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evwuniverse · 4 years

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Animal Crossing New Horizons Beginner Review

Animal Crossing has been around since April 14, 2001, with its first release from the franchise for the Nintendo GameCube. Since then Nintendo has built a loyal fan-based community of individuals who’ve fallen in love with the game. Trying to be non-biased in this review (I’ll try my best!) I’m going to explain the positives and negatives of the recently released Animal Crossing game called Animal Crossing New Horizons which came out March 20, 2020. Every part of the review will be broken up into sections so you can read specifically the part you’re looking for. This is going to be a very long and extensive review covering hopefully everything you need to know about the game and whether or not you should obtain it if you haven’t already.

Animal Crossing Timeline (all of the games from 2001-2020):

2001 - Animal Crossing

Console = Nintendo GameCube

2005 - Animal Crossing: Wild World

Console = Nintendo DS

2008 - Animal Crossing: City Folk

Console = Nintendo Wii

2012 - Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Console = Nintendo 3DS

2020 - Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Console = Nintendo Switch

Who is Animal Crossing For?

The rating for Animal Crossing is for anyone 3+ and is family-friendly.

The point of the game is to build up an island filled with animals who are your neighbors which later on become your “best friends.” It falls under the category of social simulation. When you’re building up this utopian island you’ll notice it starting from the very beginning with lots of grassy areas, trees, weeds, and some flowers here and there. As you progress forward you get a town hall, market store, clothing store, and a museum. You’ll also, have other animals who want to move to your island so you’ll start to see more houses that you find the placing for in Animal Crossing New Horizons. This is something not yet seen in the Animal Crossing franchise. We were never able to choose where we could put an animal's house. They would just randomly build anywhere. This is a nice feature we’ve been given this time around!

Game Progression Shops and Lore of the Game:

Nook’s Cranny: The Market

During the progression of the game, the Nook’s Cranny ran by Timmy and Tommy two young raccoons that aren’t blood-related to Tom Nook. Both Timmy and Tommy are apprentices of Tom Nook’s Tom Nook considers himself more of a mentor or teacher. He is known for wanting to teach others good economic principles to help them from suffering financially in the future and making the same mistakes he had made. Their names were revealed in Animal Crossing New Leaf and this time around they’ve joined us as the shop owners of Nook’s Cranny in Animal Crossing New Horizons.

You’ll start with basically a wooden shack called Nook’s Cranny and with time you’ll slowly build up to an actual market store almost looking like a cute little town flower shop from the outside. This will continue to change during the progression of the game. However, to be honest I haven’t gotten far enough in the game yet to see the other changes that there supposedly are.

Dodo Airlines and Mystery Island Tours:

Airport Itself:

Dodo Airlines is a new part of Animal Crossing New Horizons this is a more organized way of being able to visit other friends and players islands. Before in other Animal Crossing games such as Animal Crossing New Leaf, you would go into a small building that was a train station. There would be a monkey that would grant you access to leave to other towns. Instead, they have an airport in New Horizons it’s run by two characters Dodo Orville and Dodo Wilbur. This is also where you can invite others to visit your town. From here they’ve added new things such as Mystery Tours which you’re able to take by using a Nook Miles Ticket. This will take you to a random island that contains bug, fish, items, and other resources that may not be accessible on your island. Some islands have special trees such as bamboo, foreign fruit trees, and rare flowers, The foreign fruit trees will always be the same foreign fruit.

I’ll be honest from my experience every time I’ve used a Nook Miles ticket to do the Mystery Island tours I’ve yet to come across an island with resources I didn’t already have on my starter island. For example, the fruit I started with was apples. I’ve only had Mystery islands with Apples and Peaches so far. I currently have both fruits so I only obtain those fruits on the Mystery Island tours to sell them for a small amount of money on my island. So just know it will be possible if you’re anything like me that you’ll keep getting islands with non-special properties. Or maybe I’m just unlucky?

Harv’s Island:

Another thing that’s unlocked at the airport is at a certain point in the game you’ll have access to travel to a place called Harv’s Is; and which is new and specific to only Animal Crossing New Horizons. This is also shortly termed as phototopia and is a photo studio you can go to and take pictures with the animals in your town. Set up rooms the way YOU want them with PROPS, have as many characters as you would like in the photo, and take photos with character summoned via amiibo figurines which are store-bought action figures if collecting those are your style.

