By: Kayla Brunner

As an avid fan of Animal Crossing, I was beyond excited for Happy Home Designer, which was released by Nintendo on September 25th. However, it really felt like a big punch to the gut. Let me be clear, this is less of a new entry in the Animal Crossing franchise than it is ‘DLC’, or downloadable content, for Animal Crossing: New Leaf. What makes it a ripoff are the card packs you can buy to add characters to your game: it’s about 6 dollars for 6 cards.

Another major setback of the game is not the lack of stuff you’re given, but the lack of things to do with it. You’re given a customer and their house, and from there you learn about what they like and what they want to have done with their house. Then, you’ll have the ability to use the 3DS’s touch screen to move furniture around, trying to cater to what the villager wants. Once you’re done with that, you’ll get a review and then it’ll go onto the next day.

That’s it. This is where I feel the biggest issue with this game comes to play. Sure, you have plenty of villagers and furniture to use, but that’s it. This is essentially an interior designer simulation that really doesn’t feel like a game. Happy Home Designer is exactly what it’s being sold as, but it doesn’t feel like it lives up to its high price point.

But, it’s enjoyable every now and again and it’s not any less than what it sought out to be. It’s definitely a nice addition for Animal Crossing fans to have, but only if you’re willing to drop a lot of money on something that really doesn’t feel worth it.