This article was originally written for TheNintendoVillage.com, a website I founded and ran from 2018 to 2021.

If (like us) you’re can’t wait until 20 March to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you can get to grips with an early demo of the game if (unlike us) you’re attending PAX East.

Nintendo have announced that they’re bringing the eagerly-awaited game to PAX for players to test ahead of the launch later this month. The event kicks off on 27 February, running through to 1 March and Nintendo are bringing “a full-scale immersive experience [that] will allow attendees to explore life-sized recreations inspired by the upcoming game’s idyllic island getaway setting.” Sounds awesome.

There’ll be a couple of other games available for attendees to check out too, including Luigi’s Mansion 3, Pokémon Sword and Shield and The Stretchers. Those games are all available already of course, but there will be an advanced look at Pokémon Mystery Dungeon DX - though it’s likely to be the same demo that’s currently available on the eShop.

Either way, we imagine much of the attention will be focused on the Animal Crossing pods. Let us know if you’re going, and be sure to share your impressions of the game with us too!

Source: Nintendo PR