This article is about the first game in the series. For the video game series, see Animal Crossing. For other uses, see Animal Crossing (disambiguation).

Animal Crossing, known as  in Japan, is a life simulation video game made by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 and Nintendo GameCube game consoles. It was only released on the Nintendo 64 in Japan in 2001. In 2002, it was released in North America, Europe, and Australia for the Nintendo GameCube. It supports the GameCube-Game Boy Advance link cable and the e-Reader items and has emulated Nintendo Entertainment System games in it as items. That means that the player can replay old NES games within the game itself.

Gameplay
The player moves into a village where everyone is an animal. Only the player is human. Only four people can move to the village and live in their own house. They have to pay money (called "bells") for the house, and when they did it the house will get bigger. Bells can be earned by fishing, catching insects, selling things and other ways. The players can buy the things they like from Tom Nook (a racoon who has got a shop in the village) and put them in their houses. If their house looks nice, they get points and things from the HRA (Happy Room Academy). They also can buy clothes. The game is played in real time and has no ending. You can visit the villages of other players by using their Memory Card.

Characters

Villagers
The animals are different. There are different kinds of animals (for example cats, mice or dogs) and different characters (for example lazy, active...)

Male Villager
Female Villager

Tom Nook 
Tom Nook is a racoon who has got a shop called "Nook's Cranny" where you can buy things for your house or clothes. If you buy many things it gets bigger. You work there at the beginning of the game to pay for your house.

Mable and Sable
Mable and Sable are two hedgehogs who have a shop called "Able Sisters" where players can make their own clothes.

Tortimer
Tortimer is an old turtle who is the mayor of the village in Animal Crossing: Population Growing, Animal Crossing: Wild World, and Animal Crossing: City Folk (Known in EU as: Let's go to the City!) In Animal Crossing: New Leaf, you are the mayor.

Pelly and Phyllis
Pelly and Phyllis are two pelicans who work at the post. You can send letters to the villagers.

Resetti
Resetti is an angry mole. He comes when you reset the game and don't save it.

K.K. Slider
K.K. Slider is a dog who comes to the train station every Saturday evening at 8.00 pm. He sings songs. You can take them to your house and listen to them there.

Special days
At some days there are special things in Animal Crossing, some of them like days in real life, for example Christmas, Halloween, or Thanksgiving. Some are special events which are only in the game like fishing competitions. Sometimes you can get special items at days like that, for example Christmas clothes and furniture.

NES games
There are nineteen NES games in Animal Crossing: Balloon Fight, Baseball, Clu Clu Land, Clu Clu Land, Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong 3, Donkey Kong Jr., Donkey Kong Jr. Math, Excitebike, Golf, Pinball, Punch-Out!!, Soccer, Tennis, Wario's Woods, Ice Climber, and Mario Bros. (only with e-Reader); Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda (only with hacking). They work just like the original games.

Animal Crossing games
Dōbutsu no Mori (lit. Animal Forest)--> Nintendo 64; April 14, 2001 (only in Japan)
Dōbutsu no Mori+ (lit. Animal Forest+)--> Nintendo GameCube; December 14, 2001 (Japan)
Animal Crossing--> Nintendo GameCube; September 15, 2002 (North America, English version of Animal Forest+ with additions)
Dōbutsu no Mori e+ (lit. Animal Forest e-Plus)--> Nintendo GameCube; June 27, 2003 (Japan, Japanese version of Animal Crossing with the additions and for example more holidays)
Animal Crossing: Wild World (Oideyo Dōbutsu no Mori in Japan)--> Nintendo DS; November 23, 2005 (Japan)/December 5, 2005 (North America)
Animal Crossing: City Folk (in some regions: Animal Crossing: Let's go to the city)--> Wii; November 16, 2008 (North America)/November 20, 2008 (Japan)
Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Tobidase Dōbutsu no Mori in Japan)--> Nintendo 3DS; November 8, 2012 (Japan)/June 2013 (Worldwide)

References

2001 video games
Nintendo 64 games
Nintendo GameCube games
Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development games
Video game remakes
Animal Crossing