On April 14th, 2001, Animal Forest hit the Nintendo 64 in Japan. As a very late release for the system, the franchise wouldn’t make its North American debut until the GameCube port, localized as Animal Crossing, released in September 2002. Europe got it even later in September 2004!
Now, twenty years later the franchise has become a massive hit, with both New Leaf and especially New Horizons being landmark titles for the 3DS and Switch respectively.
Still, it’s always nice to remember where you’ve been, which this anniversary artwork is all about. More than a few stickers are depicted, presumably from Rover’s journeys, featuring characters both old and new.
It's been 20 years today since the #AnimalCrossing series launched in Japan! What are your favourite memories from the series?
If you're new to the series, check out #AnimalCrossingNewHorizons on #NintendoSwitch: https://t.co/CtTrBHtU8C pic.twitter.com/uaQHPk7ZZg
— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) April 14, 2021
There’s Farley, the original inhabitant of the Wishing Well, the Post Office birds, Gracie and her car… There’s even a nod to the very first house design, complete with a Gyroid out front!
Here’s hoping we see some of these familiar faces in New Horizons soon enough.
Written by Tom Brown
Whether it’s an exciting new entry in a series long established or a weird experiment meant only for the dedicated, Tom is eager to report on it. Rest assured, if Nintendo ever announces Elite Beat Agents 2, he’ll be there.
