Free in-game bonuses for your island getaway. Get a download code for themed items to use in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game and 50 Leaf Tickets to use in the Animal Crossing. Gameplay video of Animal Crossing: New Leaf for Nintendo 3DS. This shows me visiting the tropical island for the first time.
In Animal Crossing: New Leaf, a boat appears several days into the game with the ability to head to Tortimer Island. The cost of a boat ride is 1,000 bells, and we suggest you sell whatever you can to pay this island a visit, largely because you stand to gain more bells and exotic items.
Docking
After a brief boat ride accompanied with a unique song, you finally arrive at the dock. At this dock, you'll find a few things: in the upper-left, you'll have a tour guide that will let you book tours and a return trip home. On the upper-right, you'll have a few of the day's wares for purchase, and we'll get to that later.
You'll also find a docking area with chairs in the lower left, and that's where you'll want to head if you choose to take a tour. Lastly, in the lower right, you'll find someone willing to purchase things you collect on the island, as well as an ATM to store your cash.
The first thing you'll want to do is check out the island, so head to the dock by traveling south.
Borrowing Tools
Before taking your trip, Kapp'n will inform you that you cannot bring equipment or items in your pockets. Don't worry, they'll be there when you get back, and you'll want the extra room anyway.
This puts you in an awkward position because you won't have any tools when you arrive, so talk to the gyroid near the exit to view a nice selection of tools. You'll notice both familiar and new items, all of which prove useful.
Recommended Tools
Our usual selection includes the bug catching net, fishing pole and wet suit. These seem to do the trick, and while you can also borrow the axe and shovel, we don't see any reason why you'll want to chop down trees on the island.
The island is small. There's plenty of water, so we suggest getting your feet wet.
Wet Suit and Diving
When you borrow the wet suit, go to the menu screen and drag the suit onto your character. This will result in a costume change and the added ability to swim in the ocean. If you're a collector and have never used the wet suit before, you'll find plenty of great things.
To go for a swim, just head to the shore and press Y. While you're wading and swimming, you can use the A button to move a bit faster. It may take half a minute for your first potential target to show up, so be patient.
Look for a small-to-medium sized dark shadow moving around in the ocean. Little bubbles accompany these shadows, and if you have your audio turned up you'll hear a bubbling sound when one appears close by. The goal is to try and line up your character just above the shadow and hit the Y button to dive.
While underwater, you can swim and catch the shadow, so remember to use the A button to swim faster while underwater. Also be aware that your character can hold his or her breath for a limited time. These shadows will only show up for a brief period before disappearing, giving you another reason to be quick about catching your prey.
The initial dive is critical to catching all of the creatures in the ocean. Lining up your character just above the shadow will give you a good head start, but some of your prey will react differently than others. Items like seaweed and acorn barnacles will just sit there, while valuable lobsters and mantis shrimp will attempt to escape. Just be ready for anything, and make that initial dive count.
Avoid chasing shadows to the edge of the ocean. They can definitely escape your reach, and you can't even swim up to the barrier. Just try and corral your catch towards the middle of the ocean.
You'll want to find interesting sea creatures to add to your museum's collection as well as make you a ton of bells back home. Get a few lobsters and you'll easily make 20,000 bells at the Re-Tail shop.
Bug Catching Net
The island is alive with all sorts of critters that enhance your collection or improve cash flow. Equipping the net allows you to press and hold the A button to capture a critter. Holding the A button also brings you to a slow crawl, which is perfect for sneaking up on some of the larger/trickier bugs.
You'll encounter fruit bugs, horned atlases, wharf roaches and more, each with their own value back home. If you can, keep your collection filled with large bugs, as many of them can sell for several thousand bells each. You may even run into a hermit crab or two scurrying along the beach.
Also, it may be to your advantage to scare away some of the smaller bugs because that will allow larger ones to show up in their place. The small, green fruit bugs are the ones we usually encounter, then we take a lap around the island and before we know it, a huge bug has appeared. Because you're limited to the number of items you can take back, use this routine to maximize the value of your trips.
