There are only a handful of places on this Earth that relax me to a point where I melt into a gelatinous puddle of goo: my grandparent’s house, Wendy’s (don’t ask), and aquariums. Likewise, there are a few cozy games with stakes so low that it’s the equivalent of drinking warm milk in your PJs, like Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I tell ya, it’s a shame that no one’s thought to create an experience where these two serene elements perfectly merge like a calming peanut-butter and jelly. Or have they?
I can’t tell you how much serotonin leaked into my brain when I learned that the Seattle Aquarium is briefly playing host to characters from Nintendo’s most famous couch simulator: Animal Crossing. Besides all the sea otters, harbor seals, octopuses, and hundreds of species of fish, you also have the pleasure of seeing images of Tom Nook, Isabelle and, of course, that walking talking museum himself, Blathers, around the tanks. The aquarium calls it “the crossover you didn’t know you needed,” and they’re right, but it goes deeper than that.
The happiest faces you’ll see in the home of grunge music.
Out of all the aquariums in the world, I’m not sure why Nintendo zeroed in on the Emerald City, but for sure it works. Positioned on the edge of the Pacific, it’s not only a direct flight from Kyoto, but, founded in 1977, the aquarium has worked with global leaders to advance animal wellbeing, marine and ecosystem science, public policy, field conservation, education, and species recovery programs that benefit the ocean. Whew! It makes me feel a wee bit guilty for just discovering it now, but it’s Animal Crossing, man!
My sheer joy isn’t really a huge mystery, is it? New Horizons debuted smack dab in the middle of the pandemic, marketed towards sickly shut-ins (like me) as a forum where gamers could “escape to a deserted island and create their own paradise as you explore, create, and customize.” Uh…yes, please. You better believe we bought it, and what a paradise it was. With its inconsequential decisions, like what kind of hat to wear today or where the best gap to build a bridge over is, it was all lightweight and airy, contrary to the heaviness that was waiting just outside our doors. Whenever I made the daily jump back into my island paradise, it truly was an escape, especially when I progressed enough to build my own aquarium.
For me, the best memories of the game were hoofing it over my isolated paradise in search of critters, fossils, and seafood just to hand over to my wise owl friend, Blathers, and fill the empty slots within my own museum. With every contribution, Blathers immediately put it on display, regardless of the fact that I’m usually the only one strolling down the halls and observing the exhibits. Fishing wasn’t always easy for me, but once I had a pretty impressive collection, I would wallow in my own donations bathed in quivering blue light.
Back in 2020, I must’ve stared at this tank full o’ fish more than my own reflection.
It’s hard to say if other players can exactly relate to my sentiments, but based on the “off console” presence of Animal Crossing, maybe my old buddy Nintendo does. While Japan was still knee-deep in COVID in 2021, Nintendo must’ve realized what a goldmine and form of gamified therapy ACNH was for its citizens and hosted an official Animal Crossing event at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium park in Yokohama, Japan. Activities like fishing tournaments and super kawaii stamp cards rallies, paired with plenty of Blathers’ commentary on marine life clearly were a hit, which brings us full circle.
It sucks that I live all the way out here in Europe and would have to sell my kidney for a plane ticket to Seattle, but you, dear reader, can keep both your kidneys and still have a blast with all the photo opportunities, creature descriptions, bingo scavenger hunts and general euphoria that comes with such a miraculous hybrid. You’ve only got until December 31, so get going!