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The New 'Animal Crossing' Finally Makes You Get a Job, You Lazy Bum

The funemployment ends this year, buster, with "Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer."

Since 2002, Nintendo's Animal Crossing series has been a refuge from the rest of the video game world. It's a space to kick back, arrange furniture, fish, lie around and chit-chat with your various anthropomorphic buddies.

But your role in this world has always been a little precarious. You come to this place, you get a house, you change the town jingle to sound like the Transformers theme, change the town name to Dogbuttsville, and you dig a bunch of pot holes around that one mouse's place because you just didn't like the way he looked at you. What the heck are you doing here?

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Do you work? I know you peddle bugs, fossils, and chairs (which are somehow the rarest of those three things), but do you have a job? Well, the funemployment ends this year, buster, with Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer.

Though originally announced in April, Nintendo finally gave us a closer look at Animal Crossing's first spin-off this week during their E3 Nintendo Direct presentation. As mentioned, you finally have a job, you slob, as an interior decorator. Now your task isn't to fixate on the theming of your own manor or the debt you owe Tom Nook, but to help the citizens of the town make their own dream home. Find the right spot for their abode, the right furniture, wallpaper, rugs, even help them landscape their yard with lovely flowers and garish tchotchkes.

Fans of the series are probably familiar with the Happy Room Academy, the mysterious organization that has full access to your home to do a regular inspection, and then sends you a letter superficially judging your interior decorating skills. Hey, HRA, maybe I want a goblin hole of a living space cluttered with snowmen, space junk, roaches and a mad symphony of Gyroids, did you ever think of that?

Anyway, judging by the title "Happy Home Designer," and the cameo by Lyle, this new game likely ties directly with that element of the series. That or it refers to a Siouxsie and the Banshees single, which makes even less sense. Happy Home Designer comes out this September, so enjoy the free ride while you can.