News Articles
Wednesday14th Apr 2021
Anniversary The Animal Crossing Series Is Now 20 Years Old
And we're still paying off our loans...
While Animal Crossing still feels like a relatively new Nintendo franchise, today actually marks its 20th anniversary. Yes, the series started out in Japan on 14th April 2001 as a Nintendo 64 title. While Dōbutsu no Mori (otherwise known as Animal Forest) was never released in its original form here in the...
Monday6th Jun 2016
Say hello to the "Make Believe Digital Event"
Those of you with long memories will recall that we covered the first episode of The BitBlock's "Make Believe" series a while back. Focused on the idea of the Wii U Animal Crossing game we all really wanted (rather than the one we actually got), it boasted lavish production values rarely witnessed on...
Thursday14th Apr 2016
Poll The Utterly Charming Animal Crossing Series Is 15 Today, But Which Is Your Favourite?
Turning a new leaf or heading to the city? Let us know
The Animal Crossing series turns 15 today, and to celebrate this occasion Nintendo has released a special video. The first game in the franchise launched in Japan on the Nintendo 64 15 years ago, and since then we've seen entries on the GameCube, DS, Wii, 3DS and Wii U. The GameCube version was...
Monday11th Apr 2016
News Pokkén Tournament Holds On In UK Charts as Mario & Sonic Fail to Hit Olympian Heights
A decent week for Animal Crossing, too
There was a new retail release on 3DS in the UK last week, though an initial look at the charts don't make that immediately clear. Nevertheless there are two titles ensuring that Nintendo doesn't suffer a washout in the UK all-format top 40. Pokkén Tournament leads for the Wii U, continuing its steady descent...
Thursday3rd Mar 2016
News New Animal Crossing amiibo Coming to North America in June
More cards and figures for amiibo collectors
Amiibo fans rejoice! A new Animal Crossing amiibo will be launching on June 10th, alongside series 4 of the popular amiibo cards. The brand new Isabelle amiibo - in her summer outfit - will debut alongside Isabelle in her winter outfit, previously only available in the Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival...
Tuesday9th Feb 2016
News Animal Crossing amiibo Cards Series 3 Lands in Europe on 18th March
Another 100 for the collection
Nintendo is enjoying plenty of success with amiibo, shifting tens of millions of units. That includes the Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer cards range, which have performed particularly well in Japan while also gaining popularity in the West - the combination of a lower cost and the collect 'em all mentality has...
Thursday21st Jan 2016
Star Fox Zero details to come in future, amiibo cards to hit 300 in number
Nintendo of America has gone amiibo crazy in its latest press release, confirming some interesting details for upcoming releases. Let's start with Star Fox Zero. Back in November last year website logos and mentions of the Nintendo Network and amiibo had fans dreaming of...
News Four More Animal Crossing amiibo Figures Arrive in Europe on 18th March
Timmy & Tommy share a base, like good siblings
It's time to extend that mortgage, amiibo collectors, as four more figures are confirmed for an 18th March release in Europe. This time around they're in the Animal Crossing series, with four (or five, but we'll get to that) series stalwarts joining the ranks. So, who are these four? Observe below...
Wednesday9th Dec 2015
News Four More Animal Crossing amiibo Heading to Europe on 29th January
Resetti has found his inner peace
While we wait to see whether US sales of Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival help to make up for it tanking badly in territories such as the UK, we wonder whether the amiibo collection that accompanies the game will fare better. After all, Nintendo has acknowledged that a number of people are buying the figures as...
Wednesday25th Nov 2015
News Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival Has Modest Impact in Japan as 3DS Sales Improve
Wii U is still comfortably in five figures
The latest Media Create Japanese chart results are in and bring a mix of good and bad news for Nintendo. Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival has, unsurprisingly considering the trends elsewhere, struggled to achieve notable sales; the Wii U title shifted just 20,303 units in its first week, well down on the...
Monday23rd Nov 2015
News Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival and Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash Fail to Chart in the UK
Other titles show improvement, however
Even if Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival looks a little underwhelming as a gaming package - yes, we're still reviewing it - the inclusion of two amiibo figures in the package should help, in theory, to make it more attractive. Unfortunately that's not proven to be the case in the UK, as the title has failed to...
Friday13th Nov 2015
News Lucas & Next Wave Of Animal Crossing amiibo Due Out In North America On 22nd January, 2016
More amiibo cards are also on the way
Nintendo has revealed the Lucas amiibo for Super Smash Bros. Wii U & 3DS along with the Animal Crossing amiibo Resetti, Blathers, Celeste and Kicks designed for Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival will be released in North America on 22nd January, 2016. In addition to this announcement, was the news Series 2...
