GamesSimulationAnimal Crossing: New LeafAnimal Crossing: New Leaf completionists race against time to help each other finish their towns before Nintendo turns off 3DS and Wii U servers in 3 daysWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesSimulationAnimal Crossing: New LeafAnimal Crossing: New Leaf completionists race against time to help each other finish their towns before Nintendo turns off 3DS and Wii U servers in 3 daysWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Nintendo)

Animal Crossing: New Leaf players are working together to do everything they need to before Nintendo shuts down the life sim’s online servers.
Last year, Nintendo announced that it would beshutting down the online service for its 3DS and Wii U games- meaning games like Mario Kart 7, Splatoon, and Animal Crossing: New Leaf will no longer be able to connect online. The decision is heartbreaking for anyone who’s still regularly playing these games with friends, but even more so for New Leaf players who have started preparing to close their town’s gates for good.
Now that we’re just three days away from Nintendo’s deadline, I’ve seen several posts in theNew Leafsubreddit where players are asking for help obtaining a specific item or ticking off certain achievements, as onceApril 8rolls around, they’ll no longer have the ability to visit other towns or trade items.
For example, a lot of players are now rushing to collect the dream and visitor-related achievement badges, which require players to have guests or venture to other towns at least 50 (Bronze), 200 (Silver), and 500 (Gold) times - with many attempting to cross off all of the medals within the next few days.
Others have started asking for last-minutefruit and flower tradesso they can have all 10 types of fruit in their town or rare hybrid flowers growing before they can’t head out to other towns to pick them up anymore. It’s so heartwarming to see players asking for a specific item in the community and then someone volunteering to come over to their town to drop it off before it’s too late.
I’ve also spotted a lot of players desperatelytryingto find someone to take NPC Katie off their hands. In New Leaf, the friendly feline can be found traveling around different towns and asking the player to help them find somewhere new to visit. Here, they’ll need to send Katie to one of their friends' towns and will receive a thank-you gift in return. Without online functionality, it will be impossible to get Katie’s special edition item - plus, she might not ever get back home.
It’s hard not to see this as the end of an era for Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Although you’ll still be able to maintain your town, you won’t be able to share it with friends or easily pick up hard-to-find items. The 3DS game did release over 10 years ago now, and we’ve since hadAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsto keep us busy, but it’s still sad to see the connectivity aspect of this game come to a close.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”