What Sold Animal Crossing For You?

[CuriousCharli]

The only AC game i ever played was ACNL and I got it while I was in college just as many pp have said I played it once the game was already out for a while and I even think i did not have or only enjoyed a very few updates where they have you free items through the mail if i remember correctly. I used to study and work so once i had saved a bunch of cash i saw a 3DS discounted and got one for me once i started playing it was and i was very happy for many years. But then i also reached a point where i quit ACNL because there was nothing more for me to do sadly.

I saw ACNH by accident and was super excited for it, however, at that time I was already doing my masters and extremely busy so quickly made myself forget about it bu then COVID happened and I found my self with sooooo soooo sooooo soooooooo much free time on my hands that in the first month of quarantine i got a switch light and the game and i was so amazed at everything the aesthetics, new mechanics and it was just a beautiful experience hahah brought back many memories

Actually that's a good point I never even mentioned. Wild World I had it as it came out, I think? The other's, Took me a long while to get to them. New Leaf I think.. I got it in 2014. Pocket Camp took me also a few years. I also forgot to mention I did Happy Homes but didn't play it for long, It got a bit same-y but I still enjoyed it when I played it. NH I am almost a year out but not quite since it came out near June time and I got it November

New Horizons reminds me that it isn't just a new series of the game we love. I've noticed it has splice pieces from older games into (I see some Wild World New Leaf and Pocket Camp features) as well you get the sense that it's different. That's what I like about it.

 

[Ganucci]

I got the GameCube version back in 2001 or 2002. I had just rented Harvest Moon for the N64 from my local rental store and realized I liked life simulation games, but obviously I didn’t know that’s what they were called as I was only in 1st or 2nd grade. When I saw the game in the store the box art won me over. However, like someone else said, I was a little upset to find out many weeks later that the villagers can’t actually move into the house with you.

@CuriousCharli is this the commercial?

 

[TheSillyPuppy]

New Horizons is my first game in the franchise. I didn't grow up with video games--my parents think all video games are first-person shooters. It wasn't until I met my S/O in university that I started getting interested in them by watching YouTubers playthroughs.

My S/O showed me one video of New Horizons gameplay by Outside Xtra and I was sold. Everything was adorable--the villagers, NPCs, buildings, furniture, etc.--and I really liked the thought of decorating an island and customizing characters. It's nice to do stuff and go on dates in the Museum with my S/O, as we're not physically together. :3

 

[CuriousCharli]

I got the GameCube version back in 2001 or 2002. I had just rented Harvest Moon for the N64 from my local rental store and realized I liked life simulation games, but obviously I didn’t know that’s what they were called as I was only in 1st or 2nd grade. When I saw the game in the store the box art won me over. However, like someone else said, I was a little upset to find out many weeks later that the villagers can’t actually move into the house with you.

@CuriousCharli is this the commercial?

I want to say YES but it doesn't mention shells which I could of swore it did. Thank you though it made me happy to watch it <3

 

[JasonBurrows]

Nothing in particular *sold me* on Animal Crossing New Horizons as I was going to get the game anyway.

I have Animal Crossing for the Nintendo Gamecube.
I have Animal Crossing Wild World for the Nintendo DS.
I have Animal Crossing: Let's Go to the City (as I am in the UK) for the Nintendo Wii.
I have Animal Crossing New Leaf for the Nintendo 3DS.

However if I absolutely must select something, I guess that the fact that the grass no longer withers (No Animal Tracks) would be the pretty enticing sell for me as I have always disliked the fact that towns could eventually become deserts..
I was able to keep at least 95% of my grass in games with Animal Tracks, but I missed being able to run.

I could run in Animal Crossing for the Nintendo Gamecube and enjoyed it and now I can run once again.

 

[jenikinz]

I bought it for Game Cube and had no idea what it was, I tried to play it and didn't quite get it at the time. It wasn't until later when Wild World came out that my friends daughter was playing it, and watching her play I was like I really like that I need to get myself that game. I went out and bought a DS and the game that day. My daughter laughed and was like "Mom, we have that game for the Game Cube and you wouldn't play it even when I tried to show you" LOL I guess I just needed to really watch someone else play, I then bought another cartridge as well as started playing the Game Cube version, bought another cartridge for that too. All told I think I had about 4 for the Game Cube and 3 for the DS until New Leaf came out. I had 3 of NL as well.
This is the only version I won't have multiple islands, I refuse to buy a second switch. My daughter also plays and said I could make a second island on hers because she doesn't play it enough to keep up with her own island. I would make a new one but eventually she will want it back, so I make do with the one I have and try not to be salty about it haha

 

[maria110]

I was drawn to the beauty of the natural world in the game, especially the night sky and Celeste. Shooting stars and all that. I wish there was more variety in the appearance of the trees, but seeing images of pretty forests was intriguing too.

