I’ve been playing video games since I was about 5 years old. I remember that one Christmas when my dad disappeared into their bedroom and came out less than a minute later with a large, wrapped box, complete with a tag with my name on it and a bow. It was the last gift for me that morning and I eagerly accepted it. I ripped the paper apart and inside of the once-neatly dressed package was a Super Nintendo Entertainment System. I gasped that little 5-year-old gasp and said to my dad something I’d heard on TV several times, and was itching to say it too: “Daddy, you SHOULDN’T HAVE!” My dad chuckled and replied, “Yes, we should.” This back and forth went on for a minute or two and later that day, my dad set it up for us to play. I could go on about the rest of the story, but that’s not why I’m making this post.
It was that day my life would change forever.
I was an avid reader, but also an avid play-outsider and an avid video gamer. I wasn’t good at video games, per se, but I was definitely affected by it’s button-mashing charm. Fast forwarding to today, I don’t play nearly as many games as I did as a kid—you know, adult life sort of gets in the way of that, but I still find myself reading up on the latest consoles and purchasing games I won’t open for years, sometimes never (I’m looking at you, Kingdom Hearts II, Pokémon Black 2 and White 2).
For Christmas two years ago, my boyfriend decided to get me a Nintendo Switch. It had been out for about a year at that point, so all the hype was slightly dulled, making it easier to find in the stores for gift-giving or self-purchase. However, he decided to be romantic or something, and took advantage of a deal Helzberg Diamonds had going on: buy some of their overpriced jewelry at whatever outrageous price they set the minimum spend amount to be, get a free Nintendo Switch. For Luis, it was a win-win. He could get me something nice and something I wanted at the same time. Except, it cost him exponentially more to do it this way.
He laughs about it now, but I think he was a tad disappointed to see my $1200 diamond earrings sitting in their box day after day on the dresser at his house while my premier model Nintendo Switch with the gray joycons is practically attached to my hand 6/7 days a week.
Actually, the permanancy of me dragging around this hand-held console didn’t really begin until March 20, 2020.
The real story starts about five days prior to the aforementioned date. I was doing something, probably updating this blog or emailing someone or whatever, and I needed to fish something out of my school email. When I opened the inbox, I had about 6-7 emails in there: something from one of my former profs, something from the school bookstore (stop it, Barnes & Noble College, it’s annoying), three from Canvas (also annoying), a couple other things and one email in particular that stood out. It was from my friend/classmate Gary (I mentioned him in my post about our Kraft Heinz/Smart Ones project) with the subject “You’re Invited to a Deserted Island Getaway”. Curious, I read his email really fast, which included a cute graphic of two ill-proportionate children and a weird looking bird in a uniform in front of what looks to be a seaplane. There was also a package date that was incorrect, but I didn’t know any better. The actual body of the email read,
Hello Michelle!
Tom Nook and all of us here at Nook Inc. cordially invite you join us on an all expenses paid trip to your very own deserted island!
Your island getaway has a wealth of natural resources that can be used to craft everything from tools to creature comforts. You can hunt down insects at the crack of dawn, decorate your paradise throughout the day, or enjoy sunset on the beach while fishing in the ocean.
If you have any questions about your reward, please direct them to [Gary’s email address].
Confused, I closed out of the email, then grabbed what I needed, finished up whatever I was doing (it’s all a blur), and went back to this friendly, but cryptic email.
Jumping back two months, Gary had asked me to take on a friend project for him. He found a kickstarter for a companion journal that someone designed and printed and was selling “at cost” for the newest game in the Nintendo Animal Crossing series. I’ve heard of the game, but never played it. I’m not sure why, but it never bothered me that I didn’t. In fact, it wasn’t a title that stuck in my head like Tomb Raider and Super Mario Bros. did (two different platforms, I know, but bear with me). I was familiar enough that when I saw that raccoon with the blue apron, I’d recognize it. I didn’t know its name, and it would most likely take me a while to recall that it’s an Animal Crossing character (because I’d have to remember the game’s title, too), but I would be able to tell you it’s from a game.
Anyway, we went over this companion journal, which was very plain. This was due to the fact the game and all of its elements are property of Nintendo and by selling things with its property and its likenesses on things could trigger a legal cease and desist at the very least. On top of missing recognizable characters and themes in its graphics, it was designed like a coloring book. I don’t know if the intent was for people to color in the pages to add another layer of interactivity with the guide, or if it was because the person designed it in Microsoft Word and wasn’t savvy enough to figure out how to add color. Regardless, Gary felt by adding “the Killmer Touch”, it could be cuter and way more related to AC. It would be for him and our other friend, Amanda (who was also mentioned in the Kraft Heinz post). Best of all, I was doing this for free.
I agreed, and began researching Animal Crossing themes and looks to get an understanding of how this game functions and what the key elements are.
