Animal Crossing is one of the most popular cozy game titles ever launched for the Switch, but the smartphone app has never been as widely known. Now, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete has launched a day early for smart devices, bringing us the full experience on our mobiles with a one-time purchase.
Getting rid of the in-app microtransactions, Nintendo has re-released Pocket Camp Complete for players who want to start a new journey or revisit their old saved worlds from the older version of their game.
Image: Nintendo
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete Launch Goes Live
There were many obvious downsides to the recent pandemic, but for game developers and app creators, it was truly a chance to shine. Animal Crossing: New Horizon was a pandemic baby that attracted an unbelievable number of new users to the game, but the title has always been a popular one, so it’s unfair to attribute all of its success solely to the time period.
Regardless of the pandemic bubble, the title has continued to attract and retain players over the years, with gamers keen on getting away from their daily lives to unwind with the warm and wonderful campsite-building game.
Whether you’re trying to revisit some of the nostalgia of playing the game or you missed out on the initial hype and want to see what the game is all about, the latest Pocket Camp Complete launch is a great way to jump into the game without having to invest in a Nintendo Switch.
Is the Pocket Camp Complete Game Free to Play?
Pocket Camp was previously available for smart devices, but it was a freemium game. This meant that you could play the game for free, but there were microtransactions in the app that would restrict some of the features or items to those who were willing to purchase them with real money.
Exactly seven years after the original game was launched, it was taken offline on November 28, with the promise of a relaunch on December 3, 2024. Now, Nintendo has officially announced the Animal Crossing relaunch for mobile gamers, but it comes with a price tag. Users who download the app right now can do so at $9.99, which is a reasonable amount for the uber-popular game.
Those who wait until after January 30, 2025, to try out this Animal Crossing update will miss out on the introductory offer and should expect to pay $19.99, which is quite a bit higher for a smartphone app purchase. So what exactly do you get for your money?
Image: Transfer custom designs from your Animal Crossing: New Horizons account to your Pocket Camp Complete game.
What’s New with the Animal Crossing Relaunch on Mobile?
With the relaunched app, users get access to all the content released over the last seven years to get a sense of what was already available in the game, along with access to new content as well.
“Exchange Leaf Tokens for in-game items, create and collect (via QR Code®) personalized player Camper Cards, check out the new Whistle Pass location, and experience a variety of returning and new seasonal events throughout the year, to name a few examples.”
—From Business Wire
Seasonal events such as the Garden events and Fishing tourneys and celebrations like Halloween and the Summer Festival will bring new content to the game regularly, so returning players don’t have to worry about being limited to the old content. The new Whistle Pass location is now available for example, so those who want new content immediately have a reason to redownload the app.
You cannot create custom designs on the smartphone app, but if you’re an Animal Crossing: New Horizons player, you can load your existing custom designs from the Switch game into the app by copying the item code, so there’s a fun overlap between the two versions of the world-building game.
Can Returning Pocket Camp Players Transfer their Old Saved Data?
If you have an existing Pocket Camp account saved and linked to your Nintendo Account, you can transfer your data to the new app, so you don’t have to worry about starting from scratch. Be warned that the data transfer is only possible until 11 p.m. PT on June 1, 2025, so don’t take too long to decide whether you want to return to your saved game.
We are aware that some users are experiencing an issue that prevents their Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp save data from being successfully transferred to Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete.
We are currently investigating the exact cause and ways to fix the issue. The issue may…
— Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete (@Pocket_Camp) December 2, 2024
Some users have experienced trouble migrating all of their data to the new app which could be due to a “high number of users attempting to use this service.” If you’re a returning player, you could benefit from giving the game a few days before you initiate the transfer, or you could look at Nintendo’s support page to learn more about what you can do.
Pocket Camp Complete is available across smart devices so regardless of whether you’re an iOS or Android user, you can now get your hands on the game.