Tuesday10th Nov 2015
News Japan Is Getting This Charming Animal Crossing amiibo Diorama
Perfect for displaying those figures
Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival is with us soon, and while it might not be generating the same interest as a "proper" Animal Crossing outing, the introduction of several new amiibo figures is helping to build the hype - and over in Japan, they're whipping fans into a frenzy with free tat. Japanese consumers who...
Friday6th Nov 2015
Video The New Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival Trailer is Seeking Happy Players
No points for sadness
Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival is now just a week away in North America (13th November) and a little longer in Europe (20th November), and it's going to be interesting to see how well it performs in stores. The reaction from eager Nintendo fans to its E3 reveal this year were - we think it's fair to say - relatively hostile,...
Thursday22nd Oct 2015
News Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival Won't Have Online Play
Time to bust out all the extra controllers
It won't be long now before Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival launches in both North America and Europe. The polarizing party game was met with fairly lukewarm reception at its E3 reveal, so it will certainly be interesting to see how it's received once it's finally in gamers' hands. If nothing else, it'll...
Thursday15th Oct 2015
News Animal Crossing amiibo Triple Pack Confirmed For Australia
Releases alongside Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival
Following the announcement that the Animal Crossing amiibo Cards Collectors Album for series one would be arriving in Australian & New Zealand stores soon, Nintendo Australia has today confirmed the Animal Crossing amiibo triple pack including K.K.Slider, Reese and Cyrus will also be made...
Thursday1st Oct 2015
Arriving in Europe on 20th November
Update: It's now been confirmed that amiibo Festival will arrive in North America on 13th November. Original Article: Nintendo's showing at E3 this year didn't exactly receive universal acclaim, and many Wii U fans in particular didn't react favourably to the reveal of Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival, which...
News Nintendo of Japan's Website Reveals Four More Animal Crossing amiibo
Could there be even more on the way?
Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival is a very interesting entry in the beloved Animal Crossing series. Not only is it a significant break from series convention, but it was met by some admittedly cold reception when it was announced and a certain degree of uncertainty has surrounded the game ever since. Like it or...
Monday24th Aug 2015
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer and amiibo Festival Bundle Details Emerge
Including NFC reader info for North America
As part of a detail dump from Nintendo today, information on key bundles and extras for Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer and Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival have emerged. Release dates were already known for the 3DS title, and it's worth noting that amiibo Festival on Wii U still has a 'Holiday'...
Wednesday22nd Jul 2015
Video Nintendo Shines The Spotlight on Aya Kyogoku and Risa Tabata
"Please cherish what you really want to do"
In recent years we've seen a number of young faces move to the forefront of Nintendo development, and we've also seen key women step up with increasing visibility in the company. One of the most recognisable is Aya Kyogoku for her leadership in the Animal Crossing franchise, and in a video from Nintendo...
Friday10th Jul 2015
"I see these as spin-offs"
In the general trend of E3 delivering Nintendo franchises in unexpected forms, Animal Crossing amiibo Festival on Wii U joined the previously announced Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer as an unexpected update to the series. Aya Kyogoku, the series director, has been speaking to U
Saturday4th Jul 2015
News The Animal Crossing amiibo Range is Bigger Than We Thought
Four more figures pop up on official website
Update: A number of readers are correctly observing how these figures were listed in the last couple of weeks. Your humble scribe had missed that, so please understand. Original Article: As amiibo fans will know, there are new Animal Crossing figures on the way that'll be supported in Animal Crossing...
Thursday25th Jun 2015
News Animal Crossing Director Talks More About Happy Home Designer and amiibo
"To be sure, Happy Home Designer can be played without any Amiibo cards."
It's safe to say that fan reaction has been rather mixed towards the amiibo-centric focus of the two upcoming Animal Crossing games for Wii U and 3DS. While it's far too early to definitively judge the quality of these upcoming games, it's very apparent that these new games...
Tuesday16th Jun 2015
News Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival Is Basically Mario Party With KK Slider And Company
Coming later this year with 4 amiibo in tow
Those of you expecting a fully-blown Animal Crossing game at this year's E3 may be disappointed, as Nintendo has announced Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival - a board-game style game which brings to mind the Mario Party series. The four amiibo leaked previously will launch alongside the game. Animal...