Post Office:

Dodo airlines though it is an airport it doubles as the post office. Back in past Animal Crossing games in the franchise, there was its own separate post office you could go too. Now everything is contained in one place which honestly I find nice. Only because I feel it takes up fewer buildings on the island and more room to make your island your own. Doubling as the post office you’re able to send your postcards and letters via a card stand in the airport. When the card stand is accessed via your character the player can choose between multiple designs for their letters. Some of the letters will be marked with “Limited Availability” these are cards that are only available for purchase until the dates that are listed on the card. Sending a letter costs 200 bells and they’re able to be sent to a current resident of the player’s island, your future self, or a player from another town who is on their “best friends” list via the online service on your new Nook phone (which will be discussed later in this review).

Dodo Codes:

Previously in other Animal Crossing versions, you only had the option to invite or go to an island. However, now there’s an added safety precaution if the players want to use it in New Horizons. This option is called Dodo codes. These codes are five-character passwords that allow the players to visit your island or someone else's island even without having to be friends on the Nintendo Switch. The number of characters that can be on a single island has doubled since previous games in the franchise from four to eight people on an island at any given time.

Multiplayer Access and Rules:

A few things that have changed from previous versions of Animal Crossing:

If you go to another person island and you’re not a “best friend” on their island you’ll be unable to use tools such as shovels, axes, watering cans, fishing rods, and nets.

You’re able to move objects inside of your house even if other players are inside the house with you.

Actions that can’t be performed with an open airport gate:

Buying items via Nook Shopping (via Nook stop or the App)

Changing a design pattern

Inviting an animal to your Campsite via Amiibo

Using Island Designer

Visiting another island (Including Mystery Tours and Harv’s Island)

Sending a card via the card stand at the airport

Actions that cannot be performed with visitors on the island:

Picking up, placing or moving any outdoor furniture

Placing (but not removing) fences

Picking up, placing or moving furniture inside your house (unless all visitors are outside the home)

Using the overview mode for designing your house

Donating items to the museum or having fossils assessed

Wisp will refuse to accept collected spirit pieces (something you’ll find out about later on in your gameplay)

Tom Nook and Isabelle don’t provide any services

Island residents don’t accept gifts

Hitting rocks (without eating fruit) doesn’t provide any resources

Balloons won’t appear to use a slingshot on

Misc gameplay changed with visitors on the island:

Fishbait doesn’t work but is consumed

Wasps, scorpions, and tarantulas don’t spawn

K.K. Slider concerts have the music sent by mail the next day rather than in pockets

There is no entry fee for the Fishing Tourney and other rule changes.

As you can see the airport is the main hub for everything you do multiplayer related. This is pretty much the new hub in your game, yes you can consider the Town Hall as your main hub. But only when it comes to single-player actions. Which now brings me to the Town Hall.

Town Hall (AKA Residential Services):

Town Hall is a little bit different then what it was in past versions of the game... It’s gotten a facelift to catch up with the other advancements that have been added. You’ll quickly learn that Residential Services is the most important aspect of building on your island. This is where you’ll learn all of the basics when it comes to crafting in the game and deciding where you build features such as bridges around your island. Most bridges ahead of time cost you 168,000 bells so keep saving those bells and don’t spend them all of the time. You’ll thank me later on in the progression of the game if you decide to buy it. As you develop your island, the services inside and the exterior of the building will change. You’ll start with a tent for the Residential Services which will later become a grand beautiful Town Hall in the middle of your town with cobblestone right out front of it.

What you can do at Residential Services:

DIY workbench to craft new items

Nook stop which is the Island ATM (this is your bank, shopping catalog like sears, and the Nook Miles shop all in one)

Recycling box (you can pick up these items and either sell them or keep them for yourself I’ve gotten materials when I was low and some nice furniture from it)

Tom Nook and the services he provides, an example is paying off your loan, expanding your home, building bridges and inclines, terraforming, moving buildings, and so much more.

The Residential Services building is open 24 hours a day seven days a week. To unlock Isabelle which yes she is in this game which was super exciting for me when I started playing it. She provides information and services to better improve your island and the characters who live on it. Some of the services she performs are as followed:

Island evaluations (as if your real-life work evaluations weren’t enough for ya!)

Changing the island tune

Changing the island flag

The ability to change certain aspects, such as the catchphrase of a villager. (which I have yet to experience but have heard about this feature)

When you upgrade your Residential Services to Town Hall after a few days of playing the game a lot of characters will come to visit your towns such as Label, Redd, Leif, and the skunk who sells the shoes from Kick’s shoe store. They have small little stands in the cobblestone square right in front of the Town Hall. But keep in mind they only come on specific days during the week.

Blather’s Museum:

Yes, I called it Blather’s Museum instead of just Museum just saying the museum is soooo boring! This is where everything you collect such as fossils, fish, bugs, and now artwork go. You’re able to make donations to the museum and visit whenever you would like. At the time of typing this post, it is National Museum week. From May 18th- May 31st there is a stamp collection event at your Museum. You have to play the game to get the Museum on your island. This is also an unlockable place but not hard to obtain just by playing the game you’re able to obtain it rather quickly.

