| K.K. Slider | |
|---|---|
| Animal Crossing character | |
 K.K. Slider as featured in promotional art forAnimal Crossing: New Horizons | |
| First appearance | Dōbutsu no Mori (2001) |
| Voiced by | Shun Oguri (Dōbutsu no Mori) |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Dog |
Totakeke (Japanese:とたけけ,Hepburn:Totakeke), more commonly known asK.K. Slider orK.K., is a fictional character within theAnimal Crossing franchise. One of the franchise's most popular characters,[1] he debuted in the titleAnimal Crossing, and has appeared in every installment since. K.K.'s main role is as afolk rock (according to the game)musician who performs to the townsfolk, through live performances and purchasable in-game albums. He is based on Nintendo video game voice actor and composerKazumi Totaka – his Japanese nickname "Totakeke" being a contraction of "Totaka K." – and has been said to be an animal caricature of Totaka.[2]
K.K. Slider has also appeared outside ofAnimal Crossing several times, such as a costume for the player'sMii fighter in the crossover fighting gamesSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.[3][4][5]
K.K. Slider was created for the 2001video gameDoubutsu no Mori for theNintendo 64, later released on theGameCube asAnimal Crossing. K.K. Slider is based on the composerKazumi Totaka. His music was composed by various members of the compositional staff across the series; some songs were composed because some members were skilled in a specific genre, while others were composed so they could challenge themselves.[6]
K.K. Slider was first introduced in the franchise's debut titleDoubutsu no Mori for theNintendo 64, later released onGameCube asAnimal Crossing . His role within the game is as aguitarist who performs songs for the player and townsfolk only at a certain time and day each week and, once finished, gives the player a virtual copy of the song that can be played on a radio in their home.[7] This role remains virtually the same throughout every main seriesAnimal Crossing title with minor changes, up untilAnimal Crossing: New Leaf, in which he also takes the role of aDJ under thepseudonym DJ KK.[8] He also appears inAnimal Crossing: Happy Home Designer,Amiibo Festival,Pocket Camp, andNew Horizons. InNew Horizons, he appears after the player's island has a three-star rating.[9] Four new K.K. songs were added inNew Horizons,[9] with 12 additional songs being added in the game's 2.0 update.[10] In theHappy Home Paradise DLC, DJ KK will appear on the main archipelago once the player has constructed thirty homes and designed all five facilities.[11] A concert related to his appearance in the DLC was held in October 2022.[12] K.K. Slider has also received a costume that can be worn byMii Fighters in the crossover fighting gamesSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate,[3][4][5] as well as his own amiibo.[13]
He appears in the 2006 filmDōbutsu no Mori. In October 2019, K.K. Slider – in the form of a hologram –opened for aSplatoon concert that took place during Nintendo Live inTokyo,Japan.[14][15]
K.K. Slider has received generally positive reception, withUGO identifying him as the most famousAnimal Crossing character in a 2013 article.[7] K.K. Slider came in first place in a 2019 popularity poll by Nintendo in Japan.[16] Abby Lee Hood ofNintendoLife noted him as abreakout character for his music appearing through remixes, social media videos, andTikTok.[17]Kotaku writer Nina Corcoran discussed K.K. Slider's influence, noting that he introduced people to new music genres and that he has inspired multiple people to create covers of his music, as well as covers of other songs in K.K. Slider's style.[18]Polygon described K.K. Slider as a "fan fave".[19] Cameron Faulkner ofThe Verge considered K.K. Slider his favorite artist of 2020, talking about how much he appreciated him being a "beam of positivity" during 2020, which he considered a difficult year. He felt that the music didn't resonate with him on 3DS, attributing it to the 3DS' smaller speakers, but found it much better on his TV.[20]
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