Tom Nook will only offer to buy your town if you're going to erase it to start a new one. When going through the steps to erase your town, do not select the Delete it! Option until you are ready to delete. If Tom Nook hasn't appeared by that point, your town's level is not high enough to receive Bells.
The Animal Crossing franchise has captured the hearts of Nintendo fans since the original GameCube dropped back in 2001. That's 19 years of befriending birds, bears, and pigs while working feverishly for a Japanese raccoon dog — a history the big 'N' is awfully proud of.
In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Timmy and Tommy operate the Nook Inc. Development venture along with Tom Nook.At the beginning of the game, Timmy will sell and buy items inside Resident Services while Tommy will wander the island and offer helpful advice when talked to. The great news in Animal Crossing is that Tom Nook opts to not charge any interest throughout the game. RELATED: 10 Of The Coolest And Quirkiest Animal Crossing Fan Art. If Tom Nook were truly evil, he could've always added interest to the money you owed. But even after five whole main series games, the tanuki has continued to stay true to his. 9 of the most cursed 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' fan theories about Tom Nook, K.K. Slider, Timmy and Tommy, Gulliver, Isabelle, and more.
While many adored Animal Crossing once upon a time (and still very much do), their adult eyes and minds have opened to some of the stranger bits of Nintendo's beloved series. Time in the real world has helped paint the franchise's concepts and characters in a whole new light, and has made everything seem a little less rosy and innocent as a result.
Here are some of the things only adults notice in Animal Crossing. If you're a die-hard fan of the series and can't bear to see it criticized, you've been warned. If you're ultra-curious about what Nintendo's life sim really teaches people, then the truth awaits.
The perspective of Animal Crossing defies science
The art style found in the Animal Crossing series is fairly unique, and does well to make the player feel both comforted and relaxed. The characters are chibi in nature, your animal friends are cute, and the world itself is really pretty to look at.
It's a darn shame, then, that Animal Crossing had to go with that weird scrolling horizon mechanic. Quite honestly, it takes you out of the experience a bit. It also doesn't make any sense from a scientific perspective.
In the image above, for example, you can see trees disappearing over the horizon mere meters from where the characters are standing. That dramatic a curvature would mean the world Animal Crossing takes place in is extremely small. But you know that's not the case! There are other locations. In the upcoming Animal Crossing: New Horizons, your friends live on other islands. Where do they fit? Foxit phantompdf 64 bit.
This technique really falls apart when you realize it's not used when moving left or right. By Animal Crossing's calculation, the world is not a sphere but, instead, some kind of strange cylinder; a giant rolling pin out in space. There are hordes of people who believe the Earth is flat already, Nintendo. Don't make the 'Animal Crossing theory' a thing.
You are Tom Nook's indentured servant
Since day one, players have seen through Tom Nook's adorable facade and called him out on what he really is: a greedy capitalist who views you as nothing more than a source of labor. When you first set foot into Animal Crossing's universe, it's Tom Nook who conveniently shows up with a home in exchange for working at his store. If you manage to get out from under your mortgage, Tom Nook ensures you're never really free by expanding said home without your permission.
And think about what you'll be doing in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Tom Nook is offering you a vacation package to a deserted island, where you and your animal friends will camp at first, but eventually build a functioning town with modern amenities. That new town will be built on the backs of those who are supposed to be on vacation. And Tom Nook? Tom Nook will reap most of the benefits. Tom Nook will be making money on his vacation package, and by selling you everything you need to transform your new home into something more habitable.
And you? You'll be working hard to make it all possible, none the wiser that Tom Nook has duped you for probably the sixth or seventh time.
Animal Crossing encourages you to go into debt
In a lot of ways, Animal Crossing is just like real life. Trade your human friends in for some dogs and cows, and you're essentially doing the same things you are in the earth realm. You're buying a home you can't afford immediately. You're spending money on things to put into that home. You're working endlessly to try and pay everything off so you can lessen your anxiety and feel some semblance of financial freedom.
But you never quite get there, do you? Because just like in the real world, you'll want to buy and collect more things. Those things, as it turns out, require more space. And so, as Gamasutra puts it, 'the additional space just [fuels] more material acquisitions, continuing the cycle.'
For better or worse, Animal Crossing encourages you to take on debt. Not only that, it entices you to remain forever in debt by offering you shiny new items for your home, and expansions that can increase the size of your abode so you have room for those new toys. If you think about it, Animal Crossing could simply end when you pay off your home and decorate it with a few things. What more do you need? Unfortunately, just like real life, the game is designed to keep you running on that hamster wheel for as long as possible.
