Nintendo brings Animal Crossing to Europe

By Tom Bramwell Published 12 May, 2004

About sodding time!

Nintendo of Europe has announced plans to release Animal Crossing in Europe in typically understated fashion, sliding a printed press release into our freebie bags at today's press conference in Los Angeles confirming the news. Cube owners will be able to pick up a PAL copy of the game on September 24th.

Ignoring for a moment the disgracefully long wait since the game's original release in the States, we should note that the release makes no mention of any Europe-specific events - instead it's padded out with talk relating to the original game and its real-time freeform gameplay, its GBA/GC connectivity features and the fact that it won an Edge award for Gameplay Innovation of the Year.

Returning to the disgracefully long wait factor, though, we actually bought our copy of Animal Crossing from an importer in July 2002. You can buy it right now from US importers on the "Player's Choice" budget label for $29.99. It will launch in Europe for 60 Euro, roughly £40. Which is, um, pathetic.

We're keen on anything that increases the world's exposure to this mesmerising piece of unusual entertainment, but this is definitely a case of "better late than never", and given that most of the people who would have played this will have bought an import copy by now, it's only marginally better.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (23) Latest comment 8 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Roarer #1 8 years ago

    So, considering everyone's imported it already, it'll sell five copies and based on that NoE will decide not to release Animal Crossing 2 in Europe? *sigh*

  • Poona #2 8 years ago

    It's been available in PAL since October 17 2003, I think. Only Australia though:

    http://www.dvdcrave.com/products/product.jsp?pid=8216
    I think that only has English, has the same seasons and date format as the US and only 50hz. So It'd be interesting to see what the European version is.

  • Khab #3 8 years ago

    Gawd dammit! NOW they're gonna release it? Morons!

    /shakes fist

  • Killerbee #4 8 years ago

    Should've been released at a budget price by way of "apology" for making us wait more than two years.

    TBH I might wait and see if the sequel follows on soon.

  • Blerk #5 8 years ago

    I will get this, finally. Although as a protest I will wait until it's cheap.

  • pjmaybe #6 8 years ago

    Too damned late to make an impact...

    Oh well, console yourself blerk (see what I did there?) - it'll be in the bargain bin pretty quick because at the rate the cube's going it'll be like the DC was in its dying days, with retailers trying to shift the stuff as quickly as possible to get rid of it.

    Peej

  • Sko #7 8 years ago

    Must go back to my island to see just how upset with me everyone is...

  • dadrester #8 8 years ago

    oh bugger that reminds me i've not been back to dreton in about 2 months. i think everyone is going to be very angry with me! oh well it's my birthday soon... i wonder what bones will get me...

  • Nemesis #9 8 years ago

    If you don't buy it they won't release AC2 over here.

    Arse.


  • Kami #10 8 years ago

    yup, better late than never.

    But at least we're finally getting it...


    It's not the first time we've waited a painfully long time for a game to arrive here... Square used to do it all the time, after all... but I do wonder if it is too little, too late...

  • Nemesis #11 8 years ago

    Nah, I'll be glad to give freeloader a rest, so this is a definate purchase for me.

    Also the kids have borrowed my copy now and I ain't got a hope in hell of getting it back.

  • otto #12 8 years ago

    Is this seriously the same game? I dunno, in this case I'm not sure that late is better than never. Surely everyone who wants it has already got it? I thought we were expecting AC2?

  • Teeth #13 8 years ago

    Just give me Giftpia and I will be happy.

  • ruttyboy #14 8 years ago

    otto, I think it's so that when they delay AC2 for a few years they can say, 'well, you only just got AC1, why do you want a sequel so soon?'...

  • Khab #15 8 years ago

    Now THAT would really make me go over there and rip some heads off.

  • AOFanboi #16 8 years ago

    NOE's problem is that every fan of the game already bought Freeloader and the US or Japanese version. They'll probably have more luck with Animal Crossing DS, especially if it's multiplayer, but that will apparently also be released later here in Europe than Japan and USA.

  • malloc #17 8 years ago

    Doubt will see AC2 at all this generation. Next gen title. Part of the revolution and all that.

  • HermitArcader #18 8 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • KiLlerKnight #19 8 years ago

    Mario Golf is player's choice too in the US. We in Europe have to wait another month for this game. I really feel sorry for those who only have the GC.
    I really hope the PSP kick their DS-ass, so we get decent portable games for a price worth it, unlike these overpriced GBA-crap games. And the Cube 2 will probably do even worse, and Nintendo deserve this.

  • Reaper2K3 #20 8 years ago

    Jesus Nintendo, almost everyone who would of ever wanted to get the game or had an intrest has got it already. I'd love to know who the exec. who made the decision to hold it back was....... grumble.... grumble....

  • martyngates #21 8 years ago


    i agree with roarer that over 80% of the people who want this will have imported, thus meaning shite european sales and probably mean ac 2 will probably never seet he light of day

    oh noe, i do want to like you... why do you make life so hard for yourself

  • firefly #22 8 years ago

    I suspect the reason that NoE have decided to release it after all this time is because they don't believe that they'll have much else to do come Christmas. The only major title that Nintendo are setting up for a Christmas release is Metroid Prime 2 and NoE probably won't bother with that until late February.

  • chunky_tesco #23 8 years ago

    Will I able to use the save from the AUS PAL animal crossing on the EUR PAL one?