My life follows a set routine.
Every day, after work, I head home to Crawford. I check my fanmail, putting the various gifts I’ve received into my backpack, to dole out to devoted followers or sell for pocket change. The flowers never wilt and weeds rarely grow, but I’ll roam the grounds around town, checking to make sure hybrid flowers are grouped together and errant blooms are dug up to preserve my landscaping. I check in with my favorite admirers: Molly, Peanut, Rosie, Beardo, Hamphrey, Lucky, and Daisy. I can’t risk any of them jumping ship, like Julian did inexplicably and without warning. Then, I sell any tokens I’ve acquired from the devotees around the way, see if my favorite art dealer is in town with anything authentic, and sign off for the day.
By now, you should hopefully have gathered that, a year later, I’m still devoting at least 15 minutes a day to Animal Crossing: New Leaf . Sometimes, it’s even as long as 30 minutes. It depends on a number of things–my schedule, that of the humble hamlet of Crawford, and sometimes even my friends and family members who are also still playing the game. Yes, I’m not alone. We’re a legion of people still entranced by Animal Crossing: New Leaf , continually returning to the game.
The Animal Crossing: New Leaf devotion happened for a number of reasons. A large part of it is because the 3DS installment feels like it has more to offer. The weekly fishing tournaments have recently returned, for one, and I’m taking part when I can to slowly accumulate all of the special furniture earned from turning in the best catches. Special events–be they holidays or minor, memory building moments like a bug catching contest–play a big part in drawing me back. I want to see what can happen and what I can collect. April Fool’s was a big deal, what with the chance to expose Blanca as the identity thief and chase her out of town. But even returning events feel new, thanks to small changes.
Another is the fact that everyone I know is also still playing, to some degree. My mother’s always been a big Animal Crossing fanatic, which means I keep returning to Crawford so she can have someplace to send Katie the roaming kitten, sell her turnips, get petitions signed, or just visit someplace new. My friends still dabble with their towns as well, and we’ll visit one another to pass off moving neighbors or entice new supporters into coming to our towns. Sometimes, it’s even about just seeing what’s happening in each other’s virtual homesteads, to see how the neighborhood makeup has changed and what kinds of projects have been funded thanks to community support.
Though, I think the StreetPass function might just help the most. I’ve gotten in the habit of carrying my 3DS everywhere in sleep mode, thanks to Nintendo Zones offering 6 StreetPass tags from previous visitors when you pass by. As a result, I usually come home with a handful of tags, sometimes just because I drove past a McDonalds. Most of the people I encounter have also played the game, and I’m genuinely interested in what they’ve done with their homes. (Especially since living near Illinois’ Mitsuwa Plaza means the occasional Japanese StreetPass.) Its one of the few games where the StreetPass function didn’t get old, and eventually deactivated to make room for a newer game.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf has proven to be one of my biggest 3DS surprises. I’ve always loved the series, but I never expected to be so captivated by installment that I’d still be checking in daily a year later. I usually abandon my town after about six months, perhaps returning if I missed out on a Halloween or Christmas event. That isn’t happening this time. Nintendo really did something special with Animal Crossing: New Leaf , because this time, I just can’t let go.