Tips for Success

Most of the basics in Animal Crossing are fairly easy to remember, but after not playing for a few years, it is taking me a little time to remember some advanced strategies.

Life in any Animal Crossing game, as in Harvest Moon is as much about social interactions and friendship as it is about making money to expand your house and improve the Village.  The reason one sometimes forgets the vital nature of friendships is because the Animals tend to be very quirky and sometimes outright illogical.  It still is possible to make social interactions count for a number of different goals.

One Goal is that of attaining Best Friend status with a Neighbour so that he/she will give you a Portrait before moving on to another village.  I do believe this option remains active as it has been mentioned on occasion by Residents in New Leaf.  Portraits, incidentally, carry significant weight in points when displayed in your House.

Another Goal is that of obtaining items that you desire that are displayed in a Neighbour's house.  By sending Gifts with Letters to your Neighbours, you may receive Gifts in return.  These can consist of almost any Item that can be attached to a Letter, from Furniture to Fruit.

Where Fruit is concerned, an ultimate Goal is that of being able to grow every type of Fruit in your Village.  You begin the game with one type of Fruit, known as your 'Native' Fruit.  By visiting the Island and playing Mini-Games on the other Islands, you can obtain a number of 'Foreign' Fruits that can be planted in your own Village.

It appears that the basic 'Native' Fruits cannot be found on the Islands, although you can find Fruit that is grown on the ground as well as at the beach.  Apples, Pears, Oranges and Cherries are 'basic' Fruits, however, and must be obtained from a Friend somehow.  If you are fortunate, your mother or a Neighbour will send one attached to a Letter. Otherwise, if you have wi-fi, you can obtain them from another Player at some point.

There are a number of daily Tasks in Animal Crossing that keep the game running smoothly.  One is that of harvesting Trees in your Village whenever the Fruit is ripe.  I have discovered, however that there is an Animal in my Village who demands a specific Fruit regularly.  It therefore may be a good idea to keep at least one of each type of Fruit at hand.  This can be done in a number of different ways;  you can harvest it and leave it on the ground; you can leave one Tree bearing each type of Fruit unharvested until needed; you can attach it to a letter addressed to your 'Future Self' and simply keep it in your Post slot until needed or you can harvest it and store it in a Dresser or cabinet.