Five things you might have forgotten about LEGO Animal Crossing

LEGO Animal Crossing’s debut is finally almost upon us, so here’s everything you might have forgotten since the theme was first revealed last year.

The LEGO Animal Crossing theme and its five sets were first revealed all the way back in October, a full five months before their eventual arrival on shelves, now just around the corner on March 1. It’s the first time that the LEGO Group has ever based sets on the Nintendo simulation game, where players are tasked with customising their island and completing jobs to pay off debts to the island’s affable loan shark, Tom Nook.

With several months since you’ve probably last heard a peep about the LEGO Animal Crossing sets, here’s a quick reminder of the most important things about the new theme that you might have forgotten.

The theme marks the debut of the very first Nintendo minifigures

Not only is this the LEGO Group’s first foray into the colourful world of Animal Crossing, but it’s also the very first time that we’ve had Nintendo minifigures. Many might have expected this honour to have come from LEGO Super Mario, but the LEGO Group has stuck to its buildable characters for that theme.

Regardless, the characters of Animal Crossing are varied enough to result in some impressive minifigure designs. The Animal Crossing island is populated with humanoid animals, ranging from Julian the rhino and Bunnie the rabbit to the infamous raccoon, Tom Nook. All of them wear cosy clothes, with plaid jumpers, cardigans, and shirts galore.

LEGO Animal Crossing is a goldmine for new parts

Not only does LEGO Animal Crossing bring some new minifigure designs to the table, but there are also a host of unique new elements. Echoing the main appeal of the video game, the LEGO Animal Crossing sets are designed to be customised, with various colours of arch windows and swappable doors available in the sets that feature buildings.

For those outdoor models, there are also some new tree stumps with roots pieces, various printed accessories, lots of fruit, and plant pieces to boot. The vibrant colours of the themes mean there are also plenty of recoloured elements to find, so even if Animal Crossing is your thing, this might be a good way to get hold of some creative new parts.

Each LEGO Animal Crossing set is packed full of game references

For those who are fans of Animal Crossing, however, there are plenty of references to get stuck into. The largest set of the theme, 77050 Nook’s Cranny & Rosie’s House, unsurprisingly has the most, with Tom’s large bag of bells (the in-game currency), DIY recipe cards, fish bait, and acorns, all of which appear to be new printed elements.

Outside in the other sets, there’s also fruit from the tree that can be ‘shook’ down, just like in the video game, and a vaulting pole in 77050 Nook’s Cranny & Rosie’s House, a nod to how players can cross the river in Animal Crossing to explore more of their islands.

The five sets are designed to fit together in one ‘island’

Speaking of islands, while all five LEGO Animal Crossing sets work as independent models, the entire wave is also designed to look good when displayed altogether. In the early lifestyle images, the LEGO Group showed off how having the full wave all in one place can look like a brick-built version of an actual Animal Crossing island. If you arranged them in a square with 77050 Nook’s Cranny & Rosie’s House in the middle, you could even mimic the plaza that acts as a hub for the island when playing the video game.

LEGO Animal Crossing has more play features than first thought

Although early images didn’t quite illuminate these possibilities, the LEGO Animal Crossing sets carry over various playable features that are designed to evoke the feeling of the game itself. For example, there’s a hidden bell under each rock, recreating the rock-mining feature from the game. Similarly, trees contain hidden compartments for items that can fall when you shake them, a means of finding resources that AC players will recognise.

As noted above, there’s also the opportunity to customise some elements of the buildings – and of course you could take this further than the LEGO Group suggests in the instructions. There’s no limit to what building parts and accessories you can switch out from other sets or even entirely separate themes to make your LEGO Animal Crossing sets your own.

Every LEGO Animal Crossing set coming on March 1

Set name	Price	Piece count	Release date
77046 Julian’s Birthday Party	£12.99 / €14.99 / $14.99	170	March 1, 2024
77047 Bunnie’s Outdoor Activities	£17.99 / €19.99 / $19.99	164	March 1, 2024
77048 Kapp’n’s Island Boat Tour	£24.99 / €29.99 / $29.99	233	March 1, 2024
77049 Isabelle’s House Visit	£34.99 / €39.99 / $39.99	389	March 1, 2024
77050 Nook’s Cranny & Rosie’s House	£64.99 / €74.99 / $74.99	535	March 1, 2024

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