Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Animal Crossing: New Leaf for 3DS shakes things up by making the main character the town mayor instead of a regular citizen. New duties are added to the game, including signing ordinances into law and paying for public works. Players can customize their avatars and town more than ever, and there are a lot more options for items and activities.

The game can be saved at most times by simply talking to the dancing statue outside of your avatar's home. However, because Animal Crossing accounts for the passage of time even while it's off, a player might be tempted to keep playing in order to wait for a special event.

In Animal Crossing: New Leaf, players can interact online with other players and visit each other's animal villages. However, this interaction can be limited through parental controls, and there is a filter to prevent certain inappropriate words.

• What makes basic chores more satisfying in the virtual reality of the game than in real life?
• What are the pros and cons of hanging out with friends in your game instead of in person?
• In the game, you must earn money before you can go shopping. However, methods of earning money are not always realistic. Do you think this is a good lesson for kids?
• How do you feel when two of the in-game characters are having a disagreement?