Tom Nook is basically Jeff Bezos at this point
When you first crossed paths with Tom Nook in Animal Crossing, he was just a tanuki with a dream. He was a small-scale merchant, selling goods to villagers and even dabbling a tiny bit in real estate. Fast forward a few entries in the series, however, and Tom Nook has become something else entirely.
In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Tom Nook's venture has evolved into a conglomerate of sorts called Nook, Inc. His business offers vacation packages to remote islands. Nook owns stores, as well. Nook even has his own smartphone called the NookPhone, which keeps vacationers connected and enables them to rack up and spend what are called 'Nook Miles.' Those Nook Miles, in case you were wondering, can be used to purchase items from Tom Nook's store.
The path Tom Nook has traveled is not unlike that of Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. Bezos, too, started a small business that eventually became massive to the point of being unavoidable. And just like Nook, Bezos is now slapping the Amazon name on all kinds of different goods and services, including tablets, video streaming services, and more.
You might not be far off from seeing Nook Prime two-day delivery and NookFlix movies, folks. It also wouldn't be a surprise if Nook, Inc. didn't pay any taxes, either.
Isabelle is every overworked woman
Isabelle is one of the more delightful characters in the Animal Crossing universe. She's kind. She's happy-go-lucky. She's always willing to help, and almost always wears a smile whenever you see her. As you, the player, progress toward your goals in Animal Crossing (whatever they may be), Isabelle is there every step of the way to guide you and make sure you have exactly what you need.
It's become clear, however, that Isabelle doesn't get near the credit she deserves. In that regard, she seems representative of just about every overworked woman in the world. She pours her heart and soul endlessly into the task at hand, only to see someone else receive all of the accolades and all the attention.
Think about Animal Crossing: New Leaf for a moment. You got to be the mayor, and had the always-helpful Isabelle at your side to make sure things ran smoothly. But it was Isabelle who really did the work, right? She handled all the big stuff behind the scenes. And when you stopped playing, the town kept running — all thanks to Isabelle. You got the fancy title of mayor, but really, a certain yellow dog was the real woman in charge. She made sure the whole operation didn't fall apart while you decorated your private residence.
It's no wonder Isabelle took a liking to Vacation Juice. She deserves a drink for dealing with all this nonsense.
None of your friendships are real
It's unbelievable just how much Animal Crossing makes you care about anthropomorphic animals. You spend a lot of time in the games working and prettying up your home, sure. But there's also a lot of relationship building involved. You make new acquaintances. You eventually turn those acquaintances into friends. You grow to appreciate their personalities and their quirks, and eventually, you find yourself wondering how Rosie the cat is doing even when you're not playing.
That's not how it works in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. In that particular entry, your so-called pals do not care about you unless you're willing to spend a little money.
The characters in Pocket Camp come and go more quickly than in typical Animal Crossing titles, though they will visit a while longer if you meet their very specific demands. As The Vergestates, 'Your animal 'friends' will adamantly refuse to come stay with you unless you decorate your camp with furniture they consider stylish.' This unfortunately leaves you to tussle with a rather heartbreaking truth: 'all of your relationships are conditional and based on status and money, rather than true affection and respect.'
If that isn't downright depressing — especially in a series known for its charming escapism — then what is?
There's some weird cannibal stuff going on
A lot of video games feature animals as the stars, and it's clear the concept is a popular one. Players love seeing Donkey Kong leap from platform to platform and adore Sonic's spin dash. Most people have probably never seen a real-life bandicoot before, so Crash is the clear favorite. Animals are a staple of video games. But when you get into the simulation side of things — and animals are the characters — the situation gets weird.
Here's a question for you: what do the animals in Animal Crossing eat? Are they against killing their own kind, either for food or for luxury?
It's strange to think about, but even more strange when you play while keeping this in mind. It's not unusual to see cows chilling out on cowskin rugs, for example. Birds attending a barbecue where other birds are roasted isn't out of the ordinary. Heck, as Reddit user animalcrosser93 found, you can even get a turkey to come over for Thanksgiving dinner. The human character's eyes in the shot above say it all: it's bizarre and slightly uncomfortable.
