
The final version of the game was released in Japan on Decemand in North America on September 15, 2002.


The original version of Animal Crossing was released in Japan for the Nintendo 64 but due to limited appeal, it was not released elsewhere until the new GameCube console was released. An internal clock keeps track of the date and time which continue to effect the game even while the console is shut off. There are very few story elements and mandatory tasks, instead the game leaves players free to forge their own path. Each player's town is populated with various animal inhabitants with whom the player can interact and build up a relationship. Animal Crossing has an open ended gameplay structure and is best described as a social simulator. Animal Crossing is a life simulation game developed by Nintendo EAD and published for the GameCube console.
