Before the insanely popular New Horizons release in March 2020, Animal Crossing: New Leaf was the king of the series. With so many exciting things to do, creative items to find, and customization options, New Leaf was a game that many players put weeks, months, and even years into.
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Now that New Horizons is out and has captivated the hearts of old fans & new fans alike, there are some iconic items that New Leaf players are looking for within the new game. Nintendo loves to put little easter eggs and cross-over references in their games and Animal Crossing is no exception! Here are 10 Nintendo themed items that New Leaf players desperately want to see in New Horizons.
10 Mario Wallpaper & Flooring
What better way to merge two games into one than by designing an entire room like a Super Mario Bros. level? By opening a Fortune Cookie from the Nookling General Store, players could get a variety of fun Nintendo themed items, including both a Mushroom Mural and a Block Floor. When placed together in a room, it will feel like you’ve stepped into the 8-bit world of Super Mario, even though you’re still in Animal Crossing!
9 Majora’s Mask
One of the coolest items that players can find in New Leaf is this replica of Majora’s Mask from the Legend of Zelda series. The Ocarina of Time sequel is one of the most memorable games that Nintendo has ever released, making it obvious that it would need a cameo in New Leaf! Place this bad boy right on your face or display it on a pedestal where it can be admired by all Nintendo fanatics who come to visit.
8 Pikmin Hats
There are quite a few Nintendo-themed wearable items in New Leaf, but arguably the best ones are the Pikmin hats. There are three colors to collect– red, yellow, & blue– and they’re all equally cute.
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Each hat comes with its own unique and accurate description that references back to the Pikmin games, and they will turn any outfit into a hilarious yet adorable one. Finding all three hats is an absolute must!
7 Mario Items
A majority of the Nintendo items from New Leaf are Mario related since there are so many Super Mario games and characters. Some of these themed items include a Toad Hat, Peach’s Parasol, Blocks and Coins, Fire Flowers, Super Mushrooms, 1-Up Mushrooms, Green Shells, Stars, Yoshi Eggs, and more. You can even find a Big Bro ‘Stache costume that is a wearable version of Mario’s nose and iconic mustache.
6 Samus’ Mask
No hero from Nintendo can compare to the coolness of Samus from the Metroid series. She can kick some serious butt and has an incredible Power Suit. New Leaf villagers are able to obtain Samus’ mask to really make them feel like they, too, are a cool, sci-fi protagonist. The insightful fortune that comes with the orange high-tech mask states, “She who forgoes a hat and grabs a helmet knows not the sting of lava.”
5 Mario Kart
One of the best selling Nintendo series of all time is Mario Kart, so it’s clear to see why they would add an actual Mario Kart into New Leaf. The cart is red and has Mario’s initial on the front, also sporting yellow tires, big thrusters, and a big red glider on top.
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The decoration is totally worth the time & effort it takes to unlock from Fortune Cookies since it is one of the coolest decorations in the entire game. Now if only players could hop in and drive it around!
4 Blue Falcon
New Leaf players were able to collect an actual Blue Falcon from F-Zero. The awesome spaceship/plane replica would make for an incredible centerpiece in any AC home. Though New Horizons has a couple of awesome giant statues that players can decorate their island with, it’s a shame there aren’t more throwbacks to older Nintendo games.
3 Master Sword
The most elusive and powerful sword in all of Legend of Zelda, the Master Sword, can be found and owned in New Leaf. Why this awesome item isn’t in New Horizons is truly baffling. There should definitely be more Zelda related items in the game and that’s an indisputable fact! The fortune that is paired with the stunning decoration piece is the famous quote: “It’s dangerous to go alone. Take this.”
2 Arwing
Another Nintendo themed vehicle that can be obtained and admired in ACNL is the Arwing, the high-tech spacecraft featured in Star Fox. This one is clearly a model figure since it is lifted up by a stand, but it looks super cool nonetheless.
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It is great to see so many classic Nintendo games from the 90s make so many appearances in Animal Crossing‘s history, it’s just a shame New Horizons is lacking.
1 Metroid
Metroids are the creepy parasitic creatures from the Metroid series. This spooky species can actually make an appearance in your ACNL home! New Horizons has been very creative with how fish, bugs, and sea creatures can be displayed in one’s home, so having an actual, living Metroid displayed in a laboratory tube next to one’s Oarfish and Coelacanth would be so awesome.
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