Nintendo recently released a new mobile game based on their Animal Crossing IP and it's blown up quite a bit over the past week, more so than some of the company's other mobile ventures. What is it about Pocket Camp that attracted so much attention?
Well, for starters, Animal Crossing is actually one of Nintendo's more popular game series; at the very least, it has a larger western following than Fire Emblem does. As a result, fans tend to be pretty hungry for more content in any form. For those of us who can't afford any of the new consoles, Pocket Camp provides a quick surge of nostalgia that keeps us interested in playing for at least a little while longer.
In addition to being a solid mobile game, Pocket Camp also acts as a brilliant, low-cost advertisement that can potentially pay for itself through microtransactions. By releasing a bite-sized game to keep customers busy, Nintendo subtly markets the game to newcomers through word of mouth. One friend tells you about a new free game, you get a taste of what Animal Crossing is all about, and suddenly you find yourself buying one the many full installments in the series.
Unlike previous franchises with mobile spin-offs like Super Mario or Fire Emblem, Animal Crossing is an inherently social game. Most of the gameplay revolves around socializing with your animal neighbors and showering them with gifts. The most conflict you're going to encounter is deciding which of your new friends you'll let into your decked out campsite. All these aspects combined make Pocket Camp the perfect Nintendo game to share with others.
In fact, one of the main draws to Pocket Camp is how carefree it is. Almost every interaction in the game is positive in some way, and plenty of the charming personalities from the real games are present in the mobile version. Pocket Camp fills that relaxing niche in mobile gaming that other popular titles like Candy Crush and Clash Royale can't always provide.
While the gameplay itself isn't exactly compelling, it really doesn't need to be. Pocket Camp's reward system encourages players to stop by in short bursts to fulfill requests and buy furniture among other things. Sure, you have the option to binge for a while if you're that into the game, but ultimately Pocket Camp accomplishes what a mobile game is supposed to; kill time.
Whether or not the game has any staying power is debatable, but even if the hype dies down it got people talking about Animal Crossing once again. If you need a little something to occupy yourself between classes, Pocket Camp is probably one of the best options in the market.
