History VideoGame / AnimalCrossingHappyHomeDesigner

Released in 2015 on the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS, ''Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer'' is the first retail spinoff of the life simulation series ''Animal Crossing'', being made in the same game engine and sharing many of its assets with ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewLeaf''. It was marketed alongside special ''Animal Crossing'' Toys/{{Amiibo}} cards that, when scanned, enable new villager requests for you and allow other villagers to visit the house where you just decorated at for a house party.

* NewWorkRecycledGraphics: The game very obviously reuses assets from ''[[VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewLeaf New Leaf]]''. Given they share the same UsefulNotes/GameEngine and developers, this makes a lot of sense.

** Margie wants a fashion-themed house; in [[Anime/AnimalCrossingTheMovie the movie]], her dream was to become a fashion designer.

A major component of Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s popular ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' franchise is [[AnInteriorDesignerIsYou the ability to design your house]], as well as help other villagers with their houses when they ask you to bring furniture to them. ''Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer'' takes this concept to its logical endpoint; You design houses for the various villagers and other [=NPCs=] who ask for your services.

* GenderNeutralWriting: The player is referred to as such in these sorts of terms (They/Them/My Employee/Real Name). The only gendered writing is for the townsfolk and other NPC Characters.

** Margie wants a fashion-themed house; in [[Anime/AnimalCrossing the movie]], her dream was to become a fashion designer.

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Or pink, green or red hair and you can also customise the look of it too.

* AnInteriorDesignerIsYou: The ''whole point'' of ''Happy Home Designer'' to decorate people's houses using wallpaper, flooring, decorations, and furniture.

It's most notable these days for introducing a few of the ideas that would later be backported into ''New Leaf'' the following year with the ''"Welcome amiibo"'' update, such as the advanced customisation tool that adds touchscreen controls to move furniture, as well as the facial and hair customisation being ported over to the future entries; ''[[VideoGame/AnimalCrossingPocketCamp Pocket Camp]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewHorizons New Horizons]]''. ''Happy Homer Designer'' itself would later get a followup as a DLC expansion for ''New Horizons'' called ''Happy Home Paradise''.

* MythologyGag: In his main series appearances, Rover's role is to set up various aspects, including the player character's appearance, and the first thing he asks is for confirmation of the time due to his watch being busted, which sets the game's time. The first thing Rover asks when you call him on the amiibo phone is what time it is for the very same reason, although you don't respond as he realizes he's not having an in-person conversation.

* PlayTheGameSkiptheStory: The game has an ExcusePlot of you being a new employee at Nook's Homes, and raising through the ranks. However, it's just a framing device to let you create building such as schools, and villager homes in any way you see fit.

It's most notable these days for introducing a few of the ideas that would later be backported into ''New Leaf'' the following year with the ''"Welcome amiibo"'' update, such as the advanced customisation tool that adds touchscreen controls to move furniture, as well as the facial and hair customisation being ported over to the future entries; ''[[VideoGame/AnimalCrossingPocketCamp Pocket Camp]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewHorizons New Horizons]]''.

** The touchscreen controls were made for5 this game in mind, thankfully so the game isn't just you pushing and pulling all the furniture into place [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossing2001 AC-2001-style]].

* FurryConfusion: You can display frogs in the game, and some of the villagers you can get are frogs.* FingerlessHands: Despite the ability to pick up and store whatever you can in the game, the player characters have no visible fingers.