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Pocket Camp is coming soon to iOS and Android! Here's every Animal Crossing game ever, ranked

Which is the best?

Pocket Camp is coming soon to iOS and Android! Here's every Animal Crossing game ever, ranked

As charming and wonderful as the entire Animal Crossing series may be, there's no doubt that some games are simply better than others, and some just don't bear remembering.

To that end, we decided to take it upon ourselves to rank each and every Animal Crossing game in history to decide which ones are worth checking out, and which should be left well alone.

#1 – Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS) Animal Crossing: New Leaf

The 3DS version of Animal Crossing takes what makes the series so fun and finally adds another layer to it, throwing you into the role of mayor of your own town.

This means you can enact some real changes to the environment with new buildings and structures, as well as customising your own home, buying and designing clothes, and generally messing about with your anthropomorphic friends.

Throw in four-player multiplayer in each other's towns, and amiibo functionality thrown in with a major update in late 2016, and you've got the pinnacle of the series in one tidy, handheld bundle.

#2 – Animal Crossing (N64/GameCube)

Animal Crossing

The original remains one of the best. Animal Crossing may have taken its sweet time coming to the West on GameCube, but boy was it worth the wait.

Laying the foundations for a franchise destined to continue 16 years later, the original title introduced us to Tom Nook, K.K. Slider, Kapp'n, and a host of other memorable characters.

It probably looks a bit dated now, and it lacks the multiplayer functions that made later games even more fun, but it still remains a shining jewel in the series' crown.

#3 – Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS) Animal Crossing: Wild World

The original Animal Crossing was great, but visiting a friend's town was a serious pain. With the launch of Wild World on DS, the whole process became a lot smoother.

Now you and three mates could run around each other's towns, causing havoc and having a laugh.

It was also the first time you could take your town on the move, which was a total game-changer.

#4 – Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (3DS)

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer

It may have alienated a number of Animal Crossing fans, but Happy Home Designer at least tried something new.

Throwing out life simulation gameplay in favour of pure customisation, HHD sends you out to design homes and buildings for your town's residents to suit their specific needs.

If customisation wasn't your favourite part of the series, then this game definitely won't win you over.

#5 – Animal Crossing: Let's Go to the City (Wii)

Animal Crossing: Let's Go to the City

After two iterations of Animal Crossing, it was time for some changes – Let's Go to the City simply added voice chat.

It's great that you could talk to your friends online, but a lack of any major additions made this entry a fairly disappointing experience.

#6 – Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival (Wii U)

Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival

Nobody asked for a digital board game based on the Animal Crossing series, but Nintendo made it anyway. It's only worth picking up if you want some cheap amiibo.

Ric Cowley
Ric Cowley
Ric was somehow the Editor of Pocket Gamer, having started out as an intern in 2015. He hopes to take over the world the same way.