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[kubus]

Welcome to the Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer import thread. The game was just released in Japan so for those in Japan or using import, share your impressions!

INFORMATION
Title: Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Release date: July 30 (NA: September 25, EU: October 2)
Price: 4000 yen (without tax)
Digital: Yes, now available
Blocks: 4038
amiibo support: Animal Crossing amiibo cards

WHAT IS THIS?
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer is a spin-off of the Animal Crossing in which you solely design and decorate houses. You are an employee of Tom Nook Housing and clients will come over and ask you to build houses for them. You choose a plot of land and start designing. Both outside the house as well as inside can now be designed to your liking. The game has new control features for placing and moving furniture including dragging and dropping via the touch screen. Aside from animals' houses you also get to design facilities like a school, hospital, shops, etc.

FEATURES:
- All new city hub with lots of facilities (both old and new!) where animals will be walking around and going about their business.
- Town map has new kinds of locations and terrains to build houses on! You can freely change the season to your designer's heart.
- Full control over your character's look, including skin color!
- Designing and decorating houses has become incredibly easy thanks to select, drag and drop, copy paste and many other new functions. Your character can also skid between tightly placed furniture now!
- Place items on the ceiling and outside. Did you always think it was weird that you could only place a picnic table inside? Well now you can finally put it in the garden.
- Design and decorate facilities as well! You will unlock more facilities as you keep clearing requests.
- Use amiibo cards to accept requests from specific animals, or to invite them into other animals' homes!
- Visit your former clients when you're not under work hours and throw a party! There are lots of emotes to collect and you have some control over the animals' behavior
- Lots of new furniture to toy with and you keep unlocking more as you progress through the game.

AMIIBO

amiibo cards can be used to call specific villagers and accept their requests. There are also special amiibo cards (of which one is guaranteed in each booster pack) which unlock special villagers such as Isabelle and Tom Nook that can not normally be unlocked through normal gameplay. Booster packs contain three cards and are sold at 300 yen in Japan.

SOCIAL?
There don't seem to be any online, multiplayer or streetpass features. Image sharing has been improved however - you can now share your snapshots directly in game without having to launch the internet browser. Taking pictures is once again done by pressing both L1 and R1 at the same time.

VIDEOS:
- Introduction Video (Japanese with English fansub)
- Animal Crossing: HHD segment at Nintendo Treehouse @ E3
- Animal Crossing: HHD E3 Trailer
- NintenDaan's First Look (first 40 min. of the game)

USEFUL LINKS
- Official website (Japanese)
- List of cards (official website)
- 7-Eleven and Monster Hunter collab. information
- amiibo card spreadsheet (by Gaffer tiijj)

Thread might be a little barebones right now, but I can expand it later when more information is released. Those who have the game, have fun!

 

[Adam Prime]

This OT is the first thing to convince me that this may be a good game that my kids would enjoy. Thanks OP!

 

[JordanKZ]

There don't seem to be any online, multiplayer or streetpass features.

Wait, you can't visit your friends town and see their designs? That's mad.

 

[Robin64]

Lin and Ko, who heavily showed off New Leaf when it hit, are going to be covering this one too. Worth keeping an eye on their channel.

 

[kubus]

Paid off my preorder at AmiAmi today, will hopefully get it on friday. Super jealous of those of you already playing!

I tried going to the local Lawson and see if they had the cards yet (after seeing reports on the internet that they were already selling them) but left disappointed because they said they still didn't have any stock . Oh well, I'll be getting 5 packs with my game. Hopefully no doubles!

 

[Robin64]

Also here's a link to Nintendo's official page listing the cards.

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/edhj/amiibocard/index.html

And here's some photos of the cards in the wild. Reveals a few not shown up til now.

http://infoamiibo.com/photos-des-cartes-amiibo-animal-crossing-vol-1/

 

[Impotaku]

Don't forget to goto a 7-11 to get an exclusive vilager & the 7-11 furniture set that comes with them. You need to be physically near a 7 spot to get the data, sucks big time as i love the conveni items but it's one i can't get easily.

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/edhj/collabo/index.html

May end up asking my friend to buy me a 2nd copy and use his sons 3DS to get the data from 7-11 for me lol. Need to find out if it saves the data to the cart or as a file on the 3DS.

 

[Kouriozan]

Lin and Ko, who heavily showed off New Leaf when it hit, are going to be covering this one too. Worth keeping an eye on their channel.

Neat!
I remember watching their videos back then.

