Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Also known as: Tobidase Doubutsu no Mori (JP), Twieonawayo Dongmul-ui Sup (KR), Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Welcome amiibo, Tobidase Doubutsu no Mori amiibo+ (JP) Developers: Nintendo EAD, Monolith Soft Publisher: Nintendo Platform: Nintendo 3DS Released in JP: November 8, 2012 Released in US: June 9, 2013 Released in EU: June 14, 2013 Released in AU: June 15, 2013 Released in KR: February 7, 2013 This game has unused areas. This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused models. This game has regional differences. This game has revisional differences. This game has a prerelease article This game has a bugs page

This game's online features are no longer supported. While this game's online features were once accessible, they are (as of April 8, 2024) no longer officially supported and online-exclusive features may be documented as now-unseen content.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf teaches the valuable lesson that you can go pretty far in life by impersonating politicians.

The fourth major installment in the Animal Crossing series, New Leaf introduces new features like being the mayor, new villagers, customizable furniture, the island, the ability to swim, and the cutest mayor's aide ever, who ended up becoming the franchise's mascot almost overnight. And how could we forget the Shrunk Funk Shuffle?

The game got an update in October 2016, four years after the original release date, with the primary focus of adding support for those darned amiibo Cards, which were released in late 2015 for Happy Home Designer (and a few select amiibo Figurines). With the new amiibo functionality, it was a last ditch attempt by Nintendo to make the darned amiibo Cards useful, and they succeeded so well that support for the cards carried over to the next entry in the series. This updated version was also re-released on cartridge as "Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Welcome amiibo", and it drastically changed the game's file system. Quite a bit of the unused content seen below was removed for the "Welcome amiibo" release.

Sub-Pages

Prerelease Info

Bugs

Unused Areas

It was possible to go out of bounds in various areas using one of a few glitches in the game before the "Welcome amiibo" update patched a lot of these glitches out. This grants access to an area commonly referred to as "the Abyss". The Abyss is an empty area that connects the top and bottom parts of a level, creating a cylindrical loop. Each of the three Happy Home Academy showcase areas features two small squares of grass in their respective Abyss regions. The image above shows a player standing directly above a square piece of land. These squares are almost a full body's length beneath the player, and they match what the current season is. The two pieces are also horizontally adjacent to each other, suggesting that they may have been used for measurements. As mentioned above, these exploits to get to the Abyss have since been patched out in the "Welcome amiibo" update.

Unused Graphics

E3 Leftovers

There are a few leftover graphics from an E3 2010 demo. The in-game screenshot shows early designs for a house, trees, shrubs, and flowers. Internal names for the four images are as follows: "garden_image400x240_05", "im_Garden_TitleLogo2", "Upper_ThankYou_01", and "Bottom_Thank".

Miscellaneous

Dummy	Final

This dummy door texture is similar to one of the final designs, but the window in the dummy door is brown as opposed to the final door's blue window.

An early design for the K.K. Swing album cover. This looks similar to the final DJ K.K.(called in Japan as EUROBEAT) cover, based on the e-Card from the first game.

A guideline for designing clothes.

A scrapped interaction icon. This graphic (without the X) is also present in Animal Crossing: City Folk, when choosing a bed to sleep in the attic.

A main dummy texture that can be found in many different archives.

Various dummy textures. The second pair can be found in Gracie-related files. The third pair are labelled as Carpet Dummy and Wall Dummy respectively. The fourth set relates to shoe textures.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Unused	Final

This unused door is a scrapped version of the final Shampoodle door. Both textures share the same internal name, "cmn_dobj_cut_door", and the .bcres files that each texture is contained in have very similar names, both with the _cut postfix that is used for Shampoodle-related files.

The design of each is completely different, making it a very interesting change, and suggests that Shampoodle was originally going to have a less 'modern' design.

(Source: Slattz)

Unused Models

Debug

Inside a directory named "debug", there are four files: debug_sphere, debug_cylinder, debug_cube, and DebugFile.bin. The .bin file contains a bunch of placeholder data, which consists of the letter "a" repeating over and over. The sphere, cylinder, and cube models have no associated textures.

Test

Inside a directory named "Test", there are two variants of the villager Bob, named animal_model and sample10. The model remains the same on both, but one has a dummied out running animation.

A test version of the villager Cesar named animal_model2.