Given how games are made, you could probably insert whatever kind of character into a situation and get a similar — if not the same — result. But maybe Nintendo should pay more attention to these awkward circumstances. While serving up steaks in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you don't want Patty to get offended.
Dr. Shrunk is in a very unhappy marriage
Dr. Shrunk is the resident psychiatrist/comedian in Animal Crossing, and while he's not all that funny, his wisecracks typically fall on the lighthearted side. He's a walking, talking dad joke if there ever was one, but one of his routines in Animal Crossing: City Folk is actually pretty soul crushing. It will make your heart ache for the doc, and you'll feel bad about not being more supportive of his comedy career.
'Did you know that love makes everything nicer,' Dr. Shrunk begins, starting everyone off with warm fuzzy feelings. 'So let me tell you about my wife! She used to be the sweetest girl in the whole wide world!'
Aww, that's so .. wait. Osx slack client. She used to be? As in she's not now?
'But these days,' Dr. Shrunk continues, 'the missus says things like .. 'Get a REAL job, Shrunk!' [..] 'Your jokes make people feel QUEASY!'
Dr. Shrunk then puts on the saddest face as he makes his despair felt.
'Yep, the missus really knows how to make me feel small ..'
The doc goes on to say that's why he loves his wife, but you can see the Stockholm Syndrome in the man's eyes. He's married to a woman who not only doesn't love him anymore, but can't stand him. It's a sour dose of reality that most people probably play video games to get away from, but you probably shouldn't tell Dr. Shrunk that — he sounds like he's miserable enough as it is.
There are plenty of reasons to be afraid of Kapp'n
It's no secret that travel is a big part of Animal Crossing, and, as luck would have it, there exists a character whose main purpose is to shuttle you to and fro. Whether it's by boat or by taxi, you can count on Kapp'n to get you where you need to go. Unfortunately, you can also count on Kapp'n to be extra creepy while he's doing it — especially if your character is a woman.
If you make the mistake of taking a ride with Kapp'n, you can expect inappropriate questions like, 'So .. are ye romantically involved with anyone?' and 'Yar I'm just curious, could a lass like yerself fall for a turtle like me?' These inquiries come flying your way even though Kapp'n is married and has a kid. Holy smokes.
And it gets worse, because Kapp'n isn't a turtle at all, despite saying he is. As some Reddit users discovered, Kapp'n is actually based on a Japanese monster called the Kappa. That's right, kids — 'kappa' isn't just a meme used by people in Twitch chats; it's a creature from Japanese folklore that abducts and eats children. Think about that the next time Kapp'n offers you a ride.
Coco is probably the soul of a dead person
Here's a dirty little secret you'll discover when playing Animal Crossing for the first time: not all the characters are animals. Some look like little robots. Some appear to be toys brought to life. Some take on the shape of a certain animal, but really, they're something far more disturbing.
Like Coco, for example. Coco is a peculiar bunny, if you're expecting her to look like most bunnies. That odd appearance should definitely be a sign something is amiss, though. Bunnies don't have black holes where their eyes and mouth should be. Bunnies aren't named after the Coco of folklore, which 'is said to outright kidnap and devour any disobedient child.' Yes, another child-eater.
It's almost as though Coco isn't a bunny at all. And, as you've probably guessed, that's likely the case. Coco, according to the Animal Crossing Fandom page, seems to be a haniwa — a ritualistic clay figure — controlled by the spirit of a deceased being.
That's not to say Coco is evil or anything. In fact, she's quite nice once you get to know her. But you'll undoubtedly have the truth about her in the back of your mind each time the two of you meet going forward. Sorry for making things weird, Animal Crossing fans, but it had to be said.
Tom Nook might be a single dad
One of Animal Crossing's great mysteries isn't why animals and humans mingle as though it's not a big deal, or how exactly those animals dress up like people and speak. No one even pays attention to the fact that you somehow have the power to manipulate time. Yes, you can make time pass like it's nothing.
The huge riddle everyone has yet to solve has to do with the two boys, Tommy and Timmy, who support Tom Nook in all his endeavors. Who are they? Why does Animal Crossing go out of its way to conceal their true identities?
Some believe they're related to Tom Nook in some way — a theory backed up by the fact both their last names are also Nook. There's also a story floating around that Tom Nook found them abandoned and raised them as his own. Others still believe they're Tom's nephews, and that he's doing them a solid by offering them work in his various enterprises. But there's one idea that raises more questions still: Tommy and Timmy are Tom Nook's sons.
