Lego’s Animal Crossing sets are even more fun than I expected
I already knew Lego’s new ones Animal Crossing: New Horizons sets were going to be adorable – I mean, just look at them – and yet I was still in awe of all the little details that die-hard Animal Crossing fans like me could appreciate. Yes, Lego included all the things you’d expect, like fruit trees, bubble bags and flying presents, but there’s also a whole host of smaller things that surprised and delighted me as I put the sets together with my family.
Starting today, March 1, Lego is selling five new sets as part of the Animal Crossing: New Horizons line, and they are all modular so they fit into one scene. The largest set is Nook’s Cranny & Rosie’s House, which costs $74.99 for 535 pieces. Next up is Isabelle’s House Visit, which has 389 pieces and costs $39.99. The three smaller sets are Kapp’n’s Island Boat Tour for $29.99 with 233 pieces, Bunnie’s Outdoor Activity for $19.99 for 164 pieces, and Julian’s Birthday Party for $14.99 for 170 pieces.
In the five sets, Lego has created eight original minifigures, with the exception of Maple from the series Maple’s Pumpkin Garden polybag – these are cute renditions of their video game counterparts. Marshal has his signature grumpy face, while Tom Nook looks depressed and ready to collect your bells. Of course, Isabelle is cute as ever. But the real treat is putting the sets together; My family doesn’t know much about Animal Crossing, but was still happy to discover the little details of the sets as we put them together.
Each of us put together one of the five sets, and there were very few moments when we weren’t pestering each other for a small but neat touch. Often it was to show off a set’s hidden compartments, of which there are several in each. Naturally, presents include small gifts, and in certain places – like under a rock perhaps – there is room for bubbles. (Finding the stone that drops Bells is a daily task for the enthusiast Animal Crossing: New Horizons player.) Elsewhere, I enjoyed finding the perfect place to put the Lego recipe cards (essential for crafting) New horizons), the albums of KK Slider and the NookPhone. There are even a few tiles included New horizons‘star-shaped ground markers that indicate where to dig, complete with a fossil.
These are easy sets to put together, making them accessible to Animal Crossing fans who aren’t really into Lego. But these solid sets are also worth the money for enthusiasts if you are a fan of the game series. Lego understood the brief and filled each box with details that fans will appreciate. Even the instructions are cute! At the bottom of the included instruction manuals, a small minifigure runs along the bottom of the page, from left to right, to show your progress.
Unlike some larger Lego sets, these are the kind of sets I’d like to keep together and display somewhere, like my office, so I can be reminded of Animal Crossing’s inherent chill quality during the workday. Legos New horizons kits are a welcome foray back into the world of Animal Crossing, even after the Switch game had run its course for me.