Simply named gpu_test, this model is a female villager's head. The model is internally named "girl04a", and it contains textures for a variety of expressions. The skin tone and hair color for villagers is specified in-game, and isn't done via textures. This is why the model appears all-black. A mockup with edited textures is presented above to better visualize how the head looks. It's mostly the same as the final version of this female villager head style, except the GPU test model contains 21 more vertices.

Download gpu_test model + textures File: Animal-Crossing-New-Leaf-GPU-Test.7z (30 KB) (info)

This model pack contains two sets of textures: standard textures and [stripped] textures. The [stripped] textures have been modified to remove their alpha channel data.

Frillard and Tom Nook

Alongside the special NPC models, there are two unused ones named "liz" and "rcn" that are duplicates of Isabelle's default model. These are the internal IDs in past games for Frillard and Tom Nook in his apron outfit, suggesting they may have originally had a role in the game. These were removed in the Welcome amiibo update.

Unused Text

code.bin

These strings are located in the game's code.bin executable file.

Starting at 0x7DD430 in the USA v1.5 code.bin:

BankTable::destroy() 忘れ
AcFtrMannequinHeap
Ftr/Common/%s
N_all
mouth
%sVramA
s_carpetB
dummy_carpet
m_carpetB
s_carpet
m_carpet
Mode=Save,Dir={GARDEN_ROOT_WINPATH}\rawdata\Graphics\3D\Light,FileName=%s,Mode=Open,Filter=固定ライトパラメーターファイル(*.bltpa)|*.bltpa,
Mode=Save,Dir={GARDEN_ROOT_WINPATH}\rawdata\Graphics\3D\Light,FileName=%s,Mode=Save,Filter=固定ライトパラメーターファイル(*.bltpf)|*.bltpf,

Japanese text translates to 'forgotten', and 'static light parameter file'.

Starting at 0x80C9A8 in the USA v1.5 code.bin:

PlayerBankTable::destroy() 口アニメバンク使用中 - 破棄を見送ります Frame<%d>
PlayerBankTable::destroy() 目アニメバンク使用中 - 破棄を見送ります Frame<%d>
PlayerBankTable::destroy() 道具バンク使用中 - 破棄を見送ります Frame<%d>
PlayerBankTable::destroy() 帽子バンク使用中 - 破棄を見送ります Frame<%d>
PlayerBankTable::destroy() アクセサリバンク使用中 - 破棄を見送ります Frame<%d>
PlayerBankTable::destroy() 靴バンク使用中 - 破棄を見送ります Frame<%d>
PlayerBankTable::destroy() 脚バンク使用中 - 破棄を見送ります Frame<%d>
PlayerBankTable::destroy() トップスバンク使用中 - 破棄を見送ります Frame<%d>
PlayerBankTable::destroy() ボトムスバンク使用中 - 破棄を見送ります Frame<%d>
PlayerBankTable::destroy() 頭バンク使用中 - 破棄を見送ります Frame<%d>
PlayerBankTable::destroy() 顔バンク使用中 - 破棄を見送ります Frame<%d>
PlayerBankTable::destroy() 体バンク使用中 - 破棄を見送ります Frame<%d>
PlayerBankTable::destroy() MIIバンク使用中 - 破棄を見送ります Frame<%d>

Each line of Japanese text translates to '[name] bank in use - skipping destroy' for banks 'mouth animation', 'eye animation', 'item', 'hat', 'accessory', 'shoe', 'leg', 'tops', 'bottoms', 'head', 'face', 'body', and 'MII'.

\Script\MSGVERSION.TXT

Japan	North America and Europe	Korea
33923	63676	46557

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Unused Portuguese Catalogue Order

The item parameters folder has a sorting order for items in the catalogue in each language the game was officially released in, plus Brazilian Portuguese (UsPor). It is not referenced internally and is identical to the English sorting order. Whether a Portuguese translation of the game was planned or this was included just in case remains unknown.

"PadReplay" Folder

There is a directory named "PadReplay" which contains four .bin files, two of which were intended for E3: GardenReplayBeachForE3.bin, and GardenReplayFlatForE3.bin.
Garden is the internal name used for Animal Crossing: New Leaf. These files currently can't be viewed.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Miscellaneous Oddities

Public Works Project on the Beach

To do: Better video capture, or replace with screenshot(s). Explain how to perform the glitch.

