Get ready to turn over a new leaf when the next Animal Crossing game hits the 3DS this summer.
Since its announcement in 2011, Animal Crossing fans have been patiently (or impatiently, in some cases) awaiting the release of the next game in the series. Animal Crossing: Jump Out, as it’s called in Japan, has been available in that region since November 2012, which is also around the time that Nintendo gave it a new title for North America: Animal Crossing: New Leaf. It’s almost time to pay off your debt to Tom Nook all over again; New Leaf is coming on June 9, 2013.
The release date was revealed on this morning’s North American Nintendo Direct video, which also showed off some gameplay. As previously reported, New Leaf lets the player be the mayor of his or her town, which is a first for the series (and raises some serious questions about what happened to Tortimer). Instead of picking from a few pre-built tiny houses in town, you’ll get to build your dwellings from the ground up, even choosing its location. Animal Crossing: New Leaf also offers more home and town customization options than previous games in the series.
Between this and several other recently announced 3DS games, it’s going to be a busy summer for owners of Nintendo’s handheld. I’d like to preemptively invite everyone to come visit my town… but if you cut down my trees, you are banished.