If the two boys are Tom's, you have to wonder about the fate of their mother. Perhaps she sadly passed on, leaving Tom alone to raise their kids. Perhaps there was a divorce. Either way, if this theory is the correct one, she is missing, and Nintendo isn't telling anyone why.
Vacationers are woefully underprepared
The vacation package in Animal Crossing: New Horizons seems like a dream come true, right? You're transported to a deserted island that you can shape however you see fit. Your days consist of gathering resources, decorating your space, and making friends with those who also made the journey to the island. Your evenings are all about sitting around a campfire, chatting with your neighbors and eventually catching some z's. It sounds perfect.
You quickly learn, however, that you and your fellow island dwellers weren't prepared at all for island life. That's not to say you weren't ready to pull weeds, shake trees, and mine for iron nuggets. Far worse: you all booked a vacation package you didn't have the bells to pay for.
When you start out in New Horizons, you have exactly zero bells to your name, and Tom Nook once again saddles you with a loan you need to pay off. The same happens to your island neighbors, who openly ponder how exactly they'll make bells to get out from under their debt. That is positively crazy. Who books a trip to a deserted island without any kind of job lined up? It's one thing to show up homeless like in past Animal Crossing titles, which forces you to work to keep a roof over your head. New Horizons, however, is a getaway — one you didn't actually have the money for.
New Horizons' priorities are a little out of order
There's something very odd about the way Animal Crossing: New Horizons approaches the growth of your tiny island home. It starts out with just you and a few other island dwellers. You're all in tents, and you're all working diligently to learn new skills and customize your abodes. Things start to escalate pretty quickly, though, once you start catching a few animals. Tom Nook begins to talk more and more about this 'Blathers' person, and asks you to catch more specimens he can send to Blathers.
And then Blathers the owl actually shows up on your island. That's when things really get strange.
Despite you and your neighbors still roughing it in a lot of ways, Blathers wants to build a museum. He wants you to go off and catch butterflies and fish. He wants you to dig up fossils. He wants to put everything you find on display in a fancy new exhibit, which a grand total of three or four or five islanders might visit. All this while those who made the trip with you could still be living in tents, trying to figure out how they can secure enough bells to at least build a small house for themselves.
You and your friends should at least be properly sheltered before anyone even thinks about building a museum on the island. The fact this isn't the case really speaks to Tom Nook's messed up priorities.
In New Horizons, you're basically asked to steal resources from other islands
In the present day, most countries aren't all that proud of colonialism. It's rather embarrassing to look back and realize the people of your country sailed around to new lands, took what they wanted, and, in many cases, took ownership of those new places entirely. It's at least somewhat innocent to travel to a deserted island and make a new life, building everything solely off the resources you have available there. But that's not what Animal Crossing: New Horizons asks you to do at all.
Once you reach a point where you can build a shop on your new island, Timmy Nook asks you to gather materials to make the shop a reality. But he doesn't just request that you find everything you need on the island. Instead, he gives you a ticket, implores you to travel to other islands, and instructs you to take what they have, too.
These other islands aren't entirely empty, by the way. They're full of other souls who might also need those resources in order to survive. Still, Timmy Nook seems to think it's okay to steal their wood, mine their ore, and take their animals back home to your museum. You can even woo some of the folks from other islands to join yours, which is a huge slap in the face. You're basically stripping their island bare to make yours better, while offering them a small parcel of land in exchange.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons found itself a perfect little home in the Coronavirus-quarantined world – a happy little life sim full of anthropomorphic animals and an awful lot of cheer is a great way for people to escape. However, even in the saccharine world of Animal Crossing, there is still one aspect of life you can never get away from: ruthless capitalism. And no one personifies that quite like Tom Nook.
Tom Nook can be a polarizing figure. To some, the shopkeeper is the ultimate good guy, providing the player with all sorts of options to live their best life. To others, he is one of the worst villains Nintendo has ever created, manipulating the economy of Animal Crossing through shrewd business decisions and dangerous, loan shark-esque tactics. Worst of all, he does it through a thin veneer of kindness, like he's doing you a huge favor by swamping you with debt.
Regardless of which side of the fence you fall on, you probably want to know more about the well-dressed tanuki. Here are some of the best tidbits we've been able to dig up on Tom Nook.
