Animal Crossing players celebrated Isabelle’s birthday, because the game just plain forgot
Did you remember to celebrate on December 20?
Animal Crossing fans came together last weekend to celebrate Isabelle’s birthday after realising that there was no acknowledgement of the special day anywhere in the game. Many players organised their own festivities and voiced on social media how unfair it was to not give them the option to honour the occasion.
If it wasn’t already obvious enough, Animal Crossing fans are passionate people. So when it turned out that Isabelle, who is essentially the backbone of everyone’s island, didn’t even get a mention on her birthday, fans were quick to celebrate her in their own ways.
Many threw her birthday parties and invited other islanders to join them on Harv’s Island (an area where players can set up photoshoots using Amiibo cards), some wrote well wishes on the bulletin board and others visited Isabelle in Resident Services to attempt to wish her a happy birthday.
If the game won't let me celebrate Isabelle's (and Digby's) birthday I'll do it myself!!! #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/zSJqS00QULDecember 21, 2020
This is so ugly, but happy birthday, Isabelle! #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/cP1qv4iykGDecember 21, 2020
Why won't you let me wish Isabelle a happy birthday, Nintendo? #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/Ow80mTCGftDecember 20, 2020
Isabelle has quickly become a very important character in the Animal Crossing series after joining the game in Animal Crossing New Leaf in 2013. Her role began as a sort of secretary to the Mayor (a role players took on in New Leaf) who basically did all the important things for you whilst you spent your days catching fish, writing letters, and designing your home. These days Isabelle has a slightly more relaxed role in Animal Crossing: New Horizons where she assists players in the smooth running of their island.
This coupled with the fact that all other NPCs in the game (not including ones with job roles eg: Able Sisters & Tom Nook) get a birthday shout-out from Isabelle has left fans sympathising for the hard-working Shih Tzu.
We all know though that this modest character would just end her own birthday announcement with her usual “oh dear. I guess that doesn’t really qualify as “news”, does it?”
If you've forgotten to gift your family this Christmas, why not take a look at our best gifts for gamers.
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After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training. My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.