And then I got that email.
I sent Gary a text, which wasn’t random, because we were already conversing. “Hey, what’s this email you sent me? Does this mean I get to visit your guys’ islands? Is there an app or something that I can use to see what you’re doing?” I read the email and the graphic again and again, not really understanding what was going on. Launch day for the game was at the end of that week, and I know Gary and Amanda would be playing with each other. I was not part of that game group because I had not preordered the game or the limited edition Switch that was launching in celebration of the title. Gary responded with, “Sort of! You’ll get to have your own island!” I forget how the rest of the conversation went exactly, but I started to ask questions like, “what do you mean?” and “I don’t get it. What is this app called?”
When I came to my senses and the email and seaplane message clicked, I realized he had signed the graphic, “The Smart Ones”, the nickname we gave our group (again, related to Kraft Heinz—I will explain that again later in another post), so I asked, “Did you guys buy me the game or something?”
He confirmed and explained what was already explained in the email that, for whatever reason, I did not understand. The other four people in our group—Gary, Amanda, Alyssa, and Jojo—split the game’s cost (it’s a $60 game—very in line with Nintendo’s pricing) to preorder a copy for me so I, too, could play on launch day.
I ugly cried (hard) and went to the group chat to write this sappy, heartfelt, kind of dorky thank you message to all of them. Luis threatened to take pictures of me and send them to the group. (He didn’t. He did find it really touching and funny at the same time, though!) And then it clicked again: they had tricked me. Amanda asked earlier that week what everyone’s address was because she was planning her birthday party, which was in July. It’s not abnormal to want to plan such things in advance, and loving birthdays, I quickly offered my address. The others also chimed in with their addresses and I noticed nothing odd. There was a text from Jojo about something with Venmo to Gary, but because it didn’t pertain to me, I ignored it. Turns out, Jojo almost ruined the surprise.
Needless to say, Amanda was and is not planning a birthday party. (I’m actually salty about that, though, a party may not be a good idea right now anyway.)
The game did not arrive to my house on launch day, but rather the day after. That was fine, but I had to make a run to my house to grab it. We had just started quarantine, I wasn’t feeling well and with everything up in arms, and my mother currently over the age of 60, I didn’t want to take chances. I alerted her that I was getting a package and that if she saw it, to please leave it outside so I could get it. I was quarantining with my boyfriend because I went there with a cold, and did not want to leave there with a cold. Or anything else for that matter.
The next day, we went over to grab the parcel. We did see my mom for a short while, making sure to keep distance, juuuust in case, and we left. I photographed the envelope on my lap and sent it to the group. “Thank you so much, guys, I’m excited to play!”
Excited is an understatement, but I didn’t know this.
330+ hours later, today, I have a 5-star island, am quickly learning all of the hundreds of villagers’ names in the game, getting upset over people plucking my flowers without permission, and eagerly awaiting the next big update, which promises us crops, from what I gather.
I haven’t finished the journal. In fact, that’s what this post was supposed to be about. Y’all are reading this looking for designs or illustrations. Sorry!
But, i can show what I’ve been doing.
This particular title in the series focuses on the Deserted Island Getaway Package, in which you and two “starter villagers” (who are animals—all of the NPCs (non-playable characters) in this game are animals…hence the name, “Animal Crossing”) fly with Tommy and Timmy to a deserted island to meet their dad, and a pinnacle character in this game, Tom, who explain to you that you will live and work on the island to make it livable for all who inhabit it and appealing to tourists who will visit and possibly make your island their new home. The copy shown on the page was taken from Nintendo’s official Animal Crossing website.
This companion journal has pages in it that allow you to plan your island’s layout, keep a record of your villagers, bugs you catch for the museum and how much they sell for, with similar information you can add for fossils, fish, art, flowers, trees, bushes, etc. Below are screen grabs from my pages in InDesign. Right now, I’m still in the museum section, as there are about 80 species each of bugs and fish, 70 fossils to find, most of which make up a complete dinosaur or other prehistoric creature, and the newly added art collection, to which there are 43.
My process is, when I move on to a new section to add, is to find their sprites or images to use. Visuals are always good, especially in this case, where you may not know the name, but you can recognize the picture.
Although I had been working on this slowly since March, being able to play the game and collaborate with my friends throughout has made this process easier. I now understand what pages would make sense and what should be added and left out.
I’m excited to share the finished product when we get there, but for now, this is where we are.
For those of you who are playing—you most likely understand the rabbit hole we’ve all fallen into with this game. Quarantine, and the lack of employment for most, has made it really easy to stack up the hours spent making your islands the best they can be, aiming for that random lily of the valley to grow. (I have 2 so far, eeeee!)
Stay safe, stay healthy, and enjoy your deserted island getaway!