Animal Crossing: New Leaf

General Comments

Players can use online or local wireless communications to interact with other people who own the game. Other players may draw potentially triggering pictures or input offensive text into chat systems. Some forms of online play are restricted to people the player has registered on their system's friend list.

A building called the Dream Suite may be used to visit other players' towns during a single-player session. It is possible to visit a randomly selected town through the Dream Suite, and this feature is somewhat notorious for the presence of "horror towns", which often contain disturbing imagery.

This review only contains commentary for in-game content. It does not address any content from the above features.

Animal Abuse

All villagers are animals. There is a toy hammer item which the player can use to hit the villagers. It is also possible to hit animals with a bug net. If you hit a villager enough times in succession, they will get mad and refuse to talk to you. However, aside from momentary discomfort they will not show any long-lasting injury.

Aquatic Violence

The Player Character can go swimming in the ocean, where there is the possibility of being stung by jellyfish. This causes the Player Character to be stunned for a few seconds, and they appear to experience some discomfort.

Bones

Fossils can be dug up in the player's town. If they are taken to the museum and identified, their true form will be revealed to the player; most fossils turn out to be dinosaur bones. Identified fossils can be placed on display in the museum or in the player's house, though there is no obligation to do so.

A cow skull appears as a furniture item. It can show up in the Nooklings' store without warning, and some neighbors may have it in their homes.

A humanoid skeleton appears as a furniture item. It can only be obtained from the trick-or-treating event on Halloween night.

Clowns

Pietro is a neighbor who dresses as a clown. Players have limited control over the neighbors who move into town, and it is not easy to get an undesired neighbor to leave.

A clown nose appears as an accessory. It can appear in Labelle's section of the Able Sisters' shop without warning.

Dead Bodies

A mummy's casket can be obtained as a reward for correctly directing Gulliver to Egypt. The body that is probably inside is never shown.

Disease

Neighbors may occasionally catch a cold. If the player visits a sick neighbor, they have the option of bringing medicine. Without medicine neighbors will get better on their own.

Explosions

Fireworks are set off at midnight on New Year's Day and every Sunday night in August. Each firework is accompanied by a booming or banging sound which is not much louder than the sound of characters talking.

Eye Horror/Eye Trauma

When shaking a tree, there is a chance for a beehive to fall out and for bees to chase the Player Character. If the Player Character is stung by a bee, their face will be injured and puffed up until you take medicine, and their eye will swell shut. (Medicine can be bought from the Nooklings' store or possibly received for free from Uchi/Big Sis-type villagers.)

Gender Dysphoria

The game assumes two binary genders. The player can decide on whether to be a male or female character at the beginning of the game, and this is reflected in the color of the town ID—pink for girls, blue for boys. Villagers' name bubbles are also color-coded to reflect their gender, although all Non-player Characters use green bubbles regardless of gender. There is no gender-locked clothing; male characters can wear skirts and dresses and female characters can wear pants and shorts. However, clothing is still gender-coded (male, female, or unisex), and shopkeepers and villagers will make comments (neutral or positive) if a Player Character buys or wears clothing for the “opposite” gender, especially for male Player Characters wearing female-coded clothing.

Insects

Realistic-looking bugs can be found throughout town and on the tropical island. The player can catch them in a butterfly net, and although they are never forced to do so, the game is designed to encourage it. The majority of these bugs resemble beetles or butterflies.

Caught bugs can be donated to the museum or displayed in the player's house, and neighbors may keep bugs as pets.

If the player does not turn the game on for several days, they may find cockroaches scuttling through their house. These cockroaches cannot be caught in the net, and must be crushed under the player character's feet. They do not appear if a Beautiful Town Ordinance is active.

Bees, scorpions, and tarantulas may bite or sting the player character if they are agitated. Bee stings will cause bandages to appear on the player character's face, while attacks from scorpions and tarantulas will knock the player character unconscious. The player character will wake up in front of their house, with no harm done.

Bees will only become agitated if the player disturbs their hive, which can be avoided by not shaking trees that do not contain fruit. Tarantulas and scorpions become agitated if the player character approaches them while holding a butterfly net.

A series of furniture items is designed to evoke imagery of insects. This furniture can only be obtained during the Bug Off, which requires the player to catch insects.

A "bug mask" (mask designed to look like a beetle) is sold at Labelle's shop during the month of October.

Jump Scares

If the player quits the game without saving, a mole named Mr. Resetti will suddenly appear before the game loads to berate them the next time they load their save file. He will only appear the first time this happens, unless the player pays to build the Reset Surveillance Center that is unlocked by meeting Resetti. Nintendo spokesmen have acknowledged that Mr. Resetti has a history of scaring younger players.

Rats/Rodents

Some neighbors are anthropomorphic mice, squirrels, and hamsters. Players have limited control over the neighbors who move into town, and it is not easy to get an undesired neighbor to leave.

Reptiles

Some neighbors are anthropomorphic frogs and gators. Players have limited control over the neighbors who move into town, and it is not easy to get an undesired neighbor to leave.

An anthropomorphic turtle lives on the tropical island, though he only appears when the player elects to go on a tour. The island's other anthropomorphic residents are not turtles, but have a similar appearance. One of these turtle-like characters also appears by the dock in the bottom-right corner of town.

An axolotl named Dr. Shrunk runs the Club LOL nightclub on Main Street.

The Bug-Off event held during the summer is hosted by a lizard named Nat.

A "lucky frog" item can be bought from the Nooklings.

A frog hat, frog costume, frog tee, and frog shirt can be bought from the Able Sisters' shops.

Spiders

Spiders and tarantulas are bugs which can be caught in the game. Spiders are found all year long by shaking trees.

Tarantulas are found during summer nights (9 PM-3 AM) crawling in open areas. Tarantulas will chase and bite the Player Character if they are startled; the Player Character falls unconscious and wakes up in front of their house. The tarantula will only become agitated if the player character approaches it while holding a butterfly net.

Like other bugs, spiders and tarantulas can be donated to the museum if caught, and can be displayed in the homes of the player or neighbors.

Verbal Abuse

If the player quits the game without saving, a mole named Mr. Resetti will appear next time the player loads the game and berate them for not saving. His dialogue becomes increasingly harsh and angry the more the player meets him. He claims tough love as his motivation for his tirades.

Weapons

Ornamental swords appear in the game as furniture items. Their only purpose is to be displayed, and they cannot be held in the hands of any character.

Bows appear in the game as furniture items. Their only purpose is to be displayed, and they cannot be held in the hands of any character.

Axes appear as a type of equipment. They cannot be used to harm the player or other characters, and are instead used to chop down trees and break rocks.

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