Heck yes! It was the first one I played (which almost ended up being Wild World as the two were only released a year apart in the UK though I didn't have a DS so I got this game instead). I've had so many good memories with the game. I loved the huge size of the town. The Dump was also pretty useful when I first started playing. My first few villagers in my first town were Bob, Mitzi, Tangy, Tom, Quetzal and Gwen (Bob, Mitzi and Tangy ended up becoming a few of my favourite villagers). Eventually I made another town (my first town still exists) and my starters in that town were Mitzi, Weber, Doc, Freckles and two others who I forgot. I still play the game to this day (second town every day, first town every Saturday). My first town is hack free but my second town is a bit hacked (it has mostly cats).
Yes, I played Animal Crossing: Population: Growing! and enjoyed it. I don't play it very often anymore, maybe once every few years or so at this rate, but I remember it fondly and still enjoy its unique feel when I do play it.
I never played Wild World, disliked City Folk, and have no interest in Happy Home Designer or amiibo Festival. As such, the GameCube game is my second favorite in the series. New Leaf just improved upon it so much that it's my favorite currently.