 

[Bulbadragon]

I started with Wild World. It was my 9th birthday and I had a sleepover for it. Two of my friends had the game and let me try it. I was in love. Animal neighbors and house customization is what sold me. First thing I wanted to do the next day is go out and use my birthday money to buy my own copy. Ever since, it's been my favorite game franchise.

 

[iamjohnporter67]

I bought it because I had nothing else to play during the time when the World was in a Pandemic so this game helped me get through the painful times.

 

[mermaidshelf]

I went to my friends house and I played Animal Crossing on her Gamecube and I was HOOKED. I loved the relaxed nature of the game. It wasn't a first-person shooter, it wasn't competitive. You could play at your own pace and do what you wanted. I think the decorating/dress up was the biggest draw for me haha. I also played Sims 2 at my friends house on that day and that was nice but at the time we only had a family computer so I wouldn't have been able to play hours by myself. I never really got into Sims although it's the type of game I would like.

 

[Toska]

Honestly, I have no idea. My first game of the series was a gift from my parents, and I loved it! Specifically for New Horizons, I think the fact of it being Animal Crossing + the amazing graphics completely sold me on it!

 

[NatsumiSummer]

My father took me and my younger brother to Game Stop (I actually think it was an EB Games... back when those were still in the US), and he gave us 10 minutes to find A game we wanted to get, and when the time limit was dwindling down, and I hadn't made up my mind... I just rushed and picked out Animal Crossing: Wild World... Since then I have really enjoyed the series. It has helped me through a lot of rough patches in my life, and heck New Horizons has helped my younger brother and I to reconnect.

 

[loveclove]

I only started playing at 24 years old because of quarantine lol a friend described it to me like "the sims with cute animals". I like life simulation games and I was really bored, so I went for it. But I'm glad I did and I see myself playing the next games and sharing them with my kids if I ever have any

 

[jefflomacy]

K.K. Slider's shows at a friend's house on a Saturday around 2002. K.K. Slider and the collection of airchecks are my favorite feature of the game because it gives the universe a sense of being well-rounded and complete. Other than that, it's the villagers and art style which both remain unparalleled by any other franchise. Only Pokémon offers more character variety on such a large roster.

 

[tessa grace]

It's kind of a long story, actually...

Spoiler: why i got animal crossing

Well basically the first game I got was New Leaf (but i've played the older games), and it was because of a friend (i think her name was mia? maya? we've lost contact but i'm forever in her debt because she introduced me to me animal crossing) in a theater group. I was around 6 or 7 and we both had a 3ds so we would watch each other play or we'd play together because it was younger kids class and then then older kids class, we were both younger kids class but our older sisters were in the bigger class so we had to wait for them for like and hour or so (it was a total blast). Anyway I remember she was playing yo-kai watch and I LOVED THE GAME. It was like so much fun or something like that. I guess it reminded me of pokemon. Anyway a couple days later my 3ds died that day so I couldn't play and I was watching her and she got out her games and she was like, yo-kai watch or animal crossing? Poor 6 year old me had no idea what Animal Crossing was and it sounded like one of those games like crossy road or something anyway I was obviously not interested. So I said yo-kai watch but she was like, hmm I wanna play Animal Crossing instead. So instead I watched her play this new, boring looking, ew game... wait why are the ANIMALS SO CUTE?!?! Basically she showed me Isabelle and her sister's balloon themed house with an upstairs (which was like, SO bougie) and she showed me how cool the game was so every day after that I watched her play Animal Crossing New Leaf. Fast forward a year or so later, and I am just begging my mom to get me the game. Like every day I would remind her. "Hey, I want this game called, Animal Crossing I think" (I forgot the name for a while) that Christmas (or was it my birthday? my birthday is in March so they're pretty close and it's confusing) anyway I finally got the game and I was so excited. I got Bangle, one of my favorite villagers, (i mean she's just too cute) and I named my town awsome (I didn't know how to spell haha) anyway, after realizing that I spelled my town name wrong about a year or so later, I reset my town to name it Awesome. Then, I reset again and sold my town for the town Rochelle. THEN (i reset my town a lot like every year haha) my 2ds broke and I had to get a new town from scratch (which really sucked) on my 3ds, which I also named Rochelle, but ended up selling it to Tom Nook for more bells to my current town, Willow, which was my first perfect town (turns out that rochelle #1 was perfect but i didn't know it then i just thought that jacob's ladder was a seasonal flower). I haven't played ACNL a lot since I got New Horizons but the game will always have a very special place in my heart.

