Animal Crossing is one of those games that’s hard to pin down when and how I heard about it. One of my first memories is seeing it at “EB Games” during an excursion to the nearest mall with my pals. My buddy, we’ll call him “Advent”, was pretty adamant that it was a child’s game. That didn’t really stop me; I think I picked it up that day despite him poking fun at it. That was circa 2003, so 17 years ago as of writing this. 17 years is a long time, so the game almost feels like it has just always been part of my life. I didn’t realize that picking up a strange Gamecube title would have had profound implications for my gaming life. So, let’s take a quick stroll down memory lane and chat about each entry in the series.

Population Growing 🏡

In terms of raw nostalgia, “Population Growing” is the pinnacle. Gamecube was the first system I purchased for myself so everything felt more personal; not to mention I was finally old enough to earn a TV in my room. It was a pretty small room; my gaming chair was my bed and was practically within arm’s reach of the TV. I like to think of it, not as cramped, but intimate. Beyond just gaming, many formative years crept by in that room. In that time, Animal Crossing became my go-to unwind activity. If it was a slow rainy Saturday, pop it on and do some fishin’. If it was snowy and dismal, hop in and see what goodies may have trickled into the lost-and-found. One of my favorite memories was staying up late playing it with my sister on Christmas Eve; somehow it amplified the holiday atmosphere. To this day, the “Rainy Day” theme pops into my head when it’s raining out. I find “Population Growing” incredibly easy to return to because of its quirky nature and how vastly different it feels from any other entry. Oh, and before I forget, the music is probably my favorite of the series; it’s so strange, upbeat, and weird.

Wild World 🌎

Wild World was released in December, 2005 but my memories of it are heavily tied to the DS Lite. The Lite was actually my “class ring” 😅; my Mom was pretty accepting of throwing down for that instead of a ring that most people never wear. Anyway, I remember being blown away with the ability to play Animal Crossing on the go. It was incredibly convenient to be able to throw myself down on the couch, talk to my family, and pop open Wild World. To this day, my parents remember the relaxing music from Wild World from my sister and I playing it before dinner. As of writing this, it’s my opinion that Wild World was the biggest leap between iterations (I’m betting my thoughts will change when “New Horizons” launches). One of my favorite memories was bringing my DS over to the “Smith Bros” (a group of my friends) house. We stayed up late into the night just running around each other’s towns. Wild World felt like it had so many little discoveries to make; like obtaining the Metroid tank after months of effort shooting down UFOs and crossing my fingers for RNG to be on my side.

City Folk 🌆

I have it…but I have no memory of playing. There were balloons? 🎈

New Leaf 🍃

Finally, we arrive at New Leaf. My sister had pre-ordered the game over a year before its release. In fact, she gifted me the pre-order for Christmas 2011; I think we were both expecting it to come out in 2012. When it finally came out in June 2013, it was a warm welcome. I had recently moved to a new city for work, so New Leaf felt like a slice of home. That summer was filled with sunny days outside playing frisbee and unwinding on the couch, catching some beetles. I distinctly remember my sister, cousins, and I sprawled out across my grandparent’s floor playing New Leaf. This entry became a routine for me; I’d pop it open in the morning with my coffee to check my shops and hit up Brewster’s then chill in the evening to farm bells. As with all things, gradually I played less and less. I checked in here and there out of curiosity to see how my town was doing, but ultimately moved on.

Feels 💚

Animal Crossing is such a special series for me. It encapsulates my love of family, friends, and - at the risk of being cliché - community. The sense of comfort I feel when I hear the cicadas chirping, the snow softly crunching beneath my feet, or the rain hitting my umbrella, truly feels like home. It’s just a game, sure, but why does it invoke such real emotions when I think back to towns that I’ve left behind? New Horizons is just around the corner; my life is in a different chapter than it was with previous entries and so I’m ready to begin anew with all the possibilities that brings. I’m willing to bet, years from now, I’ll be writing about how nostalgic I am for the “New Horizons” days.