Tom Nook has a mysterious relationship with his employees
We need to talk about Timmy and Tommy. Tom Nook employs these little rapscallions, and he views their situation as a mentor-student relationship. Contrary to popular belief, they are not related to Tom by blood (he has called them nephews, but more as an endearing term than the actual relation), despite the fact that the three of them are the only tanukis of consequence running around the place.
Tom Nook Wiki
Where did these two come from? Where are their parents? Why does Tom Nook trust them with so much money? Animal Crossing doesn't give you any concrete answers, just more questions. Mv3 filter picsart. There are a few hints, however.
We'll get deeper into some of these in other places here, but we do know that Tom Nook donates most of his money to a nearby orphanage. Maybe Timmy and Tommy were once residents there? After all, there are rumors that Tom found them on the streets and raised them — those are two pretty similar ideas. Maybe we'll learn more in later games.
His creators feel like he's just misunderstood
Fans of franchises are well known for taking popular theories and running with them, and Tom Nook is generally known online as a greedy capitalist and a Nintendo-flavored mob boss. However, that is definitely not the intention; Tom Nook's creators think that attitude is a combination of the internet being silly and the character being misunderstood.
In an interview with The Verge, New Horizons producer Hisashi Nogima calls Nook 'a very caring, really great guy' and says that, without him, there would be no game. He says the money the player owes Tom is 'one of the biggest motivations that users have to continue playing Animal Crossing.'
You could argue that the game forces you to go into debt to Tom, so that's hardly a strong claim. Aya Kyoguki, director of New Horizons, makes a good point, though. She says, 'Even if we borrow money from him and it takes time to pay him back, he never gets angry, he never gets mad.' Try borrowing money from a real mob boss and not paying it back because you're too busy fishing. See how they respond to you (please, please don't actually do this).
Some villagers think Tom Nook is a person disguised as an animal
Most likely, you see Tom Nook referred to as a raccoon, though he's actually a tanuki (a Japanese raccoon dog) in the Japanese version of Animal Crossing. However, there are a few citizens running around the world of Animal Crossing that think there is more to Tom Nook than meets the eye. Some think he may even be a human disguised as a cute little trash panda.
Dr. Shrunk, the resident emotional expert in the Animal Crossing series, suggests at one point that everyone wears a mask, but he specifically singles out Nook, saying he 'wears a raccoon suit, but it serves the same general purpose.' Shrunk may be saying this figuratively (or making one of his trademark bad jokes) but it certainly adds to the aura of mystery surrounding Tom Nook. Combined with his absolute love of capitalism, you could see why some of the villagers aren't sure he fits in with the carefree nature that so many of them possess.
Tom Nook and Redd have a dark history
Tom Nook Coffee Acnl
Tom Nook has a shady past, and even he admits as much. One part of it that has been uncovered (and that Nook himself hints at without much subtlety) is that Redd, the sneaky fox art dealer, is part of it. The internet being the internet, some fans have decided that a failed romance is what caused the bad blood there.
Here's what seems to be true between these two in the Animal Crossing series. We know Tom Nook went to the city at an early age and suffered through what he calls 'terrible pitfalls.' He returned to his hometown completely changed, and it seems Redd may have caused some of his suffering. Nook himself tells the player that foxes can't be trusted, and that working with Redd has caused him problems in the past.
As Polygon writes, several players have taken it upon themselves to create an elaborate backstory where Nook and Redd were an item in the past. The bad blood between them, according to this fan fiction, stems from a failed relationship. Though this seems unlikely to ever be canonized, we think everyone can agree: the internet is a weird place.
He might be tied to organized crime
We all know that the player will go into deep debt to Tom Nook, no matter which Animal Crossing they are playing. However, we don't really know what happens if you never pay that debt back. Since most of your activities in the game do help in repaying your debt, it's a problem you generally don't have to deal with. That said, Tom Nook has voiced that, were you to leave your outstanding debts for too long, he might just make you an offer you can't refuse.
That's right: Tom Nook threatens to send Knuckles and Tiny over to break your kneecaps. He asks for 1000 bells per week to pay off your debt, then adds 'Otherwise, I'll send the raccoon goons after you!' It may sound like he's just joking around with you, but that's what mob bosses would do, too. 'Boy, it sure would be terrible if something happened to your business, wouldn't it? It's a good thing you pay off your debts — you probably have nothing to worry about!'
Keep an eye on Don Tom Nook; you might wake up with a severed fox head in your bed.
