Animal Crossing is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and New Horizons is getting a special gift for its residents
Not every anniversary needs a trailer—sometimes a message in your mailbox is enough.
Twenty-five years ago, a game was released exclusively in Japan for the Nintendo 64 under the name ‘Dobutsu no Mori’, or ‘Animal Forest’. The game never left that region, but localization efforts came to fruition for Nintendo’s next console, the Nintendo GameCube, where Animal Crossing officially debuted and became a niche title that, over the years, would go on to become one of the company’s most recognizable franchises. And today, Nintendo has sent a small gift to celebrate.
Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 users were in for a surprise this morning with the release of the 3.0.2 update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. When they launched the game, they found a gift from Nintendo in their in-game mail. “Dear friends, It’s been 25 years since 04/14/01. It was said, ‘Better than one is two, better than two is four, and better than four is… many,’” reads Nintendo’s letter to the island’s residents. “And there are so many of you now! Thank you. Enjoy your islands your way.” The letter is a unique touch, both for its design—featuring K.K. Slider—and for the postage stamps inspired by the Nintendo 64.
A huge gift to celebrate
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Along with the letter, players receive a large lamp shaped like the iconic Animal Crossing leaf, which can be placed anywhere on the island to light their paths. While it’s not a particularly spectacular gift—nor what many fans might expect for an anniversary of this kind—it does serve as a reminder that, on occasion, Nintendo takes the time to celebrate the history of its games.
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