Doubutsu no Mori


 * "DnM" redirects here. For other uses, see Doubutsu no Mori.
 * "AF" redirects here. For the Wii U game, see .

Doubutsu no Mori (どうぶつの森), often referred to as Animal Forest in English, is the first installment in the and was released exclusively in Japan for the Nintendo 64. Despite being released late in the console's life cycle, the game still managed to sell 213,800 units, making it the 28th best-selling title on the system. Doubutsu no Mori is compatible with the Expansion Pak and features a sharper image when used, its resolution improving from 320x240 to 640x480 pixels. Because the Nintendo 64 was at the end of its life, an enhanced port called was released just eight months later for the Nintendo GameCube. Consequently, was also not localized for western regions and instead Nintendo of America localized. Nintendo offered a service for players to transfer save data from Doubutsu no Mori to Doubutsu no Mori+, however this service has since been discontinued.

Doubutsu no Mori was later released in China as part of the iQue Player in January 2006. It would be the only game in the to be released in the Chinese market until  in 2020.

Development
The game originally began as an interactive multiplayer RPG that focused on cooperation among players to reach common goals. The game was to be developed for the Nintendo 64DD and would take advantage of the system's expanded memory and internal clock. As the market for the 64DD began to wane, the project was ported over to the Nintendo 64. Due to the memory limitations now faced, many aspects of the original game had to be completely redesigned. The original title featured an antihero who had to enlist the help of animals to make his way through the game. These animals' sleep and wake cycles would be affected by the built-in clock. The designers ended up removing many of the goal-oriented elements from the game including dungeons, bosses and monsters, leaving only the core aspects of communication and the idea of an environment that operated in real time. Working within the limitations of the N64, the team relied on an open-ended and addictive gameplay experience that would keep the player coming back, as opposed to a goal-oriented approach. To accomplish this, the team included a variety of large and small tasks for the player to accomplish, in order to provide a sense of satisfaction for all play styles.

Gameplay
Players assume the role of a human setting out for a life of their own in a town of anthropomorphic animals. Each town is randomly generated, ensuring that no two players' experiences are exactly the same. Gameplay within each village is open-ended allowing players to engage in a variety of activities that suit their playstyle. Players can pick fruit, grow trees, garden, hunt for fossils and fish, catch insects, do favors for the villagers, or decorate their homes.

The game uses a clock built into the cartridge, which deactivates when the game is turned off.

Characters and Locations

 * Various characters and their associated locations and functions are absent from the game, as they are first introduced in Doubutsu no Mori+ on the Nintendo GameCube:
 * Tortimer, along with all items he gives out during events.
 * The Able Sisters and their shop, meaning custom designs are not available.
 * The Museum, along with Blathers. Fossils can still be sent to the Farway Museum for identification.
 * The Dock and Kapp'n.
 * The Island and all islanders.
 * Punchy and Cheri.
 * The house the player begins the game with only contains a Tape Deck. The Wooden Box and College Rule Journal are absent.
 * The player's house is comprised of only a single room. The second-floor and basement expansions are introduced with Doubutsu no Mori+.

Events

 * Wendell will only accept fish, instead of any edible item.
 * Gulliver gives the player random furniture as a reward for rescuing him instead of unique world-themed furniture, all of which is absent.
 * The Mushrooming Season is present despite being removed in Doubutsu no Mori+. It is re-added in Animal Crossing and Doubutsu no Mori e+.
 * The player is not able to participate in the Morning Aerobics.

Items

 * Five shirts are unique to the Japanese games, having been redesigned in Animal Crossing:
 * I Love 64 Shirt (redesigned as I Love GC Shirt in Doubutsu no Mori+ and Cherry Shirt in Animal Crossing — Worn by Paolo)
 * N-Logo Shirt (redesigned as G-Logo Shirt in Doubutsu no Mori+ and Animal Crossing — Worn by Cube)
 * Three-Arc Shirt (redesigned as the Fortune Shirt in — Worn by Rasher)
 * Tomato Juice Shirt (redesigned as the Fish-Bone Shirt — Worn by Tabby)
 * W Shirt (redesigned as the Houndstooth Tee — Worn by Grizzly)
 * Golden Tools are absent, and the standard axe is unbreakable.
 * As there is no other handheld equipment in the game other than tools and umbrellas, the "Handhelds" section of the catalog is simply "Umbrellas".
 * Non-furniture items, such as tools, appear as sprites inside Tom Nook's store and the player's house. In all later games they appear as 3D models when placed in interiors.

