In Animal Crossing DS, the sequel to the wildly popular Nintendo GameCube game, players and up to three friends can hang out in the same village and interact in real time -- either through wireless LAN or over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Now players can visit a friend's village from thousands of miles away. The touch screen makes item management and world navigation a breeze.

Typing letters and designing patterns are now just stylus strokes away. Days and seasons pass in real time, so whether players want to decorate their homes, catch bugs or fish, collect brand-new items like hats and sunglasses or just chat with the wild and wacky characters in their villages, there's always something to do.