Able Sisters Clothing Store:

This is another place you unlock after unlocking the Town Hall in the middle of your island. Who could forget the able sister's store? the main place for character customization! and let me tell you the clothes so far in New Horizons are worth the game itself. There are so many cute outfits I’ve bought so many and wasted so many bells on clothes I can’t even tell you how much was bought on impulse. This store will be a money sucker in New Horizons. This is unlocked after one of the able sisters visits your island with her tiny kiosk in front of Town Hall. It takes a few days to unlock but it’s easy to do so once you unlock the able sisters you gain more in-game features., One of these features is the return of pattern design and custom content designs. This can also be done via your Nook phone.

Some background information about the Able Sisters clothing shop. The shop is owned and ran by two sisters Sable and Mable otherwise known as the able sisters. The store was run and owned by their parents before they had inherited it after their parents had suffered a fatal sewing accident. Sable inherited the store and also takes care of her younger sister Mabel.

Designs:

Let’s talk about Designs! after unlocking the Able Sisters clothing store in New Horizons you’ll have access to the design kiosk which can be accessed via the Able Sisters store. Designs are player-created patterns that allow the player to create customizable objects that best suit their needs in the game. This can be clothing, headgear, umbrellas, paintings, wallpaper, flooring, and outside paths and landscaping.

PRO Designs:

A PRO design is considered to be a more advanced design. Unlike regular designs, the PRO designs have the pattern on the reverse and obverse on the clothing which means the player can customize the front, back, and each sleeve. PRO designs take up one pattern slot and just like normal patterns can be displayed and used through the Able Sisters store.

Sharing Designs:

When the player first uses the Custom Designs Kiosk in the back of the Able Sisters store once the store is unlocked. They’re assigned a creator code, which can be shared and used by other players to find all of the code owner’s designs. Individual designs are also assigned a unique code when posted. Using this feature requires you to have an active Nintendo Online subscription which is one of the cheapest subscriptions I’ve ever paid for a video game console subscription to use multiplayer features in games. Highly recommend buying if you haven’t already.

Currently from what I’m aware of these are all of the shops you unlock early in the game. I’m sure there are more but as I continue to play I’ll continue to update this post for everyone to keep the data relevant.

Crafting:

In New Horizons they’ve introduced a new game-specific modification. Crafting! this is so different, new, and yet exciting for an Animal Crossing game and this is the first time something like this has ever been seen in the franchise. Crafting in the game can be used to make tools, furniture, and other various items in the game. Crafting is done through DIY Recipes. Your island has a huge flow of natural resources to craft with that can be used to make tools consistently. Trust me you’ll be crafting tools way more than anything else. In this game, your tools get worn out a break after a while of use except for the vaulting pole that has yet to break for me since I’ve made it. This is a nice sense of false security since all of my other tools break consistently. Below are the steps for crafting as explained by the official Animal Crossing New Horizons website.

Lean DIY Recipes: Learn recipes as you go about your day and participate in island activities to obtain them. One way I’ve obtained them through my island is they wash up in little jars with a message. You can get once a day by this.

Gather Materials: The island is abundant in resources such as tree branches, stones, and even weeds.

Visit Tom Nook’s Workbench: With the right materials you need to complete a recipe you just bring them to the workbench click the item you want to make and you’re on your merry way.

And you saw it here folks! it’s as easy as 1,2,3 it’s not super complicated and gives you something to do if you start getting bored in the game. You can obtain crafting resources on Mystery Island Tours as well so clear out those islands of their resources and stock them away for a rainy day.

Overall Conclusion:

Overall, Animal Crossing New Horizons brings to the table something for everyone to enjoy. From crafting, to decorating, relaxing, and talking to your friendly neighborhood animals it’s hard to get bored on the island unless you have completed everything in the one full cycle of a day on your game. Gathering resources takes me about 3 hours to get wood and branches from all of the trees. That’s just one round of shaking trees for branches I’ve notices on my own that the branches respawn so if you wanted you could do that all day long. The crafting is a nice change and adds some challenge to the game. Also, being able to decorate and place items anywhere you please on your island is so. nice when it comes to customization it almost turns this game into an open world creative sandbox. This is something I love in my experience playing. Do I think it’s worth it in my personal opinion? yes and no I think it’s worth trying out and you get a lot of hours of gameplay per day. However, the reason I say no is because based on an opinion if your not someone into a go with the flow not following a full storyline game and want more of an up paced environment this probably won’t be the game for you. If you’re looking for something relaxing that’s a great time waster go for it!

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