i’ve been playing animal crossing off and on for a while. the game was enjoyable and there were def. some surprises, but overall it just didn’t have much longevity for me (esp. since i don’t have anyone to play with!). when i get a DS (and the subsequent connection to the global community) i’ll prob. give it another go, but these days i only check up on it when i want to play some emulated NES games. the NES games within animal crossing were actually one of the biggest draws for me in the first place, and they didn’t disappoint.

it was nice to get to play clu clu land again which has been a long-time favorite. i’d played balloon fight before, but this was the first time i really gave it much time. a joust clone to be sure, but it def. has its own charms and a great sense of style. i found that the regular mode, in which you progress through a series of stages, didn’t hold my attention for very long (although it is def. more fun w/ a second person), but i found myself surprised at how addictive the “balloon trip” mode was. in this mode (with slightly differently layouts each time) the screen constantly forces you to progress through obstacles which are stationary at first, but soon become drifting mazes. it’ll def. give you a memorable rush as you hold your breath, squeezing through what might or might not be a too small opening between electrocuting stars.

apparently there’s also a spinoff called balloon kid that plays more like a side-scroller. here’s a review i found about it. i’m intrigued enough to try it out, so stay tuned for that one.

although this blog is supposedly focused on 8-bit games, i think this is the first old-school NES game i’ve really written about! expect more in the future, esp. with all the virtual console games coming out that have gotten my attention.

and the requisite links:
- apparently there’s still a lot of affection for this game. nintendojo gives it a whopping 9.5 out of 10.
- here are some people dressed up as the main characters
- here’s a toy you can import where you can use pins to make the balloon fight characters … and also one where you can make all the characters from ice climbers! awesome.
- the text of the instruction manual
- a FAQ at ign that includes board layouts. the author suggests using minimal movement for the balloon trip mode, but i found that my method of darting through clear openings and then hovering to wait for the screen to catch up worked better for me.
- ign also has an interesting article that specifically covers the GBA emulation you can transfer from animal crossing.