Animal Crossing facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Animal Crossing
Logo since 2020
Genres	Social simulation, Iyashikei
Developers	Nintendo EAD (2001–2015) Monolith Soft (2015) Nintendo EPD (2015–present) NDcube (2015-2017) DeNA (2017)
Publishers	Nintendo
Creators	Katsuya Eguchi Hisashi Nogami
Platforms	Nintendo 64 iQue Player GameCube Wii Wii U Nintendo DS Nintendo 3DS iOS Android Nintendo Switch
First release	Dōbutsu no Mori April 14, 2001 (Japan)
Latest release	Animal Crossing: New Horizons March 20, 2020

Animal Crossing is a fun social simulation video game series. It was made by Nintendo. The main creators are Katsuya Eguchi and Hisashi Nogami.

In Animal Crossing, you play as a human character. You move into a village where many cute, talking animals live. You can do lots of cool things like fishing, catching bugs, and digging up fossils. The games are special because you can play them however you want. There are no strict goals. Also, the game uses your console's real time and date. This means if it's daytime or a holiday in real life, it's the same in your game!

The first Animal Crossing game came out in 2001. Since then, five main games have been released worldwide. They are available on consoles like the Nintendo 64, GameCube, Nintendo DS, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo Switch. The series is very popular and has sold over 72 million copies! There are also three spin-off games. These include Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival, and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp for phones. A paid expansion for Animal Crossing: New Horizons called Happy Home Paradise was also released.

What is Animal Crossing Gameplay Like?

In Animal Crossing games, you become a human character. You move to a village filled with friendly, talking animals. You live there for as long as you like. The game lets you play freely. You don't have to follow a set story. Instead, you can spend your time doing many different activities.

• You can collect items.
• You can plant trees and flowers.
• You can catch insects.
• You can go fishing.
• You can chat with the animal villagers.

The games follow real time. They use your game console's clock and calendar. So, if it's morning in real life, it's morning in your game. Seasons and holidays also match real life. Some events, like a tree growing, take real time to happen.

Customizing Your Animal Crossing World

A cool part of Animal Crossing is how much you can customize. You get to name your character and choose if they are a boy or girl. You can change how your character looks. You can buy or design new clothes and accessories. You can even change your hairstyle in later games.

Your house is also fully customizable. You can buy furniture and decorations. You can place items anywhere inside your house. You can also change the wallpaper and floor designs. You can even make your house bigger over time!

When you start a new game, your village is usually random. The layout, buildings, and first animal friends are different each time. But you get to choose your village's name. You can also pick a special village song. Sometimes, you can even decide what the animals say!

Collecting and Exploring in Animal Crossing

Collecting items is a big part of the game. You can explore your village and find many things. You might pick fruit from trees or find seashells on the beach. You can also find lost items. Almost everything you find can be sold for Bells. Bells are the money in the game.

You collect items to earn more Bells. Then you can use Bells to buy new furniture or clothes. You can also pay for house upgrades. There are special tools for activities like fishing or catching bugs. Some rare items, like fossils or paintings, can be given to the village museum.

You can also spend time with the animal villagers. You can talk to them or send them letters. You can trade items with them. Sometimes, you can even play games like hide-and-seek. New animal friends might move into your village. Others might move out, depending on what you do.

Playing with Friends in Animal Crossing

All Animal Crossing games let you play with other people. You can play with friends offline or online. One village can have up to four human players. But only one player can explore the village at a time. Players can send messages to each other. They can use the village post office or bulletin board.

The first GameCube game let players visit other villages by swapping memory cards. Later games let you visit friends online. You could use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. City Folk even let you use a special "DS Suitcase" to visit other towns.

Who are the Animal Crossing Characters?

The Animal Crossing series has many different animal villagers. But some special characters appear in almost every game.

• Tom Nook is a raccoon dog. He owns a shop and helps you get a house. He gives you loans for your house and upgrades. You can pay him back with no interest, which is great!
• Mr. Resetti is a mole. He used to pop up and scold you if you turned off the game without saving. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, he has a new job. He now works for the Rescue Service because the game saves automatically.
• K.K. Slider is a cool dog musician. He plays music in your town on certain nights. After his concert, he gives you a free copy of the song. He says his music "wants to be free."
• Isabelle is a friendly dog. She first appeared in New Leaf. She helps you as the town secretary. In New Horizons, she works with Tom Nook. She helps you change your town's flag or song. She can also help reset villager nicknames.

Tom Nook's young apprentices are Timmy and Tommy. They run the Nook's Cranny store in later games. The Able Sisters, Mabel and Sable, run a clothing shop. They offer many clothes for your character. In New Horizons, Orville and Wilbur are two Dodo birds. They run Dodo Airlines, which is your island's airport.

How Animal Crossing Games Were Made

The Animal Crossing series has grown a lot since 2001. Many games have been released over the years. Each new game adds more features and fun things to do.

Animal Crossing in Other Media

Animal Crossing has appeared in movies and other games!

• An anime movie based on Wild World was made. It was called Dōbutsu no Mori. It came out in Japan in 2006. The movie earned a lot of money, about $19.2 million!
• In the Wii game WarioWare: Smooth Moves, there's a mini-game. It's like Animal Crossing: Wild World. You have to catch a fish using the same controls as the original game.
• The 2008 Wii game Super Smash Bros. Brawl has Animal Crossing elements. There's a fighting stage called "Smashville." It looks like an animal village. The stage changes with the Wii's clock. Mr. Resetti and a pitfall seed are also items you can use in the game.
• Wii Music has two songs from Animal Crossing that you can play.
• "Animal Crossing: Sweet Day" is a mini-game in Nintendo Land. Players collect candy while trying to avoid "Gatekeepers."
• A character called "Villager" is a fighter in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. You can choose a boy or girl version of the Villager. They can catch other players in a net or shoot a gyroid like a missile. Isabelle also appears as a helper, and later as her own fighter!
• Villager and Isabelle are also playable racers in Mario Kart 8. There's even an Animal Crossing racetrack and a "Crossing Cup."
• In 2020, a manga comic based on New Horizons started. It's called New Horizons-Deserted Island Diary. It's licensed in North America by Viz Media.

Images for kids

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  Main Street's map from Animal Crossing New Leaf (Nintendo 3DS). Simplified version that depicts all unlockable shops.

See also

In Spanish: Animal Crossing para niños