Tom Nook
Encyclopedia
Tom Nook, known in Japan as , is a fictional character in the Animal Crossing series
who operates the village store. He first appears in the Nintendo 64
game Dōbutsu no Mori, released in Europe and North America on the Nintendo GameCube
as Animal Crossing
. Nook sells a house to players at the beginning of each title in the series, giving them a set mortgage for them to pay and allowing them to upgrade it over time after the mortgage is paid off. He has made several appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series as well. Nintendo's Treehouse localization members Rich Amtower and Reiko Ninomiya argued that, in spite of his perceived greed, described him as a nice person due to taking the risk of hiring someone who was new to the town.
, also known as a tanuki
. While Tom Nook is considered to be greedy by 1UP.com
, Rich Amtower and Reiko Ninomiya, members of Nintendo's Treehouse localization team disagreed, describing him as a nice person. Amtower described him as "that first boss you ever had", adding that despite being all business and sometimes not having time for pleasantries, he is not a bad person. He adds that Nook's hiring of someone new to town involved risk, which shows generosity. Ninomiya agreed, and both felt that Nook's greed is diminished by the city's price index compared to that of his shop. Amtower jokingly alludes to an "anti-Nook bias" several times throughout the interview with 1UP.com.
title Dōbutsu no Mori, also available for the Nintendo GameCube
as Animal Crossing
. Nook initially operates a shop called "Nook's Cranny" and as the shop is expanded, he gives it new names. When his shop receives its final upgrade, he hires his two nephews, Timmy and Tommy, to sell items on the second floor. Tom Nook also sells players houses after they move into the village, allowing them to pay it off in small installments over time. After players pay off the house and all of its upgrades, they are awarded with a statue. He plays a similar role in subsequent installments Animal Crossing: Wild World
and Animal Crossing: City Folk. Wild World introduces an additional shopkeeper called Harriet who cuts players' hair in his store, as well as telling players that he and another shopkeeper called Sable were childhood friends who grew apart when Nook left for the cities. He returned to the village after attempting to open a store, and was more bitter than before.
and Super Smash Bros. Brawl
. as well as a background character on the Smashville stage, which is based on the Animal Crossing series. Tom Nook's shop music also features in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
as part of "Town Hall and Tom Nook's Store". Tom Nook has also been featured in several promotional items, including plush toys.
listed him as the ninth most-wanted character to appear in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
. They describe him as devious, diabolical, and sinister, commenting that while he may not be a good fighter due to being from a video game without any fighting, they would enjoy seeing him get beaten up. Another article by IGN compares a talking baton given to the protagonist of Major Minor's Majestic March
to Nook, calling it the second only to Nook in annoyance. GameSpy
listed Tom Nook as one of their favourite bosses; editor Brian Altano specified that he passionately loves to hate Nook, stating that while he provides appreciated services to the small village, he keeps his reality grounded in that he lives in Nook's town, not his own. UGO.com ranked him the fifth best Animal Crossing character, stating that while Mr. Resetti was an irritant, Tom Nook was a jerk. They added that they love to hate him, jokingly suggesting that he was a "kingpin
". In spite of the negative reception, Tom Nook has received some positive reception. In author Katherine Isbister's book, "Better game characters by design: a psychological approach", she cites Tom Nook as an example of a mentor character, one who indirectly helps players. GamesRadar also listed him as one of the 25 best new characters of the decade, stating that he has earned his place amongst the hearts of gamers and people on the Internet as both a viral meme and a deceptively devious character. Morningstar Critics had Tom Nook be the first video game character that they reviewed. However, they criticized him negatively, stating that he is "an ugly little Tom Nook" and that his "jobs" for the player are actually just him being bossy. Additionally, they played the game and jokingly refused to do his bidding, also wishing to change their game clothes while Tom Nook creepily followed the players, and as they yelled at the DS to make him leave, he watched them get dressed.
