As Nintendo’s flagship “communication simulator,” Animal Crossing has always been one of the most charming and relaxing games found on its systems since its initial release way back in 2002. Six years later, Animal Crossing: City Folk still stands out as a game with no one absolute objective. Instead of forcing you to race to the finish line, it gives you a town with a house to fill, neighbors to talk to and build relationships with, and countless items to unearth, catch, and collect until your pockets explode.

Of course, much of the game is spent collecting Bells (its currency) to pay back your ever-increasing house debt to the local loan shark/store owner Tom Nook, but that’s just part of the life experience, right?

Regardless of which path you choose to Zen, chances are you’ll want to build an enormous house as quickly as possible, as the game features the largest amount of stuff found in any Animal Crossing game yet. In addition to fishing, digging, catching, and selling, City Folk is all about aesthetics. Designing the perfect interior motif, purchasing the cutest cap and shoes, and creating the perfect town for friends to visit is what Animal Crossing is really about. Thanks to the DS Suitcase that allows you to bring over your entire catalog to your new town, you can repurchase all of your favorite, elusive items without having to do all the busy work. Of course there are all kinds of new things to be had as well, but at least you won’t feel so empty when moving closer to the big city.

Aside from being this title’s differential namesake, the City is the biggest addition to the Animal Crossing formula. Instead of having a handful of travelers occasionally grace your tiny town with their presence, the City houses many of the vagabonds from past games (like Lyle from the Happy Room Academy, and Dr. Shrunk, the emotional psychiatrist) while adding a few newcomers to the roster. Most noteworthy, the city also hosts an auction house where you can buy and sell items over Wi-Fi, allowing you to finally have a regulated form of e-commerce that relies on more than the Golden Rule.

For those who have never played Animal Crossing before, City Folk is the series at its finest. For starters, it’s easily the biggest, brightest, and most beautiful Animal Crossing yet. From the contrasting sand and the sea, to the muted colors of the town’s picturesque sunset, its trademark simplistic-yet-cartoony style is perfected on the Wii.