Seize the day with animal crossing and Disney planes.

• Position: VIDEO GAMES

The gates of Animal Crossing: New leaf have opened for the Nintendo 3DS system. Residents are invited to move in and, in a series first, become mayors of their own personalized towns. Based on the real-world calendar--no two days in the game are the same--New Leaf debuts features such as customizing specific pieces of furniture, visiting a tropical island, swimming in the ocean, and sharing personalized homes with friends.

In their role as mayors, players make decisions that directly affect how their towns grow and function. They can set ordinances, such as keeping shops open later if they play mostly at night, and also select pubic works projects to build--including bridges, benches, streetlamps, and clocks. In addition to being mayor, players also are residents, and can earn money to spend at local businesses on Main Street, get to know their neighbors, and collect items such as insects, fish, fossils, and fruit, some of which can be donated to the town museum for visitors to admire.

The town's former mayor, Tortimer, visits and invites players to the tropical island where he now lives, where they can take mini-vacations with other friends who also own the game. On the island, visitors can take tours, rent a wetsuit and dive into the ocean to catch underwater creatures, or swim around and enjoy the sights.

As in previous versions, almost everything in the game can be customized, including their interior design and clothing, but New Leaf allows the adjustment of thousands of individual pieces of furniture, including clocks, shelving, and lamps. The exteriors of houses can be decorated with new mailboxes, doors, facades, and stepping stones. Players even can create custom fashion designs at the Able Sisters' Tailor that can be turned into QR Code patterns to be shared with others. The amount of customizable options is nearly endless.

Players can play locally with other Animal Crossing: New Leaf fans who also own the game, share Friend Codes to travel to other players' towns, go on a tropical...