Wholesome Sound Design in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

[@SharPhoe]

Another detail I love is that your footsteps will sound different on every surface, depending on if you're wearing soft-soled shoes, hard soles, or going barefoot.

[@JuliaGuVO]

They even changed it if you're wearing the wooden kimono sandals too!

[@Blake-qq1hm]

i never knew this i love the games sounds so this is great to hear thank you so much

[@Meg-nc4su]

when it rains too~ my path became mud lol

[@flunke7304]

Soft slippers too! It really sounds like you’re wearing slippers.

[@princessjello]

God i love the sound of the zori clops

[@callumwilliams2172]

The hello at the start of every episode is so inviting

[@simpleinverso8628]

The friendliest hello I've ever heard

[@thatanimeweirdo]

It's honestly the best intro of any person ever

[@sentientblender]

Apropos of nothing, love the profile picture. That was a damn good EP.

[@callumwilliams2172]

TheBlenderman I’m glad to see you recognised it

[@dannyatwell5250]

I feel like every time he says hello it raises pitch...

[@deadlydeathed]

Okay so about a week into the game I was running around with the normal shovel and I noticed that it makes a distinct metal wiggling sound that none of the other tools make. You can hear it really well if you run across the plaza, it's the sound of the metal shovel head jiggling around by a loose bolt. That moment was when I fell in love with the sound design in the game and I'm super glad you made this video

[@Panda-xd5ey]

Could that possibly be an indication that the shovel is about to break? Or did you notice that sound is there for a brand new shovel?

[@tchok]

I noticed this with the watering can. You can hear the water plip plopping inside and it's so satisfying.

[@hyyacinthus]

@@tchok yeah I noticed that as well!

[@shanedevine2419]

Reminds me of BOTW's sound design

[@madeofcastiron]

@@shanedevine2419 i remember switching between different weapons and armours for 10 minutes just to hear what sounds they would make together when i move around. it was amazing like wooden gear had a duller sound while the metal gear would clang against each other. nintendo's foley work is splendid

[@StarPunch]

that little song they play in nook's cranny is based on a real thing in japanese shops, where they'll play a song called "hotaru no hikari" (light of a firefly) around 15 minutes before closing time to encourage people to head out. it was originally a scottish folk song called auld lang syne, which was given japanese lyrics in the 1880s and now is typically associated with "closing", also being played at the end of school days and during graduation ceremonies. the tune itself is just the nooklings' theme played in the style of hotaru no hikari. it's very cute! here's a video of it kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWiqqZmcitpqppI and here's the wiki article on it en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotaru_no_Hikari

[@grammarmaid]

Fantastic comment! I'd always wondered about the closing theme in these games. I had no idea it was based on real life practices. Animal Crossing is a very subtly educational game series for the curious-minded player.

[@gargoyle4807]

Is it really in mmmooost of the shops or some big shops that sometimes have it ?

[@cuppacofi1129]

In the UK, we sing Auld Lang Syne at Christmas as a carol! It's definitely super soothing and probably one of my favourite carols tbh

[@joshwiseman6295]

@@cuppacofi1129 funny, I'm from the UK (England) and I associate Auld Lang Syne with New Year's as opposed to Christmas.

[@sandgaijin]

I just heard this song for the first time last night and wondered why the music sounded much more epic than usual.

[@WyrmTheCurator]

This man made me want to go into recording sound technology in college. he help me notice and appreciate small details in sounds, and music.

[@Plasmxx]

Anon Toast awesome

[@chewybits3662]

Man I was having a horrible day until I heard that sweet hello in the beginning...

[@Yolwoocle]

Hope you'll be feeling better :)

[@chewybits3662]

@@Yolwoocle thank you!! ☺☺☺

[@Yolwoocle]

@@chewybits3662 ^-^

[@Aubreyb07]

I hope your day turned out well :)

[@BhavnaM]

It’s so wholesome

[@jasonbaterna9792]

Personally, the best sounds in the game come when it rains. Everything reacts to the rain. Rain rustles the leaves, bounce off of umbrellas and hats, and hits the roofs and windows of all the buildings. You can hear a distinct rain-on-metal-panels sound whenever you stand around or inside Nook's Cranny. Combined with the addition of a marimba to the background music, the ability to catch coelacanths, and C.J.'s remarks on how fish don't know that he is wet, rainy days have become my favorite part of the game. Can't wait for it to snow.