 

[Robin64]

Damn, that's a lot of 7-11 furniture this time.

Also, that villager ("Number 7") is brand new. Wonder if there are other new ones.

 

[oti]

What's the meaning of that dice on the top left corner of every card? Some kind of way to play it offline or something?

Oh and Rock/Paper/Scissor on the top right.

 

[kubus]

Thanks for the links all, updated the OP.

Damn, that's a lot of 7-11 furniture this time.

Also, that villager ("Number 7") is brand new. Wonder if there are other new ones.

The felyne/Airu character is also a brand new villager. Seems like Nintendo isn't afraid to introduce new characters for collabs

 

[Robin64]

What's the meaning of that dice on the top left corner of every card? Some kind of way to play it offline or something?

Oh and Rock/Paper/Scissor on the top right.

Probably something to do with amiibo Party? Remember, these aren't exclusively HHD cards.

 

[evilromero]

A question I've yet to see answered. Can I freely walk around the town like usual? Or is it more like a map selection?

 

[Impotaku]

I thought you can walk around the town hub but that's all you get, you can't leave the hub and walk around the world. I'm curious to see if this is the case.

 

[kubus]

A question I've yet to see answered. Can I freely walk around the town like usual? Or is it more like a map selection?

There is the hub/city area where the Tom Nook Housings office is and all the facilities, and this is where you can walk around freely. Animals will be walking around as well (these might be random, not sure yet) and going about their businesses inside the facilities.

The town area where all the houses are is not accessible if I'm not mistaken. You can open a menu where all the animals you've built houses for are listed and if you touch their profile you "warp" to their plot of land and enter their house, but I don't think you can freely wander around town there.

 

[tiijj]

Here's my AC Amiibo Card List checklist that I'm trying to put together. It might be useful if you're going to collect the cards.

 

[oti]

Here's my AC Amiibo Card List checklist that I'm trying to put together. It might be useful if you're going to collect the cards.

Why would you do this to yourself?

 

[Robin64]

Why would you do this to yourself?

Shouldn't be too hard through trading with others on GAF.

 

[tiijj]

Why would you do this to yourself?

What do you mean?

 

[kubus]

Here's my AC Amiibo Card List checklist that I'm trying to put together. It might be useful if you're going to collect the cards.

Awesome, will add to the OP! Need that Bob card..... baaaadly.

 

[QuixoticNeutral]

Here's my AC Amiibo Card List checklist that I'm trying to put together. It might be useful if you're going to collect the cards.

Seriously, did Nintendo just forget about Blathers? First no Amiibo figure (he was the one I wanted most out of an AC set), and unless I'm missing something he's not on the card list either.

 

[Lambtron]

Why would you do this to yourself?

Because it's Animal Crossing and I'm a god damn fool.

Yo, there's no Daisy in the first set? What the fuck, Nintendo. How dare you skip Best Villager!

 

[Impotaku]

Seriously, did Nintendo just forget about Blathers? First no Amiibo figure (he was the one I wanted most out of an AC set), and unless I'm missing something he's not on the card list either.

You are aware that theres a second set of 100 cards?

 

[Robin64]

You are aware that theres a second set of 100 cards?

Blathers isn't in the second set either.

Third set on the way!

 

[tiijj]

I guessed on some of the serial no. but I think they hate the letter "P" for some reason.

 

[CharminUltra]

Man, I don't need more stuff to collect e_e

Spoiler

I just know I'm collecting all of them

 

[kubus]

Man, I don't need more stuff to collect e_e

Spoiler

I just know I'm collecting all of them

 

[Amalthea]

"Speaking of Amiibo cards... I think we need some Amiibo cards."

 

[Choomp]

Blathers isn't in the second set either.

Third set on the way!

Aw Christ I want em all.

 

[InfiniteBento]

I was contemplating importing it but I have no idea how to play imported games on a NA 3DS any assistance with this?

 

[woopWOOP]

Hmmm, no online or streetpass and no freedom of walking around the village... kinda puts a damper on things. Not really sure if I'll get this now.

I'll still buy a couple of cards tho cause I'm a sucker

Wait, no Phoebe, Beau or Zell in the first set? PASS

 

[robotrock]

I was contemplating importing it but I have no idea how to play imported games on a NA 3DS any assistance with this?

You don't

Unless, there might be some system hack thing you can do to remove the region lock. I'm not sure.

 

[wheapon]

Does anyone know if this game has any kind of progression to it? Do you just take contracts and perform them or do you earn/unlock things along the way?