Insects and Fish

 * When releasing a fish, it will bounce once on the ground before diving into the water. In all later games, the fish dives directly into the water.
 * Insects can roam between acres, but not out to sea. This is reversed in Doubutsu no Mori+ and Animal Crossing.
 * The Sea Bass, Red Snapper, Barred Knifejaw, Jellyfish, Arapaima, Crawfish, Frog, and Killifish are all absent, being introduced in Doubutsu no Mori+.
 * The Pill Bug, Mole Cricket, Mosquito, Pondskater, Ant, Bagworm, Spider, and Snail are all absent, being introduced in Doubutsu no Mori+.

Limitations

 * Only one item can be kept in a storage unit as opposed to three.
 * Only one aircheck can be stored in a music player as opposed to all of them.
 * Only a single unit of stationary can be purchased at a time, whereas in all later games stationary is sold in packs of 4.

Miscellaneous

 * The player is not able to run.
 * Most items dropped on the ground outside appear as either tool or chest sprites instead of the unique category-based sprites of later games.
 * The live version of "DJ K.K." contains guitar riffs resembling the song "Get Ready for This" by 2 Unlimited. In all later games, this is changed to an original melody.
 * Visiting other towns requires one Controller Pak to save travel data on, which can then be loaded on the destination town. Two Controller Paks can be used to travel directly. A similar system is used in Doubutsu no Mori+, but utilises Nintendo GameCube Memory Cards instead.
 * As Doubutsu no Mori predates the release of the e-Reader, there is no support for it and all e-reader functions are absent.
 * Doubutsu no Mori only contains seven Famicom games; Balloon Fight, Clu Clu Land, Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr. Math, Golf, Pinball and Tennis. All items are simply named "Famicom" and can only be distinguished by the color of the cartridges inserted into the system. An unplayable Famicom furniture item can also be acquired. Animal Crossing introduces twelve more Famicom titles, but with different methods to obtain the games.

Differences from Animal Crossing and Doubutsu no Mori e+
Doubutsu no Mori shares with Doubutsu no Mori+ numerous regional differences from Animal Crossing and Doubutsu no Mori e+.

Characters and Locations

 * Several villager houses contain furniture, wallpaper and carpets from sets that were removed in Animal Crossing.
 * The Wishing Well and Farley are absent, as a Bell Shrine takes the place of the Wishing Well.
 * Franklin is absent, as he is introduced in Animal Crossing.
 * Several villagers feature different designs from that in Animal Crossing:
 * Amelia's pupils are much smaller and centered, and her eyes are half closed instead of scowling.
 * Bangle has slightly smaller eyes that are half closed. She also possesses blue eyelids.
 * Bluebear's pupils are much larger, and her muzzle is more circular.
 * Boris has more compressed eyes with yellow eyelids, while his pupils are more displaced.
 * Carmen has black, sparkly eyes, and her pink fur is a darker shade.
 * Cleo has orange blush under her eyes, which are more narrowly spaced. Her nostrils are also much larger.
 * Chevre's eyes are more square shaped instead of rounded, and her freckles are orange instead of pink. Her hair is also different.
 * Cupcake's hair and eyeshadow colors are inverted. Her hair is a blueish purple, and her eye shadow is dark pink. Her nose is also much larger.
 * Fang's fur is slightly lighter, while his eyes are much larger and positioned further upward. He also has brown eyelids as opposed to purple.
 * Friga has a darker pink tone in her skin, smaller eyes, orange makeup, and purple hair.
 * Gwen's eye shadow is purple instead of pink, while her eyes are larger and wider.
 * Huggy's fur is orange instead of tan, while her nose is a much darker brown. Her cheeks are also colored pink instead of red.
 * Jane has white fur, brown skin, tired eyes, and large pink lips. This is changed to purple fur, pink skin and different lip and eye designs in later games to avoid racial connotations.
 * Kody's eyes are further spaced and much smaller, and his mouth is larger.
 * Lucy has a larger mouth that is colored pink, and has pink lines under her eyes in place of blush.
 * Maple's muzzle is a darker color, while her eyes are more displaced from each other. She also has curved eyebrows, a larger nose, and more solid blush.
 * Murphy's eyes and eyebrows are more curved, and his mouth is more compressed, giving him a more menacing look.
 * Nibbles has green fur instead of teal, and has blush instead of freckles.
 * Portia's eyes are shorter and positioned lower on her face.
 * Puck's pink skin is a darker shade, and his eyes are slightly wider.
 * Scoot's green skin is a lighter shade, and his eyes are slightly larger.
 * Spike has slightly lighter skin, smaller eyes and pupils, and his scar does not have stitches.
 * Static's eyes are larger, and his pupils are much larger. His frown is also much more curved.
 * Stella has hot pink wool instead of purple, a pink face with orange blush, and a black nose. Her mouth is also frowning instead of smiling.
 * Tiara's skin is much darker, while her pupils point upwards.
 * Ursala has red hair with curved eyebrows, half-circled eyes, and a large smile. Her muzzle is large and colored pink, and her eyes are almond-shaped.
 * Valise has lighter, purplish fur, and her expressions are different.
 * Vladimir has smaller pupils and lacks a muzzle. His nose and mouth are also much bigger.

