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Animal Crossing: New Leaf was a major hit on 3DS when it arrived in the West in 2013, selling millions of copies and becoming a mainstay for light-hearted chatter on social networks. Its blend of repetition, daily chores and cute whimsy made is a mainstay on a number of systems for weeks, months and - potentially - more than a year.

We'd speculate that a good number of those that enjoyed the title a lot have now moved on, however, with their virtual towns becoming a little decrepit with the passing of time - this writer's terrified to go back to face the recriminating looks from the locals. Yet Nintendo seems keen to keep the title active, recently launching an Animal Crossing Announcement Community on Miiverse.

Nintendo of America is reviving regular SpotPass goodies, too, confirming as much in this week's Nintendo Download update. Notably there'll be fresh items - previously only available in Japan - distributed every two weeks starting this Sunday (1st February) and running right through to 7th November, as you can see below.

Between Feb. 1 and Nov. 7, every two weeks Nintendo will release a new item that has only been available in the Japanese version of Animal Crossing: New Leaf. To get them, visit your nearest Nintendo Zone!

These could simply be standard steps to keep the title in the public consciousness, but nevertheless there's - understandable - wishful thinking that this signals a potential expansion or fresh release for the series in the coming year; we think a Wii U release would be a particularly smart addition to boost the home console.

We'll see in good time, but in the meantime let us know - if you're in North America - whether you're planning to head out to grab some free items.