 

[Robin64]

Does anyone know if this game has any kind of progression to it? Do you just take contracts and perform them or do you earn/unlock things along the way?

Well the town area starts off as a bit of a shambles, with run down and closed buildings, so I guess one goal is to bring that all back to life and spruce it up.

 

[spyroflame0487]

Are the Japanese 7-11s owned by the same company who owns the US 7-11 stores? Because 7-11s have popped up in BP stations all over Ohio in the last few years, and I'm honestly kind of hoping we'll get some 7-11 tie ins for once. But i know that probably wont happen ;-;

 

[wheapon]

Well the town area starts off as a bit of a shambles, with run down and closed buildings, so I guess one goal is to bring that all back to life and spruce it up.

Ah, that's true. I do think finally having a place to put all of the shop furniture will be nice. That and having the option of putting lawn furniture outside for once.

 

[Cindro]

Is it possible to play and enjoy this game without ever using a single amiibo card? Those things would be the death of me, so I prefer to not even start down that hole - but I'm very interested in the main game.

 

[Impotaku]

Is it possible to play and enjoy this game without ever using a single amiibo card? Those things would be the death of me, so I prefer to not even start down that hole - but I'm very interested in the main game.

Yeah without ever using the cards, the villagers will still randomly appear for you to design for them, you won't lose a huge chunk of the game without them, the cards just give you the ability to call any of them by touching them to the NFC reader.

 

[Cindro]

But I can ONLY design for blokes like K.K. or Nook if I have their specific card, right? Those characters are exclusive to amiibo?

 

[evilromero]

There is the hub/city area where the Tom Nook Housings office is and all the facilities, and this is where you can walk around freely. Animals will be walking around as well (these might be random, not sure yet) and going about their businesses inside the facilities.

The town area where all the houses are is not accessible if I'm not mistaken. You can open a menu where all the animals you've built houses for are listed and if you touch their profile you "warp" to their plot of land and enter their house, but I don't think you can freely wander around town there.

That's disappointing. What I like about this one is now houses have yards with furniture, which would make walking around even more interesting and interactive. I wonder why they would remove the freedom of exploring?

 

[Oxx]

Streetpassing was one of my favourite aspects of New Leaf

 

[Impotaku]

But I can ONLY design for blokes like K.K. or Nook if I have their specific card, right? Those characters are exclusive to amiibo?

Until there's been more people playing the game to find out i'm guessing the regular villagers will appear but ones like KK who are ranked as special villagers would be ones locked away that need Amiibo cards to access them. All the non specal villagers would be the ones that come randomly to your town hub.

[edit]
On other notes, just checked my preorder on Amazon Jp to see how it was doing. It's gone from saying preorder to on the way, so somewhere in Japan is a box of cards & a game on it's way to the Tenso warehouse. Probably won't see it in the UK till the end of next week, the wait is going to be painful.

 

[Iph]

Streetpassing was one of my favourite aspects of New Leaf

It`s all fun and games until the Animal Crossing Mafia finds you. :|

 

[El Pescado]

Anyone know how easy this game is to play with ZERO knowledge of Japanese?

 

[Vena]

My friend will be picking hers up come Friday, I think, so I'll have some opinions on it when she tells me.

 

[tiijj]

On other notes, just checked my preorder on Amazon Jp to see how it was doing. It's gone from saying preorder to on the way, so somewhere in Japan is a box of cards & a game on it's way to the Tenso warehouse. Probably won't see it in the UK till the end of next week, the wait is going to be painful.

Do you have tracking on your order?

 

[BowieZ]

Anyone know how easy this game is to play with ZERO knowledge of Japanese?

Just download the photographic Google translate app and hover it over every text box.

 

[El Pescado]

Just download the photographic Google translate app and hover it over every text box.

That wouldn't actually work, would it?

 

[tiijj]

That wouldn't actually work, would it?

The google translate app works but the translation is kinda iffy but it is still (partially) understandable (on most cases). And you need to align it properly to take a proper picture so that the OCR can read it.

 

[TheSporkWithin]

Looks like this only has one save slot, unlike the other Animal Crossing games which allowed for multiple people in the same town with different houses. Might be worth mentioning that in the OP since that information doesn't seem to be in English anywhere and it took me a while to find it in Japanese.

I'm getting this for my wife, but I'm not sure if I want to spring for a second copy for myself, as I've already got a ton of stuff on my plate. The budget price is making it more tempting though...