I’ve always loved the Animal Crossing series ever since it dropped onto the GameCube back in 2001, and while I’ve put a lot of hours into the games in the past, it was New Horizons that took hold of me completely and saw me clocking up hundreds of hours at the behest of Tom Nook. That game caught me good, as it did with all of us, providing some solace from a global lockdown and giving us the chance to experience a tropical life while staring at four walls and being unable to actually go outside.
Catching bugs, finding fossils, stealing the vampire squid from my girlfriend’s island and her not being able to find another one before they disappeared for 9 months (true story, she’s still mad about that); it’s these immersive features that have led to the game becoming Japan’s best-selling game of all time and selling 46 million copies across the world at the time of writing. Now, Animal Crossing fans in the UK can head to their nearest SEA LIFE centre and take part in a new event where they can discover the creatures that they’ve spent a lifetime selling to Timmy & Tommy in real life.
Speaking on the Nintendo website, General Manager of SEA LIFE London Catherine Pritchard said that the company is ‘thrilled to be offering this one-of-a-kind experience across a number of our SEA LIFE locations. Our guests will be taken on a journey alongside characters from Animal Crossing: New Horizons, all whilst surrounded by the thousands of amazing creatures that we have in our attractions, from Green Sea Turtles to Zebra Sharks in this enriching, fun, and unique adventure with family or friends.’
Now, I know what you’re thinking, and no, this isn’t going to be just a load of kids ogling at fish. I think there are going to be so many gamers of all ages heading to this event. Exploring Sea Life Islands, digging up fossils, and searching for Gulliver. I’m an expert at this, so get me to the front of the queue! There’s a chance to meet Tom Nook and Isabelle too as well as other island residents, and you can collect stamps while making your way around the exhibit before spending all of your hard-earned cash in the gift shop.
This is the first time anything like this has come to SEA LIFE UK and I’m 100% here for it. The event starts off at SEA LIFE Manchester on February 8th and runs to March 9th, with Birmingham, Brighton, London, & Chessington World of Adventures following throughout the year. Head to the Nintendo website to find out more!
