My First Day In Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Oh Animal Crossing, I’ve missed you so. Even Tom Nook is a welcome, friendly face.

Okay, maybe that’s taking a bit too far, but still. It’s wonderful to step back into a small, happy, virtual town. My life in Animal Crossing: New Leaf began with a train ride with a familiar blue cat named Rover. Rover enthusiastically welcomed me into the world, mentioning how he’s been riding the rails since 2002. As always, a series of short questions determined my character’s starting look, as well as a chance to pick a layout for the humble hamlet of Crawford.

Upon my arrival, I was met with a very merry welcome. A perky puppy, perhaps a Lhasa Apso, Astrid the kangaroo, Chester the Panda and Coach the… emu(?) were there to welcome me to town. Despite my protests, I was unanimously named the mayor. They said my being a human would actually be an asset, as it would provide a fresh viewpoint of town. There was also a moving ceremony involving planting a tree. It was quite touching.

Before I could begin my mayoral duties, however, the adorable puppy Isabelle told me I had to become an official resident of Crawford. To do that, I needed a home. Which meant a visit to Nook. See, he’s passed along the general store to his nephews, Tommy and Timmy, and decided to focus solely on real estate. It’s a good move, far more profitable. Time to go to main street!

Nook has settled nicely into his new digs. He has a fancy new outfit, lots of housing accoutrements and was eager to sell me a home. He wouldn’t get into prices though—no, no. Best to first lock me in before getting into money. Instead, he was shoving me out the door as we headed into Crawford to find a place for my homestead.

I was quite impressed when it came to finding the perfect spot. As long as I didn’t head down to the beach (you can’t build on sand) and avoided areas with a rock or pond, Nook could build my home there. I choose a nice, secluded spot near a small pond, so I could hear the frogs at night, and decided to set down roots. He agreed that yes, yes, it was a nice place, and called dibs on my spot. He also set up a tent for me, which I found a bit odd… until he mentioned that building couldn’t begin until I started paying.

We headed back to Nook’s main street office to discuss details. Homes aren’t cheap. He needed a 10,000 Bell deposit before any work could begin. Until then, I would be roughing it out. Oh well. Isabelle felt bad for me, giving me a lantern for my little hovel, and the basic shower and minimalist ottoman were gifts from the trees. I also found a S.S. Dolphin from Nookling Junction. It turns out, 2 Play Coins can buy a fortune cookie from Tommy. My fortune, No. 39, earned me the super, ultra, special, S.S. Dolphin.

So, it was back to town to earn some cash. I had acquired a shovel and net from Nookling Junction when I stopped in, which I put to good use catching some common butterflies and a locust. More interesting was the shovel and what it revealed. As any good Animal Crossing fan knows, one of the rocks in town each day is a “magic” rock that will spawn bells when struck. Imagine my surprise when one of the rocks in my search shattered, revealing gold ore. A visit to Re-Tail, run by the alpacas Reese and Cyrus, and I was over 8,000 bells richer. Ores were the item of the day at the resale shop, so she paid top dollar for the item. A few shells and peaches later, and my down payment was paid off.

Speaking of bells, it’s been quite easy to earn cash in Animal Crossing: New Leaf thus far. Within 2 hours, I had made over 20,000 bells. That’s without a fishing pole, mind you. Bugs are everywhere, both of my beaches had plenty of shells and about 1,000 bells alone came from shaking trees. The potential for advancement is everywhere, which is good, because it seems I’ll have a lot to buy.

There’s this modern wooden TV in Nookling Junction that has my name on it…