Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
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Key art since version 5.0.0 | ||||||
Main theme | ||||||
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Developer(s) | Nintendo DeNA Nintendo Cube[4] | |||||
Publisher(s) | Nintendo | |||||
Platform(s) | iOS, iPadOS, Android | |||||
Release date(s) | October 25, 2017[1] November 22, 2017[2] November 22, 2017[2] November 22, 2017[2] March 29, 2021[3] | |||||
Genre(s) | Simulation, Free-to-play | |||||
Ratings | iOS & iPadOS: Android: | |||||
Media | App Store / Google Play download | |||||
Input methods |
Touch | |||||
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp[nb 1] is a free-to-start[5] mobile application in the Animal Crossing series that was released on Android and iOS mobile devices on October 25, 2017 in Australia and in 40 other territories on November 22, 2017. The game's visuals, graphics, AI, and sound effects are derived from Animal Crossing: New Leaf and the dropped item icons and models come from Animal Crossing: City Folk.
The app was originally a part of Nintendo's initiative to bring five mobile applications to market by March 2017 in cooperation with mobile developer DeNA[6] but faced a series of delays.
Online services for Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp—which are required to use the app—were announced to end on November 28, 2024 at 3:00 PM UTC, but an offline paid version is currently being developed with details planned to be shared in October 2024.[7]
Announcement and release
An Animal Crossing mobile game was announced on April 27, 2016, as part of Nintendo's earnings report for its full fiscal year ending March 31, 2016. Originally set for release in fall of 2016[8] alongside the then-untitled Fire Emblem Heroes,[9] the title went on to be delayed several times.
In order to give priority to its second mobile game, Super Mario Run, Nintendo announced in early September 2016 that the Animal Crossing mobile game would release sometime before March 2017, instead of during the fall 2016 time-frame.[10] The game was delayed a second time in late January 2017, with the announcement coming as part of Nintendo's earning report for the third quarter of its 2017 fiscal year. This time the game was pushed to the next fiscal year ending March 31, 2018.[11] However, in June 2017, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime confirmed that the game would launch before the end of the year.[12]
The game was described in Nintendo's 2017 earnings report for the full fiscal year as a "pure game application" that would "have more prominent game elements"[13] than Miitomo, Nintendo's first smartphone application, which launched in March 2016. The report also noted that the application would be designed to "be connected with the world of Animal Crossing for dedicated gaming systems,"[13] suggesting that the application would offer some sort of cross-title connectivity with existing or yet to be released Animal Crossing titles. When Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima was asked why Animal Crossing was chosen as one of the first two Nintendo properties to make its debut on mobile, he stated that each property targets a distinct segment of Nintendo's audience, noting that the Animal Crossing series "has been played by a wide range of consumers including children and women."[14]
On October 24, 2017, a 15-minute Animal Crossing Mobile Direct was released, showing gameplay footage, revealing the game's name, and revealing a release window of late November 2017.[15]
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp first released in Australia on October 25, 2017, and it released in 40 additional markets[16] worldwide on November 22.[2] The game was released in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau in July 2020 preceding a planned update to add traditional Chinese language support to the game on July 29.[citation needed] The game was released in South Korea on March 29, 2021,[3] after Korean language support was added to the game on March 26, 2021. Coinciding with the launch of version 5.0.0 on January 27, 2022, the game became available in 36 new markets.
On August 27, 2019, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp was delisted in Belgium following a new law that banned video games with loot box mechanics.[17]
Shutdown and offline version
On August 21, 2024, Nintendo announced that online services for Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will be shut down on November 28, 2024, at 3:00 PM UTC, making the app unplayable.[15]
Alongside the announcement of the shutdown was the announcement that a paid, offline-only version of the app would be released later. This version will support save-data transfer from the original app and all in-app purchases, subscriptions, and online features will be absent. Nintendo plans to announce further details about the offline app in October 2024.[18]
Gameplay
Pocket Camp revolves around staying at and customizing a campsite. Future updates will offer seasonal events as well as limited time furniture and outfits. Players are able to visit the campsites of other players by sharing Player IDs. Random player avatars will also visit campsites from time to time.
Characters
The player can create a personalized character that serves as the campsite manager. The character, like previous Animal Crossing games, can be a boy or a girl, and have various skin, hair, and eye colors. These can be changed at any time through the settings menu.
Villagers
When the game was first made available, a total of 40 villagers could camp at the player's campsite, the least amount of villagers in any game in the Animal Crossing series. However, more villagers have since been added through game updates. Additionally, whilst not villagers, special characters such as K.K. Slider, Tom Nook, Celeste, Brewster, Jingle, and Sable can camp at the player's campsite, and can be acquired by buying their signature piece of furniture via Leaf Tickets.
