Straight up, if you're in your AC era step right up darlings this audio arc was a riot.

While not my typical genre of read, when I saw Animal Crossing I was like yeah, that's a bitta me. There's nostalgia isn't there (and who could say no to that feeling)?

I had a great time reveling in the intention and cultural contexts that Kelsey presents. Amanda was a flawless narrator. This had all the fun facts, history, and development details you would (and could) want. There were even a few Easter egg hot tips and hints that I will promptly be filing away for future game nights.

Overall, this was well presented, and hey, there may even be a few life lessons to be taken about the way we socialize. It's a reflection on how we consume and interact both from the top down and the bottom up and I will always hold space for that conversation.

This was a very informative read about the phenomenon Animal Crossing created within the video game world. As a decades old Animal Crossing lover I was excited to learn more of how the game was created and the trailblazing path the game has traveled. If you’d live an infodumo about Animal Crossing you’ll love this book. But, it is very straightforward and at times technical so I don’t recommend it unless it is an interest for you. For me, it was well worth the read and I love knowing more about one of my all time favorite games. I also loved traveling down memory lane thinking about all of the games in the series, even back to the GameCube days and remembering the common experiences players shared.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. I really enjoyed learning more about this series!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this Audio ARC

This is a really informative book and the narrator made it feel like I was being told the history and the facts by a friend, not just someone reading from a script. This is fun to listen to in general but I found that I was really drawn into it as I played my Animal Crossing game. This is interesting for any Animal Crossing fan.

5 🌟

Ok, this was way more fascinating than I thought it'd be. For example, did you know that Diablo initially inspired the creation of Animal Crossing? It was going to be a dungeon crawler game, but with animals. Consider my mind blown. Thankfully, hardware limitations meant they had to scrap that idea and make something more similar to the Animal Crossing we know today. This book presents various interesting facts about the different iterations of the game, in chronological order.

Granted, I am new to Animal Crossing, having only played New Horizons. Admittedly, this game helped save my sanity during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. (This phenomenon is touched on towards the end of the book.) I'm not even sure what the older versions of the game are like, but I wish I had played them when I was a kid.

Amanda Dolan narrates the audiobook. She does a great job. It's like just listening to a close friend gush about Animal Crossing to you.

Recommended for any Animal Crossing fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the ALC.

This audiobook felt more like talking to a friend about our favorite game than just listening to facts and history. Kelsey Lewin shares fascinating insights into Animal Crossing, and Amanda Dolan’s warm, engaging narration brings a comforting sense of nostalgia and connection that perfectly matches the spirit of the game. A must-listen for any fan of the series.

This book accomplishes its main goal... I want to play Animal Crossing again. A short but detailed history of the franchise, this was both informative and entertaining. Even as someone who knows a lot about video games, especially Japanese games, this contains a lot of information I hadn't heard of before. I think my favorite parts were hearing about the complicated process of localization into the American market. While it focused a lot on the first installment of the game, I wish we hadn't rushed past the last game, especially hearing about how big of a departure it was from the previous games. I understand the author's critques of New Horizons, but I still wish it had been given more attention. I think this is great for both casual and hardcore fans of the franchise, and really could be interesting for anyone interested in video games in general.

Thank you Netgalley and HighBridge Audio for the Advanced Listeners Copy!

I picked this audiobook because I am a huge Animal Crossing fan and felt I would be able to judge it well from that perspective.

I enjoyed learning about the beginning and history of this game. It was a quick listen but still provided a ton of information on the history and gameplay.

I loved that Nintendo found women so valuable in the development of the game. I appreciated the description of the opening scene in the GameCube version; it was so nostalgic.

The narrator had a great voice and the perfect amount of enthusiasm for an informative book.