Animal Crossing: City Folk

Also known as:  Animal Crossing: Let's Go to the City (Europe), Machi e Ikouyo: Doubutsu no Mori (Japan), Taun-eulo: Nolleogayo Dongmul-ui Sup (South Korea)

Developer: Nintendo

I absolutely loved the original Animal Crossing, but I was afraid that without the NES titles to unlock, like the original had, that I wouldn't be nearly as smitten with this game as I was the original. I really didn't have anything to fear, as City Folk, with or without the NES titles, was just as addicting as the original had been. For those not familiar with Animal Crossing, this is not an action-packed experience or anything, but it's a great game to pull out and play when you just want to relax and interact with a bunch of quirky townsfolk while collecting bugs, fishing, and digging up fossils. Plopping the disk into my Wii again to get screenshots for this list, I found myself once again losing hours towards paying off my home debt to that dastardly Tom Nook. While New Leaf eventually overtook this game as the game in the series that I spent the most time with, for several months, City Folk was the main reason that I powered up my Wii on a regular basis.

Review added: 08/24/2019

Animal Kingdom: Wildlife Expedition

Also known as:  Doubutsu Kisoutengai! (Japan), Safar'Wii (Europe)

Developer: Success

When I first played Animal Kingdom, I halfway expected a decent game and halfway expected total garbage. To my surprise, it actually had me completely hooked from beginning to end. That's not to say it's one of the greatest games I've ever played, as the game does have its share of flaws, but Animal Kingdom does a very good job of making it fun to be a wildlife photographer. It's a fantastic game for kids, with many facts and tidbits about the various animals, but it's also done well enough that I think most animal-loving adults will appreciate the game as well. It does move at a slower pace, though, so if you want non-stop action in your video games, this may not be the game for you. If you’re like me, and sometimes just want to unwind with a slow, relaxing game, then Animal Kingdom is a good way to kill some time. Oh, and on a side note, since I love puns, the European name for this game, Safar'Wii, may be one of my favorite video game names of all-time. 

Review added: 08/19/2019