Normally, it's impossible to take Isabelle to the beach when building a new Public Works Project. When approaching the slope, she'll say that you can't build on sand and you won't be able to go further. If you do manage to glitch her into being on the beach with you, and you try to build something there, she'll say that the Public Works Project is "too close to the cliff" to build there. This could indicate that building on the beach was once planned and later scrapped.

Unseen Tortimer Texture

The mayor's office in New Leaf has a fixed perspective, meaning rotating the camera manually isn't possible. Viewing the office in a model viewer reveals that the computer monitor on the desk actually displays Tortimer on the screen! This texture is exactly the same as the Tortimer portrait on the wall behind the desk, which can be normally seen in-game. It is stretched to fit the monitor, and horizontally flipped.

(Source: PDoogan)

Hidden Totaka's Song

"Totaka's Song", a short melody composed by Kazumi Totaka, is hidden in nearly every game he has worked as composer for. Usually, the song is literally hidden, with the player having to do something unusual to hear it. Animal Crossing makes it available as one of the K.K. Slider songs under the name "K.K. Song"; New Leaf is no exception. However, another version of Totaka's Song is also present, and this one is hidden in traditional Totaka's Song fashion. To hear this hidden variation of the song in-game, a player needs to remain on the Club Tortimer online loading screen roughly 2 minutes and 30 seconds. This is only possible if the player has a horrendously awful Internet connection.

Welcome amiibo Unused Content

Bash Stackdump

Exception: STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION at eip=610202F7
eax=00DEFE60 ebx=612257EC ecx=77411ABE edx=003441B8 esi=00000000 edi=0028F9E4
ebp=61020A10 esp=0028C7B4 program=D:\home\Ctr\GardenPlus\Env\cygwin\bin\bash.exe, pid 8948, thread main
cs=0023 ds=002B es=002B fs=0053 gs=002B ss=002B
Stack trace:
Frame     Function  Args
End of stack trace

A stackdump from a Bash crash, located in \Item\Model\bash.stackdump. This file was included in the 1.4 update.

Exception: STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION at eip=610202F7
eax=00F100F8 ebx=612255FC ecx=75881ABE edx=003441B8 esi=00000000 edi=0028F9E4
ebp=61020A10 esp=0028C7B4 program=D:\cygwin\bin\bash.exe, pid 8860, thread main
cs=0023 ds=002B es=002B fs=0053 gs=002B ss=002B
Stack trace:
Frame     Function  Args
End of stack trace

Another stackdump from a Bash crash, located in \Scripts\bash.exe.stackdump. This file was also included in the 1.4 update, and later removed in the 1.5 update.

\Script\MSGVERSION.TXT

Japan	North America	Europe	Korea
6643	6643	6643	6643

Removed Items

To do: Is there any way to restore those items?

The names of 22 items appear to have been removed late in Welcome amiibo development, but can be partially restored from remnants of data.
Some of these include removed daruma and OK Motors furniture.
Anything with a sell price was likely intended to be possessed by the player. OK Motors appeared only in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, but the music by K.K. Slider would later appear in New Horizons.

ID	Category	Filename	JP	TL	EN	Sell	Notes
2186	MusicMiss		どうぶつのまち	Animal City	removed	800	unrequestable music
2187	MusicMiss		さよなら	Goodbye	removed	800	unrequestable music
2188	MusicMiss		ドライブ	Drive	removed	800	unrequestable music
22E0	Smp	int_oth_giftCMPS	スマホ	smartphone	smartphone	2500	compass is the internal name for Pocket Camp
23E9	Wall	wall_dharma	ダルマ	daruma	daruma	600
267F	Tops	tops_dharma	ダルマ	daruma	daruma	200
2681	Tops	tops_okm	OK	OK	removed	200	OK Motors jacket
2887	Cap	cap_okm	OK	OK	removed	600	OK Motors cap
28F4	Cap	hlmt_mask_dharma	ダルマ	daruma	daruma	500
30A3	Ftr	int_drm_dharma	ブルー	blue	home	400
30A4	Ftr	int_drm_maraca	ダルマ	daruma	daruma	400
30A5	Ftr	int_drm_mat	ダルマ	daruma	daruma	400
30A6	Ftr	int_drm_matoryosika	ダルマ	daruma	daruma	400
30A7	Ftr	int_drm_mug	ダルマ	daruma	daruma	400
30B2	Ftr	int_okm_garland	OK	OK	OK	3000
30B3	Ftr	int_okm_sign	OK	OK	OK	3000
324D	Bromide	brm_ham08	のりぼうのしゃしん	pic of Holden	pic of Holden	10
3263	Bromide	brm_hrs14	7ごうのしゃしん	pic of Filly	pic of Filly	10
341E	RandomTicket		ランダム	random	removed	625	(icon is paper)
36B8	TopsWall	tops_dharma	ダルマ	daruma	daruma	0	(hung on wall)
36BA	TopsWall	tops_okm	OK	OK	OK	0	OK Motors jacket (hung on wall)
3729	FryingPan	skillet	ツー	tool? tour?	removed	0	used in minigame?