 

[Serabee]

Well, the first AC game I bought was the first for GC. I was... gosh, IDK. Eleven or so? And it had cute animals on it. Including cats.

...And that's all I needed to be sold, frankly I remember at first I thought you could play as an animal, and I was pretty bummed when I discovered I couldn't be a cat (I still remember my dad, having been there when I bought, coming into the basement and asking "So, are you a cat?" and feeling like he was rubbing it in, even though he didn't know ) But I quickly grew to love my animal neighbors and fishing and bug catching and wanted to pay off my loan- so it didn't take long for me to get hooked!

 

[Mattician]

The bonds and friendships you form with your villagers.

As someone who is extremely shy, Animal Crossing is the perfect game for me.

 

[-Lumi-]

My first Animal Crossing game was New Leaf and when I got the game I only really got a game once or twice a year. Usually for Christmas and my birthday so I made sure to heavily research the ones I wanted, lol. A big part of choosing the game was the length of it and if I'd actually be able to play it since I'm not the best at games.

A huge part of the appeal of Animal Crossing to me was that it never ended so I wouldn't have to worry about quickly beating the game (lolololol when have I ever beaten anything quickly? I also have a tendency to just ... never actually finish games, because I don't want them to end. This was never an issue with ACNL though!) and having nothing left to do. The second part that drew me in was how relaxing and laid back the game was. I could move at my own pace, there was no way to lose, and since it uses real world time vs an in game clock like Stardew Valley & SoS I also didn't have to stress over getting everything done as fast as possible before the day ended. I do love Stardew Valley as well but Animal Crossing is like... peak relaxation, imo. It's also adorable and super, super charming.

I didn't realize how much I would love New Leaf, though! It is hands down my favourite game, ever. I got so much play time out of it (and I still do visit my town! I just don't play it as much) and because I owned New Leaf I sought out forums to trade items and whatnot in. This lead me not only to TBT but to a forum I used to be a part of where I met some really lovely people. It was also a really comforting game because I got it when we first moved to a new town and I didn't know anybody so having ACNL to play at home and make friends through the game was really lovely.

 

[satine]

I still have the distinct memory of picking out the animal crossing gamecube game out when I was like 8, and it's so weird and funny because I'm way older than that now. But for some reason I still do remember it. Very stereotypically, as an eight year old girl I was obsessed with animals -- particularly cats and horses. On the case of the game, there was a cat and so I asked my mom to get it for me and she did. My younger brother and I played it daily -- our town was horrendous and covered in hoarded furniture, lol. So many young memories are of us playing it on rainy days. Of course when the next few installments came out, we attained them as well and played it together until we became teenagers and he lost interest in Nintendo.

I continued playing it though, and now here I am, in my 20s and playing ACNH whenever I can fit it into my busy academic and work schedule. I'm sure when I go through law school I'll still play it there, and when I have a family of my own and a full-time professional job, I'll even play it then too. Due to how young I was when it first caught my eye I can't give an exact reason on what "sold" it for me since I was a dumb little kid, but now what continues to sell it for me is the nostalgic factor and how relaxed and happy it makes me to play.

Of course taking away staples like gyroids and etc are extra frustrating as a result, as a kid who was obsessed with gyroids on the GC game lol, but whatever.

 

[RedPanda]

I was first introduced to Animal Crossing in 2002 with the Game Cube. A friend had it and let me play it and I fell in love. They didn't really need to sell it to me and I hadn't heard of the game before that. So it was more like "here is this new and magical thing" that I knew absolutely nothing about. I was mystified by the real-time gameplay and the open world feel - something rare in those days. Those two elements are still among the many reasons I love Animal Crossing.

Now that I have played several verisons of the game I would add that the serene, no stress (mostly) aspect of gameplay is important to me. It's my happy place. And I am the type of person that loves to collect items, and arguably that is the core purpose of most of the activities in the game, so it really scratches that itch for me big time.