equivalent of Al Swearengen
, a pimp from the 1800s, due to his business sense, as well as both the character's position and disposition. Tom Nook has also been personified as a devious character, as well as a gangster, including an issue of the web comic VG Cats
, which depicts him roughing up the player's character for his rent money. In a satirical article written by GamesRadar
, they suggest that the cast of Animal Crossing, most importantly Tom Nook, were setting the player up into a "furry cult". GameSpy
listed Tom Nook as a video game character who would suck in real life, stating that he is annoying in the video games, and would be terrifying if he was a landlord in real life. 1UP.com
editor Jeremy Parish, in his review of Animal Crossing: Wild World, he makes a parody documentary of the in-game world. In it, he suggests that Tom Nook's keen business sense allows him to effectively control the village. In the book The ecology of games: connecting youth, games, and learning, author Katie Salen cited Animal Crossing as a video game that teaches players about economics. Specifically, she referred to Tom Nook, with whom she describes as being a condensation of the corporate bourgeoisie.
Animal Crossing (series)
The Animal Crossing games have garnered positive response. The first three games are among the best-selling for their respective consoles. Animal Crossing has sold 2.321 million copies; Wild World 10.79 million; and City Folk 3.38 million...
who operates the village store. He first appears in the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
game Dōbutsu no Mori, released in Europe and North America on the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
as Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing
The Animal Crossing games have garnered positive response. The first three games are among the best-selling for their respective consoles. Animal Crossing has sold 2.321 million copies; Wild World 10.79 million; and City Folk 3.38 million...
. Nook sells a house to players at the beginning of each title in the series, giving them a set mortgage for them to pay and allowing them to upgrade it over time after the mortgage is paid off. He has made several appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series as well. Nintendo's Treehouse localization members Rich Amtower and Reiko Ninomiya argued that, in spite of his perceived greed, described him as a nice person due to taking the risk of hiring someone who was new to the town.
Concept and characteristics
Tom Nook is based on the Japanese Raccoon DogJapanese Raccoon Dog
The Japanese raccoon dog, also known as in Japanese, is conventionally considered as two subspecies of the raccoon dog, hondo-tanuki , and ezo-tanuki . Their common Japanese name is often mistakenly translated into English as "badger" or "raccoon"...
, also known as a tanuki
Tanuki
is the common Japanese name for the Japanese raccoon dog . They have been part of Japanese folklore since ancient times...
. While Tom Nook is considered to be greedy by 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
, Rich Amtower and Reiko Ninomiya, members of Nintendo's Treehouse localization team disagreed, describing him as a nice person. Amtower described him as "that first boss you ever had", adding that despite being all business and sometimes not having time for pleasantries, he is not a bad person. He adds that Nook's hiring of someone new to town involved risk, which shows generosity. Ninomiya agreed, and both felt that Nook's greed is diminished by the city's price index compared to that of his shop. Amtower jokingly alludes to an "anti-Nook bias" several times throughout the interview with 1UP.com.
Appearances
He first appears in the Nintendo 64Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
title Dōbutsu no Mori, also available for the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
as Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing
The Animal Crossing games have garnered positive response. The first three games are among the best-selling for their respective consoles. Animal Crossing has sold 2.321 million copies; Wild World 10.79 million; and City Folk 3.38 million...
. Nook initially operates a shop called "Nook's Cranny" and as the shop is expanded, he gives it new names. When his shop receives its final upgrade, he hires his two nephews, Timmy and Tommy, to sell items on the second floor. Tom Nook also sells players houses after they move into the village, allowing them to pay it off in small installments over time. After players pay off the house and all of its upgrades, they are awarded with a statue. He plays a similar role in subsequent installments Animal Crossing: Wild World
Animal Crossing: Wild World
is a 2005 social simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console, and is the second game in the Animal Crossing series....
and Animal Crossing: City Folk. Wild World introduces an additional shopkeeper called Harriet who cuts players' hair in his store, as well as telling players that he and another shopkeeper called Sable were childhood friends who grew apart when Nook left for the cities. He returned to the village after attempting to open a store, and was more bitter than before.
In other media
Tom Nook has made several minor appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series of video games; appearing as various collectibles in Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
and Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
. as well as a background character on the Smashville stage, which is based on the Animal Crossing series. Tom Nook's shop music also features in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
as part of "Town Hall and Tom Nook's Store". Tom Nook has also been featured in several promotional items, including plush toys.
