Translating video games can sometimes be quite complex, and this was particularly true when bringing the uniquely Japanese social simulation game Animal Crossing to the West in 2002. A significant hurdle in this process was deciding on a new name since the original title, Dōbutsu no Mori, had to be adjusted for its Western version.
According to Leslie Swan, the ex-localization manager at Nintendo of America, the entire localization process took anywhere from six months up to a year to finish. During this period, one of the suggested titles was “Animal Acres,” which was derived from the grid layout of the town. However, Nintendo turned down this name and eventually approved “Animal Crossing” as the game’s title instead.
At one point, Satoru Iwata, then head of Nintendo’s strategic planning department, chuckled upon learning that Swan and her group were engaged in the English translation of the game. Game producer Takashi Tezuka had previously advised them that tackling this task would be challenging, as it wouldn’t just involve translating countless lines of text, but also renaming characters, creating new catchphrases for those characters, and finding ways to adapt Japanese-oriented themes suitable for Western audiences.
During a gathering with Mr. Iwata and other lead members of the development team, we were discussing upcoming projects. I mentioned that we had been assigned to work on Animal Forest, to which Mr. Tezuka reacted with laughter. He seemed unsure about how we would manage such a project, given the game’s strong Japanese themes.
In 2020, the latest installment of Animal Crossing, titled New Horizons, was launched. More recently, it received an update for the Nintendo Switch 2. Although the future direction of the franchise is still unclear, even with the COVID-19 pandemic propelling New Horizons to become a phenomenal success for Nintendo, you can now carry your Animal Crossing world and beloved villagers anywhere, as orders are being accepted for Animal Crossing themed Crocs footwear.
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2025-09-09 16:09