[@hibiscus10moon]

snow is even more magical. you get the wonderful crunching noise beneath your feet and the hourly music was made with a jingle in older games.

[@jincyquones]

One of the first sound details I noticed in the game was that when you reel in a fish, the bigger it is, the louder and "deeper" the splashing sounds.

[@Vyz3r]

The rumble also increases in intensity depending on the size of the fish.

[@Phudge]

Fun fact: the rumble doesn't JUST extend to just the sizes of the fish! Each fish has an individual rumble! While oarfish and sea bass are the same size shadow, the oarfish has WAY MORE vibration. You can actually sense sea bass before even reeling it in lol

[@juanaldana2315]

Phudge I’m pretty sure you can sense the sea bass without the rumble. It’s always there...

[@emminet]

Juan Aldana It’S aT lEaSt A c+!!!

[@adrin181]

@@emminet C+ C+ C+ C+

[@WilloWik]

when you running around with the watering can and you stop and you hear the water inside splash like 0.0

[@AveragePixel]

Damn man, you've got a great aesthetic here

[@Goldennote]

Wow, coming from a legend like you that’s a compliment to be proud of

[@jlag191]

The sound design in ACNH is great, I just wish the hourly music didn’t abuse and overuse the leitmotif of the main theme. New Leaf’s hourly music had a much bigger range of instruments, musical styles, and melodies.

[@isaacyauk2966]

Once you get the [spoiler] building in the town, the hourly music is far more varied...

[@akirabaes4644]

@@isaacyauk2966 The varied hourly music is the one that's overusing the game's leitmotiv. The one from the trailers. The notes are reused, remixed, reinserted, but they are there in nearly all of the themes.

[@vanessaray123]

yes!! you put my main complaint about the hourly music into words

[@emminet]

The Orwell well, my hourly music is pretty nostalgic

[@rhettmitchell]

jlag191 yep yep I was a bit disappointed with that

[@totally_not_a_bot]

I appreciate that you are so kind toward the viewer. "There are spoilers from here forward, so if you don't want to see them, feel free to turn off the video. Thanks for watching!" or thereabouts. I also appreciate that you don't ask for subs. Just a reassuring statement that there will be more videos to come and a thank you. It feels nice.

[@propastypete1958]

Despite not knowing a damn thing about musical theory or any of that jazz, these videos are so inviting and digestible that I can't help but watch them.

[@dontwaste111]

As someone who plays instruments he definitely gets complex!! He even put the names of the chords on screen. Crazy

[@FlutterLP]

7:39 There is also a chance that K.K just whistles this song without your request as part of his warm up. This happenend to me once and I was really surprised and happy about it!

[@Bryce4Impact]

The Dodo Airlines jingle is “What I Love” in a different key.

[@citrusblast4372]

By who?

[@Envy_May]

O M G

[@Alinanonymous]

@@citrusblast4372 what?

[@serenen]

Sneezu they were probably asking who was “what I love” made by

[@citrusblast4372]

@@serenen yes

[@ACarr]

It feels like the progression in this game is a lot more even throughout than the others, and the music itself progressing the more the town is built makes it feel so much more rewarding to keep building your island. Hearing the hourly music for the first time felt like a huge achievement I just made.

[@a-zadri]

I was literally talking about this the other day - little details I've picked up have been how the footsteps change based on your footwear and surface, far more varied than you might think. Or how certain outfits change your general walking sound - the iron armour creates soft clanking sounds as you go about your day. Perhaps most subtly, if you drop flooring or a rug as an item, if you walk over the item you'll hear that flooring's sound.

[@ucklin8025]

That second tidbit is super interesting!

[@troyjohnson2137]

walking on the molten portions of the lava flooring makes it splash a little. this is also a visual detail

[@NyanMango]

Troy Johnson walking on the *what* ?!

