Animal Crossing New Leaf Mayor Guide: Town Rating

Animal Crossing New Leaf is the latest entry of the long running Nintendo series called Animal Crossing. It’s actually one of the most successful series created by the Japanese company, thanks to it’s simple yet engaging premise as well as the many customization options given to players that allow them to customize their character and house in many different ways and interact with others in some really interesting ways.

New Leaf brings some welcome addition to the gameplay formula, making the game even more addicting than before. Customization options have been vastly increased for both character and house customization. As if it wasn’t enough players will have the possibility, for the first time ever, to become the mayor of their town, allowing the new virtual mayors to even customize the town and improve it with public works. Creating a good city will allow you to get a Perfect Town rating as well as a 100% approval rating and the appreciation of your virtual citizens.

As usual you’ll also be able to take part in a lot of different activities for the game: bug catching, diving, fishing and more. Animal Crossing New Leaf is truly the perfect game for all those players who love to collect items: to truly find everything in the game you’ll have to work extra hard.

Among the new features introduced in Animal Crossing New Leaf are Spot Pass features, DLC and Online Play that make the best use of the Nintendo 3DS unique features.

• Town Rating

The only way to know about your town’s rating is by speaking to the all powerful Isabelle, who’ll update you on the Citizen Satisfaction. Obtaining the Perfect Town score and keeping it for 15 days will give you the Golden Watering Can. You can also get this reward by being in a town where the status has been achieved: being the Mayor is not a requirement. Achieving the Perfect Town rating will also unlock several new features like the Town Hall Upgrades, the Flower Clock and Jacob’s Ladder Flower.

The only way to achieve the Perfect Town rating is by carefully managing Trees, Flowers, Public Works and trash. The total rating depends on three categories: Cleanliness, Abundant Nature and Abundant Living.

• Cleanliness

less than 10 weeds
less than 10 items on the ground (not counting sea shells, fruit, mushrooms, flowers, buried fossils, buried gyroids, buried Pitfall Seeds)
no garbage (Empty Can, Boot, Old Tire, Spoiled Turnips)
no Rafflesia

• Abundant Nature

Trees between 110 and 200
Flowers over 50
High Nature Points from Public Works Projects
Good: Flower Clock, Flower Bed, Flower Arch, Wisteria Pergola, Straw Fence, topiaries, Solar Panels, Wind Power Generator, Windmill
Bad: Garbage Can, Jumbo Monitor, Oil Excavator, Tire Play Equipment, Picnic Sheet, Traffic Light, illumination items, Tower

• Abundant Living

High Living Points from Public Works Projects
Best: Campground
Good: bridges, benches, outside lights, Garden Chair, Hot Spring, Fire Hydrant, Stadium Lights, Solar Panels, Lighthouse
OK: almost everything else including Water Well, Fountain, clocks, Signboard, Face Board, signs, art, monuments, etc.
Bad: Garbage Can