Hey Man, This Big Ol’ Animal Crossing: New Leaf Update Just Hit the 3DS!!
2016 is Now Officially the Best Year of All Time.
More than 3 years after Animal Crossing: New Leaf was released for the 3DS in North America, Nintendo has gone and upgraded the software with some free DLC. Via a ridiculously charming Nintendo Direct, series producer Hisashi Nogami laid out the details and no, we’re not just talking about some minor skin upgrades or new household items to collect. I mean, those are totally there too but we’ve also got full blown amiibo support, custom photo development, new games to play and other very cool stuff that has motivated yours truly to sit down and write this thing. My God, this is all so exciting.
But first, I’m going to need a moment here. Excuse me…
sniff *COUGH* OK, I’m good. Now, let’s have a look at the top five best additions to New Leaf before I tell you to just watch the presentation for yourself:
Even though the built in camera for the 3DS may severely lack let’s say…oh what is it…definition? Resolution? (email me). Players can now snap pics of themselves with their favorite characters. Pretty neat, right? If you put money on me already imagining the perfect composition of Bluebear helping with the Thanksgiving turkey, you won that bet.
I never took the plunge on Happy Home Designer out of personal opposition to content that should have just been offered as cheap DLC in the first place. But for those of you that did, guess what? You can no longer regret the purchase as this update offers anyone with save data from that title a nifty bonus: Big uh, things (?).
In another sincerely generous gesture on the part of the big N, this update includes two completely full games you can unlock! Once scanning an Animal Crossing character amiibo to your system, you just swing by their RV in a newly patched to your town campsite where you can purchase items exclusive to this area. One item is a Wii U which opens up some survivor type island thing and the other is a New 3DS which hooks you up with nothing less than Puzzle League aka an Animal Crossing themed Tetris Attack! This is truly one of the greatest puzzle games of all time and it even includes a damn story mode and it is here for free. I need a smoke break after typing that.
As of this writing, I’m NFC scanning my ass off with the intention of populating my town with Legend of Zelda characters and multiple Bluebears. Nintendo seems to be embracing the mold that was broken by Mario Kart 8 and allowing some spillover from various classic titles to make way for a more unified universe (Smash is its own thing). Finally, longtime Nintendo fans can experience the joy of having Ganondorf pick up your mail when you’re outta town! You can also scan Splatoon figures to unlock special things but I was going to leave that as a surprise. Sorry.
This is tethered to #2 and is obviously the big one since the title of the entire game changes to Animal Crossing: Welcome Amiibo upon updating. I’m not going to say a whole lot about this feature as experiencing it yourself is just way too much fun. But I will offer a couple of quick tips:
– If you don’t own a New 3DS, getcher ass out there and pick up the NFC scanner before they go the way of the eReader. Totally worth it.
– Certain AC amiibo offer their own personally themed New 3DS item that you can buy with these weird MEOW coupons at the campsite, so keep that in mind IRL if there’s a particular character you cherish most.
– It wasn’t promoted, but scanning the *Villager amiibo from the Smash Bros. series offers up some hot shit. It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.
I’m getting the “wrap it up” cue from Mr. Face, so here: Watch the full presentation below!
*special thanks to the awesomely nerdy Gamestop employee at the Stonestown Mall here in San Francisco that gave me a heads up on this