The release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been an unprecedented success for Nintendo. The latest in the series of cartoony life simulation games, it's the first on a next-gen console. It's also a return to the series' traditional play style, after a duo of less than well-received spinoffs (Happy Home Designer and Amiibo Festival) based around gimmicks.
Despite the franchise's more lackadaisical, non-linear format, it is one of the few Nintendo franchises to receive a movie this century. With fans of the new game possibly wanting to get even more Animal Crossing in their life, here's what they should known about the franchise's foray onto the big screen.
A Wild New World
The film, titled Dobutsu no Mori, or Animal Crossing: The Movie, was released in Japan only on December 16th, 2006. The film was put into production after Animal Crossing: Wild World on the Nintendo DS was such a commercial success. The movie follows the 11-year old Ai, who recently moved to the franchise's signature animal filled village. She takes a job making deliveries for Tom Nook, and befriends the town's residents. These include Bouquet, Sally, Albert and Yu, the only other human in the village.
She plants trees around the town, following the instructions from a series of bottles that she finds. According to the messages, a miracle will occur at the upcoming Winter Festival if sufficient trees are planted. For no particular reason, Ai surmises that the messages have been left by an alien.
Unfortunately, Ai's relationships grow rocky. Sally abruptly leaves the town to become a fashion designer, and Bouquet chastises Ai for not attending the impromptu going-away party. This sends Ai to the local museum's cafe, where K.K. Slider's song K.K. Bossa reminds her of the friend that is now gone. Bianca takes the opportunity to scold Ai as well, as she feels that she should be happy for Sally instead of sad for herself. Ai states that Sally never even told her she was leaving, which is what makes her so sad. Sally later apologizes by letter for not telling her friend, while Bouquet also apologizes for her own behavior.
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Alien Crossing
The Winter Festival finally comes, and the pine trees are now fully grown. Fulfilling Ai's suspicions, a UFO flies around the town and crash lands in the forest. The occupant is Johnny the Seagull, who planted the messages to hype up his Winter Festival appearance. Ai and her friends search for pieces of Johnny's UFO that had broken off in the crash, but one piece is blocked by a boulder in a cave. Ai, Bouquet, Yu and Albert are unable to move the boulder even together, until Sally returns and helps them out. They discover a small UFO, which reunites with its group that been come to the town to view the lights on Ai's pine trees. Leaving, they light up the sky with a constellation that resembles Ai. Winning the festival's decoration contest and being reunited with all of her friends, Ai finally feels that she is home in the village.
The movie's artstyle resembles a less pixelated and polygonal version of the games, with the animals in particular looking pretty much the exact same. Many of the franchise's concepts are present, such as planting trees, UFOs, holiday festivals, residents moving away, the museum/cafe and, of course, K.K. Slider. Tom Nook is also present, though he isn't as focused on Ai repaying the debt on her home as in the games.
The film is one of the best video game adaptation, getting not only the core essence correct, but directly translating several key elements. The plot, while a bit saccharine, does a good job translating the events of the games into an actual story. Considering how difficult it can be to adapt video games that actually have a plot, this is probably the film's biggest accomplishment. Sadly, Nintendo has yet to release the film in America, or to make a follow-up in the form of a sequel or anime series. With the success of New Horizons, however, it's possible that the company could turn a "new leaf" on both decisions.