Have you ever wished that the loansharking little tanuki slumlord Tom Nook would step on a pile of LEGO? Well, it hasn’t happened yet (to my knowledge), but maybe the next best thing is just turning him into a minifig. In which case, good news: there’s Animal Crossing LEGO on the way!
LEGO will launch five new Animal Crossing sets in March next year, created in collaboration with Nintendo. The sets are designed to easily fit together with interchangeable parts, allowing for a high degree of customisation. That’s… kind of LEGO’s whole thing, but it’s true of the unique Animal Crossing elements in these sets, too—like window frames that can be easily swapped between buildings.
Fan favourite characters like Isabelle, Julian, and one of those terrifying / lucrative tarantulas all feature, as do Animal Crossing‘s distinctive fruit trees and familiar buildings like Nook’s Cranny.
Here’s the full rundown of sets, courtesy of the LEGO Group:
- Julian’s Birthday Party, where builders can celebrate with Julian, share cupcakes, and open presents. ($22.99 NZD, 170 pieces)
- Bunnie’s Outdoor Activities allows enthusiasts of the great outdoors to roleplay setting up a tent, roasting marshmallows or using the vaulting pole to jump across the water, and grab the shovel or other recognizable tools from the video game series. ($34.99 NZD, 164 pieces)
- Kapp’n’s Island Boat Tour gives fans the opportunity to board the boat and explore another island with Kapp’n and Marshal, go on an adventure to search for coconuts and bamboo, discover wildlife, hermit crabs, and fish or simply hang out and enjoy the fire. ($44.99 NZD, 233 pieces)
- Isabelle’s House Visit allows builders to get creative and help Isabelle and Fauna customise Fauna’s house and enjoy activities like opening the balloon present, crafting tools, or picking fruits and flowers. ($79.99 NZD, 389 pieces)
- Nook’s Cranny & Rosie’s House gives builders two locations where they can roleplay stocking up Nook’s Cranny shop or go to Rosie’s house for freshly baked cookies. ($129.99 NZD, 535 pieces)
All five sets are due to release globally on 1 March 2024, with prices ranging from $22.99 to $129.99. Picking up the full collection will run you a little over $300.
“To us, Animal Crossing is all about creativity and roleplay, so bringing that to life in physical form using LEGO bricks and creating new minifigures has been fun for the team,” said Simon Kent, Creative Lead, Design Director at the LEGO Group. “One of the challenges was to make sure that customisation of the sets was simple so builders could experience the freedom they have in the game. Additionally, creating the minifigures to make sure they were accurately representing the characters in the video games was very important for us. We look forward to giving kids the opportunity to play with their favourite characters from Animal Crossing!”
“The Animal Crossing video game series is about creating a world where you freely build the life you want, and now with LEGO bricks, you can build that world with your own hands in the real world too,” said Aya Kyogoku, Game Producer of Nintendo Co., Ltd. “Putting the sets together is only the beginning. Kids can use the furniture, plants, and more, included with each set, to customise them or even combine multiple sets to create their own village. There are so many different ways kids will be able to express their creativity based on what they like, which can evolve as they grow. We hope that the world of Animal Crossing and its characters, now also in the form of LEGO bricks, can bring smiles to people’s faces by being a part of their day-to-day lives.”
