Re-Tail – Animal Crossing New Leaf

This is “Re-Tail” from life simulation game “Animal Crossing New Leaf”, developed and published by Nintendo.
The is composed by Atsuko Asahi.
She also composed the main theme for “Mario Kart 8” and the main theme for “ARMS”, for example.

This song is played in a recycling store run by two alpacas.
You can also hear this song in the latest title “Animal Crossing New Horizon” in a different way.

Animal Crossing is a life simulation game where real time and game time are linked.
The concept was “a game that multiple people can play together at different times”.
Initially, the game was being developed as an adventure game in which players use animals with unique abilities to explore four different fields.
(Each animal has a different ability, so other players, such as a child and his/her parent, need to cooperate.)
However, due to capacity constraints, the stage was set in a single village, and as a result of adjusting the game system without changing the concept, Animal Crossing was born.(Interview)

“Animal Crossing New Leaf” features an expansion of the customization of the village, with you being appointed (almost forcibly) as the village chief and being able to do public works.

As for the song, it uses a gentle progression without the dominant motion with a strong sense of resolution (ii/V-I).
However, the second half of the song is in contrast to that.
The secondary chord is used in the at bar 14th (0:30~), and the chord progression is still emotional after that.
I think bars 15~18 are similar to the “Ohdo progression” (IV-IV/V-iii-vi).
In particular, bar 17th has a strong impression with the use of ii in a minor key.