My first Animal Crossing game was the very first one for North America on the Nintendo GameCube. I was hooked by the slice-of-life culture that the game had in it, and I could not get over just how I could shape the world to be like how I wanted it. I was the new person in town, and it always felt like there were more secrets just around the corner for me to explore and find.
I have bought every Animal Crossing game since then, and my Nintendo 3DS XL for the LONGEST time was the Animal Crossing: New Leaf design. I only, begrudgingly, updated it to a New Nintendo 3DS XL when they put out a The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask option and it was kind of clear they weren’t going to do one based around Animal Crossing. I picked up a Nintendo Switch themed after Animal Crossing: New Horizons when the game came out in 2020, and it was absolutely my console of choice until the Nintendo Switch 2 came out. Of course, if there is another Animal Crossing title released for that platform and Nintendo puts out a new themed console for that game, it will be an instant buy for me.
This franchise simply holds so much nostalgia and so much love for me, that playing it every day for Tom Nook’s Snapshots has never been a chore – especially as we are far beyond tipping into the second half of 2025 and this column’s existence.
Here is hoping to a new Animal Crossing game to be announced for the Nintendo Switch 2 sooner rather than later…but hopefully it will not be released before the end of this year and this column.
If you missed last week’s Tom Nook’s Snapshot, you can check it out here.
August 20
I started of my week in Animal Crossing: New Horizons by turning in my Glowing Painting, my drone beetle, and my moon jellyfish to Blathers so I can keep building out my museum with content. I always think that I have made serious, near complete progress…and then I wonder into a wing and realize that there are still a lot of empty spaces for a lot of insects, art, fossils, and fish to go in.
I also stopped by Nook’s Cranny and ran into Hugo, who was overwhelmed by the seven items on display and whatever is being sold in the cabinet today. Finally, I stopped by Kicks, who had set up in the plaza, and I bought shoes and a brand-new backpack. I have been needing new items to mix up every week and he always comes by at the right time.
August 21
I stopped by the Able Sisters today and chatted up Sable! She is quite the chatterbox once she gets to know you, after all. She handed me a special pattern that I can use, and she explained to me how she works faster when its sunny weather outside, even though she is stuck inside working all day. I am a little sad that I never actually see her outside of her workplace.
I also had a camper visit me today, Spork! Spork has his potato chips, his tomato chips, his pickle chips, his shrimp chips, his chocolate chips, his spicy chips, his stuffed friend Bugface, and yet he forgot his television. I’m just so confused as there is nothing in the tent but his sleeping bag, a radio, and a lantern. Did he eat all of his snacks and Bugface?!
Finally, Tutu gave me a pair of squared browline glasses and I was quite happy about that.
August 22
It is funny how life is, sometimes, in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
I was just thinking about how I never see Sable outside of work yesterday, and today I run into her at Brewster’s Cafe while she is having a cup of coffee after work. We talked and I loved how she called her after-work coffee “one of life’s finer pleasures”, because things like that certainly feel like a moment worth savoring and living for sometimes.
I had pigeon milk added into my coffee, and it made my cup so mellow and creamy and delicious and smooth. There are a lot of ‘and’ added into that sentence, but each one was quite earned. When I went to leave, Brewster thanked me again for my patronage and he gave me a coffee plant to take home with me. I am not quite sure where I will put it, but I will find the perfect spot for it!
August 23
I was so wrapped up in playing Pokémon GO Fest 2025: Max Finale in my local community all day to try to level up my Eternatus and its Dynamax Cannon that I totally missed the Bug-Off today! I keep missing these events due to a lot of real life- or other video game- commitments, and it honestly makes me quite sad. I want to make SOME event this year in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Also, the opening graphic for today, where it tells me to Press A, is of Goose on the beach pumping iron. He is clearly in his 80’s Venice Beach inspiration phase, and I need to get back to work building him a true proper gym elsewhere on the island.
August 24
I bought into Sow Joan’s Stalk Market again. I dumped all the money I had on hand, 68,040 Bells, into buying turnips at 108 Bells apiece. Last time, it was an absolute disaster, and I took a bath on my turnips. This time around, I am a lot more hopeful. How bad can it truly get, honestly?
Also, Cephalobot creeped me out some today. He explained to me that he watches kung fu movies in his basement, and he practices kung fu moves in his basement. He apparently broke both of his arms in his basement and then had to wait for his arms to heal. He then explained to me that no one can hear him scream in his basement. I don’t see a way into his basement in his home, and idea of him just existing down there in pain with no way to relieve it…SCARY. I had a very real, very involuntary shudder over all this.
Unfortunately, I did miss the fireworks for tonight as I was attending a birthday party in real life.
August 25
K.K. Slider is not missing a performance if he can help it. He couldn’t come on Saturday because of the Bug-Off, and he couldn’t come on Sunday because of the fireworks display. That meant that K.K. made a very rare weekday appearance to play on Renassia today! Snooty, Tybalt, and myself were treated to a special performance of I Love You, which I had not heard since the very first Animal Crossing on Nintendo GameCube when it was a request-only song.
It took me back more than 20 years in time to hear K.K. Slider play it, and it was honestly not what I was expecting at ALL from him today – especially because I did not request it. I was given a bootleg copy by K.K. himself after the show, and I made sure to find the time to slide it into my music player at home.
Also, turnips sold for 91 Bells apiece today. That wasn’t enough money, so I held onto them.
August 26
Today, turnips sold for 166 Bells each! I unloaded my full bushel of them and made a handsome profit. I then dumped most of that money, after I found the daily money rock, into my bank account to store it.
I then spent most of my day working on Goose’s gym and trying to clear out the pesky flowers from around it and install snack machines and outdoor gym equipment for everyone to enjoy. It is a lot harder to design and organize an area than you would think, I definitely spent a lot of time working on it. What makes it worse is that there is still more work to be done whenever I get back to it, but I know that it will look absolutely amazing once it is all finished.
I wonder if I can find a custom tile pattern online to use for the flooring…
What island designs have you put together for the outdoors?
What was your first Animal Crossing: New Horizons game?
Let us know in the comments below!
