The Sweet Nostalgia of Animal Crossing

When I think of the word nostalgia, my mind is immediately drawn to one place. More specifically, a game that comforted me throughout my childhood. A virtual world with low stakes and friendly NPCs that takes place in real time.

Of course, I am talking about Animal Crossing, Nintendo’s beloved franchise with five iterations and multiple spin-off games. While the nostalgia I feel for the game may be as simple as being a game I played in my youth, there is something deeper about Animal Crossing that evokes this feeling amongst many of its players. 

The Gameplay

For those who have never played Animal Crossing, the gameplay is very simple. You play as yourself via a customized human avatar who moves into a new town, which you can also give a name to. As you enter this new town, you are greeted by anthropomorphic animals that reside there. You then find yourself a warm home and slowly become integrated into the game. 

As you progress through the game, you quickly realize that Animal Crossing is not like other games. For the most part, there is no true objective. You aren’t saving a princess, finding some treasure, or fighting any enemies. Instead, Animal Crossing is a game that takes place in real time, meaning you go day-by-day.  

Whatever device you are playing on, be it the Nintendo Switch or Nintendo GameCube, Animal Crossing connects to the system and follows along with the  date and time in the real world. The day-by-day structure and open-ended nature of the game allows players to take things slowly and enjoy the calmness of life. 

This means that, as you play the game, you will go through all four seasons, celebrate every holiday, celebrate your birthday, and watch your town develop throughout. There is a reason people keep picking up the game years later. As time passes in your real life, the game is passing time right beside you. 

What Makes Animal Crossing Special

Your experience with the game is what you make of it. You can spend time catching bugs or fish, collecting art for the museum, making as much money as possible, or building deep relationships with your anthropomorphic villagers. Each day is different; there are so many things for players to do, especially as newer iterations of the game are released. 

This is where the nostalgia of the game kicks in. Animal Crossing is reminiscent of our childhoods because we see ourselves in the human avatar. You are notably the only human player in the game. In Stardew Valley, another popular game which follows a similar open-ended style like Animal Crossing, you are living amongst multiple human NPCs. Animal Crossing makes you, as the player, stand out in the town instead. 

The game never makes you feel out of place though; the villagers and characters never seem to mention that you are an entirely different species from them. For many, this was comforting; perhaps they, too, felt like outsiders. Animal Crossing was a space where they received kindness and acceptance. 

Through the avatar, you explore this virtual world. You become emotionally connected to the game, and you can’t help but log on to see what each day entails. 

As I mentioned before, the game experience is totally in your hands. There is no linear story here; you simply play the game and set your own accomplishments. Of course, the gameplay also differs depending on which game you are playing. 

With five games in the series, each one provides a new, fun spin that makes them feel extremely different. For example, Animal Crossing: City Folk includes a city full of different businesses that you can help open as you progress through the game. Animal Crossing: New Horizons places you on an island where you can completely change the landscape. 

As other players and I were introduced to the different volumes of Animal Crossing, the charming spirit of the game has never left. This is the exact reason why Animal Crossing became my favorite game. 

My Journey With Animal Crossing 

Now that we have a basic understanding of what Animal Crossing is and why players love the game, I want to include my own experience with playing the game. 

My first experience with Animal Crossing was when I was handed down my sister's Nintendo DS. The DS was turquoise with pink decal stickers that acted as a case. I received this DS at around seven years old, and I absolutely adored it. Of course, I was also passed down my sister's previous games, but I got new games as well. Among these new games, one of them happened to be Animal Crossing: Wild World. 

Out of all my DS games, I connected with Animal Crossing: Wild World the most. The bright colors, cute villagers, and interactive town had me entranced. While I was too young to understand some aspects of the game, I had fun regardless. 

I have several memories of playing the game daily and spending time talking to villagers, collecting fruit, and fishing. As a child, the whimsiness of the town and the interactions with characters kept me entertained for hours. I loved spending holidays on Wild World and completing whatever wacky adventure awaited me. 

Suddenly, the unexpected happened. My DS broke, and I was no longer able to play Wild World. This devastated me, and it felt like I had been ripped from a world I had grown to love. 

Then, the following Christmas, I was gifted a purple Nintendo 3DS that I immediately fell in love with. I was ecstatic, and I promptly requested my mom to purchase Animal Crossing: New Leaf. 

As I was a little older, I was able to grasp more concepts of Animal Crossing, and New Leaf quickly became a favorite of mine. While in Wild World, you play as someone who has just moved into a new town, New Leaf places you as the mayor. You are no longer passively playing a role in the game; you are actively a part of growing the town into whatever you see fit. 

This was a perfect metaphor for childhood and growing up. When you are younger, your worldview is sort of predetermined; you follow what the adults in your life tell you to do. As you grow older, you take this foundation and create something new for yourself, a new outlook on life, and a new sense of identity. 

As a child, I appreciated Wild World. I played the game with little direction, simply walking around doing random tasks. New Leaf provided a new structure for me, one where I could fully understand and help create a town for myself. 

I felt very seen by Animal Crossing; the game just seemed to progress with its audience and provide them with even more independence and customization than before. In New Leaf, you get to take control and add new additions to the town. You could add benches, a police station, a coffee shop, windmills, or solar panels wherever you wanted. 

I felt close to the characters and villagers of my town as well. I had personal favorites such as Tangy, a cat who is designed to look like an orange, and Kid Cat, another cat who is designed to look like a superhero. I grew extremely fond of all of my villagers, and I loved the other characters as well. 

Isabelle, a Shih Tzu dog who is your secretary and assistant, is a fan favorite because of her helpfulness, dedication, and all-around cuteness. As the mayor of the town, you spend a lot of time with her, and she is always eager to hear your ideas. I, to this day, love Isabelle as she is quick to give you positive affirmations and simply wants to make your town a better place. 

All these aspects of the game spoke to me. I found myself getting lost in this world for hours. 

Where I Stand Now With Animal Crossing 

To this day, I will never forget all the memories I have playing New Leaf. It is my favorite iteration of the game, and I still have that purple 3DS somewhere in my closet, with my town patiently waiting for my return. 

Of course, I have shifted my focus to the Nintendo Switch version, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which recently got some updates. I love this game for similar reasons as the previous ones, simply for the beauty of it and the warmth it creates within me. 

New Horizons was notably released during a time when many of us desperately craved an escape from the realities of the world. As I said before, Animal Crossing just always seemingly knew when to come into my life. It’s a game I will always cherish, and something I will likely always play as well. 

Despite my seemingly endless responsibilities, I always find my way back to Animal Crossing, even if I log in for an hour just to check on my town and the villagers. Unlike memories from your childhood, Animal Crossing is something you can tangibly revisit. The music, the dialogue, the colors, and the design, it’s always there waiting for you. 

I hope this love letter to my favorite game inspires you to pick up a game that invokes a similar sense of nostalgia. Our childhood favorites don’t have to sit in our distant memory forever; we can revisit them and remember why they were so beloved by us in the first place. Visit the arcade, turn on your console, or even watch a gameplay video. Tap into this aspect of your childhood, and watch the memories flood back to you.

About the Author

Leilah Ortega is a Journalism student at UNLV with a concentration in Social & Digital Media. She is currently in her senior year and plans to graduate this Spring. After she graduates, she plans to pursue a career in journalism and make a change through her work. Leilah is Vice President of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ Las Vegas chapter. In her free time, she likes to draw, listen to music, and write.