If you’re the fortunate owner of the Nintendo Switch or plan to get your hands on one once stocks replenish, the most popular game to play right now is probably Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Since March, Nintendo Switch consoles have been highly sought after, with many websites going out of stock, including Amazon, Very and Game.co.uk.
Although the popular games console is still hard to come by right now, Nintendo has promised more stock is coming. Some e-tailers also have some availability of the handheld-only Nintendo Switch Lite, but it seems people are prefer the standard gaming unit to play on the TV.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons was released on Nintendo Switch on March 20 2020
The new Animal Crossing game, which was was released on March 20 2020, has quickly become a big hit among gamers. Whether you’re new to the Animal Crossing series or a seasoned player of its predecessors, let’s delve into what makes Nintendo’s latest instillment a must-have video game.
What is Animal Crossing?
Animal Crossing is a diverse social simulation game series developed and published by Nintendo and created by Katsuya Eguchi.
You create and name your own character, build a customisable home and interact with cute animal villagers. Enjoy charming activities like fishing, planting flowers and collecting fruit, as well as carrying out favours for your fellow villagers.
It debuted in 2001 on N64 and Gamecube, and has successfully released five games and three spin off games on various Nintendo consoles, including the Nintendo Wii, Wii U, Nintendo DS, 3DS, and most recently, the Nintendo Switch.
The Nintendo series has collectively sold more than a staggering 30 million units worldwide.
Is Isabelle in New Horizons?
Isbabelle is a popular Animal Crossing character and is unlockable later on in New Horizons. To unlock her, you must first wait for the full completion of the Resident Services building.
The building will be completed after you’ve built the museum, invited three new residents to your island, and built Nook’s Cranny.
The social simulation game Animal Crossing: New Horizons has become a big hit
What can you do in Animal Crossing New Horizons?
Tom Nook, CEO of Nook Inc, has invited you on his Deserted Island Getaway Package to create your own personal paradise.
Interact with other islanders and build your community as you explore, create, customise and decorate your home and surroundings.
Collect fruit (just make sure you hold a net while you’re shaking trees so you don’t get stung by the infamous bees), flowers, wood and rocks to shape your landscape and craft new items such as furniture and tools. Hunt down insects and dig for rare fossils. Some items can be sold for money so you can pay off your debt to Tom Nook.
Much like previous Animal Crossing games, the time of day and season match real life, including your hemisphere. Each day brings new surprises and interactions on your personal island paradise.
You can even partake in Animal Crossing Special Events such as this weekend’s Bunny Day and Fishing Tournament
Animal Crossing: New Horizons lets you customise and decorate your home and surroundings
How Multiplayer works in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Multiplayer feature allows you to play on the same system with family and friends (up to a total of four people), or if you have you a Nintendo Switch Online Membership, you can play together locally online (up to eight players).
The multiplayer feature has, however, had mixed reviews. The main issue players have found is that you can only have one island per Nintendo Switch Console. Which means if more than one person wants to play the game on the same Nintendo Switch in your household, additional family members and friends (a total of four people) will only be able to play on your island.
Some Amazon reviewers have noted this has caused disappointment among younger children, as well as partners hoping to create their own islands.
Animal Crossing’s Multiplayer function lets you play on the same island with family and friends
One Amazon shopper wrote: ‘Extremely fun game, very in-keeping with other animal crossing games BUT please beware if you are a family with multiple players using the same switch e.g. kids, couples.
‘Gameplay allows only one save per console – which means if you are sharing a switch you are automatically locked into sharing one island and its resources. But this is not the main issue.
‘The first person to create their profile has the lead role and experiences the entire game in full – tutorials, recipes, unlocking new buildings etc. Any other players unfortunately are limited in what they can do and have completely different experiences. They do not get the main story and instead are locked behind the 1st player waiting for them to unlock things to progress the game.’
Animal Crossing: New Horizon’s Multiplayer function has received mixed reviews
However another shopper was a little more positive about the one island rule. They wrote: ‘A fantastic little game that will eat up your spare time. Whether it be decorating your home, growing and tending your garden, socialising, adventuring, shopping, terraforming the landscape, crafting or interacting with the wildlife, Animal Crossing has something for everyone.
‘The game works in real time so times of days, seasons, deliveries, and events change depending on what’s happening in the real world. This creates a slower paced game and allows you as a player to take your time and let your little island grow organically with every decision you make.
‘There are some complaining about island sharing with others on the same console but the fact is it makes the game better. Islands are sizable so there is plenty of space for everyone but most importantly this is a social game and multiple residents makes it easier to harvest and share resources which is ESSENTIAL to progression. All in all a wonderful game and highly recommended.’
Where can I purchase Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available at most online stores, including: Amazon, Game.co.uk, Argos and Very.co.uk.
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