Making clever use of your 3DS’s internal clock and calendar, New Leaf allows your game to be played in real-time. So if you wake up on a cold Autumn morning and decide to play New Leaf, you will find that your character is wrapped up warm and the leaves on the trees are a familiar brown. Or say if you can’t sleep at night and decide to have a play before you go sleep, you may find that all the townsfolk are in bed themselves.
Being Mayor is the biggest change compared to previous titles. You’ll be able to take part in “Public Works Projects” and “Ordinances”. Public Works Projects means that you will be collecting funds from townsfolk in order to build new objects such as bridges, cafes or police stations. Ordinances though are where the real mayoral duties come into focus, you’ll be asked to pass different laws in order to make your town wealthier, whether that be encouraging townsfolk to plant more flowers or having shops open earlier or later to increase revenue. You can still take part in activities such as fishing and bug catching, which gives your player money so you can customise your living space or attire.
Another really great feature is being able to visit other players’ towns via the Nintendo Network. Once you are friends with someone else online then you can exchange messages or even go to a special island where you can take part in a mini-game tournament.
Another fantastic exclusive from Nintendo that represents great value for money. It’s a game that will appeal to all ages and any gaming ability. A definite must-have game if you own a 3DS. I’m really looking forward to playing New Leaf on Christmas day just so I can see my character in their Santa outfit.
