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Animal Crossing: 3 Subtle Ways Tom Nook Shows His Cruelty

Video game villains can be very disgraceful; Bowser is always kidnapping Princess Peach, Dr. Eggman is always trying to take control of the world, and in Animal Crossing, one of the healthiest video games ever made, there's a villain who is more cruel than perhaps all the antagonists mentioned above.


Compared to any other video game villain, Tom Nook is remarkably subtle in his ferocity. His villain represents a real-world antagonism that is always more dangerous than the bizarre, cartoonish tendencies of some of the other, more famous enemies in the video game world. However, what makes Tom Nook cruel is that his worst behavior is always gurgling beneath the surface.


Updated May 6, 2021 By Tanner Fox: Is Tom Nook Evil? We may have been a little hyperbolic, but it is certainly true that Tom Nook is not as nice as his caring, cuddly appearance that payers would be willing to believe. While not a supervillain, he seems eager to keep players and islanders in an eternal state of slavery, endlessly trying to get rid of an almost mysterious amount of debt. In addition, he has worked to ensure that every aspect of island life serves its purpose; From paying the islanders in credits that can only be redeemed in their own shop to forcing his students to work seemingly unpaid forever, there is no doubt that Tom Nook is one of the most vile creatures in the Animal Crossing franchise.



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While Animal Crossing avatars are always busy making money and friends, Tom Nook does his thing in his stores. In many versions of the game, it is only in the store, and when he upgrades it, it's not always clear how.


Nook apparently has a few side channels to finance his store so he can continue to grow into a pseudo-network. Considering how many locals complain about the lack of stories in their homes, it's easy to wonder why Nook is using all the city's necessary resources for himself.


Don't buy turnips on Sundays


We understand why Nook doesn't buy turnips on Sundays; if the price was right, the player could basically sell an infinite number of them and become a multi-millionaire in one day.


That said, the fact that the Nook essentially lets its customers play on the price of turnips is a bit cruel. Since it dictates the prices of everything on the island, it can ensure that turnips are never bought for more than the player has paid for it. Fortunately, he doesn't do his best to steal Animal Crossing bells in this way, but we get the feeling that his rape prices are driven more by his greed than any market.



The whole concept of Nook Miles


Nook initially turns Nook Miles into kindness and uses them to encourage players to dress up and maintain their island. However, since they can only be spent at authorized Tom Nook retailers, it essentially forces players to work in exchange for tokens that can only be spent at the proprietary store.


This keeps Nook safe and minimizes his operating costs and measures as many people as possible under his thumb. He would never admit it, but his motivations behind the Nook Miles concept were by no means virtuous.

May-14-2021

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