6 Animal Crossing Facts

Since its original debut in 2001, Animal Crossing has become of the most successful gaming franchises ever for Nintendo, having sold more than 60 million copies in total to-date. With releases for the Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch, Animal Crossing is a series that has brought joy to so many around the world. The most recent entry into the series, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, was released for the Nintendo Switch in March of 2020.

Here are six facts about one of Nintendo’s most successful gaming franchises, Animal Crossing.

1. 1. Animal Crossing had originally been developed for the Nintendo 64. (source) In 2001, Animal Crossing became a smash hit on the Nintendo GameCube, but that’s not actually where the series began. It actually had first been developed for the 64DD, an add-on for the Nintendo 64 in Japan. However, by the time Animal Crossing had hit Japan in 2001 for the Nintendo 64, the console was already at the end of its lifespan in North America, so a worldwide release never came to be.

2. 2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the 2nd best-selling Nintendo Switch game. (source) As of 2022, Animal Crossing: New Horizons continues to be an outstanding success for Nintendo, with more than 38.64 million copies sold following its release on March 20, 2020. As of March 2022, the only video game for the Nintendo Switch that has sold more copies is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with 45.33 million units sold.

3. 3. You can access and play classic NES games in different Animal Crossing titles. (source) Ever since the release of the very first entry into the Animal Crossing series, players have been able to access different NES games and play them as they originally worked. The NES, otherwise known as the Nintendo Entertainment System, was a highly successful home gaming console that put Nintendo on the map in the 1980s In the earlier releases in the series, the NES games were accessible via e-Reader cards and special giveaways, while today, they can be accessed in Animal Crossing: New Horizons through various furniture items. Throughout Animal Crossing’s history of more than 20 years, there have been 19 different NES games that have been accessible, including classes like Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Punch-Out!!, Ice Climber and Wario’s Woods.

4. 4. K.K. Slider is based on Kazumi Totaka, the music composer for Animal Crossing. (source) In the Animal Crossing universe, K.K. Slider is undoubtedly one of the most memorable characters for his talents of delivering great tunes for all of the residents on the island. Totakeke is K.K. Slider’s real name, which is similar to the composer’s shortened name. Totaka has been a composer for Nintendo for many years, with his music appearing in many other Nintendo classics including Luigi’s Mansion, Wave Race 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening.

5. 5. The first Animal Crossing game went on to be a top ten seller for the Nintendo GameCube. (source) When Animal Crossing hit the Nintendo GameCube in 2001, it became an instant hit with gamers all over the globe. It proved to be a highly successful game, as it would go on to sell 2.71 million copies, making it the seventh best-selling title for the Nintendo GameCube.

6. 6. An Animal Crossing movie was released back in 2006. (source) Dōbutsu no Mori was a movie based on the Animal Crossing series of video games, and was released exclusively in Japan in 2006. Produced by Nintendo, VAP and OLM Inc, the film earned approximately $16,216.00 at the box office.

Since 2001, Animal Crossing has been one of the most successful and best-selling video game franchises for Nintendo. What are your favorite memories of playing Animal Crossing?

Featured image photo credit: Ian Hughes, 2021. Originally found on Flickr.com. Image was resized and cropped. Creative Commons 2.0.