[@IzzIzz420]

The “ten minutes before closing” music scared me when I first heard it 😂

[@poopybloopy]

Me too! It's kinda startling when something as consistent as shop music changes out of nowhere.

[@JONAClDE]

I was really confused too, but it sounds so great!!!

[@denylsonavila]

I cried

[@daveynorton]

Denylson Avila dang

[@grammarmaid]

That effect is deliberate. Ask anyone who has ever had to work closing shift in retail or similar shift work; they may not be able to explain why, but the closing theme evokes pure emotion. It's tragically beautiful and forces you to stop and consider the hard work these little raccoons (and by extension, employees in real life) have to do, day in and day out, to provide service to customers who only see them for a few brief moments out of a day.

[@annepetty4518]

My favorite bit of sound in New Horizons is when it's raining, you can hear the rain hit the roof of a house if you stand next to it. Even better, it sounds different depending on the type of roof!

[@hescrem9316]

You don’t realize how much joy the stereos gave me. I once spent a good 5 minutes just going to different spots in my house or panning the camera to hear the music change

[@nicoleo6168]

This guys voice just gave me the warmest hug ever.

[@punkitt]

I'm a game developer and hearing all the tiny details from Scruffy really makes me want to do better on my sound design. Thanks Scruffy!

[@HLRxxKarl]

The one detail I've noticed in the menus is that when you're selecting a wand outfit, and maybe on the tool ring too, the clicks rise in pitch closer to the top of the screen and lower when you move to the bottom half. So if you just spin the cursor in a circle, in either direction, you get a loop of rising and falling clicks.

[@InkInkly]

Y'know, the sound of Scruffy's voice is really relaxing!

[@PinkieOats]

Scruffy, your rendition of the 24-hour looping theme of when you first get the game actually made me start to tear up. I don't know how, but that music is already so nostalgic for me. Thank you so much for all your hard work on these amazing videos!

[@tovgyt]

I'm new here and that "Hello" made me feel SO welcome

[@Mr_Mimestamp]

These videos are always so satisfying to watch and to listen to.

[@TongPik3]

Then in gamecube there’s no ambient sounds outside lol. (besides ocean and river)

[@asparagusnoodle]

Mr. TongWah I actually prefer that soundscape

[@char5285]

There are bug sounds

[@icecatti]

There is literally no other content on the internet quite like this. Thanks so much!!

[@alexgiles9031]

This video, the music he uses at a time, and even the calm nature he has simply puts me in a good mood.

[@DR-34]

The big scruff is back!

[@spore4ever91]

I literally JUST saw your tweet about it coming soon, less than a MINUTE ago. This is crazy!

[@jasminerosetv]

The music played in the shop 10 minutes before 10pm is played in stores irl throughout Japan to let customers know that the shops are closing. *aka 'The Going Home Song'

[@nnm6]

I just found a very strage thing they did too: (Only) While you are talking to someone near the river or the sea, the sound of the waves intensifies in pulses, matching the tempo of the background music. Incredible attention to detail.

[@deedee_audie7461]

One of my favorite sounds is the walking. I love how different shoes, socks, or lack of footwear altogether makes distinct sounds on different surfaces, and even during the rain. There’s so much detail put into this game it’s insane! Definitely one of the best made games and may even be my all time favorite :)

[@barrysteakfriessimp_real]

i find this being present in new leaf too. its so soothing listening to the ocean waves with the soft piano music of 1am. the sound panning with designing and menus is present too and its fun and enjoyable. i dont like the music in acnh as much (2pm is _definitely_ not a favourite of mine....), but i can agree with many people that 5am sounds pretty chill. those are the things i like in new horizons that i love in new leaf and im so glad theyre in the game again

[@CrashFu]

I didn't know that part about the position of sound systems in your home making a difference, but I HAVE noticed that placing more than one type of music player in the same room produces a completely different audio quality than either speaker (or even two of the same kind) (Specifically, I was experimenting with the "Portable Record Player" and the "Bamboo Speakers") I admit I'm not even that much of an audiophile, normally, but this game might turn me into one! I'm eager to experiment with every type of music player I can get my hands on. :]

[@sodapone]

The detail about music players all sounding different blew my mind when I first noticed it. It also irritated me slightly as the only music players I was able to get at the start were the portable record player, which was tinny, and the retro stereo which had great audio quality except that if you turned the volume up it would get distortion when playing bassy tones. Eventually I managed to get a high-end stereo and that thing _slapped_ - best quality by far. The fact that the game goes this far with its detailing though is just... Absolutely remarkable.

