New Leaf Journal: Life and Times in Gamerock Entry 1

Welcome to a new ongoing feature at Gaming Rocks On. Life and Times in Gamerock is about my exploits in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, the latest installment in the Animal Crossing series. You can make the argument of whether Animal Crossing is a true game or not until the stars turn cold. All I know is that whenever Nintendo releases one of these babies, I boot it up every single day to earn bells, run errands, and live my pleasant, happy life. I'm doing the exact same thing in New Leaf but with some much appreciated changes thrown in to keep things fresh. Life and Times in Gamerock won't be a daily journal. Just something I'll post when I feel like sharing the latest happenings in my town.

I'm sitting on a train by myself. Heading for Gamerock to start my new life. It's nice and quiet. My quiet time gets interrupted by a familiar cat. Cripes, it's Rover. This is the third time dealing with that feline. Hasn't anyone skinned him yet? Since the option to thrown him from the train window has sadly not be implemented yet, I reluctantly let him sit down across from me and as usual, he can't shut up. I tell him I'm headed for Gamerock and somewhere in the conversation he makes me smile by referencing the original Animal Crossing. Heh, that was cute.

When I step off the train, the people, or should I say, animals, of Gamerock are all waiting for me, much to my surprise. First time that's ever happened in an Animal Crossing game. They seem to think I'm the mayor. What happened to Tortimer? Other hand holidays, all he did was sit on his lazy shell sleeping, so I'm guessing they kicked him out faster than Mario kicks a Koopa Troopa off a cliff. I try to get out of it, but it's no use. Like it or not, I'm the mayor of Gamerock. I know a lot of responsibility will come with the job, but I'm sure I'll be a much better mayor than that old fart ever was.

And don't any of you forget it!

Thankfully, I have some guidance as the mayor in my secretary, Isabelle. It really would suck if I had no one to turn to and Isabelle seems as dedicated and loyal as the come. Definitely one of my favorite new additions to Animal Crossing.

Check out the IQ points on Portia. Sharp
as a tack, this one.

I may be the mayor but I'm still without a roof over my head. And that's when Isabelle drops the name that may as well be an alias for Satan: Tom Nook. You have GOT to be yanking my chain. I'm the mayor. THE MAYOR. I'm the most powerful person in town. Yet, I'm still under that money-obsessed tanooki's thumb? Aggghhh! With no one else to turn to, I head to Nook Homes and talk to the raccoon. Thinking I'll start off with a small house like previous Animal Crossing games, he sets me up in a tent. Well, is't he a swell guy? He's putting me up in a tent until I can get him 10,000 bells to build me a house. Everyone else has a nice, sturdy house and I have the comfort of a tent.

Yeah, I know you do, you furry, fat...

At least I don't have to be Nook's slave. That was just a whole can of salt in the wound in previous games. Still, I had to find some way to come up with money to get my home built. Thankfully, some of the trees in Gamerock already had fruit growing on theme. The default fruit seems to be the peach. I collected as much of them as I could and sold them at Re-Tail, a new store addition to the series. Re-Tail pays higher prices than Nookling Junction (now managed by Timmy and Tommy Nook) and you can use the store as a flea market to sell you own items at your own set prices. I already found some nice stuff at Re-Tail and it's my go to store for exchanging items for bells.

Woohoo!

Still, Nookling Junction does offer fortune cookies. At the cost of two play coins I can munch on a cookie, get the lucky ticket and get a rare item. I have well over 240 play coins so I've made it a habbit to stop by Nookling Junction daily. Nookling Junction also sold the bug catcher's net, and the shovel. With that, I was off to catch bugs and dig up fossils, and I was on my way to earning bells. Soon, I had enough to pay off Nook and move into my new home! Much as I hate him, it still is a relief when you get the debt paid off.

I really liked visiting the city in City Folk, but in New Leaf, Main Street has just about all of my shopping needs covered. The Able Sisters, (all three of them) sell some of the best clothes around and offer a ton of new designs and accessories. Custom designs are great, too! I love the simple white long sleeve shirt that was designed by an Anytown resident. For a few days, it was all I wore until I had more bells to spend on other clothing and hats. No fancy dress up for this, mayor, no, sir! I'm gonna run this town looking as laid back as I want. Though that grandpa hat is pretty cool...

This clown must think I'm made of bells.
Just look at how he's gleaming at the
prospect of getting richer.

After I paid the piper, I was pleased to have an actual home and not an essential camping tool. But I knew I would need a bigger place so I went to Nook to talk about expanding. And I knew that wouldn't come cheap. The cost of a making my home bigger increases each time. Yeah, you can pay him back at your own pace, but being in debt to Nook is like having a nose around your neck. And he really thinks 39,800 bells is chump change? I'm gonna spend the rest of my life giving this guy money!

STOP TORMENTING ME!!!

One thing I really wish I had was a slingshot. I still don't have an ax, but I really need a slingshot. The game delights in tormenting me over the fact that I don't have one because I've seen so many gifts attached to balloons floating over my head and their isn't jack I can do about it. What do I have to do to get a slingshot?!