Imagine A Nintendo Console Without: Animal Crossing

Back again. In the same vein as the LoZ thread, but this time I'm asking you to think about how you'd feel about particular Nintendo consoles (GameCube and after) had the Animal Crossing series not found it's way over to them in any fashion.

Would you think that Animal Crossing's absence would have made any difference to each system's fate? It's was a critical darling and has been a top-seller wherever it's been - how does completely taking it out of the equation impact on your overall feelings about the console? What would you have been playing instead? Would you have been playing the Nintendo console at all? In your opinion is it a series that shares the same amount of prestige as the likes of The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario? Do you think the GameCube, DS, Wii and/or 3DS would have suffered without Animal Crossing?

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True fact: I wouldn't have stuck with my GameCube or bought a DS or 3DS XL without Animal Crossing. I think it's been one of the outstanding games on each console it's appeared on - certainly my favourite on the 3DS and arguably on the GameCube as well. Even being able to link my GBA to the GameCube version was pretty cool, I definitely got a fair amount of use out of that. Simply put, I don't know what I'd be gaming on had Animal Crossing not come over here in 2004.

I only got it on the 3DS. It was a great distraction for a few weeks.

I partly got it because I felt my 3DS was underused, so I probably would have got Luigi's Mansion 2 or Donkey Kong Country Returns instead.

I don't think this would of changed my view of any Nintendo console, I did import it on Cube due to it being well received and Europe at the time not getting it but of course all ready had GameCube with quality games. The only other AC I've played is the 3DS version which I got free with the two many games offer, I do think I would of bought it with out the offer and is one of the best games this year but even without it the 3DS had quality game after quality game.

Barely any difference, personally.  I acquired WW on the DS and NL on the 3DS.  WW kept me going for a good few months, after which I tired of it.  It's telling that I never restarted NL after getting a new 3DS.  While I commend Nintendo's efforts towards making boring activities interesting and compulsive, they don't stay that way.  You know, 'cause they're boring.

So for me personally, the Villager and his host of crazy memes going missing from SSB4 would be the biggest difference.  For Nintendo's coffers, I suspect it'd be another story.  They've made buckets out of the AC franchise: in Japan alone, there have been 5.2m copies of WW and 3.8m copies of NL sold (source).  Only one franchise out of many, of course, but every little helps.

To me, no difference whatsoever. I'm not a fan of the series particularly and it wouldn't have effected my enjoyment of the Cube or DS.

In the grand scheme of things, Gamecube would have been fine. I think the handhelds would have suffered a little without Animal Crossing though.

Another not a slice of difference here. I also don't know anyone outside of the forum/twitter that have played Animal Crossing so I doubt it'd have changed the fate of any consoles. If they want to make chores fun then they should crack on with another Chibi Robo instead!

On a personal note, it makes a slight difference to my 3DS experience. I'm glad I bought and played it but I don't think I'll be buying another one. It snarled up my progress with other games with its blasted addictive qualities, so it did. In terms of the fates of the systems on which it has appeared, I reckon that only the 3DS would be affected. New Leaf has done lots to propel the system into the public eye (there are still TV ads for the game, or there were a fortnight ago) and it got ridiculous sales in Japan, too.

Pokémon would have done the same job for the 3DS (possibly better), just later on.

Yeah, I think the fact the handhelds have killer apps like Pokemon, Brain Training, Layton and so forth means they wouldn't have suffered too much without Animal Crossing.

It never influenced my decision to buy a console, but since I first read about the GameCube version it's been a series I always get really excited about buying. It would definitely have changed my experience of the GameCube and the extent to which I love and get excited about Nintendo. Beyond myself, they always sell really well and do seem to shift systems, particularly on 3DS, so I think Nintendo would feel it if you went back in time and killed Tom Nook's mum or whatever.

Animal Crossing is the Nintendo franchise for me. It's soaked up the majority of my 3DS/GameCube and (I'd wager) DS gaming time. For me, a Nintendo console without an Animal Crossing game would be a poor, poor show.  

The only time I've been indifferent about an Animal Crossing game is with the lame-arse Wii version.

I think the DS would have suffered a bit, the likes of Pokemon, Brain Training and Nintendogs would have got it along but Wild World was huge and definitely would have helped coherse a fair few users.

Every version but the Wii game made that console a whole lot better, I was desperate for it on the Cube and attempted to get it as my very first import I was looking forward to it that much, it's also my most played 3DS game so it would be sorely missed for me.

I'm imagining the NES.

Wait, that's not what you meant was it?

I think the 3DS wouldn't be as healthy as it is now, that's for sure. Not so much the predecessors.