Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH) Guides

Classic Nintendo Game Consoles: How To Unlock & Play

Classic Nintendo Game Consoles are special furniture items that you can interact with to play real emulated retro games inside of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

These items were introduced in the Version 3.0 Update paying tribute to the original Animal Crossing for GameCube‘s NES items.

How To Get Classic Nintendo Game Consoles

Retro Nintendo systems are exclusively unlocked by progressing through the Resort Hotel found on your island’s pier and purchased using Hotel Tickets.

When you first begin at the Resort Hotel, the Souvenir Shop run by Grams only supplies a small selection of items. By progressing through the Resort Hotel’s content, the hotel’s reputation will gradually increase bringing more items to the shop.

To unlock the classic Nintendo game consoles, you need to expand the Souvenir Shop’s selection three separate times:

Design 4 hotel rooms for the first expansion unlocking items like Kiddie furniture.
Design 8 hotel rooms for the second expansion unlocking items like Marble furniture.
Design your first VIP Room and complete many DIY requests at the drop box for the third expansion unlocking Nintendo game systems.

When you reach these milestones, speaking to Grams will unlock new dialogue talking the hotel’s new business or guests, confirming that you’re progressing.

Classic Nintendo Game Consoles List

There are 7 different classic Nintendo systems you can purchase at the Resort Hotel covering consoles originally released between 1984 and 1995! Each item can play a different pre-set retro Nintendo game from that system, which are listed next to the item.

Additionally, an active paid Nintendo Switch Online subscription is required for the console gameplay functionality to work. You can still unlock and buy the systems as pure decoration without subscribing.