Play it again, Sam!

Enough with the innuendo and all the second-guessing...it's time to make it official!  One of the key weapons in Nintendo's E3 Conference yesterday was the totally expected, yet totally welcome return to the world of Animal Crossing for the Wii console.  Or should I say online world of Animal Crossing, as the City Folk adventure learns a few tricks from its DS cousin and ups its online game considerably.

Adding to the mixture of wow and cool is the implementation of Wii Speak, Nintendo's answer to the throngs of perturbed WiFi fans anxious to trash-talk online and annoy the rest of the world.  We all knew it was coming, and now its officially working with each copy Animal Crossing: City Folk (sold-separately).  I'm loving how Nintendo is calling this one a Community Simulation, as the wacky franchise certainly doesn't seem to fit anywhere else nicely.  Although you might be thinking this one looks mighty familiar, its hard to imagine just how much different a fuller-realized version of this strange, colorful world would look.  Online play, voice-chat, and information sharing should be enough for anyone, at least the most agile Crossing fans out there.

Just below is all the official good stuff, direct from Nintendo themselves.  Check out our other coverage of Animal Crossing: City Folk, including some pretty cool screenshots and official trailer as well.  This one is definitely going to be big folks, and should safely be one of Nintendo's biggest holiday releases - if not their biggest.  Now enough chatter and more official blurbs!

If life were an endless vacation, what would you do? Go fishing, collect shells or watch fireworks with friends? Build a snowman, exchange presents with family or decorate your house for the holidays? Take a trip to the city, go on a shopping spree or visit friends from all over the globe? In Animal Crossing: City Folk, life moves at a relaxed pace, but the world brims with endless possibilities.

• There’s always something new to do. In the living, breathing world of Animal Crossing: City Folk, days and seasons pass in real time, so there’s always something to discover. Catch fireflies in the summer, go trick-or-treating on Halloween or hunt for eggs on Bunny Day. If you’re in the mood for something a little faster paced, take a bus to a new urban city area that’s unique to Animal Crossing: City Folk. There you can catch a show at the theater or check out the sales at Gracie’s boutique. But if you don’t show your face back home for too
long, your neighbors will miss you.

• Up to four people from your household can live and work together to build the perfect town. Design clothes and patterns, write letters and post messages on the bulletin board for each other, or invite up to three friends to visit your town using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. With the new WiiSpeak microphone, it’s like you’re all in the same room. The microphone sits atop the sensor bar and picks up the conversation of everyone in the room to encourage a more inclusive experience.

• Get to know your neighbors. The heart of Animal Crossing: City Folk is building relationships with the animals in your town as well as with other players. Befriend your animal neighbors by exchanging letters, gifts and favors. Animals can also move from town to town, bringing their memories and stories from their old towns with them. And since animals are notoriously loose-lipped, they spill all the juicy details.

• Express your personal style. Customize your town, your house and yourself by collecting bugs, fish, fossils, art, furniture, clothes and accessories. You can also go to the salon in the city to change your hairstyle and get a Mii™ makeover. Plus, if you design clothes in the tailor’s shop, animals will wear them and maybe even bring them to other towns.