Pockets

The pocket is what the player uses to carry around items around in the entire Animal Crossing series. Despite being able to hold very large things, the player can hold fifteen (sixteen in New Leaf) items at a time. It is a very important gameplay feature, and it can hold every pickable item in the game. On the side of the inventory, there is a special space for letters and messages in bottles. On the top, there is an image of the player. Dragging items on this image will make the player hold/wear it. However, the player can't hold every item. This feature lost a bit of utility in City Folk, since the player can change tools without accessing the inventory (using the arrows on the D-pad).

City Folk

The Inventory can be accessed by pressing the "A" button while pointing at the icons at the bottom of the screen or pressing the minus (-) or plus (+) buttons on the Wii Remote.

Accessible tabs in the inventory are:

Pockets
Designs
Bugs and Fish
Photos
Friends
Keyboard
Town Map

Pocket

The pocket is indicated by a suitcase icon. In the pockets there are 15 places in which items are stored. If the pockets are full and the player tries to pick something up, the player will struggle to push it in the pockets, but it will not fit. The player can then drop or swap the item. Dropping leaves it on the ground, but swapping allows the player to drop something else in order to place another item in the pockets.

Designs

Designs, indicated by the pencil icon, is where each design is stored. The player can see the designs, and use them for paintings, wallpaper and flooring in their house. Designs can also be used for hats, shirts, and umbrellas. If the player turns a design into clothing or a house accessory, it will not go to the inventory like normal clothing and accessories if removed. New designs can be made at the Able Sisters. Designs can also be displayed in the store for villagers to wear.

The Mii Mask can be accessed under the design tab.

Bugs and Fish

The book icon represents fish and bug information. Here the player can view when and where fish and bugs are caught and their average sizes. The shadow of a fish indicates whether it is a small, medium, or large fish.

Camera

Under the camera icon, the player can view the photo album. Here are all of the pictures that have been taken that day. From here, photos can be deleted or saved to an SD card. To take a picture, press 1 on the Wii remote. To get a different view, press the up button on the Wii remote. This is a good way to take pictures of the sky, creatures in the museum, and to change the perspective.

Friends

The friend roster is shown by a heart icon. Here the player can view friends that have been registered using their friend codes. The player's friend code is displayed under this tab. In order to visit another friend's town, they will need to be a registered friend.

Keyboard

The bubble icon is the keyboard. To chat with a friend, the player can use the Wii remote to type on the on-screen keyboard. A wireless keyboard can also be connected to the Wii console. If the player owns a WiiSpeak device, they can talk to friends through the microphone.

Map

The last icon shown is the map icon. Here the player can see the map of the town they are currently in. On the right is a map key, which helps locate the houses of villagers, unsold houses, Nook's shop, Able Sisters' shop, the Town Hall, the Bus Stop, and the Town Gate. The dark blue line that runs through the town is the river, and the rectangle(s) over it are bridges. The dark blue spots on the map are ponds, the light/dark green contrast shows the upper and lower tiers. In order to get to the higher/lower parts of the town, the player will have to use the ramps, which are visible by one color fading into another. The player can tell where they are in the town indicated by a red icon of a person's head and shoulders.