TheAnimal Crossingfranchise could be missing out on a potential windfall by not leaning into spin-off titles featuring its characters. Although story has never been the focal point of theAnimal Crossinggames, the series has generated an impressively large cast, with a lot of memorable designs and personalities. From longtime icon Tom Nook to the collection of villagers that can move in, the series has no shortage of characters that could make appearances in affiliated games. In fact, Nintendo could already have the star of its next great spin-off within theAnimal Crossinguniverse.
As one of the series' biggest selling points, the manyunique villagers ofAnimal Crossinghelp to make the series seem as lively as it is. While the regular villagers are separated into eight different personality types, the wide variety of designs among each villager class keeps them distinct. In addition to the villagers, there are also characters that provide services for the character, such as Isabelle the mayor’s assistant and Kapp’n the old sailor. By virtue of being designed for specific roles, these characters have more concrete backstories and personalities, which may make them more suitable to carry a game on their own.
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Animal Crossing’s Iconic Characters Could Carry Their Own Spin-off Titles
The first character that comes to mind for a spin-off would beAnimal Crossing’s often misunderstood Tom Nook. Best known as the raccoon businessman who players find themselves owing money to, Tom Nook is undeniably one of the most famous faces fromAnimal Crossing, and therefore a reasonable choice for a spin-off. With Tom being a businessowner, a spin-off starring him could be a management sim. Players could take control of Tom’s shop, including stock and potential employees. They could decorate, choose their stock based on villager preferences, and try to make a profit. Similar toAnimal Crossingitself, running a shop with Tom could be a relaxing activity.
AnotherAnimal Crossingcharacter that could be fit for a spin-off is the musician K.K. Slider.K.K. Slider’s songs inAnimal Crossingare a part of the series' charm, with Slider’s distinctive singing voice being a familiar sound to fans of the series. For that reason, a rhythm game starring K.K. Slider and his music could be a solid base for a spin-off. Such a game could feature Slider going on tour, with the player playing his biggest hits. A K.K. Slider game could feature plenty of Slider songs from across the series, and perhaps a few originals in honor of his first starring role.
One iconicAnimal Crossingcharacter that may be worth a spin-off, surprisingly, is Mr. Resetti. Originally one of the series' more infamous characters,Animal Crossingmainstay Mr. Resettihas a new role that could be perfect spin-off fodder. InAnimal Crossing:New Horizons, Mr. Resetti trades ranting about resetting for working at the Rescue Center, which could be the source of a game all its own. With his digging abilities and trusty pickaxe, Resetti could go on rescue missions to help villagers in need. While it would be an unexpectedly action-oriented take, it could be a good fit for a big personality like Mr. Resetti.
Considering how longAnimal Crossinghas been around, it may be time for at least one of its characters to take a starring role outside the main series.Animal Crossing: New Horizonswon’t last forever, so the series will need something new to offer fans at some point. The games have done enough to develop some of their recurring characters, so there is enough basis for at least one of them to lead a game of their own. The future ofAnimal Crossingcould very well involve side games starring some of the series' most notable characters.
Animal Crossing: New Horizonsis available now for the Nintendo Switch.
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