There are few games that come around that leave a lasting impact on players for years to come.

Animal Crossing is one of those games.

The first Animal Crossing turned 25 in April, though the West wouldn’t see it until as early as 2002. It’s hard to believe this cozy simulation game with the funny-talking animals is already at a quarter of a century old.

The game initially released in Japan on the Nintendo 64 but got an enhanced port to the Nintendo GameCube. It was there it captured the attention and hearts of casual and hardcore gamers alike.

It’s main draw was its real-time system. Nintendo marketed the game as one that continued even though the console was off. That was always the comforting part of returning, seeing your personal world change with the seasons, holidays, and dictates of the characters’ minds.

Though sims had been around prior to this one, Animal Crossing seemed to capture the hearts of many players, joining the Nintendo-exclusive lineup with a strong yet endearing force.

Nintendo had a lot of faith in this game; why wouldn’t it? It’s marketing reflected a push that would introduce non-gamers to the genre. An all-time favorite commercial series was one that depicted four friends living in an Animal Crossing town in a similar manner to reality shows such as The Real World or Big Brother.

These efforts have paid off later as the world shut down in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Animal Crossing: New Leaf ironically saw a delay that pushed it back to its March 20, 2020 release date. Fans flocked to the game, seeing it as an escape from the anxieties of the pandemic.

It drew so much attention that then-presidential candidate Joe Biden’s team launched Biden-Harris signs as a way to engage younger voters. Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris saw the impact of the game and knew it was worth the investment.

That is the staying power of Animal Crossing. The game has always been an escape and second home, no matter if you joined in back in 2001 or if you hoped on in 2026. You can talk to anyone who has played the game and they will look fondly back on their first Animal Crossing game.

It’s hard to believe that the game has turned 25. Part of what makes that feel so surprising is that every time the game releases, it feels fresh and new. In those 25 years, the series has only had five mainline releases. For many, they may not even realize there are that many. It’s the Game Boy Advance’s Wild World that tends to trip people up.

Despite those limited releases, Animal Crossing has taken its place among gaming’s very best franchises. It’s a series that invites creativity, provides constant world-building, and adds a relaxing escape from the woes of everyday life.

Here’s to another 25 years.

What about you? When was your first time playing Animal Crossing? What memories do you have from the franchise? Let us know in the comments below or head over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.

Featured Image: Nintendo (via The New Yorker)

Nintendo Pow Block – A Nintendo Podcast by Boss Rush

Nintendo Pow Block is a weekly Nintendo podcast hosted by Edward Varnell, Corey Dirrig, and their friends from around the internet. Each week, they dive into the latest Nintendo news and rumors for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, new and upcoming releases, updates to Nintendo Switch Online and the Nintendo Music app, and discuss what they’ve been playing in the Playing with Power segment.

Nintendo Pow Block Podcast – Now your Podcasting with Power!

Monolith Soft is More Involved in Zelda's Story Than We Thought – Nintendo Pow Block Podcast – Now Your Podcasting with Power!

Email your ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questions to the podcast here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ganondorf has taken the spotlight over the last decade of Zelda releases in the Era of the Wild, and Monolith Soft is a major reason why. This week on Nintendo Pow Block, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward Varnell⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Corey Dirrig⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Edward Varnell and Corey Dirrig discuss Monolith Soft’s bold take on Ganondorf, exploring how the team crafted a more alluring, layered version of the iconic character. They also break down everything from Level-5 Vision 2026, including a new trailer for Professor Layton and the New World of Steam and a remake of Snack World, Capcom’s tease of Okami’s 20th anniversary celebration, rumors of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy getting a native upgrade on Switch 2. and the delay of 007 First Light on Switch 2 and what it signals for third-party support on Nintendo’s latest hardware.They wrap up the show by answering listener questions. This and ⁠more on Nintendo Pow Block⁠.Join our Communities:Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Boss Rush Network Community Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Boss Rush Network Facebook Group⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow Nintendo Pow Block on Social Media: Nintendo Pow Block Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram,⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitch.TV⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow the Boss Rush Network: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitch.TV⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow our Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward Varnell⁠⁠⁠⁠, Cofounder of Boss Rush Media and host of ⁠⁠⁠⁠Nintendo Pow Block⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Corey Dirrig⁠⁠⁠⁠, Cofounder and CEO of Boss Rush Media and host of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Boss Rush Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Nintendo Pow Block⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Xbox Casuals⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Tower Casuals: The Destiny Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠Support Boss Rush Network:Support Boss Rush on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and buy merch on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Store.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Boss Rush on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website at BossRush.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more great content.Thanks for Your Continued Support!Thank you for supporting Nintendo Pow Block! If you’re listening on podcast platforms, leave us a five-star rating and a review. If you’re watching on YouTube, subscribe, like, comment, and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. Your support means the world—see you next time on Nintendo Pow Block!

1. Monolith Soft is More Involved in Zelda's Story Than We Thought 03:35:23
2. EXP: Are We Getting a Xenoblade Warriors Game? 32:08
3. PAX East, Mario Galaxy Movie Impressions, and Fresh Leaks 04:39:42
4. Super Mario Galaxy Movie Adds Star Fox, Epic Layoffs, & Ocarina of Time Remake 02:34:48
5. EXP: Steam and Xbox's Ecosystems Changed Because of Nintendo Switch 49:22

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Thank you for watching or listening to Nintendo Pow Block, the Nintendo podcast from Boss Rush Network! If you enjoyed the show, be sure to subscribe to the channel, give the video a Like, and hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode. If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app, please leave us a 5-star rating and a review—it really helps! For more great content, visit our website at BossRush.net. Thanks for your continued support of Nintendo Pow Block and our independent endeavor with the Boss Rush Network!