Fishing Pole
Just like the bug catching net, the fishing pole works as you expect. Try and face the potential catch of the day and hit A to cast the lure. You want to land just in front of the fish. Then you wait for the fish to head to the lure. Keep your ears open and your eyes sharp, because as soon as the lure goes underwater you'll want to hit the A button to hook 'em.
This can be a tricky proposition because the island will most likely be the first time you'll encounter some of the larger fish. Creatures like a swordfish will look like sharks in the ocean with a fin popping up above the surface, and they can be tough to catch. Just know that you have to act quickly, and it's also a safe bet that if the fish goes towards the bait four times, the fifth will be a definite hook.
Fruit
You don't need tools to earn more cash from the island. Shake a couple of trees to obtain fruit unknown to your hometown. This fruit is valuable to sell, but an even better idea is to try and take a few home to plant.
To plant fruit, dig a hole with your shovel and then select the fruit and the Bury option. In a matter of days, a new fruit tree will appear. Just make sure you plant them in the right type of soil -- for example, bananas need to be planted on the beach, while lychee and mangos are home on the regular soil. One fruit will quickly become three and beyond, collectable without even going back to the island.
Miscellaneous Island Tips
-You cannot save while on the island.
-You can take flowers on the island and replant them in town; don't worry, they'll grow back, same as the fruit.
-Taking tours will allow you to play different mini games, allowing you to practice your skills and also earn medals exclusive to the island.
-Medals are the island's form of currency, so redeem them in the dock shop for the day's wares, which include plants, shirts, hats and even furniture to take home.
-You can also sell stuff to the shop keep in the dock, but you don't want to do that; for example, a horned dynastid will fetch you 67 bells, while taking it back home will get you over 6,800.
-Be selective when taking stuff home. Try and stick to the big items and also the unique ones; we also like to organize our collection by keeping the unique ones at the end of our drop box so we can easily sort which finds go to the museum
-Eventually you'll purchase a Club Tortimer membership that allows you to inhabit the island at the same time with other players, whether they're local or over the Internet; it's always cool to see what other people are up to.
More Animal Crossing: New Leaf Features
More from Prima Games
Most Popular 3DS Games - Majora's Mask Battles Smash
Jan. 14, 2015, 2:30 p.m.
The biggest 3DS games right now, from Majora's Mask to Fire Emblem Awakening.
Link and Animal Crossing Coming to Mario Kart 8
Aug. 26, 2014, 6:32 p.m.
Link, the villager, Isabelle and a slew of other DLC characters, vehicles and race tracks are coming soon!
Animal Crossing: New Leaf- January Events
Animal Crossing Island Designer
Jan. 2, 2014, 8 a.m.
Perfect weather for Football Fish.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf - December Events
Dec. 2, 2013, 11:50 a.m.
Everyone deserves a present on Toy Day.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf- November Events
Nov. 1, 2013, 8 a.m.
It's time for the Harvest Festival.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf- How to Find Mushrooms
Nov. 1, 2013, 8 a.m.
Plus, everything you need to know about November's Harvest Festival.
Animal Crossing Island New Leaf Nursery
One day, Tortimer shows up at your dock. Talk to him, then the next day, Kapp'n will be therein a boat to take you to the island. When you are there, you can go on tours, which are like mini-games where you win island medals, which you can useto buy things in the island shop.
Going on a Tour
Talk to Leilani, the kappa woman in theorange dress at the top left to go on a tour. She will show you a list of tours that you cango on. Once you choose the tour, sit down in one of the four chairs below the tour desk.If you are playing with other players, they can sit in the other chairs to go on the tourwith you.
Getting Fruit, Bugs, and Fish from Tours
You can get fruit, bugs, and fish during tours that you can keep after thetour and send back to your town using the box near Leilani.However, you can only keep items after the tour if those items weren'tthe objective of the tour. For example, if you are on a bug-catching tour,you won't be able to keep the bugs that you catch during that tour.
The fruits available during island tours are bananas, mangoes, lychees, lemons,coconuts, and durians. You CANNOT find persimmons during island tours. Theyshow up in the fruit maze tour, but you can't keep the fruits from thattour.Persimmons can only be purchased from the departmentstore.
Tours
The following are the tours that you can go on, with explanations of each.
