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Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Chrissy Teigen, and Demanding Bipeds

By Jodi Smith | Celebrity | November 27, 2017 |

By Jodi Smith | Celebrity | November 27, 2017 |

I don’t know if you were awaiting the release of the first Animal Crossing game for phones and tablets, Pocket Camp, like I was. I’ve played Nintendo’s strange series of games that revolve around a human making friends and living with animals since the Gamecube times, kids. I was stoked when Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp dropped a day early, November 22nd.

I immediately downloaded and began playing on my iPad. I customized my character, was pleased to be able to fish and catch bugs immediately, and enjoyed seeing recognizable animal friends from other entries in the series. I added friends, earned money, and built up my camp with crafting. At about the same time, Pajiba favorite Chrissy Teigen was doing the same thing.

So true. Instead of having Tom Nook immediately start my tab with a home or rope me into servitude to pay off my debt, I start with an RV and a tent. FOR FREE. I WAS SUSPICIOUS. Then I learned you could upgrade that RV and pay some birds the same inflated prices.

I am poor and have earned all of my Leaf Tickets. I maybe used the bulk to craft the special item of K.K. Slider’s stool, though he just sits in my camp and strums on his guitar. Sometimes he will speak to me, but when he stands up without the guitar, he is clearly naked and I get uncomfortable.

What were we talking about? Oh yeah.

In the other games, you caught fish and bugs, dug up fossils, shook trees for fruit and surprises, and did all manner of things to make money. You would interact with your animal neighbors and occasionally they would ask you to do something like bring them a fruit already in your pocket or catch a fish for them. And they always reward you with a gift. For the most part, the animals in Animal Crossing games have always been less demanding and more friendly and full of gossip.

Teigen isn’t wrong, but also? It’s a nice little game that allows you to play without getting pulled in for hours like the other entries in the Animal Crossing series. I mean, I started up New Leaf for the Thanksgiving event and resurfaced hours later, wondering where the time had gone. With Pocket Camp, I can stop at any time and not feel like I’m missing something. The grass doesn’t grow, my hair doesn’t go crazy, and the animals don’t forget the last time they saw me. They just demand rare bugs and fish. Like jerks.



Jodi Smith is a Senior Reporter, Film & Television at Pajiba. You can email her or follow her on Twitter.