Move over Super Smash Bros., there’s another epic Nintendo crossover in the world and it came in the form of a performance by an Animal Crossing character.
Nintendo Live 2019 is a Nintendo-centric event going on in Japan right now, and the show’s itinerary included two Splatoon-themed concerts with live music from the games. These shows have been a common occurrence over the past few years since 2016, but unlike the previous concerts, these two had a special guest: Animal Crossing’s K.K. Slider.
K.K. is a guitar-playing dog who has appeared in every Animal Crossing game to date, and has been confirmed to be playing tunes in next year’s New Horizons when it finally comes to the Switch on March 20. It’s a good thing too, because for his performance at Nintendo Live he played a version of the game’s main theme.
I can't believe KK Slider just crashed the splatoon concert THIS IS AMAZING pic.twitter.com/5QsvJd19X5
— Splatoon Café News ☕️ (@SplatoonCafe) October 13, 2019
Along with the New Horizons theme, K.K. also covered the “Splattack” track from the Splatoon series:
we now live in a world where kk slider from animal crossing performed a live cover of splattack from splatoon in front of real life people holy moly pic.twitter.com/WOgnzKgRZl
— Splatoon Café News ☕️ (@SplatoonCafe) October 13, 2019
Like everyone else in Animal Crossing, K.K. Slider speaks a non-language made up of sounds that don’t actually make words. So his music is all about the melody, and it’s even sparked a wave of creators who make music in his style. Lately I’ve been going back to a cover by the good boy of Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” by YouTube user Clay Kramer, who’s made a few albums’ worth of covers based on the music by Animal Crossing’s canine busker.
If Ari’s not your jam, Kramer’s got a wide selection of covers to listen to, like The Beatles’ “Hey Jude”, “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” from The Lion King, and most recently a rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
K.K. Slider is one of the many villagers in the Animal Crossing series that have resonated with players over the years, but people who have been invested in them over the years have had their own personal experiences with each character. For more on that, check out Natalie’s write-up on the subject as she dives into why Animal Crossing’s villagers leave such an impact.
