Doubutsu no Mori is the name of the first installment in the Animal Crossing series. It was released only in Japan for the Nintendo 64. It was later remade for the GameCube in 2002, and released worldwide as Animal Crossing. This game is compatible with the Expansion Pak and is displayed in a higher resolution when it is used (640x480 as opposed to 320x240).

Finally on their own, a young boy or girl hops on a train and set out for a new life in a small village inhabited by sentient, humanoid animals. However, being a spirited youth, the child forgot to find a place to live first and has only the clothes on their back and 1,000 Bells. On the train, Rover sits across from them and drums up a conversation. During the exchange, the cat finds out about the child’s situation. Rover contacts Tom Nook and arranges for his old friend to help out the boy or girl upon their arrival.