It’s been 5 years since gamers headed off to new horizons in the latest iteration of the long-running life-sim, Animal Crossing. The game allowed players to set up a home on a lush island, surrounded by a colourful cast of characters. As the game arrived just as the COVID-19 lockdown began, its fan base exploded and became so popular it inspired a brand-new LEGO® theme. The latest sets in the LEGO Animal Crossing range were released earlier this year and are based on Animal Crossing regulars who peddle their wares in the game. But how do the LEGO sets and minifigures compare to their in-game inspiration? Let’s find out in the latest LEGO Set V Source.
77053: Stargazing with Celeste
Celeste is an owl and sister to famed museum proprietor, Blathers. She first appeared in Animal Crossing: Wild World on the Nintendo DS. She’s had various roles in each game since but they have all been connected to stargazing. Celeste’s love of stars is the basis of this small Animal Crossing set. Although not based on a particular moment in the games, it celebrates Celeste’s connection to the star with a telescope, along with a Crescent-moon Chair and a star fragment. Celeste offers unique DIY recipes which require the use of fragments retrieved from shooting stars.
Celeste’s minifigure is another excellent take on a much-loved character, hopefully, her brother will join her in a future LEGO Animal Crossing set.
77054: Leif’s Caravan & Garden Shop
Leif the sloth first arrived in Animal Crossing in the 3DS game, New Leaf. He is a keen gardener and not the biggest fan of weeds. He would regularly visit players’ villages, setting up a pop-up garden stall. When Leif eventually arrived in New Horizon, he offered a similar role but also set up a permanent shop on Harv’s island. The set is inspired by Leif’s New Horizon appearance. On Harv’s island, Leif’s Garden Shop is run by a small orange Caravan. This is merely a backdrop to Leif’s spot on the island but has been expanded upon in the set to include a simple interior to the caravan and a little blue car to transport it. As with all of the Animal Crossing sets, they also offer a piece of scenery which uses the same island plates system as the earlier Mario sets. This allows the set to be integrated with others in the range. The small sections of scenery feature plants, a seed stall and a water pump.
The set includes two minifigures, Leif and Poppy. As mentioned Leif is a Sloth and due to providing a service in the games, his appearance hasn’t changed so his minifigure closely resembles his in-game version. Poppy the Squirrel first appeared in the Wii version of Animal Crossing, City Folk. She is often found sporting the green version of the Alpinist Dress. This is also the case with the minifigure. However, despite using small legs, the minifigure loses the cuteness and the dress becomes more of a shirt as the design doesn’t continue onto the legs.
77055: Able Sister’s Clothing Shop
The Able Sisters have been a part of Animal Crossing from the beginning. They help players expand their wardrobes with new items to wear and the ability to design unique ones. They run a shop in Animal Crossing villages which is one of the main services often found in every game. The LEGO brick version of their shop is based on the New Horizon version. The set is probably the most detailed as it features several accessories including different items to wear and changeable torsos. Although the interior of the shop is quite small and lacks detail, it’s more than made up for with the various items such as a clothing stand and sewing machine. Another fan-favourite feature of the Animal Crossing games is the fruit-bearing trees. Players are randomly given a native fruit when beginning life in their new village but can introduce others by visiting other villages and islands. This set introduces another fruit in the form of peaches. Although the yellow colouring of the peach element seems a little odd.
The set features another two unique Animal Crossing characters. As you would expect, one of them is an Able Sister. Mabel Able is a hedgehog who helps players when they visit her shop. The minifigure looks like the character however she is missing her sister. Similar to the Dodo Airlines Airport set, only one of the characters always found in tow with their companion character is featured in the set. So there is no sign of Sable Able and I doubt there will be a future set in which she could appear. Joining Mabel is Sasha the rabbit. This is a recent addition to the world of Animal Crossing, debuting in New Horizons. His minifigure is wearing a blue letter jacket as he sports in the game but it can be swapped for one of the other torsos found in the Able Sisters’ shop.
There are still plenty of other characters and areas from the Animal Crossing games which can be turned into future LEGO sets but these expand the world nicely. The latest three sets feature core characters from the series and are a fun take on their roles in the games. The LEGO Animal Crossing sets are available now.
Shop Now: UKIrelandUSCanadaMexicoGermanyFranceDenmarkAustraliaNew Zealand
