About the Game
You'll work at Nook's Homes, alongside Tom Nook, Lyle, Digby, and Lottie (Lyle's niece). Your clients (animal villagers) will request a certain theme for their house, and it's your job to design a house to fit that theme. You'll place furniture, install wallpaper and carpeting, and even place items in their yard outside! Animals will sometimes respond with emotions that indicate if they like a certain item you've placed down. You may also choose a plot of land for their house. Maybe they'd prefer to live in the mountains or by the river.Your clients will be random villagers, but you can also use Amiibo cards to invite specific animals into your game. You can even add special characters such as Isabelle. In the game, you will use an "amiibo phone" to call the villagers (by scanning the amiibo cards).
What's New?
You can place furniture using the stylus, rather than the cumbersome drop and push/pull method from other Animal Crossing games. There are new pieces of furniture, as well as the addition of items that can be hung from the ceiling. You can adjust the size of rugs, and items can be placed outdoors. When you're done designing, you can hang out with the villager and even invite your other clients over.Homes won't be the only thing you'll be customizing. You'll also be designing public places like a school, a hospital, a restaurant, and a shop (among others). Unlike villager homes, these buildings will be located on Main Street.
My Thoughts
I'm a huge Animal Crossing fan, but I'm not as excited about this spinoff as I would be about a full Animal Crossing game. Designing homes is one of my least favorite parts of the Animal Crossing series, as you could probably tell if you saw many of rooms sit unchanged for months (or even years) at a time. So my expectations are a bit low to be honest, but I'm willing to give the game a chance. It's hard to imagine this being as fun or addictive as the core games in the series, but it could still be quite enjoyable. Additions such as outdoor furniture and new types of public facilities bring something new to the series. Will some of these features be added to the next full Animal Crossing game? We can only hope!Videos
Here are some videos to let you know what to expect. First, this is the trailer of the game from E3:
This video shows the Nintendo Treehouse live event from E3, where Nintendo employees show off, and discuss, features of Happy Home Designer:
Here is a gameplay video from the Japanese version of the game:
And here is an English-language gameplay video from Nintendo Life:
Questions and Answers
When will Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer be released?
North America: September 25, 2015.Europe: October 2, 2015.
Japan: July 30, 2015.
Can you roam around town freely? Catch bugs? Go fishing?
Sadly, no.
Is there online play or online trading?
Unfortunately, no.
Are Amiibo cards required?
No, but they allow you to add a specific villager to your game, as opposed to just hoping they randomly show up. Also, special characters such as Isabelle will only be available via Amiibo cards.
Do I need an accessory (the NFC reader) to scan the Amiibo cards?
- If you have a regular 3DS, a 3DS XL, or a 2DS, then yes. The NFC reader will launch at the same time as Happy Home Designer. You can even buy the game bundled with the NFC reader, or you can buy them separately.
- If you have a New 3DS, then your system can already scan the cards.
Does the game use a real-time clock like other Animal Crossing games?
No. Each job takes you a day (in game time), and you write up a report at the end of each day. Then the next day starts and you can design another house for a new client.
Do you have a face/hair guides for Happy Home Designer?
When you start out, the game lets you choose your eyes, hair, and skin color. But to change those things later on, a salon chair needs to be unlocked. For more information, see the Appearance Guide.
Can you use QR codes in Happy Home Designer?
Yes! In fact, you can use the same QR codes you use in New Leaf. To browse a selction of QR codes here at JVGS, click here.If you'd like, you can buy the game at Amazon.
Are you looking forward to the game? What are you most excited to see? Feel free to leave a comment below!
Comment Box is loading comments...