G4TV: My Garden: EA's New IP For the Nintendo 3DS

EA looked for inspiration in the complexity and beauty of the natural world in deciding what their first IP on the Nintendo 3DS would be, which explains why they announced My Garden for Nintendo's upcoming, eye-popping handheld. The game lets you plant, grow, and nurture your own garden where you can collect hundreds of different flowers.



My Garden game is hosted by Tanuki, a fat little furry guy with antenna and butterfly wings. He'll instruct you in becoming an expert gardener, and you'll actually unlock 20 unique abilities for him throughout the game. There are six featured gardens, including desert, rooftop, and traditional varieties (including a zen garden), and they all attract butterflies, insects, and birds. The flowers you grow attract those different insects and animals, and there are photo challenges associated with them as well.

You can shake the 3DS to startle the creatures into popping out of their hiding places, or even whistle into the microphone to attract them. There's even a free-roaming 3D camera inside that lets you check out your green thumb in action. The game has a very Disney-ish look and feel to it, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, and will be a launch title for the 3DS. While it's definitely for younger audiences, some of the scenes are very beautiful, and it makes you wonder why they couldn't just create a fairly powerful garden sim for the same unit. Plant that seed and think about it, EA.







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