Many wondered how I was able to obtain Simon (Jack) on “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” and wondering if I paid (real money) to get him and no, I personally, wouldn’t pay any money to obtain a villager for my island.
The way I got him is pure luck.
Because my turnip prices are very bad (54 bells) and cost 125 bells, I have to make money through other means and that’s through selling a lot of fruit which I collect from my island. I have a lot of fruit trees (oranges, apples, cherries, pears and peaches), as well as bamboo trees. I primarily focus on the trees and I’m able to make about around or over 100,000 bells.
And because there are items I want to buy that cost over 100,000 bells, I need to have over 200,000 bells in my bank (for example, the Japanese art or screens are expensive around 140,000 bells, the arcade machines, if you need to purchase multiple, are around 64,000 bells each).
And so, I time travel.
After I do the main game on the current day, I would then time travel by exiting out of the game (after saving) and then setting my Nintendo Switch date to one week later (seven days) or the Tuesday of the following week. So, I would have new fruit and such.
But also, it would be a week’s time when you haven’t talked to a villager. If a villager wants to move out, they will tell you and you can convince them to stay or leave.
I had Billy (goat) the jock and gave him my blessings to leave and then after I collected the fruit and sold them, after I visited the Nook Store and Able Sisters store to get things I wanted, I would then save and set the day after (so eight days) on the Wednesday. The character leaving will be packing their stuff. I just check to see if there are anything to purchase in the stores that I want and also to talk to the villagers that I want to stay.
Then I forward to the ninth day (or the next Friday) when that villager has moved and you can see the for sale sign on their home lot but sometimes you will get a new camper come in. This camper, you can convince to stay…if you don’t want that camper, then exit out of the game and reload that same day, you may get someone different. Or you can visit an island with your Nook Mileage ticket.
Now, what do I mean by “luck” in getting Simon. Well, I didn’t check the campsite. I forgot. I was busy collecting fruit to get arcade machines that I forwarded to the tenth day and didn’t check and when I checked the next day, on the title screen, I saw Simon walking around.
I loaded the tenth day and sure enough, I got Simon. Did my usual duties of collecting fruit, selling, buying and welcomed him…talked to him and then I saved and switched by Nintendo back to my current date.
I have since used this tactic to see if I can get other characters I want…but I didn’t get anyone good, instead it was Lyman the koala, Al the gorilla. Alli the alligator….characters I did not care for. By bypassing all these campers and saying no, the lot was sold to Sprocket. I didn’t approve him but I guess there is a date in which a new villager has to join. So, now I’m currently stuck with Sprocket the robotic ostrich (jock).
I am now using the tactic to have him leave and bring someone else in but considering there are hundreds of village characters and my priorities are redecorating my home, paying off my home and trying to get the “fighting” arcade machine, I am focusing on that.
But that’s pretty much how I got Simon. Through time traveling and luck.
