buying and selling, making patterns, mailing letters, and traveling. But in comparison to each other, it looks like the Gamecube version has a small box as New Leaf has a big box. I will go over each game and how their boxes vary in size:
If you have been reading my Idea Blog, you can see that I have a lot of ideas. If the next game has all of my ideas, then the box is going to be very large. Even in big games like New Leaf, there's always a box, and the edges represent the barriers to entry.
However, if each feature have their own box, some will have greater changes in size while others don't. I will go over three examples of this. One is character customization, one is house customization, and the other is the museum.
Character Customization:
House Customization:
Museum Customization:
There are more to talk about, but that's all I can say here. But notice how the size of the box changes are different. Some features have more, but others have less.
Coming up next: Customization and daily activities.
The first part is about the Box Theory. The Box Theory describes what features each AC game has and how it affects the game. A small box means that there aren't many features as you have do deal with the limited choices you have. A large box means that there are a lot of features and you have more choices to make.
No matter what game you play, there's always a virtual box that explains how much you can do. In games where you can create or customize, such as Little Big Planet, the box is larger. In iOS games and retro arcade games, the box is smaller. If there's no virtual box, you are free to do what you want, but that's developer mode. Game developers don't have any box to deal with, but they are the ones who create the box. They have to decide on the graphics, sound, gameplay, plot, replay value, and many other things.
A bigger box doesn't necessarily mean more items or choices. It means there are more features. For instance, lets say that one game has 10 hats you can wear. In the next game, there are 20 hats. Judging by the information, both games have a box with the same size. But what if you can only change your hat in the first game but you can change your hat and other clothes in the second game. In this case, that would make the second game have a bigger box.
The Box Theory in Animal Crossing:
Now, we are at the moment we all have been waiting for on this blog entry. Animal Crossing is a good example of a game franchise with different sizes of virtual boxes. The boxes in all four are already big since you have house customization, character customization, tools, museum donations, villager chat, special visitors, holidays, buying and selling, making patterns, mailing letters, and traveling. But in comparison to each other, it looks like the Gamecube version has a small box as New Leaf has a big box. I will go over each game and how their boxes vary in size:
- Gamecube version - very small box. All you can do is customize your house, customize your character, chat with villagers, donate to the museum, buy from/sell to Tom Nook, and anything the shovel, net, fishing rod, and axe can do.
- Wild World - small box. It's not as bad as the Gamecube version, but you still have limited features. With more customization options for your character and a few more changes, you have more to do in Wild World than you do in the Gamecube version.
- City Folk - medium box. Although it isn't a big improvement to Wild World like how Wild World is to the Gamecube version, you have more to do in City Folk than you do in Wild World.
- New Leaf - large box. More customization options are added, and when your first character is the mayor, you have a lot more options now. And some of the lost features have returned.
If you have been reading my Idea Blog, you can see that I have a lot of ideas. If the next game has all of my ideas, then the box is going to be very large. Even in big games like New Leaf, there's always a box, and the edges represent the barriers to entry.
However, if each feature have their own box, some will have greater changes in size while others don't. I will go over three examples of this. One is character customization, one is house customization, and the other is the museum.
Character Customization:
- Gamecube version - you can only change your shirt. The hat also takes the same pattern as your shirt.
- GC to WW - large change in size of box. In Wild World, shirts and hats are two different items. You can change your shirt, change your hat, change your facewear, and most of all, change your hairstyle.
- WW to CF - small change in size of box. There isn't much, but you can get your shoes redone in the city. Also, with the introduction to pro-designs, you have more pattern designing options.
- CF to NL - large change in size of box. You have more customization of the body and not just the head. You have three different shirts based on sleeve length, three different types of bottoms, three different dresses, and you can change socks and shoes. In addition, you can change your eye colors.
House Customization:
- Gamecube version - you can lay out furniture (with their five classes). You can also move them, change carpet and wallpaper, and turn on/off lights.
- GC to WW - small change in size of box. When you create your town, you get to decide the proximity of your house to another location. The refrigerator can act as a storage furniture, you can turn on/off lamps, and TVs have different channels.
- WW to CF - very small change in size of box. There are four different houses to choose from, and they're scattered all over the place.
- CF to NL - medium-large change in size of box. You can put up wall furniture. You can also decide where you want to live with 6 8x8 rooms. Plus, you can change the exterior of your house.
Museum Customization:
- Gamecube version - you can donate to the museum. You got fossils, art, fish, and insects to donate.
- GC to WW - very small change in size of box. You can get your fossils identified at the museum as there are counterfeit paintings, but you still have four exhibits to donate to. Also, you have the observatory and café introduced.
- WW to CF - no change in size of box. All you have is more items to donate.
- CF to NL - small change in size of box. With the observatory and café removed, the box got smaller, but it got bigger after the gift shop and custom exhibits were introduced, giving it a small change in box size increase. There are seafood and statues to donate, but there are still four exhibits to donate to.
There are more to talk about, but that's all I can say here. But notice how the size of the box changes are different. Some features have more, but others have less.
Coming up next: Customization and daily activities.