[@Nano64]

god i love scruffy’s videos, he’s the reason why im starting music theory y1 next year!

[@davidartrip85]

Great video. The current dashboard on Xbox One does that panning sound like the ACNH inventory screen. I will never forget the first time starting New Horizon and setting foot on my island to hear the crashing of the ocean waves and the wind blowing through the trees as the leaves rustled and fluttered. Truly special stuff. Rivaled only by Breath of the Wild on the Switch.

[@PixelDip]

The visuals and audio in the video are creative and stunning as per usual, great work man!!!

[@willus]

I, along with what seems to be many others, absolutely adore your content. especially the what I love series, which has a greater meaning to me now as I also share your love with sound design. You deserve every bit of respect, fame, wealth and most importantly happiness that you gain from sharing your content with us. I've constantly felt lost without any hobbies other than video games and your love for sound design has inspired my love for it, so thank you.

[@enchilordo8562]

I really needed to see this after watching ScottFalcos side of salt video of this game. Really bummed me out

[@puremltrash2]

Lmao, Scott's video did bring up some good points, though. What I'm getting from different reviews is that older players are unsatisfied with lack of personality while newer players are blown away by the personality. While I do think some technical aspects are great, there are definitely points of the game that need fleshing out.

[@homiebreadpill]

I genuinely can't describe how perfectly crafted this video is. It emulates *perfectly* what Animal Crossing's sound design is.

[@beerbag9353]

I literally didn't realize until your "panning backpack" section but my phone's option for "mono" audio was activated and I couldn't hear the difference. Thank God I noticed! I don't know how I would distinguish the odd nuances of a Beatles album :)

[@TheGreenDee]

The theme of the museum, especially the fish part, is by far my favorite ❤

[@Tenka-Fubu]

You should really try the game "Moonlighter", it has incredible sound effects. Like music that changes slightly depending on the character you’re talking to.

[@Yuti640]

If New Horizons is your first Animal Crossing game I guess you could say that Animal Crossing are some “new horizons” for you!

[@LudwigSchindler]

The sound design of this video is incredible! (but visually too) When I first went into nooks cranny a few minutes before it closed I did not leave and stood there until they kicked me out. It is so calmingly wonderful, I don't know how to describe it!

[@boxwithahat]

The little "thank you for watching" at the spoiler made me feel better about clicking away. Thank you

[@joshinese5548]

3:06 oh hell yeah, i thought i was going crazy in acnl when i thought the violin was going along with the music.

[@breslynmatthews6493]

I love how all the different speakers have there own unique static and realism in the game! The vinyls, cassette players, and speakers sound just like their real world counterparts!

[@DJLani]

6:40 Yesssssssssssss as soon as I heard of this song I instantly fell in love with it It almost brings a tear to my eye whenever I hear it, the song is just so beautiful

[@opencabinets]

The hello at the beginning almost brought me to tears it's so so cute this entire video is exactly what I needed

[@sanndm123]

I love your videos, love the animation and the sounds, they are always a treat to see! Thanks!

[@cinna7960]

Honestly sound design is my favorite thing in game. sitting on a bench in the plaza on an early rainy morning, maybe 5am. you've missed some posts so there's a chirping bird behind you. a villager walks by, padded feet hitting the brick of the plaza and making a soft splash, then changing to a swish when they meet grass. the rain taps on their umbrella, and you can close your eyes and imagine that you are enveloped in this cocoon of this sound. its incredible

[@breadbot5267]

This is on of the most relaxing videos I've ever seen so thanks sruffy from all of us. 💙

[@davidmarsham]

*Potential spoilers for players very early on* The “camping loop” fakeout was absolutely brilliant. As a longtime Animal Crossing fan, I was completely and utterly bummed that hourly music was gone... which made its triumphant reentry after building the resident services building so extremely joyous. Great video Scruffy. You really nailed what makes the series so incredible! Also, if you haven’t already, check out 7pm and 1am from New Leaf; they’re on my list of greatest game music of all time. Stunningly gorgeous pieces.