Hide and Seek
In the hide and seek tour, four villagers (not your own, but those who live on the island)will hide behind buildings and trees. You have to find all four to win. The number of medalsyou get depends on how quickly you found everyone.
Flower Planting
The objective of the flower planting tour is to go around the island and take the flowers thatyou find, then plant them in the square near Tortimer. The tour ends when you have filled upthe square with flowers. The number of medals you get depends on how quickly you filled up the square. In more difficult versions of this tour, you need to plant flowers of a specific color, and specific species.
Balloon Popping
In this tour, there are no trees on the island, and you are automatically equipped with a slingshot. The map in the touch screen shows you wherethere are balloons floating through the sky. There is also a wind indicator in the touch screenthat tells you which direction the balloons will be moving in. Run to the areas with theballoons and stand near the shadow of a balloon. Stand just to the side of the shadow so thatthe balloon will be moving toward you. Then use the slingshot to pop the balloon. Rabbitballoons are worth more points. The number of medals you get depends on how many balloons youpopped.
Shell Finding
In this tour, you are automatically equipped with a wetsuit. Go walk into the ocean to swim.Tap A to swim forward. Look for bubbles and shadows in the water. Dive by pressing Y when youare near a shadow. While underwater, tap A to swim toward the shadow. When you are on theshadow, tap A to catch it. If you found a shell, it counts toward your points. If you foundsomething other than a shell, such as a seahorse or urchin, it does not count toward yourtotal. You have to get at least 3 shells.
Borrowing Tour
In this tour, your inventory has a list in it. Open your inventory and read the list. It isa list of furniture that you need to find in the cottages around the island. Go to the cottages and try to find the furniture from the list. Press Y to pick up the furniture. You can keep it in your inventory. If the furniture matches an item in the list, there will bea check mark next to it in the list. When you have found all of the furniture in the list,talk to Tortimer to end the tour.
Bug-Catching Tours
There are several types of bug-catching tours. One of the tours just asks you to catch as many insects as possible, of any type.Other tours will ask you to catch specific types of insects.Be sure to catch the correct types.
Fishing Tours
There are several types of fishing tours. One of the tours just asks you to catch as many fish as possible, of any type.Other tours will ask you to catch specific types of fish.Be sure to catch the correct types.
Deep Sea Creature Catching Tours
There are several types of tours for catching deep sea creatures. One of the tours just asks you to catch as many deep sea creatures as possible, of any type.Other tours will ask you to catch specific types of deep sea creatures.Be sure to catch the correct types.
Fossil Finding Tour
In this tour, there are two houses in the top left. The left house contains fossils. Theright house is empty. Check on the fossils in the house to find out what they are.Then go around the island digging up fossils with the shovel. When you find the fossils thatmatch the types in the house, go into the empty house on the right and put the fossils in thesame positions as you found them in the house on the left. Then the tour will end and youwill get medals based on how quickly you completed the fossil display.
Item Matching Tour
This is a memory game where there are pairs of items and you have to match the pairs.Items are buried in the ground. You are equipped with a shovel. You have to dig up an itemfrom a crack in the ground, then find the matching item in another crack in the ground.If the next item you find doesn't match what you dug up first, you will automatically bury it again. Match all of the items to end the tour.
Fruit Maze Tour
A maze will be set up on the island, made of bushes. Tortimer will ask you to find a specificnumber of a specific type of fruit. Harder versions of this tour require you to find multipletypes of fruit. Go through the maze and look for that type of fruit.Only pick up the type that you need! You aren't allowed to take any type except what Tortimer asked for.Once you have the exact number of the exact type of fruit that Tortimer asked for, and no other fruits, talk toTortimer to end the tour. Tip: Don't run too close to the bushes because they will slowyou down.
Hammer Time
You are equipped with a hammer. You have to chase around a remote-controlled Cornimer toyand hit it with your hammer as many times as you can before the time runs out.
Gem-Finding Tour
There will be many rocks around the area. You have to use your shovel to break as many rocksas possible to find as many gems as possible. One type of gem will be worth three points, and the rest are worth one.Some rocks are normal rocks, so you might wantto mark them (e.g. dig a hole in front) so you don't try to break it again.