Reception
Tom Nook has received mixed reception since his appearance in Animal Crossing. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
listed him as the ninth most-wanted character to appear in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
. They describe him as devious, diabolical, and sinister, commenting that while he may not be a good fighter due to being from a video game without any fighting, they would enjoy seeing him get beaten up. Another article by IGN compares a talking baton given to the protagonist of Major Minor's Majestic March
Major Minor's Majestic March
is a music video game for the Wii. It was created by Parappa the Rapper designer Masaya Matsuura and famous artist Rodney Greenblat.Major Minor’s Majestic March uses the Wii Remote as a mace that the drum major, Major Minor, uses to keep tempo, recruit new band members and pick up valuable items...
to Nook, calling it the second only to Nook in annoyance. GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
listed Tom Nook as one of their favourite bosses; editor Brian Altano specified that he passionately loves to hate Nook, stating that while he provides appreciated services to the small village, he keeps his reality grounded in that he lives in Nook's town, not his own. UGO.com ranked him the fifth best Animal Crossing character, stating that while Mr. Resetti was an irritant, Tom Nook was a jerk. They added that they love to hate him, jokingly suggesting that he was a "kingpin
Kingpin
Kingpin may refer to:* Kingpin , the pivot in the steering mechanism* Kingpin , a Swedish metal band from the mid-1980s* Kingpin , a satirical chess magazine...
". In spite of the negative reception, Tom Nook has received some positive reception. In author Katherine Isbister's book, "Better game characters by design: a psychological approach", she cites Tom Nook as an example of a mentor character, one who indirectly helps players. GamesRadar also listed him as one of the 25 best new characters of the decade, stating that he has earned his place amongst the hearts of gamers and people on the Internet as both a viral meme and a deceptively devious character. Morningstar Critics had Tom Nook be the first video game character that they reviewed. However, they criticized him negatively, stating that he is "an ugly little Tom Nook" and that his "jobs" for the player are actually just him being bossy. Additionally, they played the game and jokingly refused to do his bidding, also wishing to change their game clothes while Tom Nook creepily followed the players, and as they yelled at the DS to make him leave, he watched them get dressed.
Parody and analysis
Tom Nook has been satirized in several articles, often compared to a mob boss or kingpin or otherwise a bad person. IGN listed him as the 72nd video game villain, suggesting that Tom Nook has a nice face, but the "cold, dead heart of a megalomaniac whose sole desire is to make a quick bell". Fellow IGN editor Patrick Kolan described Nook as the Animal CrossingAnimal Crossing
The Animal Crossing games have garnered positive response. The first three games are among the best-selling for their respective consoles. Animal Crossing has sold 2.321 million copies; Wild World 10.79 million; and City Folk 3.38 million...
equivalent of Al Swearengen
Al Swearengen
Ellis Albert "Al" Swearengen was a pimp and early entertainment entrepreneur in Deadwood, South Dakota, running the Gem Theater, a notorious brothel, for 22 years, and combining a reputation for brutality with an uncanny instinct for forging political alliances.Swearengen and his twin brother,...
, a pimp from the 1800s, due to his business sense, as well as both the character's position and disposition. Tom Nook has also been personified as a devious character, as well as a gangster, including an issue of the web comic VG Cats
VG Cats
VG Cats is a webcomic written and drawn by Canadian cartoonist Scott Ramsoomair. Published on its own website, it features the adventures of a pair of anthropomorphic cats, who often play the roles of characters in popular video games that are parodied in the strip. Strips are usually presented in...
, which depicts him roughing up the player's character for his rent money. In a satirical article written by GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
, they suggest that the cast of Animal Crossing, most importantly Tom Nook, were setting the player up into a "furry cult". GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
listed Tom Nook as a video game character who would suck in real life, stating that he is annoying in the video games, and would be terrifying if he was a landlord in real life. 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
editor Jeremy Parish, in his review of Animal Crossing: Wild World, he makes a parody documentary of the in-game world. In it, he suggests that Tom Nook's keen business sense allows him to effectively control the village. In the book The ecology of games: connecting youth, games, and learning, author Katie Salen cited Animal Crossing as a video game that teaches players about economics. Specifically, she referred to Tom Nook, with whom she describes as being a condensation of the corporate bourgeoisie.