Animal Crossing: New Leaf has taken us by storm. Already one of the fastest selling 3DS games of all-time, people the world over are building their towns, enjoying ruling in either totalitarian or liberal regimes, collecting fruit, fishing and making conversation with birds and frogs.
This diary focuses on just one little town known as Radaja and its dooey-eyed mayor, Ray.
Check back with us daily to find out how this little community develops and what kind of mayor this starry-eyed newcomer will become..
DAY ONE
I love the train. The harmonising clickity, clack sound as it travels briskly on the tracks. The beautiful views rushing past my window. The gentle ride.
It’s all so relaxing.
Probably just as well since I’ve dropped everything to move to a place i’ve only ever seen in pictures and on a map. I’ve never done something so outrageous and off-the-wall. This is easily the most reckless thing anyone will ever do and I will probably live to regret it, but…
Wait, why is there a cat sitting opposite me? And…it’s talking to me. Wh…why am I talking to a cat? Should I offer it a yarnball? A saucer of milk? Is that the polite thing to do? Is that politically corr … oh, for goodness sakes, what have I become? You don’t need to be politcally correct when talking to a cat! Not as if I can be Catist, is it?
As if its the most natural thing in the world, the cat has asked me where I am going. I mean, I humoured him, but it was pointless wasting my breath. When I told him he didn’t even seem to know where Radaja was or what it looks like. He showed me four different locations on a map, convinced he knew where it was. Guess what? He was wrong all four times. Clearly he’s not feral. Proably doesn’t get out past the cat-flap much…
No! Stop it, Ray!
I’m not a rude person. I even won an award for my manners once upon a time, but this cat couldn’t even tell if I was a boy or a girl. I mean, seriously?!
Anyway, I was glad to get off the train and get away from that ridiculous conversation. I was even happier when the cat didn’t follow me. Last I saw he was off to the drivers booth to have a chat with a monkey.
Wait, there was a monkey driving my train!?!! You know what? It’s probably best to stop asking questions.
And I learned that very quickly when I came out of the station and was greeted by a frog, bird, cat and dog. They were all grinning at me as if I’d come to them as some sort of messiah. Meanwhile I could feel myself at the more advanced stages of a heart-attack.
I mean, they were lovely and all. They gave me a massive welcome to Radaja. They wanted to embrace me as a brother and introduce me into their intimate little community. Who could ask for more?
But when they told me I was to be Mayor and they’d been waiting for me, that kind of freaked me out. I’m not a bloody zookeeper, i’m a freelance games journalist!! Can’t they tell the difference?!
I pleaded and pleaded that they’d got it wrong. I even got down on my hands and knees. I never do that. But nope, they weren’t having it. I was whisked off to the town hall with my new Shih Tzu secretary, Isabelle, in tow and shown to my leather, swivel chair and desk. At least I have a phone…
But the worst part? She’s already started looking at me expectantly. As if I am to know what I’m supposed to be doing and how to govern a town. I’ve never done it before. I’ve just got off the train! I haven’t even got a house yet.
Fortunately, even dogs have something of a brain as she’d already thought about my accomodation issue and recomended I go and see some guy named Nook. She said he’d sort me out. I’ll bring her back a bone to say thank…
I am the worst Mayor…
Walking over the train tracks and into the town centre, I was lucky enough to catch Nook before he closed for the night. I hadn’t even considered the time. Today has been such a whirlwind, I don’t even know where I am or who I am at this point. So it probably shouldn’t have surprised me that Tom Nook, the indiviudal responsible for tenancy and building houses in Radaja is, in fact, a raccoon. Of course he is…
Tom seemed as if he was expecting me. He agreed to help and asked me to find a suitable spot to build a house. Being a guy who loves the sound of the waves and the sea, as well as the smell of trees and fresh flowers, I found a perfect spot quite quickly. Unfortunately I hadn’t thought about the wait time. Of course the house needs to be built and won’t just magically appear. It’s not like this is a video game or anything…
Brain addled. That’s the tiredness kicking in.
Now where am I supposed to sleep? Do I go rough? I’ve got a sleeping bag, I suppose. It wouldn’t be so bad. I could set up a campfire nearby. I could even cook myself a few sausages and a few rashers of bacon…
Oh, my god. No. I can’t. I’m supposed to be the leader of this town. They’ll get out the pitchforks. They’ll cry… ‘That was Bertie. He was our friend.’ and try to attack me…
Oh, just imagine the headlines…
“Mayor Ray is a cannibal. Abide by his laws or get scoffed!!”
There’ll be rebellion and I haven’t even been in an office for one day!
But what am I meant to eat? As much as I love peaches, I can’t live on just those. And what if there’s some policy against shaking the trees to get fruit down anyway? What if it breaks some sort of sacred tradition? Perhaps I’ll have to start eating leaves? Or maybe i’ll get lucky and find a fish in the water. Perhaps the fish will talk to me as well!?
Oh, where am I?! What have I done?
All the time i’ve been thinking about food, Tom has been talking to me. I’ve completely ignored him and he’s offered me a tent about ten times. In fact, he’s even gone and pitched it while i’ve been day-dreaming. That’s actually pretty cool of him.
He did say something about visiting the store tomorrow to sort payment for the house but I didn’t really listen to that. I’ve got at least £1,000 sterling in my back pocket. That’ll buy me at least ten of these little towns, let alone a little rinky-dink house. I’ll manage…
I just need to get my head down and rest. Any more craziness and it will explode.
Perhaps this will all make sense tomorrow.
Perhaps I’m just over-reacting.
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