Nintendo Wii Fanboy

We've had a love affair with EA's MySims since the game was first announced. The overall look of the Sims spin-off is so charming that it turned out to be irresistible, especially with all those shots of the new chibi sims engaged in adorable activities. But looks are only one part of the equation -- the real question for any reviewer to address is: does it stand up under scrutiny?

While he isn't going to do much in the way of actually assisting, the assist trophy of Mr. Resetti is still quite humorous. Like his role in the Animal Crossing series of games, his job is to lecture you to death. The update doesn't talk about what will happen if you turn the game off mid-fight, but we're sure Mr. Resetti still has his job to do, despite the game not actually being Animal Crossing.

Hit up the gallery below for some images of Mr. Resetti in action.

Tim Letourneau of EA took a few moments to chat with G4 at E3 (it's an acronym party!) about MySims, and he had some interesting things to say about designing the game for the Wii. And by interesting, we mean both vaguely amusing and very revealing. Since we're such nice people, we thought we'd take a moment to offer a translation for some of the things you can hear in the video snippet found after the break.

First, Letourneau says, when EA began planning MySims, they needed to figure out how to give a Sims game a unique look and feel for Nintendo and the Wii. Translation: How can we make a Sims game sell well in Japan? He goes on to mention that one of their goals was accessibility -- but what we hear is: the money-printing Sims franchise can bring in a whole lot more money if we finally make a version that's great on consoles. Let's make it all-ages friendly, too! And actually, we agree that this is a fantastic idea; surely you've noticed us mooning over every aspect of the game. However, "accessibility" has become one of those Wii buzzwords that we're getting tired of.

But it's the last bit that makes us giggle. Letourneau spends a good portion of the brief segment discussing how the whole thrust of this game -- and how it's different from other Sims titles -- is to allow the player to craft an entire town, from the ground up, for that Nintendo experience. We're pretty sure he wanted to say that Animal Crossing experience ... because other than being able to build and fiddle around in the other houses in the town, what he's describing sounds essentially like that beloved title. But again, we don't mind -- we love Animal Crossing, and a similar game with expanded building and decorating options sounds like something we'll pour entire months of our lives into. Bring on MySims!

We're digging all of the Animal Crossing love in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. First, we get the opportunity to catch live performances from K.K. Slider and now this item is revealed to be included in the game. Now, all we'd need is Tom Nook as a playable character and we'd be set for life.

Of course, we don't have to tell you Animal Crossing fans what this item is or what it does, so just be sure to check out images of it in action in our gallery below.

Sure, we could have shown some other E3-centric videos here in our weekly spotlight, but we really wanted an excuse to talk a little more about the fun potential of MySims, which continues to bear a strong (though less anthropomorphic) resemblance to Animal Crossing. We even saw a little guy with a shovel in this trailer. Since there has been no real sign of Animal Crossing for the Wii, this looks ripe to tide us over while we wait. Who knows, we may even (gasp!) like it better.

Also, splashing in a fountain sounds pretty good right about now. Oh, July, July ... how you make us long for December.

Maybe it's us. Maybe we're the ones who just don't get it. But the last time we checked, lots of Nintendo fans enjoy cuteness (hi2u, Kirby!) and the look of Miis, and it doesn't mean we magically became casual gamers overnight. However, to hear IGN tell it, a fondness for anything cute obviously means it's family-friendly ... which these days, seems to be code for "non-hardcore." IGN confirms that theory when, at the bottom of their latest MySims preview -- which is as devoid of actual content as they claim the game to be -- they say, "This isn't likely to be a game that appeals to hardcore gamers, but families will probably enjoy some innocent fun in a creative environment that will provide some interesting challenges and problem solving."

Did we maybe miss a memo about how games can't be fun? Because we like to think of ourselves as pretty hardcore -- we like to sweat and toil and swear our way through hours and hours of gaming of all types -- but we also like to have fun. If MySims is fun, how is it somehow only okay for families and not "real" gamers? The preview doesn't deny the fun factor. And there's no age limit on being a hardcore gamer. So what gives?

We can only guess that the folks at IGN have never heard of a little game called Animal Crossing ... or maybe they just assume that only children want to beat up Tom Nook when he starts asking for his mortgage payments. After all, seems that MySims is pretty much Animal Crossing that trades the animals in for more building elements, and nothing in their preview contradicts that image ... except their idea that "hardcore gamers" won't like it. Personally, we're looking forward to giving it a try. The building elements of The Sims were always fun, and perhaps this new spin will make the actual gameplay more engaging.

Is it just us, or does MySims look more and more like Animal Crossing with everything we see from it? That's tough, considering it looked like Animal Crossing when it was first announced. But we can't be mad. It's too adorable, and we cannot resist the power of MySims. After the jump, there are enough screenshots to convince even the hardest of hearts.

We're really not sure if these are work (or other public place) safe. They are so freakin' cute that they may cause a complete emotional breakdown. You've been warned.

Er, we mean Sims Wii. We can't help but compare it to Animal Crossing, though, both in look and gameplay, since there's a very definite fusion effect going on here. EA's taking a cue from a winner, though, and obviously looking to appeal to Japanese audiences.

Many thought that Sims Wii might incorporate Miis, but that isn't the case. The character design is similarly simplified, with a focus on the facial features of the childlike characters. And rather than resorting to thought bubbles or the pee-pee dance, these new sims will use those detailed faces to demonstrate their changing moods. Animal Crossing's influence permeates the way this Sims is to be played, as well -- you'll build everything, from residences to business, and don't forget the landscaping. That's totally okay with us, as the building was always the best part of the Sims series.

If you didn't catch the trailer awhile back, it's included after the jump. This ain't the Sims you've played before ....

And you know what that means: Fishing games. Well, that and a wonderfully addictive celebration of neighborly etiquette and non-threatening anthropomorphism. Spot that description on the box of the forthcoming Animal Crossing Revolution, a title which series creator Katsuya Eguchi mentioned briefly at his own GDC speech last week.

Mr. Eguchi explained that it was a fun challenge trying to design a game around a brand new interface and that the Revolution game would largely build on the DS version's accomplishments. The series is essentially leaping from home console, to portable, and back to home console again. It hasn't changed fundamentally in that journey, but perhaps the leap to Revolution will take things in a new direction.

We certainly can't imagine a better fit for Nintendo's online network than Animal Crossing, especially where massively multiplayer online fishing battles are concerned. The controller should also provide plenty of interesting ways to interact with the items and inhabitants of your town, most notably in allowing you to beat the evil Tom Nook over the head with a freshly baked baguette.

[Via Gamasutra]