Research-backed game lineage
Animal Crossing is included in the Series Atlas after independent recognition and an authoritative game-by-game roster audit. Editions, simple ports, DLC, bundles, canceled projects, and cameo-only appearances are excluded.
Release chronology
Ordered by researched series position, then original release date. Ports, DLC, and duplicate editions are intentionally excluded.
10 games in this lineage
Doubutsu no Mori is the name of the first installment in the Animal Crossing series. It was released only in Japan for the Nintendo 64. It was later remade for the GameCube in 2002, and released worldwide as Animal Crossing. This game is compatible with the Expansion Pak and is displayed in a higher resolution when it is used (640x480 as opposed to 320x240).
Players move into a living, breathing world inside the Nintendo DS...and then invite their friends to visit from anywhere on earth. In Animal Crossing: Wild World, the sequel to the popular Nintendo GameCube game, players and up to three friends can hang out in the same village and interact in real time -- either through wireless LAN or over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Players can visit a friend's village from thousands of miles away. The touch screen makes item management and world navigation a breeze. Typing letters and designing patterns are now just stylus strokes away. Days and seasons pass in real time, so whether players want to decorate their homes, catch bugs or fish, collect brand-new items like hats and sunglasses or just chat with the wild and wacky characters in their villages, there's always something to do.
Step into a living, breathing world where days and seasons pass in real time and your destiny is yours to create. Enjoy a new house, a new neighborhood, and some new friends. Try your luck in a Fishing Tourney, collect shells, or participate in special events and holidays. Communicate with friends and family; travel to the new City, get a Mii makeover, and more. The world is your sparkling, fresh canvas. You choose the pace and you craft the adventures!
The charming community-building franchise returns for with Animal Crossing: New Leaf. The Nintendo 3DS entry into this popular franchise introduces a number of options new to Animal Crossing, including the ability to become the head of the village and boost its development, a way to install certain items in the village to make its characteristics more personalized for each player, and the ability to view homes of other players who are tagged through StreetPass connections.
A free application on Wii U that allows players to hang out in the plaza with their favorite villagers and import their photos from Animal Crossing: New Leaf save them to a gallery and share them on the Wii U Miiverse. The service ended on January 1st 2015.
See your Animal Crossing friends come to life right before your eyes!
Show off your style by designing homes for all of your favorite Animal Crossing villagers! Use your creativity to design the perfect houses—inside and out—for both old and new friends. With the new amiibo cards, you can call your favorite villagers into the game.
The Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival game is a brand-new way to play with your favorite Animal Crossing characters. Your amiibo figures are front-and-center in this party game, and you’ll get to use them with fun content. Bring to life an expansive and dynamic board game where the board is based on the months of the year like the core Animal Crossing series. The goal? Make your villager the happiest in town and party hard with your friends.
In Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, it's up to you to build a fun campsite for you and your friends to enjoy. Tents, hammocks, fireplaces, a stuffed-animal sofa... mix and match to your heart's content! Make a trendy open-air café, or line up some microphones and guitars to create an outdoor music festival. In the mood for a little extra fun? Set up a merry-go-round and open a theme park. You can even make a pool, or fill the sky with fireworks!
Escape to a deserted island and create your own paradise as you explore, create, and customize in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Your island getaway has a wealth of natural resources that can be used to craft everything from tools to creature comforts. You can hunt down insects at the crack of dawn, decorate your paradise throughout the day, or enjoy sunset on the beach while fishing in the ocean. The time of day and season match real life, so each day on your island is a chance to check in and find new surprises all year round.
No games use that relationship label.
Sources and method
Membership is researched from external official and independent sources. Mainline games, direct spin-offs, remakes, remasters, and standalone expansions are included; DLC, simple ports, duplicate editions, compilation-only duplicates, rumors, cancellations, and cameo-only crossovers are excluded.
IGDB maintains a distinct collection record for Animal Crossing and supplies the authoritative roster used for membership verification.
The independent catalog recognizes Animal Crossing as a multi-game franchise and supports its inclusion in this major-series research sweep.