Events

 * During the Cherry Blossom Festival, villagers picnic on tatami mats around the Bell Shrine. In Animal Crossing the villagers instead dance around the Wishing Well. The music is also different in Animal Crossing.
 * Hatsumoude takes place on New Year's Day. The player can queue in front of the Bell Shrine in order to ring the bell for good luck.
 * Valentine's Day (February 14th) is focused male players, who will receive presents from female villagers.
 * White Day (March 14th) is focused on female players, who will receive presents from male villagers.
 * The Fireworks Show takes place on every Saturday of August, as opposed to July 4th in Animal Crossing.
 * Igloos contain woks with tofu, which are replaced with cauldrons of chowder in Animal Crossing.
 * Several events from Animal Crossing are absent as they were introduced in that game.
 * Groundhog Day
 * April Fool's Day
 * Nature Day
 * Spring Cleaning
 * Founder's Day
 * Hometown Day
 * Explorer's Day
 * Mayor's Day
 * Harvest Festival
 * Thanksgiving
 * Sale Day
 * Snow Day

Items

 * Several furniture sets are different compared to Animal Crossing:
 * The Public Bath Theme is only present in Doubutsu no Mori, Doubutsu no Mori+ and Doubutsu no Mori e+. It is completely removed from Animal Crossing and is also absent from Wild World. It returns from City Folk onwards for all regions but is no longer a theme.
 * The Japanese Theme is only present Doubutsu no Mori, Doubutsu no Mori+ and Doubutsu no Mori e+. It returns from Wild World-onwards under a different name for all regions but is no longer a theme.
 * The Classroom Theme contains different items to Animal Crossing.
 * The Construction Theme contains different items to Animal Crossing
 * The Harvest Series and numerous holiday items are absent as they are exclusive to Animal Crossing.
 * The Fortune Paper and New Year's Card Stationery have a different appearance compared to Animal Crossing.
 * The Herabuna is exclusively available in Doubutsu no Mori and Doubutsu no Mori+ in place of the Brook Trout.

Miscellaneous

 * Voices are higher pitched compared to Animal Crossing.
 * The input keyboard is a dial-based typing system. The Control Stick is used to select a letter from a wheel, and pressing the A button will type the letter. The wheel displays only five characters at a time, and pressing Down on the Control Stick switches the dial between different sets of characters. While this is retained in Doubutsu no Mori +, Animal Crossing changes the interface layout to resemble a standard computer keyboard, and Japanese characters are removed.
 * The orange-roofed player house has a Ragged Wall and Old Board Floor instead of a Wooden Wall and Steel Floor.

Trivia

 * was the last first-party title released on the N64 before the console's discontinuation just over a year later.