Alongside Pokémon, Animal Crossing was one of many first videogame collection to sink its hooks into me at a younger age. Ever since I bought my fingers on Wild World after listening to folks in school speaking about it, I’ve beloved the collection dearly, so naturally, I’ll leap on the likelihood to do something Animal Crossing-related.
Ever because the first Animal Crossing: New Horizons Hakkeijima Sea Paradise collaboration in 2021, I’ve been hoping that Nintendo would carry the expertise a bit of nearer to my house, and people hopes had been answered. In January 2025, Sea Life introduced that its facilities throughout the UK could be internet hosting the immensely standard cozy sport, beginning in Manchester.
In contrast to Nintendo’s earlier collaborations with Sea Paradise and Seattle Aquarium, which solely had one location, the Sea Life expertise is touring round a number of places, so my expertise won’t replicate yours for those who select to go to Birmingham or London’s Sea Life Centre. Every aquarium is a bit of completely different, various in measurement, value, and displays, so maintain that in thoughts! Additionally, the Animal Crossing content material is only additive, so for those who’ve just lately visited your native Sea Life Centre, you won’t get as a lot out of it as I did, as I hadn’t visited Manchester’s location in round six years.
Initially of our journey across the aquarium, my associates and I acquired a stamp rally sheet and an cute Animal Crossing-themed exercise leaflet, crammed with enjoyable details and challenges to finish utilizing the data across the displays. This inspired us to completely learn and digest the data on every tank, slightly than simply wanting on the creatures.
Sea Life already has loads of informative indicators on every of its displays, however they added tons extra which might be written within the model of Blathers, which was actually charming. Every show felt like an interplay with the owl within the sport, crammed with character and novel info. They even included his disdain for crustaceans!
The stamp rally was easy sufficient to observe – every part of the aquarium had a stamp station for 2 villagers, and also you simply wanted to gather all of them as you handed by. Stamp rallies are nowhere close to as frequent within the West as they’re in Japan, making the entire expertise really feel novel, although I hope the staff are in a position to refill the ink within the stamps, as a few of them had been already working dry throughout my go to. In the event you gather all of the stamps, you possibly can present the cashier within the present store and declare a commemorative postcard, which is now proudly displayed on my wall.
The most important draw for most individuals to the Animal Crossing Sea Life collaboration is the chance to satisfy each Tom Nook and Isabelle. With out a Nintendo Museum or perhaps a Common Studios Theme Park within the UK, we get little or no alternative to satisfy and greet Nintendo characters, so attending to see the mascot fits in individual was a delight. They’re extraordinarily prime quality, and Isabelle’s hair bells jingle as she walks previous – so cute!
The meet and greet space felt a bit of impromptu, sitting simply outdoors the middle’s mushy play space, however the workers had been extraordinarily environment friendly at taking photographs and organizing the queues, in order that they actually made the perfect of a sub-par state of affairs. I’d advocate they transfer the picture space outdoors if the occasion ever returns, nevertheless it wasn’t an enormous trouble.
Video games like Animal Crossing and others that incorporate real-world wildlife have an incredible alternative to be instructional whereas nonetheless being entertaining for all ages, and I feel this collaboration actually encapsulates that. I’m unsure that Nintendo and Sea Life had been anticipating their essential viewers to be crowds of 20-something players, however very like the sport itself, the expertise appeals to a large viewers and makes for an incredible time out with household or associates. I used to like parroting wildlife details that I’d learnt from Animal Crossing to anybody who would pay attention, and the collection has positively contributed to my ongoing fascination with the ocean.
In the event you fancy visiting Blathers’ museum in actual life, be sure to take a look at the Sea Life web site to search out out the place the collaboration is heading subsequent and methods to e book tickets. Alternatively, discover out extra about Animal Crossing’s historical past in our function, or get the lowdown on the collection’ latest cell sport in our Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Full overview.
