This should be the shortest review in the world. You all played Animal Crossing on GameCube, right? Of course you did. Well, the sequel is here and it fits in your (oversize) pocket. Review over. Go. Buy. Now.

But that doesn’t do things justice, does it?

Animal Crossing: Wild World for Nintendo DS is the wildly addictive small scale life simulator from Nintendo. Take over a virtual ‘you’ and move into a small town filled with cute little animals. Play botanist or paleontologist. Collect bugs, catch fish, and decorate your house. You want to impress the Happy Room Academy, don’t you? Of course you do! Now go find the matching sofa for that table.

If you’ve never played Animal Crossing before you’ll find this introduction more than welcoming. Starting with a cab ride to town, you’re first encounter is with the salty Kap’n ,and the exchange you have with him will impact your avatar in your new virtual life. Once you arrive at town hall you’re basically free to do whatever you want. Inevitably you’ll run into Tom Nook, local merchant, and helpful raccoon. Not only will he give you a part-time job to teach you the basics of town life, but he’ll give you a place to live – for a price. That looming debt load is the only direction you’ll ever be given in Animal Crossing, and it’s all you’ll ever need.

The array of things to do daily in the world of Animal Crossing is pretty staggering, and you typically have no real pressure to do any of them. Oh, sure, planting flowers looks nice but it doesn’t pay as nearly well as fishing. But do you even want to work on your debt right now? It’s up to you – no worries about Tom Nook coming around looking for his share. Want to help the museum fill its collection? Or do you just want to decorate your house? Eventually you’re small cottage will be too small, and if you pay down your mortgage to Mr. Nook he’ll be happy to renovate – for a price. This is how the circle is brought full, as a core component of the customization in Animal Crossing demands you pay back Tom Nook someday. It is a gentle push, but a constant one.

Along the way to financial freedom you’ll meet a wide array of characters – people will move in, people will move out. You’ll send and receive letters from townsfolk, run their errands, and solve their problems. You’ll pluck weeds and harvest fruit, and every task you can undertake has real, tangible rewards that will advance your quest to further personalize yourself or your home.

Additions to this version of Animal Crossing are slight – hats and accessories are now available to further customize your character. A watering can lets you give flowers and saplings an extra boost. And new to the museum is an astronomy lab where you’ll be able to customize the constellations of the Animal Crossing world. Fish and bugs are of a wider variety and are slightly more common. It is worth noting that none of these new additions are nearly as entertaining as the original tasks, but they do add a bit of flavor.

However, the big addition to the Animal Crossing universe is pretty impactful: online play. As the second title from Nintendo to support the newly established Wi-Fi Connection, Wild World allows up to three people to visit your town over the internet. While there is no in-game town browser – you’ll need to share A