Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
Don't miss these
Pokemon Pokopia screenshot showing Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle all gathered around a Ditto in human form between two green trees
Pokemon The ultimate Pokemon Pokopia guide for restoring the world around you
Pokemon Pokopia Mosslax
Pokemon Pokopia players can't fathom just how big the Pokemon spin-off is so far
a ditto human sitting on some logs with pikachu and pichu
Pokemon Pokopia's unhinged dialogue is tempting me away from Animal Crossing: "It's a pretty nice butt, don't you think?"
Best games like Animal Crossing: A group of villagers on a stone bridge during New Horizons.
Animal Crossing 15 Best games like Animal Crossing that are so wholesome it hurts
Julian, a light blue horse with a unicorn-like horn, in Animal Crossing: New Horizon poses in front of the mayor's office, with the GamesRadar+ On The Radar frame
Animal Crossing The best Animal Crossing: New Horizons villagers have been our faves since day one
Screenshot from Pokemon Pokopia shows a Ditto protagonist, Leafeon, and Sylveon in a field of flowers.
Pokemon 90 minutes with Pokemon Pokopia convinced me this could be the biggest cozy game since Animal Crossing
A screenshot of the player in Starsand Island at the ranch shop looking at a chicken
Simulation Games I've played Starsand Island for 25 hours, and this is the most invested I've been in a cozy game for years
Animal Crossing New Horizons guide
Animal Crossing Full Animal Crossing: New Horizons guide for island life
A path design in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing Best Animal Crossing: New Horizons island ideas
Animal Crossing: New Horizons fish
Animal Crossing When and where to catch all Animal Crossing: New Horizons fish
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Isabelle
Animal Crossing How to find Isabelle in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New Horizons tips
Animal Crossing 30 Animal Crossing: New Horizons tips to know before you start
Animal Crossing New Horizons villager wearing majora's mask from Zelda and standing in front of the master sword
Animal Crossing Full Animal Crossing New Horizons Zelda item list and how to unlock them
Starsand Island
Simulation Games My biggest problem with Stardew Valley is fixed in the hottest new life sim RPG on Steam
Some of the village gathers around with Tom Nook and Kapp'n's family in Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Nintendo Switch 2 celebrate the Resort Hotel opening
Animal Crossing Here's everything new in the Animal Crossing New Horizons 3.0 update, including the Hotel and Zelda stuff
  1. Games
  2. Simulation
  3. Animal Crossing
  4. Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Animal Crossing: New Leaf preview - New screens and details

Features
By Henry Gilbert published 18 April 2013

We’ve spent our first day as the mayor and are ready to report back

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

New in town

New in town

Animal Crossing: New Leaf has a similar start to previous entries. You wake up riding a train, you meet Rover the cat, he asks you a series of questions meant to build your character, and then your train arrives in your new town. But this time around the animal townsfolk greeting you at the station insist that youre their new mayor and its time for you to get to work. And thats how we spent our first day in the 3DSs first Animal Crossing.

We were soon lead to the town hall and met our secretary, but our dreams of a mayoral mansion were quickly shattered. Instead, we had to buy a new house from real estate kingpin Tom Nook. Within an hour we were once again in debt to Nook, and we were only comforted by the promise of mayoral power to come. After we planted a new tree in the town to symbolize our new administration, we were ready to start working on our city, but sadly thats where the demo ended.

New Leaf will be hitting the 3DS in June, but while you wait, check out the newest collection of screens for the game, including our first look at a special edition 3DS XL to celebrate the launch of the newest Animal Crossing.

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
CATEGORIES
Nintendo Platforms
Henry Gilbert
Henry Gilbert
Social Links Navigation

Henry Gilbert is a former GamesRadar+ Editor, having spent seven years at the site helping to navigate our readers through the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation. Henry is now following another passion of his besides video games, working as the producer and podcast cohost of the popular Talking Simpsons and What a Cartoon podcasts. 

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Read more
Tom Nook from Animal Crossing New Horizons on the GamesRadar+ On the Radar hub branding
On the Radar with Animal Crossing: New Horizons
 
 
The New Year's Eve countdown in Animal Crossing: New Horizons finishes, with the villager and residents of the island gathering in the plaza to celebrate - presented with the GamesRadar+ On The Radar frame
Time ticks on in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, whether I'm obsessed with playing or taking a break
 
 
Animal Crossing: New Horizons tips
30 Animal Crossing: New Horizons tips to know before you start
 
 
Animal Crossing: New Horizon On the Radar special
I spent hours working on the Animal Crossing: New Horizons resort hotel and it was worth every minute
 
 
Some of the village gathers around with Tom Nook and Kapp'n's family in Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Nintendo Switch 2 celebrate the Resort Hotel opening
Here's everything new in the Animal Crossing New Horizons 3.0 update, including the Hotel and Zelda stuff
 
 
An Animal Crossing: New Horizons player standing on the pier in front of a hotel
I haven't played Animal Crossing: New Horizons since 2020 - here's why the 3.0 update has lured me back in
 
 
Latest in Animal Crossing
A player character sat surrounded by books in a cozy room in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons update ensures Timmy and Tommy never let you out of their sight again, stops fence cloning
 
 
Celebrating the opening of the resort hotel in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Nintendo says those Animal Crossing and Splatoon updates are there so players can migrate to Switch 2 at their own pace
 
 
Photo of a pile of official Animal Crossing amiibo cards, with an Isabelle card in the middle.
UK Nintendo fans this is not a drill, Animal Crossing amiibo cards are back
 
 
Photo of an official Animal Crossing Brewster cup and rubber keychain sitting on a white surface.
The new Animal Crossing New Horizons merch at Nintendo is too cute to handle, but it's UK only for now
 
 
Animal Crossing: New Horizon On the Radar special
I love Animal Crossing: New Horizons Slumber Islands, but it could’ve been so much better if they added these features
 
 
Tom Nook from Animal Crossing New Horizons on the GamesRadar+ On the Radar hub branding
On the Radar with Animal Crossing: New Horizons
 
 
Latest in Features
In Pokemon Pokopia, the transformed Ditto trainer takes a selfie looking aghast in front of a glowing piece of land where a relic is buried
I've spent 20 hours in Pokemon Pokopia obsessing over its mysterious world and what it hides beneath the surface
 
 
BG3
The future of RPGs is isometric
 
 
Photo of a Mario nendoroid figure holding a microSD Express card with a Turtle Beach Switch 2 case in the background.
These Mario Day-inspired Switch 2 accessories will power up your console more than a super star
 
 
Underside of Alienware 16 Area-51 gaming laptop with glass viewing window and RGB fans
We could get a shock when 2026 gaming laptop prices are unveiled, here's what you need to know about buying this year
 
 
Emily Rudd as Nami and Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy in Netflix's One Piece
One Piece season 2 ending explained: Who is Mr. Zero? Who dies? Will there be a season 3?
 
 
In Hitman World of Assassination, Agent 47 sits at the departure gate in an airport during the loading screen
After weeks spent locked into Hitman's Freelancer mode, I realize there's one vital thing 007 First Light needs to learn
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Steam logo from Valve
    1
    Valve says "more games are finding success" on Steam than ever, and nearly 6,000 made over $100,000 last year
  2. 2
    Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man director explains how the Netflix movie differs from the show:
  3. 3
    Dispatch leads faced down publishers telling them single-player narrative games were "niche, or worse, dead"
  4. 4
    Xbox lead thinks "we have been in a golden age for indies" since 2008, and it's "a fantastic time to be a developer" if you ignore all the smoke
  5. 5
    The Future Games Show returns this week - here's how to watch

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...