OK Motors Camper

An OK Motors camper appears to have been planned to appear as a random daily camper. It would be inhabited by Giovanni from Pocket Camp, and references to Giovanni's codename 'cwa' can be seen in the game's files and folders relating to the campsite, though all related strings have been removed. A character model of cwa even exists, though it turns out to contain a duplicate Isabelle model. Melodies also seem to have been prepared for Beppe ('cwb') and Carlo ('cwc').
This camper would likely be the source of the OK Motors jacket, cap, garland and sign items.

The camper texture has surfaced in the files of Pocket Camp.

(Source: Bluesun)

Census Menu

The Census Menu is a scrapped menu that was introduced in the Welcome amiibo update. The name 'Census' comes from its filename, "m_pcensus.arc". "m_p" is a prefix for the various TPC files, leaving 'census'. The menu lists various (~30) player-specific stats, such as the player's bank amount and money earned, which also further strengthens the name. While the menu displays various values, there is no corresponding text for these, and there is no evidence of them in the game's files. What every value represents is therefore not currently known. A similar feature keeping track of stuff done by the Player would be introduced as Nook Miles in New Horizons.

A video showcasing this menu can be seen here.

Abstracted C code to enable the menu:

#define PLAYER_SIZE 0xA480
#define BASE_OFFSET 0x57CF

int offset = BASE_OFFSET + (playerIndex*PLAYER_SIZE);
savebuffer[offset] |= 0x40; //Enable bit 7

(Source: Slattz)

Inaccessible Content

Due to the shutdown of Nintendo Network on April 8, there's surprisingly little content that cannot be obtained outside of distributed DLC; the Dreamer badges are no longer obtainable, due to the Dream Suite feature solely requiring Wi-Fi. Though the Host and Traveler Badges can still be obtained by Local Connection.

Thus, the following text strings are no longer used;

Descriptions

Dreamer
A badge for players who've 
experienced a lot of dreams.

Heavy Sleeper
A badge for players who are
really into dreaming.

Mr. Sandman
A badge for players who've had
500 or more dreams.

Regional Differences

To do: There's A LOT more. Different starting character presets.

Japan	Europe	North America
コンビニのATM (English: Convenience store ATM)	in-store Bellpoint	24-hour-shop ABD

The banking machine has a different name across the Japanese, European, and North American releases. Bellpoint is a play on cashpoint, commonly used in some English-speaking countries. ABD is short for Automatic Bell Dispenser.

Japan/NA	Europe

As in Animal Crossing: City Folk, SMPTE Color Bars are used in the Japanese and North American version, while the Philips PM5544 test pattern is used in the European version.

Revisional Differences

To do: More detail.

Ver 1.5

To do: *Removed sound effect in one of the in-game television shows.

Released on November 2, 2016, to coincide with the Welcome amiibo update. The internal code name used for this update is GardenPlus.

• Amiibo support is added, whilst, new items and characters, a campground, the ability to link a save file of Happy Home Designer to New Leaf for extra items, and two minigames obtainable from Wii U and New 3DS fortune cookie items.
• Decorating your house got a bit easier too, with the furniture arrangement functionality from Happy Home Designer being blatantly copied backported into this game.
• Minor gameplay adjustments include rocks and pillows are now finally able to be sat on, as well as
• Cyrus now "thanks" the player when a Furniture refurbishment is completed, using the "Wave" Emotion.
• The area required for projects are now a tad more lenient when near rivers, cliffs, ponds, where they can be placed one square's worth of extra space rather than two prior.
• Dream Addresses have been completely overhauled for the update, now requiring letters to be entered.
• Rocks can now be sat on.
• Pillows can now be sat on.

Internal Project Name

The game's internal project name is "Garden", according to multiple strings. This is also reflected in the game's two-letter code "GD".