Since the first game release on April 24th, 2001, by the game company Nintendo, the beloved game series Animal Crossing has been thoroughly loved and played by millions of people. The Animal Crossing games can be played from pretty much anywhere with the right console, and the modern games in the series can even be enjoyed with friends from around the world.
It all started with the very first game of the franchise with the original Animal Crossing, called “Dōbutsu no Mori” or “Animal Forest” in its original Japanese release. It was planned to stay as a Japan exclusive, as Nintendo was unsure if the game would be well-received in America. However, it was later released in the same year under the recognizable moniker “Animal Crossing” in the U.S. Since then, many games and versions have been released, and the franchise grew rapidly.
For many players, the game Animal Crossing: New Leaf for the Nintendo DS is an easy introduction to the games and introduces the more free-flowing style of modern games. The newest game that released in 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch, has become very well-loved and has grown an impressive fan base. New Horizons introduced a unique but familiar playstyle to the series, where the player ends up on an island that they end up owning and creating a small community on. The game showcases an online play feature, like its predecessor New Leaf, where players from anywhere in the world can fly to their friend’s island in-game through the Nintendo Switch’s “Friend Code”; A code that a console user can share with others for online play. Players take pride in showing off their customized islands to their friends.
The Animal Crossing franchise provides a calm and creative environment for players and continues to be one of the most popular series by Nintendo throughout the world.