[@ucklin8025]

Thank you for mentioning those! I had never heard them before, but they are really beautiful!

[@draak3790]

This video is a masterpiece. I can tell how much effort and love you put into this. You have inspired me to pursue music more than I have already. I can't wait to watch your next video. Thank you Scruffy.

[@uhyanyan]

The Nook's Cranny music near closing is my favorite piece. As I frantically try to get my sell a minute before closing haha

[@spadhesive3]

Anthony Yan lol

[@SoratheWonderful]

6:45 ah yes the “closing theme” always a favorite in all animal crossing games

[@ZootedKitty]

This reminds me of watching Clifford the big red dog. The way he speaks reminds me of how inviting it used to be when watching TV as a kid. It feels like you are having a conversation with him even if he isn't seen or in your room. It's awesome!

[@louis9545]

I just love your voice its so relaxing and relieving. Thanks for the great video 🏝

[@SegaSaturnSubs]

On section 4: the Xbox One dashboard also pans the sound to the left or right depending on which part of the screen is currently focused; it even has some cool surround effects (like whooshing front-to-back when you enter a section, and back-to-front when exiting) that sadly not many people get to hear. But yeah, AC:NH's sound design is one of the consistently best aspects of the game. :)

[@_09625]

Hi there! This was a great video, and very fun to listen to and watch! Idk if anyone else has mentioned it in this comment section yet, but the music that plays 10 minutes before Nook’s Cranny closes is actually a cultural reference for Japan! All, or nearly all shops in Japan play 蛍の光, or Hotaru no Hikari, when closing time is approaching. Hotaru no Hikari is famous here with its own cultural significance for Japan, but it’s better known as Auld Lang Syne in the West! ^^ So it’s not just an indication of perseverance, but of a Japanese social practice~

[@V.U.4six]

It’s also very wholesome when your villagers sing along to outdoor speakers or radios

[@icecreamget]

3:06 literally just spent 3 or 4 minutes pushing a on the guitar in my AC bedroom after you said this. K.K. Faire sounds awesome with a guitar solo lol.

[@LlamaOutOfTheSheep]

half the reason I choose to wear either Kimono Sandals or Zori is because the sound of the footstep while wearing a wooden shoe is just so satisfying. And the cherry on top is not every step is identical; they've put in some variation among the footsteps for some added, tasteful *finesse* beautiful vid btw!

[@jadew3303]

this video was so beautifully made and the sounds gave me asmr

[@LastTheNoel]

I realized the variations of the museum theme just the other day, and spent more than a half hour just wandering into every room and listening to the different versions, it was delightful.

[@corvidashgame5613]

This is a succinct video displayed in a soothing way :D you have my follow!

[@elicenyne]

thanks for inviting me for this, Scruffy. Edit: why did i say this again? oh yeah it’s a calming experience, thanks again scruffy

[@AuroraVeil_]

This is making my quarantine much more entertaining.

[@yalebass]

It is Pietro’s bday today, and seeing a bunch of villagers in the house humming the island tune, dancing around and having a good time... I nearly cried from cuteness

[@monster25man]

Funny I JUST discovered that Shop secret last night and I was in awe at what I had found

[@joris10000]

I also love how you can hear the rain drops on your umbrella if you have an umbrella up while it's raining.

[@subydyber4439]

w h o l e s o m e n e s s

[@mimipeahes5848]

K.K. Song also has the chance to randomly play on the radio you receive at the start of the game. The radio has tons of cute little details in its transitions too

[@j.corbygaming]

The video stop in the middle and said “something went wrong, tap to Retry”

[@summonfish]

Same for me

[@harperstephens2640]

me too!

