Animal Crossing: New Horizons is perhaps one of the most serene games of all time; a chilled-out, go-at-your-own-pace island vacation far removed from the stresses of daily life, it served as the perfect tonic for much of the real-world chaos which coincided with its release. The almost paralyzingly-tranquil opening theme remains a permanent fixation of fans of the series, and, alongside some of K.K. Slider’s classic tunes, it’s one of the franchise’s most infectious refrains.
Of course, the game’s wholesome vibes were amplified by its stellar soundtrack. Consisting mostly of simple ambient pieces accented by soothing acoustic guitar riffs and trumpet melodies, these tracks served as perfect accompaniments to the adventures of island living—and, beginning in June, Animal Crossing superfans will be able to add the game’s OST to their music collections.
Courtesy of Nippon Columbia, a seven-disc collection consisting of more than 200 songs will be available for purchase beginning on the ninth of June. It’s a massive assortment of compositions covering just about every piece of music available, from the dulcet tunes of a sunny mid-morning fishing session to the awesome aura of a starlit winter sky.
Four of the discs in the collection will consist of background music, with two discs reserved entirely for music predicated by the time of day and weather conditions, and another two consisting of music heard in shops, the museum, during holidays and special events, and during conversations with islanders. The remaining three discs are comprised entirely of K. K. Slider’s music, something without which an Animal Crossing soundtrack collection simply wouldn’t be complete. Interested persons will be able to purchase the BGM and Totakeke Music Collections separately or as part of the aforementioned complete set.
Roughly coinciding with the twentieth anniversary of the series in Japan, this set is destined to become a rare collector's item, as Animal Crossing merchandise is already relatively rare as-is, and physical releases of beloved video game OSTs often skyrocket in value in the years following their release. The North American release of the soundtrack is available on Amazon for over $100, and, much like the ever-ballooning aftermarket price of Mario 3D All-Stars, that isn’t likely to change anytime soon.
Though the New Horizons soundtrack is available unofficially on YouTube in videos and playlists which exceed five hours in length, they aren’t available on conventional music streaming platforms like Spotify, and, as is the case with all of its intellectual property, Nintendo is pretty cagey about how their music can be used.
This announcement also coincides with the somewhat controversial Animal Crossing Build-A-Bear crossover which saw plushie versions of Tom Nook and Isabelle hit virtual store shelves in early April. These items are already notorious for their scarcity, and securing an order for one or both of them was, for many, more difficult than purchasing a physical copy of New Horizons in-person at the beginning of the pandemic.