Animal Crossing New Horizons island tune guide: Notes for famous jingles

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Of all the activities to keep you busy in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, making your own island tune might be among the most underrated. For the uninitiated, your island tune (known as your town tune in previous entries) is the jingle that plays every time an hour passes and at other times in Animal Crossing. You can change that jingle by visiting Isabelle at Resident Services in New Horizon, but you'll need to actually arrange notes on a rudimentary music sheet to create your own custom island tune.

If you're feeling creative, it can be great fun experimenting with the music sheet to replicate your favorite melodies. That said, if you're looking for shortcuts to create famous jingles, you've come to the right place. Think of this as your Animal Crossing: New Horizons island tune cheat sheet. Naturally, there are a lot of famous songs, but we'll try to include a good mix of iconic video game and pop culture songs to give you a decent enough variety of options.

The Super Mario Bros. theme song

Pay homage to the patriarch of Nintendo fandom with the famous Super Mario Bros. theme song. This one should be instantly recognizable to anyone visiting your island, and it's a great way to imbue your Animal Crossing experience with a nostalgic flavor. You really can't go wrong with the classics, and now you have the notes you need to make the Super Mario Bros. theme song your New Horizons island tune:

The Lost Woods theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Another earworm from an iconic Nintendo franchise, the Lost Woods theme (also called Saria's Song) adds an adventurous twist to your New Horizons island. It's a bit disappointing that due to the length limit, this one cuts of the satisfying last three notes of the tune, but we're sure you're more than equipped to play the rest in your head, where it will likely be on loop for the rest of the day.

The Rains of Castamere (Lannister song from Game of Thrones)

If a song about a vicious medieval lord slaughtering an entire family as their rain-soaked bodies drip down castle walls doesn't belong in Animal Crossing, I just don't know what does. Just imagine your visitors' doe-eyed expressions changing to shock when this incredibly harrowing melody echoes through your island speakers.

"Toss a Coin to Your Witcher" from The Witcher Netflix series

This is quickly turning into a list of all the songs we can get stuck in your head. You've probably heard this melody by now if you've seen The Witcher or spent any considerable amount of time with someone who has. Bard Jaskier's catchy little song, "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher," has become a meme for how sneakily it embeds itself into your subconscious, and now it's time for your entire island to suffer the same affliction. It's not a perfect version, but that's only because the tune creator only allows major notes, and even so it's pretty dang close.

Harry Potter theme song

Grab yourself a wizard's hat, craft a magic wand or two, and prepare for a Harry Potter party in Animal Crossing. This is one of those songs you can't stand to hear end halfway through, but that's just more reason for you to hum the remainder to yourself (or out loud) when you hear this magical jingle.

The Imperial March theme from Star Wars

Is your island not quite foreboding enough? The Imperial March theme from Star Wars playing every hour on the hour is a reliable fix. OK, this might not be the most fittingly zen island tune, but it's just the thing you need to scare Tom Nook into forgiving your debt when you approach his shop with the Imperial March theme ringing throughout the island.

Pokemon Indigo League intro

"I want to be, the very best..." And just like that, the iconic singalong anthem of 90s kids everywhere is stuck in your head indefinitely. And if you want to be the very best bug-catcher, gift sniper, or interior decorator (like no one ever was), you'll want to make 'Gotta Catch 'Em All' your new island tune.

My Neighbor Totoro theme song

If you've successfully cluttered your island with roads, bridges, soda machines, lighthouses, and giant robots, you might be looking for a dash of whimsical magic for your island. In that case, the gentle melody from My Neighbor Totoro's theme song should sooth your island's soul. Maybe the sweet sounds will even attract your own Totoro to your island as a villager (we can dream).

After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer, I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.

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