Since 1.2.0, player can change a villager's outfit. This becomes available once the player has reached a certain level of friendship with a villager, which is always the level directly after a villager's required friendship level in order to be able to be invited to the player's campsite. For example, Tia requires friendship level 3 in order to be invited to the player's campsite, which means that the player can change her outfit starting at level 4.
Crafting
The player can craft furniture, decorative items, and clothing for the player's campsite, RV, and character out of resources such as fabric and wood by speaking to Cyrus. These materials can be gained by exchanging requested items such as fruit or bugs with villagers.
Leaf Tickets
Leaf Tickets are earned through regular gameplay or purchase through real-world currency. Tickets can be used for a variety of things in-games, including shortening crafting times and more easily acquiring materials. Some items such as special furniture can only be purchased using leaf tickets.
Membership plans
The game offers three paid membership plans of which the player can choose to purchase individually. The plans differ in both price and benefits.
Characters
Locations
There are a total of nine in-game locations that can be visited on the map, all serving different purposes. The player's camper travels with them to all locations they visit.
Campsite
The campsite is the main area in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. The player can customise the Campsite with furniture and amenities. A total of eight villagers can stay at the Campsite at any one time, and the player can freely choose which villagers they want to stay at the campsite once they have accepted the invitation. The garden can also be accessed on the left side of the screen. It contains two patches of soil with 10 flower spaces in each.
Market Place
The Market Place is an in-game shopping area ran by Isabelle, Timmy and Tommy, the Able Sisters, Kicks, and Reese. Furniture and clothing can be bought and sold here, among other things. The 1.4.0 update introduced Fortune Cookies that could be purchased from the Fortune Cookie cart that Timmy and Tommy operate alongside their furniture shop. This Cart can also be accessed directly from the map.
OK Motors
OK Motors allows players to customize their camper. Giovanni, Carlo, and Beppe, who are new to the Animal Crossing series, run the shop and allow the player redecorate or upgrade their camper. The camper upgrades work similarly to Tom Nook's usual business, with the interior of the camper increasing in size in turn for a loan. This is payable via the "Loan" option in the bottom right menu.
Breezy Hollow
Breezy Hollow is one of the four locations where collectible items can be found to trade to villagers in exchange for craft materials. Apples, cherries, peaches, oranges, and pears can be found growing here, along with either lychees, lemons, or grapes.
Saltwater Shores
Saltwater Shores is one of the four locations where collectible items can be found to trade to villagers in exchange for craft materials. Sea fish are the primary items found here, but the player can also obtain shells, coral and coconuts.
Sunburst Island
Sunburst Island is one of the four locations where collectible items can be found to trade to villagers in exchange for craft materials. Bugs and coconuts can be found here. Additionally, Gulliver resides here, with the player able to give him furniture and clothing in exchange for treats, as well as the possibility of meeting an exclusive villager to invite to the player's campsite.
Lost Lure Creek
Lost Lure Creek is one of the four locations where collectible items can be found to trade to villagers in exchange for craft materials. River fish, as well as three fruit trees with fruit randomly selected at the start of the game, can be obtained here.
Shovelstrike Quarry
Shovelstrike Quarry is run by Lloid, and can only be accessed by receiving help from friends or paying twenty Leaf Tickets. The player can smash rocks to obtain minerals, which are then given to Lloid for Bells, crafting materials or Gyroidites.
Cabin
The cabin is a location that was introduced in the 2.0.0 update on November 28, 2018, and is unlocked once the player reaches Level 15. Like the Campsite, the player can decorate the Cabin with furniture and clothing, as well as wallpaper and flooring, and can invite up to 8 villagers to reside at the Cabin. In a newer update, the cabin has a second floor, which unlocks at Level 50.
Happy Homeroom
The Happy Homeroom is a location introduced in version 2.2.0 where the player takes classes to design a room for a character.
Other map icons
Blathers's Treasure Trek
Players can select Blathers's Treasure Trek by tapping the icon of Blathers on the map. This then brings up a menu allowing selection of a "map" for the player to explore. These maps can be acquired through multiple means including challenges and Gulliver's Ship. The player must take part in a mini game to win the reward at the end of the trek, but must pay a fee to progress. This fee can be Bells, resources or essences.
Pete's Parcel Service
Available once further into the game, Pete's Parcel Service allows players to deliver requested items to animals so they do not have to deliver them themselves. Pete will only deliver items to animals the player has met before, with the game advising the player to "go and introduce yourself" before using the service.
Gulliver's Ship
Whilst this amenity may be accessed from the map, it may also be accessed by meeting Gulliver beside his ship on Sunburst Island. The player is presented with three islands that refresh every other day. Items must be shipped to the islands to fulfill their individual export quota. Exported items are given a value of 1-1,200 depending on their rarity and individual island preferences, and points required to Begin the Voyage also varies with each island but are usually 150 points but up to 1,200 points for three special islands with a golden HH voucher, 2 lotsa leaf tickets maps, and a leaf tickets map each.
