To release Animal Crossing in the West, Nintendo ‘had to change everything’ – Polygon (2025)

TITLE
To release Animal Crossing in the West, Nintendo ‘had to change everything’

AUTHOR
Kelsey Lewin

PUBLICATION
Polygon

YEAR
2025

ARTICLE TYPE
Book Excerpt

FROM THE ARTICLE
On the surface, Animal Crossing doesn’t look like the kind of game that would make its way to the West. It’s standard for a game to tone down or change cultural references in the localization process, but the original Dōbutsu no Mori is painted especially thick with Japanese elements — so much so that even its own Japanese players might not catch all the references. For example, there is an item in the game called the Static Shirt, an indigo-and-white-colored garment worn by a couple of villagers. In Japan, this item is called Kasurinafuku, or “Kasuri Clothing,” and it’s not just a simple pattern. Kasuri is a traditional Japanese textile with origins dating back to as early as the 12th century — and as you can imagine, that’s not something every Japanese Animal Crossing fan would have known about. Similarly, the Painter’s Shirt is called Shiborizonufuku, from the traditional Japanese dyeing technique shibori dating back to the 8th century. These are obscure references, so it makes sense that they were localized out completely. But this is just the tip of the indigo-dyed iceberg.

COMPANIES MENTIONED
Nintendo

GAMES MENTIONED
Animal Crossing

PEOPLE MENTIONED
Katusya Eguchi
Tim O’Leary
Leslie Swan
Takashi Tezuka
Bill Trinen

TOPICS MENTIONED
Localization

EXCERPTED FROM
Boss Fight Books – Animal Crossing

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