Animal Crossing: New Leaf Trailer Encourages Tourism

Nintendo plans to release Animal Crossing: New Leaf in the West this summer. They've sent out a trailer demonstrating the unusual gameplay of this bucolic 3DS title.

New Leaf, like other games in the Crossing series, features open-ended gameplay. Players live in a village with anthropomorphic animals and can pass the time however they want. They can chat up fellow residents, check out the dance club, or wander the wilderness collecting items. They can also customize their character and his or her home.

This game adds a new twist to the formula: the player is now mayor. They can determine where shopping and residential areas are located. They can also create town ordinances that set hours of operation for shops, change prices, and more. The mayor can also construct new public structures such as benches or bridges.

Nintendo released New Leaf in Japan last fall, and in Korea in February. The game garnered strong sales and reviews there, with a 39/40 from Famitsu. It was the first 3DS game to sell over 2 million copies in Japan.

New Leaf will hit 3DS in North America on June 9th and in Europe on June 14th.