Nintendo of America said this and it's an outright lie. I am calling NoA out on the lie and
@MacRumors out for repeating the lie. This has already released in Australia. I downloaded it from iTunes as I am an Australian citizen. It released here about 3 weeks ago.
I have played this quite a bit and here is my opinion on this game.
Happy Home Designer: Hobo Edition
That's what this game is. I'll explain it in more detail.
The game is based around a few core components.
1. Timers. There's a timer for almost everything. Shake a tree for fruit and get a timer. Craft an item or something else and get a timer. etc etc (it might only be camp upgrades. You can bypass the timer with specific items. This is the free to play nature at work. Even AI resident requests (after you've given them a few things) are on a timer which can be bypassed with leaf tickets.
2. Paid Currency - Bells are the free, easy to access currency. Leaf Tickets are the harder to get (without paying money) or easier to get (with paying money) currency. So far the game seems to be stingy on handing out the leaf tickets (for free players) but in time we shall see if this still holds true.
3. Larger catch items - You can make and use certain items to get more items. For example you can use huney to catch more bugs or fishing nets to catch more fish and crustaceans. These items like the honey and fishing nets are all one use. More ways the free to play model is expressed here.
Based on what I have read things like honey, fishing nets and similar are all bought with leaf tickets. Well apart from the few you get from achievement awards.
4. Inviting AI residents to your campsite - Doing this levels them up, along with doing minor quests for them. This game is more about getting the other residents to like your camp site than it is beautifying your camp site just because you can. Each AI resident has criteria you need to do before they will visit your campsite.
5. Levels - You can level yourself up as well as levelling up the other residents by doing quests for them and having them like your camp site when they visit. levelling up the residents is basically getting them to like you more.
Also you can build/create more things when you level up more.
5. Daily quests and daily log in bonuses - To get you to play every day.
Technical opinions
The looks, sounds and plays just fine. It's nice for what it is on the mobile phone. All of the basic tasks like fishing, bug collecting, placing items in your camp site and other places is easy and just works.
Other minor things.
1. There is a couple of items you can only get with in 45 days from the time you start playing the game. They cost quite a lot of leaf tickets to get. I am unsure if you can get enough for both items without paying real money. If you don't get them within the first 45 days you miss out. They say they might be back later but I think that'a a maybe and not a certainty.
2. You can visit your friends camp sites. So we can show off our camp site to each other.
3. You can friend other players (not AI residents) easily in game. As well as there is a way to friend people you know (same way as in the other Nintendo mobile games)
4. Expanding your personal inventory space costs leaf tickets. ame deal with being able to have more than one item crafted at once. Costs leaf tickets.
5. It's RNG which shops are in the market place. They rotate over time.
6. Loans exist just like other Animal Crossing games.
7. One region of the map is locked unless you get 5 other players to help you or you pay some leaf tickets to enter.
8. There is no Mayor or Museum.
9. I think there is no calendar events. I don't see a calendar in game.
10. Crafting come items requires bells plus materials.
My overall feelings.
This game feels like Animal Crossing lite. It's nice to have but fans of the series will be left wanting. At best this is a stop gap measure till we get a decent new Animal Crossing game. This is nice for mobile but we shall see how much long term interest this has. It'll certainly need some content updates to still be used alot after 6 months or a year.
My overall score - 4/10