His capitalist streak comes from a failed journey into the big city
The Animal Crossing series rarely delves into deep backgrounds of its characters, but it often provides little hints at where they come from. This allows the player to fill in the blanks and essentially tell their version of the story. Tom Nook's early days have actually been spelled out pretty well, and we have a pretty good idea why he became the capitalistic tanuki we know him as.
Tom grew up in a rural community, where he and Sable were best friends. Sable recalls that he had a pure spirit, and the whole community was worried that his 'dreams before money' view of the world would get crushed by the big city.
They were right. After Tom set out to make his way in the city, he was blindsided by harsh reality. He was denied a bank loan, ran into financial trouble (partially due to Redd, it seems) and eventually returned home a changed being. It seems he then dedicated his life to making money, as that seems to be Tom's main concern.
Animal Crossing Tom Nook Backstory
His childhood friendship with Sable was crushed after he returned home
Tom was best friends with Sable growing up, and Sable tells the player in Animal Crossing: Wild World that they spent a lot of time together as children. The two would climb on top of the observatory and gaze at the stars together. However, Sable couldn't follow Tom to the city, and the two struggled to keep their friendship intact.
They certainly tried. Tom wrote letters to Sable, telling her all about his experience in the city. Sable tells the player that she prayed for Tom every night, wishing that he could keep his spirits up even while struggling to make his way. Tom even sent her a special pair of scissors on her birthday, despite hardly being able to afford them.
We don't know why, exactly, Sable and Tom's relationship didn't pick back up when he returned from the city. CheckPoint argues that he feels guilty about leaving her, although it might just be because Tom's personality was altered so dramatically by the city. Maybe we'll find out in later installments.
Tom Nook repeatedly wins 'Best Villain' awards
Nintendo has created some of gaming's most iconic villains. The Super Mario Bros. series has Bowser and Wario. The Legend of Zelda has Ganon/Ganondorf. Even the company's less mainstream franchises have well-recognized and beloved villains. Nintendo's penchant for great villains is so strong that, even when making a game that didn't have a villain, it still succeeded in creating one of the best out there: Tom Nook.
Mr. Nook regularly wins 'Best Villain' awards from a variety of outlets; kind of odd, considering his creators view him as misunderstood. You rarely see programmers behind Bowser trying to argue something like, 'You see, the giant turtle king who keeps kidnapping people is actually a good dude.'
Business Insider argued that Nook 'puts on this cute animal facade while exploiting your hard work in order to expand his business empire.' GameTruth called him 'The Worst Villain of All.' Complex said of Nook: 'In reality he's a cheat who wants nothing more than to keep you in debt so that you're chained to him and his stupid store for the rest of your life.' In the court of public opinion, Nook is one of the worst.
Tom Nook's markups are insane
Part of what makes Tom Nook so easy to target is how comparable his tactics are to some real world predatory tactics. It can be odd to see a video game character utilizing tactics like high interest debt, scam travel agencies and ridiculous markups for reselling, but that's Tom Nook for you.
Vice ran an article trying to calculate the real world value of bells, the currency used in Animal Crossing. On one hand, the outlet found that many things sell well under what you'd expect them to be priced. On the other hand, Vice found that Nook's store regularly marks up items about 300% more than what the player sells them for. That would even put GameStop to shame!
Let's not forget that, at the beginning of New Horizons, Nook sends you to a deserted island, then expects you to improve the island and pay him for the privilege. There are some seriously shady tactics going on here, and it isn't hard to figure out why people have such a low opinion of Nook.
He's actually gotten nicer as the series has gone on
If you start searching the internet for things about Tom Nook, you're bound to find all sorts of memes and thinkpieces decrying him as a heartless, capitalist crook. Interestingly, Nook has actually gotten nicer as the Animal Crossing series has progressed, and that's because the developers made a conscious effort to change the character.
In an interview with CNET, the minds behind Animal Crossing discussed how Nook's role has changed in New Horizons versus previous games. They still think he's been misunderstood throughout the series, but they argue that he plays more of a caretaker role in New Horizons than just a facilitator role.
Aya Kyoguku, the director of New Horizons, said this of Nook: 'Even if the player didn't have any money, he would offer you a new home. And he'd even offer you a loan. And then if you can't pay him back, then he'll wait forever without really bothering you, and he'll never get angry that you've never paid him back, either.' Kyoguku also notes that Nook actually asks you in New Horizons if you want your house upgraded, instead of just doing it and then charging you. Now that's progress!