[@CrowLady0_0]

Same

[@26dollar]

same wtf

[@brosideonkingofthebrocean2319]

Yep

[@jaimereneewissner7032]

I'm glad you mentioned the Shop Closing theme. I didn't expect a small musical moment that lasts just ten minutes a day to affect me in the way that it did, but it was definitely special to the point of tears.

[@Vyz3r]

You can also hear Totaka's Song being played on the radio at some point.

[@ChainGrinder]

I love listening and watching your videos - they're just so calming! While I was playing the game I've noticed a couple little sound design things they added in; * Certain tools, not sure if it's the upgraded ones and not the flimsy ones, I have yet to try it; have a certain noise that gets played when you run with them. Fishing rods make a gentle swishing noise and shovels make a nice clanking metallic noise that isn't overbearing. * When you go into Resident Services post upgrade and Tom Nook & Isabelle are stretching, if you turn up the volume you can hear Isabelle's little hair bell jingling!

[@dibby4316]

This video specifically won’t play after 3:59 for me :(

[@nk-62782]

Davy I went back to the beginning of the video and skipped just past that point, like to 4:05 or so, and was able to watch the rest of the video

[@blando7034]

Davy same

[@Hello-qg4yk]

Yeah? How does this happen? I thought everyone could watch it if one person could?

[@egito9930]

I love the nook’s cranny closing music, it’s like the emporium’m closing music, and it is so wholesome

[@zarekarstudio]

i think my favourite noises are the sewing machine, which i have constantly going in my house, and the little wind noise that happens when you're near a floating present. also fun fact, when it's raining outside, you can hear muffled rain-on-glass inside your house! there's even noticeable raindrops on the windows. 's a nice little detail. i usually play the game without headphones on, and my parents both love the little "poh-kyu!" [as my dad says] noise it makes when you get an item

[@InnocentDoodles]

I can't be the only one who finds the clock chiming on the hour insanely charming right??

[@jphone6606]

The sound design in this game is so amazing!! I notice new sounds or things that make noise very often (even if it's something I just forgot about and rediscovered) such as the ambient music stopping whenever you dig up a fossil, clam, or cricket, or the radio getting softer or not sounding at all when you leave the room.

[@vodkasvoice]

This video gave me so many emotions I'm actually feeling kind of misty-eyed. I just have so much affection for the Animal Crossing games, and New Horizons could not have come out at a better time. The world needed a sweet, affectionate, comforting world to immerse in this year, and, by god, it got one.

[@eleanxr3921]

i love the museum, its so serene and the sound texture generated from the different unique floorings makes me so happy- It gives me the same sensation as smelling a brand new tennis ball, smelling gas from gestations and finishing my flower garden in acnh-

[@greenietea]

you always sound so damn passionate in your videos and it always feels really good to hear for some reason keep uploading my man

[@SymphonicElectric]

I absolutely LOVE the detail of having instruments in the game harmonize with the music that's playing. My house's upstairs room is a fully dedicated music studio specifically for that purpose haha.

[@James-us4lo]

Thank you Scruffy for shining a light on what is a largely unnoticed yet significant part of this game. Listening to you speak with such enthusiasm inspires me to pay more attention to sound design and appreciate the work and care that went into it.

[@Camerynn10]

First video I’ve seen of yours. I’m sold.

[@MinaEntwine]

i'm so glad someone else paid attention to the instruments harmonizing with the radio lol I would always point it out to others hoping it was impressive to other people

[@JhoTerra]

Thank you for pointing all of these out! Ive been playing religiously and knew about a few of them already, but having the spotlight on the sound itself really brought out its thoughtfulness. My switch came with busted speakers, so I rarely get to enjoy the audio as I should.

[@AgentLayla526]

One of my absolute favourite sounds in ACNH is the sound of the player's footsteps on the metal stairs inside the museum - sooooooooo satisfying!

[@rossperk]

That closing music is my favorite! No mention of villagers randomly singing in the plaza, or to whatever song you have playing on a stereo if you place it nearby, though.

[@may4557]

the shop's last 10 minutes before closing is the BEST

[@mochi9184]

Thank you scruffy for such beautiful videos.

[@cowgremlin11]

its been so long since i started my island i NEVER noticed the hourly music was something unlocked like that! thats such a cool feature