Once the ship is loaded up, players choose to send the ship off which returns after a set time with souvenirs on board. Once all souvenirs have been collected—this often takes multiple trips—the island is marked as completed.
Achievements
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp has six achievements via Google Play Games on Android and Game Center on iOS.
Achievement | Description | XP (Google Play Games) | Points (Game Center) |
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Planting the Seed | You reached level 5! | 500 XP | ??? |
Putting Down Roots | You reached level 10! | 1,000 XP | ??? |
Growing Tall | You reached level 15! | 1,500 XP | ??? |
Branching Out | You reached level 20! | 2,000 XP | ??? |
Adding Rings | You reached level 25! | 2,500 XP | ??? |
Touching the Sky | You reached level 30! | 3,000 XP | ??? |
Update history
- For detailed changelogs see Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp/Update history
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp receives periodic updates, introducing new characters, items, and gameplay. Many of the updates revolve around limited-time events with unique items that can be found during these periods. Crossover promotions are also held with other Nintendo series, such as Pokémon, Splatoon and with other games in the Animal Crossing series such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Specially-themed content from these games are introduced in these updates.
All app updates are installed from the App Store or Google Play, with new in-game assets then being downloaded from within the game itself.
Connectivity
Players can receive rewards if they have both Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and Animal Crossing: New Horizons linked on the same Nintendo Account. The rewards can be redeemed using the My Nintendo screen. Doing so will add 50 Leaf Tickets to the player's account and show a 16-digit download code for the Nintendo eShop in order to access special furniture and clothing items in New Horizons.
Gallery
Trivia
- No villagers who debuted in Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer appear in the game.
Names in other languages
どうぶつの森 ポケットキャンプ Doubutsu no Mori: Poketto Kyanpu |
Animal Forest: Pocket Camp | |
동물의 숲 포켓 캠프 Dongmul-ui Sup Poket Kaempeu |
Animal Forest: Pocket Camp | |
動物森友會 口袋露營廣場 Unknown |
Animal Forest Camping Plaza Pocket Club |
External links
Notes
References
- ↑ "Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, out now on MOBILE devices in AUS" @NintendoAUNZ on X (formerly Twitter) (October 25, 2017). Archived from the original on November 15, 2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "I’m so excited to share this news with you… Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will be coming to mobile devices worldwide on 11/22! I can’t wait! #PocketCamp" @animalcrossing on X (formerly Twitter) (November 19, 2017). Archived from the original on October 13, 2022.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Nintendo Korea (March 25, 2021). "스마트폰용 앱 『동물의 숲 포켓 캠프』가 3월 29일부터 한국에서 배포 시작". nintendo.co.kr. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
- ↑ "エヌディーキューブ株式会社". NdCube. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ↑ Joe Skrebels (May 11, 2016). "Nintendo's Next Two Mobile Games Are Free-to-Play". IGN.
- ↑ Mitchel Broussard (May 8, 2015). "Nintendo's First Smartphone Game Due This Year, 5 Planned by March 2017". MacRumors.
- ↑ "We have an important announcement for everyone playing the Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp app. Please see the following page for details as well. https://faq.ac-pocketcamp.com/hc/en-us/categories/35735633685657" @Pocket_Camp on X (formerly Twitter) (August 22, 2024).
- ↑ Nintendo UK (April 27, 2016). "Nintendo provides updates on mobile, NX and The Legend of Zelda along with annual earnings". nintendo.co.uk.
- ↑ "More #Nintendo apps are coming to smart devices, including Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing!" @NintendoAmerica on X (formerly Twitter) (April 27, 2016). Archived from the original on September 11, 2022.
- ↑ Allegra Frank (September 7, 2016). "Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem mobile games won't make it out this fall". Polygon.
- ↑ Owen S. Good (January 31, 2017). "Animal Crossing mobile title delayed again". Polygon.
- ↑ Sickr (June 23, 2017). "Nintendo Reconfirms Animal Crossing Mobile Will Launch This Year". My Nintendo News.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Brian Ashcraft (April 27, 2016). "Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem Are Getting Mobile Apps". Kotaku.
- ↑ Tim Mulkerin (May 4, 2016). "Here's why Nintendo's first smartphone games don't star Mario". Business Insider.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Nintendo Mobile (October 24, 2017). "Animal Crossing Mobile Direct Oct.24.2017".
- ↑ Justin (October 25, 2017). "Can you play Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp? The minimum device requirements, plus available countries". Animal Crossing World.
- ↑ A. Khalid (May 21, 2019). "Nintendo pulls two mobile games in Belgium due to loot box laws". Engadget.
- ↑ Nintendo of America (August 21, 2024). "What is the paid version of the app?". Retrieved August 22, 2024.
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