Oh baby, baby it’s a … Wild World –

The nostalgic experience of revisiting video games from the past is collective. The sensory experience, be it, the score, the graphics, the setting, characters etc is visceral, and draws people into the sensation of participating in gameplay.

Reminiscing of past video games, I remembered Animal Crossing : Wild World, one of my first Nintendo DS games. Released in 2005, the game was made by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. The game takes place in real time where your avatar lives in a remote village populated with anthropomorphic animals. The character is encouraged to perform a number of tasks, such as exploring and collecting.

garnering aggregate scores of 86/100 on Metacritic and GameRankings.
Wild World is the ninth best-selling game on the Nintendo DS with 11.75 million copies sold worldwide as of March 31, 2016.

Animal Crossing was originally released in Japan for the Nintendo 64 in 2001, ‘Wild World’ being the second in the series. With the introduction of internet connection through the DS, ‘Wild World’, allowed players to connect to other players’ towns and explore their worlds. The simulation, although including realistic imagery, still includes fantastical elements providing a more enjoyable experience.

Video game conglomerate Nintendo capitalises on Spin-offs of this series, through what we call ‘cultural capital’. Exemplified through the release of it’s newest addition Nintendo Switch game, ‘Animal Crossing : New Horizons’ in 2020. The international collective of players, relishing in the introduction of the newest feature affirms the impact this beloved game has on many.
The aesthetic style, and universal gameplay have been coined in other genres of games as well as commercialised in other media such as TikTok or even clothing, with PUMA creating an ‘Animal Crossing Collection’. French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu coined this term as a way to explain how symbols, ideas, tastes, and preferences can be strategically used in the material world. By streaming on platforms such as YouTube , creators are able to share their experiences with games such as Animal Crossing : Wild World . The games influence on the genre has been solidified within people’s nostalgia. Representing a comfort and familiar sensation that will continue to draw them into future products.